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Nonprofit centers on love for bikes, sustainability, and providing cycling access for all

By Stephen Flanagan
Board of Directors President, Shift Community Cycles

Shift Community Cycles is a nonprofit bike shop and a hub of bicycle-related activity that revolves around recycling and repurposing used bicycles. Our mission is to “empower cyclists and the underserved communities of Lane County.” Simply put, we accept donated bicycles and our volunteers and staff refurbish those bicycles for community members. Youth working on upcycled art

Everything we do at Shift centers on a love for bikes and the community surrounding cycling. Bicycles donated to Shift go back out into the community along several paths. All these paths mean a bike squirreled deep in a community member’s garage now finds a new life.

Bikes come into Shift as donations and travel down three paths: Refurbishment, Recycling, and Upcycling.

On the refurbishment side, usable bikes are safety evaluated and then repaired. These bikes go to either our showroom or our community partner Free Bikes 4 Kidz. Our showroom bike sales support the shop and our community programs and outreach. Community partners, including SafeRoutes to Schools, distribute these free bikes targeting low-income families throughout Eugene, Springfield, and Bethel.

On the recycling side, bikes that are not suitable for refurbishment enter our recycling path. Our volunteers strip these bikes of any usable parts and then the remaining metal is recycled through a partnership with the Eugene Mission. The usable parts are stocked in our shop and available for sale to community members.

The upcycling side of Shift Community Cycles involves partners like Dennis Sibilia-Young of Mountain Crossing MTB Services and Eugene Composite. Dennis and other community artists utilize recycled chains, cogs and other bicycle bits in youth and all-ages Bike Upcycle Art Workshops (see pictures).

Shift Community Cycles begins with bikes but encompasses a broader community vision. We get free bikes into the hands of kids, we teach kids to ride and negotiate streets, we support and encourage families with access and classes, we provide community work stands for anyone to fix their own bike, and we join community rides and bike events to celebrate the joys of cycling. Come and have a look, donate a bike, donate your time, donate your money–and you too can participate in this cycling and re-cycling community.

About the author
Stephen Flanagan has volunteered at Free Bikes for Kidz and Shift Community Cycles for the last four years. His activities at Shift include turning wrenches, teaching kids, and serving as board president since early 2023. To learn more, visit shiftcc.org.

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Fix-it Fairs are free public events where attendees work with volunteer fixers to repair everyday household items. The Creswell Fix-It Fair at Harry Holt Memorial Park (127 N. 4th St.) on July 10 from 3-6 p.m. will run during a South Valley Farmers Market event and focus on:

• Outdoor gear
• Bikes
• Small appliances
• Power tools

Want to volunteer as an event helper or a paid repair person? Sign up today at https://ow.ly/Rhu050RUm29 and join the fun!

Posted by LCPWDJH On 19 June, 2024 at 6:40 PM 2 Comments

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