Meet “That Bike Guy”: Fort Thomas Resident Restores Bikes for Kids in Need

By Mary Casey-Sturk

Ronnie Aber has loved to ride bikes for as long as he can remember. That childhood feeling of freedom—your own wheels, the breeze in your face, heading off on adventures on a sunny afternoon. You remember that feeling, and Aber wanted to be sure other kids had that experience too.

Aber, who spent part of his childhood in Fort Thomas and now lives here with his wife and their three children, has been a tinkerer all his life. He has long enjoyed working on cars, bikes, and more. 

“When I was ten or eleven years old, my whole family was into cars, hot rods, street rods. Ever since I could pick up a wrench, I was working on my bike—always working on it,” shares Aber, adding, “I have to tinker with something. Back then, my bike was my car.” 

As his kids grew up, this was a passion he shared with them: fixing up and riding bikes together. This expanded into fixing up bikes for his children’s friends and neighbors, and soon others were asking him for help with theirs. He fixed up both existing bikes in need of some TLC and built bikes for people who sought to have bikes from their youth. Building a bike from scratch is not necessarily inexpensive, but to those seeking to have the ultimate bike of their memories, it was worth it. Aber wanted every kid to have the experience of riding a bike like he had, so he was also making sure local kids were getting bikes if they wanted one.

Everyone knew Aber was the “go-to” person for bike repairs and builds. Adult bikes, kids’ bikes, some never used, some loved and outgrown, soon started coming his way. Before long, his garage was full, and at times, some were just mysteriously left in his yard.  Bikes that didn’t have owners lined up were donated to charity thrift shops. 

Aber, rightly so, was now being referred to as “that bike guy.”

Helping Holly Hill

Earlier in 2024, Aber connected with Campbell County-based non-profit Holly Hill Child & Family Solutions via an employee who was a biking enthusiast herself. Their website shares, “Holly Hill is dedicated to protecting and supporting the most vulnerable members of our community. We provide high quality, comprehensive mental and behavioral health services to empower children, adolescents, young adults, their families, and those supporting them with the stability, skills, and tools to thrive.”

“One day, I got a call from Susan Houben at Holly Hill (who saw my online posts), and she asked me to look at the bikes they had at Holly Hill. They were older bikes, including some very old ten-speeds. They weren’t in good shape,” Aber said, adding, “I told her that I’d get some bikes fixed up and ask (the community) for some donations and see what happens.”

“An hour after I posted my need online, my phone was ringing non-stop.” Aber recalls, “The back of my truck was filled at least three times (with donations of bikes).”

The bikes were truly needed for the foster children living at Holly Hill’s residential campus. For exercise, for fun, and for that sense of adventure many others have felt upon two wheels, it was concluded that having bikes for their resident children (and later, staff) would be a wonderful scenario and one they did not have a budget for. 

Houben’s reaching out to Aber was serendipitous. He was able to revitalize bikes with new parts, a lick of paint here and there, and some elbow grease, and soon they were on their way to Holly Hill.

“I liked knowing I could make a difference to a kid with a bike, the way a bike made a difference for me.” shared Aber. 

Holly Hill CEO James Sherry shared, “Community support is pivotal to Holly Hill being able to support the most vulnerable youth in our region. We have been serving our community for 140 years, thanks to generous supporters like Mr. Aber. Cycling reduces stress and is a fun way to exercise, and the kids we care for deserve high-quality bikes that are safe to ride and explore on.”

Cruising Along

Aber’s been keeping busy—between an active family, his full-time job, fostering dogs, and rehabbing bikes, he decided he could use a hand on the bike front. Enter Cincinnati’s Healing Center. This west side group works with the unhoused and at-risk people to teach trades. They have a bicycle “kitchen” and Aber is currently discussing a partnership with them to teach individuals the skills to repair bikes—both their own and others for people in need, like the kids at Holly Hill. 

Although the bikes are donated to Aber, he covers the cost of the parts and is keenly aware of which bikes can be fixed efficiently. In recent weeks, he’s even had unused bikes come his way, and after a once-over, they too are given to new owners. While he keeps busy with his day job as a private nurse, he is still determined to keep working on bikes and sharing those skills with others, continuing to earn his moniker, “that bike guy.” 

Ronnie Aber making sure bikes are ready to roll! Photo provided.