A Bittersweet Goodbye for Bad Business Model Bikes

By Alyssa Phillips SPECIAL TO THE FORUM

Billy Bradford, a longtime bike repairman and community philanthropist, will be saying goodbye to Castro Valley within the next year. He has lived in his home with his wife for 21 years and began running “Bad Business Model Bikes” eight years ago in 2015.

Bradford’s love for biking began at a young age and fixing them up is a hobby he grew to enjoy. When he began restoring classic bikes that people no longer wanted, he realized that he could give these unused bikes away to people in need. He never charges for the bikes he donates and does not generate a profit—thus inspiring the title of “Bad Business Model Bikes.”