It all comes together at our build parties! At Our Community Bikes, we see every day how access to a bicycle can open doors — to work, to community, and to greater independence. Through our Pedals for the People program, we help make that access possible for individuals experiencing financial hardship. With the support of our volunteers and donors, we …
The Community by Repair Research shows that social and economic mobility are closely linked to personal access to transportation. By providing access to bikes, people have the mobility required to connect with the community, get to health appointments, and earn an income. It may sound like an overstatement, but by providing and maintaining bicycles, lives are being changed. Our Community …
Halloween is always a BIG DEAL at OCB. Many of our customers, friends and supporters are regulars at our annual Halloween celebrations, which bring together the community to meet new folks, and reconnect with old faces… and of course pull out the costume creativity! But as spooky season approaches, it is not just you who could dress up, it’s time …
As the summer draws to an end, for many of us it’s back to the daily commute to school, college or work. Although evenings are becoming shorter, the fall weather still makes for wonderful biking around Vancouver. The temperatures are fresh and the orange glow of the trees make for beautiful evenings- what could be better for a pedal powered …
The sun is out, the blossoms are blooming and Vancouver is alive with bikers! We at OCB love to see all the smiling riders whizzing through the city. Our shop on Main Street is buzzing with people getting their rides super snazzy for summer, and sharing exciting plans for bike trips. Even OCB colleagues have begun taking on their own …
We speak with Women Transforming Cities (WTC) about why cities like Vancouver need to be reshaped around diverse gendered needs, and how we can achieve this. Transport systems, housing, public spaces and other everyday infrastructures are instrumental to accessing education, employment, health and social services. Yet, from bike lane routing to bus timetabling, playground design to street lighting schedules, there …
One of OCB’s latest projects is refurbishing bikes and donating them to newcomers to Canada, supporting access to employment, education and everything else Vancouver has to offer! Bicycles are critical for Transportation Justice. They enable community participation, the ability to earn an income and access essential services. As Vancouver and the surrounding area fast become one of the most expensive …
OCB is excited to launch a new program for young people to take bike mechanics to the next level. If you were asked to picture an avid biker or bike mechanic, what would you imagine? Most readers will probably be thinking of a male identifying, maybe middle aged, most likely white, individual. Given the lack of diversity in the bike …
Across Canada, community bike shops are bringing biking to the masses! From Edmonton to Ottawa, Calgary to Kelowna these nonprofits are transforming the accessibility and affordability of pedal power, encouraging and facilitating new folks onto the saddle. At OCB, we are all about showcasing the incredible work our sister organizations are doing. We caught up with Bikechain, a non-profit bicycle …
Bicycle waste is a huge problem, and not one the transportation sector is always eager to talk about. In the frenzy to accelerate active travel, the less glamorous side of pedal power got swept under the carpet. This leaves municipalities in a major dilemma: how to propel the number of bicycle users, while addressing the concerning volume of wastage? Luckily, …
