Some arrive dusty and tired, with flat tires, loose chains, worn pedals, or brakes that need gentle attention. Some are children’s bikes that have been outgrown and left in the corners of garages. Others are adult bikes that still have miles in them but need someone patient enough to bring them back to life. Bobby Gosschalk studies each one, deciding what it needs and whether it can be made useful again. Most of the time, it can.
For Bobby, repairing bikes at Kendall County Women’s Shelter and Fabulous Finds is about more than grease and spare parts. It is about restoring hope and opportunity for others. “A bike is durable,” Bobby says. “It sets children free and gives families a way to move forward with dignity and independence.”
That belief connects Bobby’s past to his present work. He was born in Terrell, Texas, in 1951, the only member of his immediate family born in the United States. His family immigrated from the Netherlands after World War II, carrying memories of occupation, resilience, and new beginnings. His mother worked with the Dutch underground, creating false identifications for Allied forces, and was honored by Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bernard Montgomery. His father, who spent part of the war in hiding, later became an interpreter and spoke five languages.
When the family came to America, Bobby says, they arrived with what little they were allowed to bring. “They came with $75,” Bobby recalls. Their belongings were packed into a wooden box. His father even tarred the inside, just in case the family had to live in it. Eventually, the family settled in East Texas, where Bobby’s father worked in recycling and salvage. This environment directly shaped Bobby’s dedication to repairing bicycles. His first bicycle came from a scrapyard. He later inherited his brother’s Schwinn Typhoon, a heavy steel bike from the 1940s that became a cherished family heirloom passed down to his own children.
Bicycles, Bobby says, were always part of the family’s story. “When you’re Dutch, and there are more bicycles in Holland than people, you ride a bicycle,” he jokes. As a boy in Longview, Bobby learned to maintain his bike out of necessity, teaching himself mechanics with whatever tools were available. Those skills followed him to Texas A&M University, where fellow students brought him their bikes for repairs. “It’s not rocket science,” he says. “But you get pretty good at it.”
Bobby and his wife, Gigi, expected to retire near Longview on Lake Cherokee. But with their children and grandchildren in the Boerne area, they began to feel the distance. Their children were balancing demanding work schedules, and the grandchildren were growing up quickly. “It was time to come,” Bobby says, and they moved to the Hill Country in 2019.
Once in Boerne, Bobby began looking for a way to give back. He found it at Kendall County Women’s Shelter and Fabulous Finds, the shelter’s resale store on Main Street. The store often received donated bicycles, but few were ready to sell or use. So Bobby did what he was used to doing: he took them home, repaired them, and brought them back.
Bobby estimates he has fixed more than 400 bikes for the shelter and Fabulous Finds from 2019 through the end of 2025. Including his service in college and the decades after, he estimates the total approaches 1,000.
Some bikes are repaired and sold at Fabulous Finds to support the shelter, while others remain at the shelter for women and children to use. Sometimes, they even keep them when they leave. He may not know the specifics of each person’s story, but he has learned enough to understand that gifts like these directly improve lives, especially for those facing hardship. “People don’t always remember the bike itself,” Bobby notes. “They remember someone cared enough to help them move forward when they needed it most.”
The restoration process begins with Bobby evaluating each bike. Some require only air, while others demand new parts and several hours of labor. “I donate all of that,” he says. But he also keeps an eye on value, ensuring he does not put more into a bike than the store can reasonably recover. His goal is simply to help the shelter raise funds and serve people. “I want the shelter to survive and continue to do the valuable work that they do for those who cannot help themselves.”
His work has also grown through a small side effort called Bob’s Bike Barn. Mostly operating through word of mouth, he helps neighborhood families tune up children's bikes and get them safely back on the street. He likes to joke that his work comes with a lifetime warranty. “Not your lifetime. Mine,” he says, laughing. As long as he is around, he will take care of the bikes he repairs.
The effort is expanding through Bobby’s relationship with Crossroads Bikes in San Antonio. The shop’s owner, Sean Stehling, has donated quality used bikes and parts to support Bobby’s work for years. Now that Boerne lacks a dedicated bike shop, Crossroads has plans to open a mobile shop at Fabulous Finds two days each week. That way, Bobby can focus on used bikes while technicians handle newer, more complex repairs. This partnership fits Boerne’s broader spirit of generosity. With so many residents willing to help, the community responds when needs become visible. “It’s amazing what people do for others here.”
That sense of generosity matters deeply to Bobby. He and Gigi attend The Bridge, a local church community that strengthens their sense of connection and purpose. Through the church and shelter work, Bobby has seen small acts of service grow into lasting relationships. Generosity, he says, has to come from the heart. “If it’s a pat on the back that you want, if you want recognition for it, you’re doing it for the wrong reason,” Bobby says. “I’m just an instrument to help people.”
He hopes his neighbors will see they have something to offer, too, whether helping at a shelter or simply asking where assistance is needed. “All I did was see a need and work toward it,” Bobby says. “It doesn’t take a bunch of money.” At the shelter, volunteers are always welcome, and Bobby’s advice is simple: walk in and ask what needs to be done.
The reward for Bobby is not attention, but knowing each repaired bike restores independence and joy. “You have to be a giver to make it count for people who have nothing,” Bobby reminds us. “You don’t want something in return. You don’t want to feel better than this person. You just want to give and help them help themselves.”
And sometimes, making a difference starts with restoring a single bicycle.
Kendall County Women’s Shelter & Fabulous Finds kcwstexas.org | @fabulousfindsthriftstores
“People don’t always remember the bike itself. They remember someone cared enough to help them move forward when they needed it most.”
“A bike is durable. It sets children free, and gives families a way to move forward with dignity and independence.”