Giving kids in foster care a bike of their own.

Next Gear Youth is a youth-run nonprofit in Heber City, Utah. Teens on our mountain bike team rebuild donated bikes from the ground up, and we give every finished bike to a kid in foster care.

Donate a bike Support the scholarship
107Bikes donated to us
89Being rebuilt now
18Given to kids in foster care
Our work

Beat-up bikes in. Ride-ready bikes out.

Most bikes that come to us need a lot of work. Each one gets a full service and new parts before it goes to a kid, so it's safe and ready to ride on day one.

  1. Trailhead

    We collect bikes

    People donate the bikes they're done with. We pick them up or meet at a drop-off spot.

  2. Climb

    Teens rebuild them

    Our crew inspects every bike and replaces worn tires, chains, cables and brake pads.

  3. Summit

    We check everything

    Each bike is tuned and test-ridden until it shifts, stops and rolls like it should.

  4. Finish

    A kid gets a bike

    The finished bike goes to a child in foster care somewhere in Utah.

Every mechanic is a teenager. All of the service work is done by riders from our mountain bike team, who learn real skills while helping kids in their own community.

Why bikes

A bike gives a kid independence.

Kids in foster care often depend on others for every ride. A bike they own changes that.

School

A reliable way to get to class on time without waiting on a ride.

Work

Older kids can get to a first job and start building a future of their own.

Safety

If a situation ever feels unsafe, a bike gets a kid to a trusted adult, a neighbor or a phone quickly, so they can reach help.

Being a kid

Riding with friends, exploring, and having something that's truly theirs.

Impact

Every bike, accounted for.

We track each bike from the day it's donated to the day it's handed to a kid. Here's where things stand.

Bike tracker

Updated October 2026

Each circle is one bike. Filled circles have been given to a kid.

107Donated to us
89In the shop
18Given to kids
The Next Gear Scholarship

One kid. One full season of racing.

We're raising money to give one kid from foster care a full year on a NICA high school mountain bike team, with everything they need to race.

Now raising funds
Sponsor the scholarship Ask about eligibility
  • A race-ready mountain bike Theirs to keep
  • Helmet and riding gear Fitted for them
  • Team registration A full NICA season
  • Race entries Every race on the calendar
  • Everything else So cost is never the barrier
Our story
“My family knows foster care. This is my way of giving back.”
Liam BuhlFounder, age 16

I'm Liam, and I live in Heber City. My family has done foster care, and my little sister came to us through foster care before we adopted her. I've seen how much it means when a kid who's starting over has something of their own.

I race on our mountain bike team, and I know what a bike can do. It gets you to school and to work. It gives you freedom. And if things ever aren't safe, it's a fast way to get to someone who can help.

So I started Next Gear Youth. People donate bikes they don't use anymore, my teammates and I rebuild them with new parts until they're fully running, and we give them to kids in foster care around Utah. More than a hundred bikes have come through our shop so far, and we're just getting started.

Get involved

Pick your line.

Every trail has an easy way down and a hard one. So does helping out. Choose the one that fits you.

Easy

Donate a bike

Kids' and adult bikes of any kind, in any condition. Helmets, locks and spare parts help too.

Schedule a pickup or drop-off
Intermediate

Connect a kid or partner up

Caseworkers and foster families can tell us about a child who needs a bike. Shops and businesses can help with parts or shop time.

Get in touch
Expert

Sponsor the scholarship

Help send one kid from foster care through a full season of NICA racing, gear and all.

See the scholarship
Contact

Get in touch.

Questions about donating, volunteering, partnering or the scholarship? Send us a message.

Location
Heber City, Utah
Serving
Kids in foster care across Utah
We reply to every message.

Thank you to the partners who help keep our bikes rolling.

POCSchwalbe