HOUSTON — A Houston man channeled his passion into helping others, creating a hidden gem in the process.
"I’ve always had a bicycle in my life, always, since I was 8 years old," said Ferrell Surette, founder of Recycled Cycles of Texas (RCOTX).
These days, he has anywhere from a handful to a truckload of bikes. Some are rideable, some far from it.
"We gladly accept your bicycles, your used bicycles, your slightly used bicycles, your rusted bicycles," Surette said.
Once he's done working on them, he donates them, as he did at the organization's first-ever pop-up event in January.
"If you have a bicycle and you want to donate it, bring it. If you need a bicycle, come and we’ll give you one," Surette explained.
This started 10 years ago as just a hobby for a guy with a passion for cycling.
"I like to just put my hands on the bicycle and wrench on it. That’s what I get my kick out of," Surette said. "Just working on ‘em is what makes me happy, so if I retired tomorrow, I could work on bicycles and give ‘em away. If I could figure out how to make that work, I’d probably do it."
Now, RCOTX is gaining steam as a non-profit, getting bikes to kids who want them and adults who need them.
"It took me four years to give away 100 bicycles," Surette said. "(By the end of 2022,) we have recycled 1,124 bicycles back into the community."
"To see a kid ride away on a bicycle, there are no words to describe it," Surette said with a smile.
To learn more about RCOTX, visit its website here.