“In the late 90s, as I was working with an outreach program in some very low income areas here in Houston, I took notice of the many busted and broken bicycles that sat outside of many of the apartment units. Some of these bikes appeared to only need minor repairs while others probably needed to be thrown away. Regardless, I recall thinking of how awesome it would be to give the owners of these bikes a gift of repair, something that they probably haven’t been able to afford. It didn’t take long after that to organize the first “Bike Project” and to our surprise the line that day ended up being at least 20 – 30 people deep the entire day. The apartment complex took on a new life as the day progressed, with kids riding around on their “new” bikes, happy, smiling, laughing. This first project changed my life, as I’m sure it did to many of those kids and families that day, and since those late 90s, we’ve probably repaired hundreds of bikes as well as given away just as many new ones” – Hector / Byke Project Founder
Hector Garcia is a native to Houston, Texas and his love for BMX and bikes in general has translated into a variety of charity efforts and event concepts. From the first HTX Flatland Jam in 2000, to the Elevation Flatland series from 2001 – 2006, to the most recent HTX Bike Festivals in Downtown Houston, it’s Hector’s love for the bike and for people & community that drives every effort.
Hector’s most recent venture is a new coffee shop concept near Downtown called OSO Coffee Co. This shop is named after his mother, who’s nickname is “Oso”, meaning “mamma bear” in Spanish. The shop is set to open Christmas 2022 or by the beginning of 2023. You can follow the shop on IG at @oso.coffee. Follow Hector and all of his antics at @hectorgarciahtx
