Sylvie Baele, Executive Director
Sylvie has been involved with Second Chance Bikes since 2018. She started out by planning our annual Fall Festival fundraisers, then became Programs Manager in June 2020, and finally the Executive Director in April 2019. She obtained a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the College of Charleston in 2022. Her thesis research assessed the impacts of our Change a Tire, Change a Life program on the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Prior to joining the Second Chance Bikes team, she worked for 8 years as a trip leader for Vermont Bicycle Tours and Austin Adventures. A Charleston native with a taste for adventure, she has visited or worked in almost every state in the U.S. She prides herself on synthesizing her travel experiences with her passion for bicycles to facilitate collaborative and innovative approaches to help solve complex public problems.
Doc, Mechanic
Doc is our resident freak bike builder! He has been wrenching on bikes for his whole life- from New York to Miami, he owned and operated a pedicab business. Originally from New York, he helped run Mechanical Gardens, another rad bike nonprofit, in Brooklyn. He likes getting people to ride tall bikes that he builds and cruising around town together! His positive attitude is infectious, and he never misses a chance to help someone with their bike.
Travis Harrelson, Mechanic
A true Charleston native, Travis grew up chasing pretty girls on his bike around Old Village in Mount Pleasant. He has owned over 50 bikes throughout his life, and rides them until he destroys them. Good thing he knows how to fix them! Travis also delivers freaky fast sandwiches around downtown, but please don’t try to chase him down if you’re hungry, especially if you’re in a car. You won’t be able to catch him.