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 regions in the world, access to this affordable means of transportation has never been more important. 

However, equal access to biking requires comprehensive grassroots efforts to make bikes, and the means to maintain them, more widely available. Yet, at the same time, hundreds of bikes each year are unnecessarily discarded, and the possible longevity of a bicycle’s lifespan goes unrealized. 

OCB is working with the City of Richmond and The International Refugees Support Foundation (IRSF) to tackle both of these issues. Each year the city receives around 500 bikes to its scrap metal depot. Meanwhile, many new families arriving in Canada are struggling to integrate themselves into the city, and access the educational and employment opportunities which are critical for living a fulfilled life here. 

OCB’s latest project, Bicycle Recycle, Reuse, and Repair Pilot is refurbishing discarded bicycles and donating them to newcomers in Richmond. 

“We are gathering bicycles and parts from the Richmond Depot and bringing them back to Our Community Bikes for processing, repair, and refurbishment” says Valerie, the project’s manager. 

Last week, OCB headed down to Richmond to distribute a number of these refurbished bicycles to their new owners.

“We donated 13 bikes with the support of the IRSF, providing valuable transportation for those in need”, Said Mike, OCB’s Pedals for the People Coordinator.

The project, which began in September and will run for a year initially, will not just recycle bikes, it also addresses wider bicycling accessories, which are also placing strain on waste disposal systems, with other parts such as wheels, tires, frames and even baskets included in OCB’s mandate.

Bikes are being distributed through the Pedals for the People program with the help of The International Refugees Support Foundation (an organization based in Richmond providing essential items to help new immigrant families integrate into the community), Vancouver Coastal Health’s Richmond Mental Health Team, and other referral partners.

The post Richmond Reuse Project provides bikes for newcomers to Canada appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

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 community, this mental image is perhaps reflective of the space itself.

At OCB, we are trying to change this, creating supportive avenues for people from a range of backgrounds, often those from communities marginalized from biking and transportation, to access opportunities in the biking community and sector.

Starting with young people, instilling a life-long love for riding and sense of belonging in the biking community is essential.

To help achieve this in Vancouver and the surrounding area, Our Community Bikes has received a Community Board grant from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, and support from ParticipACTION to deliver ‘Future Mechanics’, a structured training program and social space for young people to develop critical mechanics skills and find community through biking. This will complement our East Van Youth Bike Club supported by Jumpstart. 

The Future Mechanics program is seeking to foster a new generation of sustainable, inclusive and affordable transportation, through bringing bicycles, bicycle services and bicycle maintenance skills to marginalized young people in Vancouver. 

Metro Vancouver’s (like many cities in British Columbia) sustainability action plans across the last several years have affirmed goals of making the majority of trips on foot, bike, and public transit, while developing more inclusive and community focused mobility services. However, the lack of affordable and inclusive bicycle services for the city’s youth are inhibiting this agenda. 

Repeated evidence demonstrates that instilling environmentally conscious behaviours in formative years, helps establish life-long relationships with sustainability. Just 4% of children in Canada cycle to school, and over half of children living less than 5 minutes away from school drive there. Affordability of bicycles, knowledge and confidence around maintenance and riding, and access to bicycling communities are critical barriers to increasing cycling amongst young people in Vancouver. 

With this Community Board grant, through the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and Jumpstart, OCB will tackle youth transportation in a comprehensive way for a sustainable and durable future for active mobility.

“Through our partnerships with charities supporting young people’s biking, we understand the challenges young people in these situations face,” said Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. 

“We are proud to be able to support Our Community Bikes, with a Community Board grant in order to help them support young people into biking and even pursue a career in bike mechanics, should they wish to embark on this route.” 

This Future Mechanics program, which began in May and will run across the Summer and Fall, also seeks to address the lack of social and equitable learning spaces and resources for youth, by providing a rigorous training program and mentoring, as well as valuable space for attendees to meet and share experiences, thus supporting mental health and physical wellbeing for Vancouver’s young people. 

Want to get involved in the next set of dates? Get in touch with us via email or visit our shop on Main Street or our website to find out more. 

The post Future Mechanics, getting young people pedaling…forever! appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

At OCB, we are all about showcasing the incredible work our sister organizations are doing. We caught up with Bikechain, a non-profit bicycle shop in Toronto working to make cycling and bicycle repairs more accessible for students at the University of Toronto and the wider community. 

Twoey Gray (she/her) from the shop talked to us about their journey and what challenges lie ahead for Toronto’s two wheeled future.

When were you founded, and why?

Bikechain was founded in 2005 by a University of Toronto grad student, ironically named Car!

Car wanted to encourage a cycling culture on campus, and was inspired by the UBC Bike Kitchen and similar DIY workshops emerging around the world. Car knew that the cost of repairing and maintaining bikes was a barrier to making cycling a long-term transportation habit, and wanted to break the cycle of dependence on the commercial cycling industry.

We started offering pay-what-you-can, volunteer-guided bike repairs in a university parking lot, teaching people how to fix their own bikes on a pay-what-you-can basis. Our services quickly became so popular that we expanded into a larger indoor space, and began supporting both students and the wider community.

Today we’re Toronto’s longest running DIY bike space, and operate Monday to Friday with a team of full-time staff and volunteers.

What excites you about riding a bike, and why?

In 2022, I completed a 3000 kilometre solo bike tour from Toronto to Halifax after training for 0 days. The first day of the trip was the longest ride I had ever done. I knew next to nothing about bike maintenance, spent $0 on accommodation, and spent the summer stealth camping or crashing with new friends I met along the journey. The experience cemented my belief in bicycles as instruments for social change.

When I imagined a “cycling community”, I used to think of people like Lance Armstrong – super athletic white guys with million-dollar bikes. Instead, I met punks, runaways, and working people. People who rode to stay sober or sane. The cyclists I encountered were sustainability-minded, active in their communities, and creative in uplifting one another. When we travel by bicycle, we’re at eye level with our neighbours and immersed in our environment, and the effects are contagious.

I thought that journey would teach me a lot about my independence (and it did!) but instead I learned so much about interdependence and how connected we really are.

What are some of the leading challenges facing the Toronto community when it comes to accessible biking? And particularly for the student community?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has recently introduced legislation to remove existing bike lanes and prevent new bike infrastructure from being built. It’s an absolutely ridiculous premise that even his own party’s research has confirmed will increase traffic and endanger both drivers and cyclists. But it was never about making roads safer or more efficient – it’s another culture war dogwhistle.

For student cyclists, who are a huge demographic at Bikechain, affordability and confidence are major barriers. Youth are under more financial pressure than ever, and the average commercial bike shop is not financially accessible. If nobody taught you how to ride or fix a bike as a young kid, there are precious few spaces to learn as an adult.

How does Bikechain confront these challenges, and what is unique about your approach?

At a traditional bike shop, you drop off your bike, it disappears into a mysterious back room, and you pay $100 for it to reappear fixed. This leaves you in the exact same position if the problem ever happens again. At Bikechain, we disrupt this knowledge gatekeeping by teaching you to fix your bike yourself. We provide the tools and parts, and a mechanic stands with you to help diagnose issues and demonstrate repairs, but the customer is the one actually turning the wrench. Imagine a tool library with expert assistance on deck – that’s Bikechain!

This not only saves cyclists a ton of money, but exercises our right to repair, reduces waste, and supports cycling as an everyday habit. 

We work very hard to be a beginner-friendly and inviting space. Every week we hold repair hours just for women and trans people, since a lot of people of marginalized genders have had negative experiences in bike shops. We also rent bikes for free to University of Toronto students, lead group rides around Toronto, and host workshops about cycling topics designed to welcome people into the world of bikes.

When we travel by bicycle, we’re at eye level with our neighbours and immersed in our environment, and the effects are contagious.

How do you think the bike industry and local governments can best support community/non-profit initiatives like yours?

The commercial bike industry should see spaces like ours not as competition, but as institutions that promote and increase cycling as an everyday practice. That is very good for business!

Governments should invest in policies and practices that support cyclist safety, like expanded bike infrastructure. They urgently need to address the cost of living crisis and the climate emergency. The people who get around by bikes are disproportionately impacted by the effects of these. I always say that the average cyclist is not a Tour de France racer – the average cyclist is someone who cannot afford the bus.

I have a dream that one day, climate-cognizant cities will recognize bike workshops as a public necessity and publicly fund them in the way we fund libraries. Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a bike kitchen in every neighborhood?

You coordinate a range of programs and initiatives. Based on the learnings from these, what advice would you give to other community bike initiatives?

We’ve had 20 years to develop our range of programming. I am of the belief that it is better to do a few things well than do many things poorly. If you’re volunteer-run or operating on limited resources, it’s important to remember your priorities and deliver on your core mission, and ignore the rest.

I would also pay special attention to the emotional environment of your space. A lot of us haven’t sat down and learned a new skill since we were in school, so learning bike repair can raise a lot of insecurity. Learning to ride a bike as an adult can be incredibly overwhelming, and many people have complex or painful reasons that they never had the opportunity before. Sometimes I hear people say they find bike co-ops intimidating or intense. This is the opposite of what we want! You can have the most knowledgeable team in the world, but a space that is not inclusive ultimately creates more barriers instead of dismantling them.

You work with a range of partners across the city on a variety of programs. What are some of the new partnerships and programs going on this year which you are excited about?

I’m most excited about our group ride calendar! We lead rides every week to help foster the cycling community and promote cycling downtown. We have a very fun bookstore crawl coming up for Independent Bookstore Day, travelling to three local bookshops doing important work in education and advocacy.

We’ll also be offering a number of mobile repair clinics throughout the summer. I’m looking forward to partnering with a number of other rad community orgs to reach people who ordinarily might not know about our space.

If you could recommend one bike route around Toronto for somebody new to the city, what would it be?

I lived for a time on Toronto Island, which is a short ferry ride from downtown. Around 600 people live on the Island, and since cars can’t travel on the ferry, the Island is a bikes-only community. I recommend taking the ferry to the Island and riding around the neighbourhood to see the variety of unique bike trailers, baskets, and tandem setups. It’s not uncommon to see groceries, large furniture, and building supplies travelling by bike cart. It’s a great case study for what a car free Toronto could be like.

Credit for all images belongs to Bikechain

The post Disrupting Toronto’s mobility milieu with Bikechain  appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

At the end of 2024, Vancouver released its annual active mobility figures, heralding the growing rate of cycling, expansion in infrastructure, and safety improvements. 

These are feats which Vancouver – like municipalities across the globe- clamor to celebrate, and rightly so given the instrumentality of active travel in reducing transport-related emissions. 

However, alongside growing rates of bicycling, comes a growing volume of waste as discarded bicycles pile up in landfills having reached the end of their lives. In fact, it is estimated that almost 48,000 bikes are sold each day around the globe, with 15 million discarded each year. In the USA alone each year, 10 million inner tubes end up in landfills.

This bicycle waste is a growing significant burden on municipalities’ resources, with towns and cities across the country (and indeed the globe) struggling to process the overwhelming volume of discarded aluminum, steel and rubber… all of which are recyclable!

With the popularity of e-bikes continuing to rise, this problem is about to get a whole lot more complex.

As Our Community Bikes’ Cavan Hua told a recent global study into bike recycling, bicycles are in fact incredibly complicated to recycle, and in many cases refurbishment is not possible.

“Some of the bikes that get donated to us, realistically, are beyond repair. People mean well but a lot of the times the bikes, especially this past year with the pandemic, only about 10-15% are actually usable for the shop … Pre-pandemic the numbers were much healthier, like around 30-40% of bikes that are donated to us were able to be refurbished”

Part of this problem is the production line. Major bike manufacturers including Giant, Specialized and Trek have pledged to clean up their production lines, implementing more rigorous reuse and recycling procedures and policies; meanwhile voices like Shift Cycling Culture have called for a comprehensive move away from linear cultures towards a more circular economy in the bicycle industry. These changes are of course to be celebrated, however, as yet, they have not had the substantive impact on bicycles’ lifecycle required to meet sustainability goals.

At the other end of the spectrum, failure to inject resources into recycling and reuse initiatives has bolstered this growing mountain of waste.

However, Our Community Bikes has found a solution. By collecting used bicycles, refurbishing them and donating final products and individual parts to those in need across Vancouver and beyond, OCB is slowly eroding the mountains of bikes clogging up landfills.

Every year, OCB receives hundreds of bicycle donations from individual donors and partner organizations including KidsSafe, Sanctuary Cafe, United Strangers and many others across the city and region. 

This is successfully slashing bicycle waste in a measurable way.

“We were able to save 72 tonnes of CO2 in 2023 with potential further reduction of 1163 tonnes. This is the equivalent of 5.5 million kilometres of driving saved each year!” Says Sarah Thomas, OCB’s Executive Director. 

These efforts are not just good for the planet, they are invaluable for Vancouver’s local cycling community. Through its Pedals for the People OCB is able to donate refurbished bicycles to those in need. Indeed, in 2023 alone, 255 bikes were donated; which, aided by the Oppenheimer Park Clinic which provides free bike servicing, is extending the lifespan of bicycles on Vancouver’s streets.

OCB’s latest project, Bicycle Recycle, Reuse, and Repair Pilot, a partnership with the City of Richmond will now bring this valuable work to Vancouver’s neighbor. 

Bike waste is a challenge Richmond City knows all too well. Each year the city receives around 500 bikes to its scrap metal depot.

“We are gathering bicycles and parts from the Richmond Depot and bringing them back to Our Community Bikes for processing, repair, and refurbishment” says Valerie, the project’s manager. 

The project, which began in September and will run for a year initially, will not just recycle bikes, it also addresses wider bicycling accessories, which are also placing strain on waste disposal systems, with other parts such as wheels, tires, frames and even baskets included in OCB’s mandate.

“While many of the bikes may not be refurbishable in their entirety, we will be able to reclaim usable parts to repurpose to their highest and best use. Parts that can be reused on another bike will be, those that are no longer road-worthy will be recycled or distributed to people for crafts and art projects where possible,” Valerie continues.

And the refurbished bikes? They will head to a new home, distributed through the Pedals for the People program with the help of The International Refugees Support Foundation (an organization based in Richmond providing essential items to help new immigrant families integrate into the community), Vancouver Coastal Health’s Richmond Mental Health Team, and other referral partners.

“Bicycles have been identified as something that would be useful for many families to help with transportation and navigating the city,” asserts Valerie.

Are you a Richmond resident and seeking to secure a bike? Apply online to the “Pedals for the People” program HERE.

The post Refurbish & reuse to provide a ride for refugees  appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

Indeed, across North America, despite economic challenges, the cycling industry is pulling together to support more sustainable, more inclusive biking in their local communities.

To find out more about how these partnerships are being developed, and the impacts they are having, we caught up with Portland Design Works, a US based company, which has been pioneering in their words: ‘beautiful, simple gear for everyday cycling’, while elevating community initiatives and greener ways of working.

How were you founded and how have you grown? 

A couple other folks and I started Portland Design Works back in 2008 because we didn’t see a whole lot of fun, design-oriented bike accessories out there. At the time we were living in Madison, Wisconsin, but Portland was the center of cycling culture in America so we sold our homes and used the equity we had to move across the country and start PDW. We had to survive on ramen and peanut butter sandwiches those first few years but we eventually got to a point where business was more steady. At least as steady as it ever gets in our little industry.

We’ve fluctuated between two and five full-time employees over our 17 years in business, so we’re still quite small. We’ve always been more focused on being a sustainable business than growing the company every year. As long as everyone makes a living wage and has healthcare we consider that a success. 

What was the market you were trying to fill/reach when you began? 

We started in 2008 so we were really focused on accessories that would look good on custom city commuter bikes and fixies. There was an explosion of custom frame builders at the time making really beautiful city bikes with full rack and fender setups. A lot of those builders were saying customers would balk at the extra cost of, for example, a $600 custom rear rack for their bike. But every off the shelf product looked really basic and utilitarian and not at home on a unique custom bike. So, we started designing gear that would be functional but also look really good, really unique. 

Sustainability is a core part of your operations. Can you tell me a bit more about how you have shifted towards sustainable practices, and the challenges you have faced in this?

We’ve had a focus on sustainability since day one. With every product we develop, we take into consideration re-buildability, materials, packaging, etc. 

We also look beyond the product to how we power our office/warehouse (wind,) how much we travel by air, and how we commute to work. I think one of the biggest challenges we face is how to allocate our resources for sustainability. For a while, we tried to do it all. We purchased carbon offsets, donated 1% of top-line revenue to environmental organizations, and supported grassroots cycling advocacy organizations, but we quickly found out that we couldn’t afford to do everything, and we settled on really focusing on local bicycle advocacy groups because they are the most relevant to what we do and what we know.

Where do you see some of the residual challenges for the cycling sector in developing more sustainable practices?

For small businesses like us, a lot of it is just waiting for larger companies to invest in sustainable options or use their buying power to pressure suppliers to offer more sustainable packaging and materials. If Portland Design Works asks for 10 rolls per year of biodegradable pallet wrap from a packaging company they wouldn’t even bother to respond. If General Mills says they’ll order 10 million rolls, then the idea is taken seriously, and that option becomes available for all of the packaging company’s customers.

Cycling is often seen as a male (often white) pursuit. One of your slogans is #gearforallkinds, and you design gear for a range of different styles of cyclists and riders. How do you feel the cycling industry can better cater to, and encourage, riders from different backgrounds?

I think there are a couple of things we can do. First, show a wider variety of people riding in social posts and marketing materials. I’m not talking about just a more multi-racial mix of models. I’m talking about showing people who are older, who are younger, who are heavier, taller, shorter, etc. A more diverse group of humans. 

The second thing is trying to show people that cycling is normal and there isn’t a high bar to entry. You don’t have to identify as a “cyclist” to ride a bike to work or to meet your friends out. You can just hop on your bike in your jeans and start pedaling. This kind of mentality exists in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, but it seems like in North America cycling is seen as something done by a specific tribe and if you don’t have all of the right clothing and components you won’t fit in. The cycling industry needs to sell cycling as simple, enjoyable, and not some kind of big deal. Normalize riding! Does that make sense?

You give away some of your profits to 1% for the planet, and support a range of local cycling programs and projects. What motivates you as a company to support these grassroots initiatives? 

There have been years we’ve given ALL of our profits (and more) to 1% For the Planet organizations. We support those organizations because we want more people riding bikes and those organizations remove barriers to riding by giving away bikes, lobbying for better infrastructure, etc.

What have been some of your memorable collaborations with these?

There have been so many that it’s hard to single out one or two. Naturally, some of our strongest and longest partnerships have been with local Portland groups like the Northwest Trail Alliance and Community Cycling Center. 

What are some of the leading challenges you are seeing these grassroots initiatives facing? (financial, community engagement etc)

It usually comes down to people. If you can get a dynamic leader who knows how to fundraise and inspire volunteers then you’re going to be okay. It’s always a struggle being a nonprofit and sustaining the organization, but with great leadership you can make it happen. I’ve seen a lot of organizations either rise or fall on the strength of leadership over the years.

How do you feel others in the cycling sector can support these community initiatives? And what advice might you give an organization like yours seeking to do so?

Well, you probably have time or money but not both. When PDW didn’t have a lot of money we donated our time by volunteering to table at events, organize trail building parties, etc. As the business took off and we got busier, we shifted to more monetary donations and product donations to raise money through raffles and membership gifts and such. 

I once heard the leader of a mountain bike advocacy organization in Minnesota say that you’re not a real mountain biker unless you either volunteer to build trails for 10 hours a year or donate $100 to support trails per year. That makes sense to me.

It doesn’t matter how you support cycling, but support it! 

The post “It doesn’t matter how you support cycling but support it!” Portland Design Works on better biking for all appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

HUB Cycling’s Bike Awards returned for its twelfth year on March 8, 2025 to celebrate the people who are making cycling more accessible across the region.

Almost 200 cycling advocates, politicians, and regional and provincial decision-makers attended the awards ceremony held at MEC Vancouver. Attendees from all levels of government were present including MP Bonita Zarrillo, MLA Susie Chant, and Acting Burnaby Mayor Alison Gu.

Our Community Bikes was awarded the Cycling and Inclusion award for its dedicated work providing affordable and accessible biking for Vancouver’s residents, through its range of programs which seek to cater for all needs. From Access Nights to DIY repair, Youth Clubs to the Oppenheimer Park Repair Clinic, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, income, religion or race, there is a space for everybody at OCB.

Bicycles are critical for Transportation Justice. They enable community participation, the ability to earn an income and access services. Lack of options for affordable, reliable transportation can further limit opportunities for people to make the connections they need, and access the resources required to move beyond their current circumstances.

At the heart of our work is empowerment, teaching people to fix their own bikes, providing bike mechanics and work experience for those who face barriers to employment.

Another large part of our mandate as a non-profit, charity is education, providing mechanical skills and cycling knowledge, delivering training for young mechanics, educating the community on how to refurbish and reuse bikes.

We also seek to enable cycling by providing bikes to low-income individuals and offering free maintenance services, equipping local municipalities with the capacities to reduce landfills.

These awards, coordinated by HUB Cycling, a charitable non-profit that has spent over two decades removing barriers to cycling in Metro Vancouver, brought together the great and good of local biking, honoring schools, bike shops, community leaders, movements and individuals for their role in accelerating more inclusive and sustainable transportation with pedal power!

The post Our Community Bikes wins award for work on inclusive biking appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

The cycling industry’s workforce and target market lacks diversity. There are numerous examples of inequitable opportunities for underrepresented groups in sales and mechanics roles, as well as in purchasing cycling attire or riding itself.

Lack of representation within bike shops can feel intimidating or unwelcoming, posing a barrier for those interested in cycling. This exclusive access culture can perpetuate barriers for a host of people to engage with the cycling community, and can contribute to creating a toxic, exclusive industry. 

Our workplace and programming is low barrier and offered through an anti-oppressive lens in order to create an inclusive space. The equity and justice framework prioritizes a more diverse pool of people in the cycling industry as well as the broader workforce. By hiring and training people underrepresented in the field, our staff reflect the community we serve and create a safer space to learn skills and build confidence. 

The Gear Up program, in partnership with YWCA Metro Vancouver, offers a free 13-week mechanics program equipping youth ages 15 – 30 with the skills, certification and employer connections necessary to work as a bike mechanic. 

Aimed at individuals who may not stereotypically enter cycling, or face barriers to employment in the sector, this course provides a supportive space, nurturing new talent.

Ever thought of getting into bike mechanics, but don’t know where to start? We spoke to a recent Gear-Up Graduate, Bird, who provides the low-down on all you need to know!

bird

They/Them

Can you tell me a bit about yourself? 

Hey, I go by bird and my pronouns are they/them. I’m originally from Edmonton, Alberta and I got my BFA from Concordia University in Montreal. I kind of have half a classical music degree and half a visual arts degree (long story). Right now, in terms of creative focus, I’m an oboist and hand poke tattoo artist. With the oboe I do stuff in the realm of noise/free jazz/free improvisation, and with tattooing I like doing abstract drawings based off things like crackling paint or dappled light through the trees on the pavement.

I generally always have a lot of creative projects going on. I like to make things and I’m always tinkering on something.

What is it about bikes and bike mechanics that interests you?

Maybe eight years ago in Montreal I decided to bike through the winter for the first time, and I think it made a significant positive impact on my mental health. All that time I’d previously spent on the bus or metro doom-scrolling under the fluorescent lights on a daily basis, was replaced with a fun, challenging, chaotic outdoor activity. 

I found myself among friends who were also cycling and with whom I felt politically aligned. That was when I started to get excited about bikes and to more deeply appreciate what they can do and what they can represent. I started doing some of my own simple/uninformed maintenance, and appreciated the anarchist and DIY values held in bike community spaces.

I think it’s cool that bikes can kind of become an extension of your own body because all that energy is just coming from you (side note: e-bikes make cycling accessible to more people = two thumbs up). You can get really attached to a bike. They can basically be as inexpensive as you want them to be.

All the systems are right there out in the open for you to see. I really like taking things apart and learning how they work. I get really excited about learning a new concept or process. I like looking at what I have in front of me and seeing what I can do with it.

How did you hear about Gear up?

I found out about it through OCB, when I brought my bike in for some repairs!

What motivated you to apply to the course?

I tend to be quite motivated to try things that are scary to me at first. Many things that I really enjoy doing now, used to be some of the most terrifying things in the world. Like, improvisation. Or driving. Or working on bikes. I’ll find myself feeling extremely interested in learning or trying something new, but still needing quite a lot of time and support to get started. I did a little bit of work on my bike in Montreal at the community drop-in stand nights, but being an anxious creature meant it was challenging for me to feel comfortable enough to show up and to get into it as much as I wanted. 

Seeing how Gear Up seemed to be a way to learn and get connected to the bicycle world in a more structured way, I thought that had a lot of potential to help me gain confidence, knowledge and sense of belonging to jump off later on into more self-directed work, learning and engagement in the community.

What were your concerns/anxieties beforehand?

Since getting on disability in July 2023, I’ve been focusing heavily on rest and re-orienting my life away from “work” in the capitalist sense. However, for several years prior, I’d already been aware that full-time work, school, or anything, was beyond my capacity as a long-term way of existing. So, I was facing Gear Up as an opportunity that I really, truly felt motivated to do, after quite a bit of time with just “existing as a creature” being my full-time job.

Just starting to see my experiences through the lens of disability and chronic illness was (still is) new to me. I remember feeling concerned about whether I would need to mask as I have in every other interview, like “yeah I’m just looking for a job, I can do all that, I just want to find a good job 40 hours a week or so as a bike mechanic, that’s my goal, thumbs up, etc,” in order to be considered eligible. But then I was asked, “what do you think would be a sustainable work situation for you?” And I thought, this is the first time I’ve gone into something like this and have been encouraged to consider what really is sustainable for me.

I also have struggled with the automatic thoughts in the realm of “I can’t do this; this is too much to handle,” and those definitely came up as I was approaching Gear Up, being a challenge beyond my comfort zone in more than one way – and a meaningful one, at that. I needed to reassure myself that if it wasn’t a good fit, or the commitment was too much of a load on my system, I could decide to not finish – and that would also be okay! I think that I needed that reassurance in order to fully trust all the moments where I felt engaged, motivated, committed, curious, encouraged and safe.

How do you feel Gear up addresses the cycling sector’s lack of diversity? 

So, I can only speak from my own experience and perspective: gender nonconforming, some unique flavour of neurodivergent, disabled, white, under 30. Those are some key words for context, there’s a lot to unpack about them. I’ll focus on a few ideas, but I know there are many more we could touch on.

I think the initial points of contact for a program like Gear Up, or any new situation, are just as crucial as anything else along the way in the question of accessibility. I imagine there are lots of folks like myself who feel our way through unfamiliar territory cautiously, vigilant for red flags or signs that a space may not be safe or accessible, as protective measures – especially if we are entering a space where we might not expect to find “people like me”.

Looking back, the interview process was what gave me some initial green flags. I felt that the type and amount of work I was interested in and capable of was not only respected, but received as normal. I felt that the workload and scheduling for the whole program was well-designed to create some space and flexibility to keep the challenges in a healthy “stretching” of the comfort zone. 

For example, having a work placement scheduled in 3-day work weeks rather than being thrown into a 5-day work week (which, in my opinion, needs to be overthrown as a normal amount to be working). It is normal and okay to need space and time to adjust and become accustomed to something new.

Throughout the program, my needs and ways of being were treated as normal. Not special, not “strange but sure, that’s alright.” Just, normal, but still worthy of attention and respect. That felt significant, because even I have had trouble seeing myself this way – so, when someone else does, it’s nice to mirror what they see.

Specifically – okay, it might sound simple to some, but – being asked directly if I had accommodations requests before the course started felt really big to me. I think it was the first time in a learning or work setting where I’d been asked this directly, seriously, and with the knowledge that if I shared my needs, they would be considered and respected. I had to take a few days to reply to that email so I could think about it. This experience encouraged me to ask, of my own accord, for accommodations later on during my work placement at OCB – because I had just been shown that it is normal and acceptable to ask.

This is one example of this process I’ve seen where we are offered opportunities to have positive, supportive, expansive experiences that build our resilience, so we can enter into once seemingly-impossible situations. And once we know that those experiences imbued with mutual respect and understanding are possible, we carry them with us and are less likely in the future to settle for any less.

I think all these experiences in Gear Up acted as scaffolding for me to build the skills and confidence to be able to carry my own weight, to be able to say “I belong here”, to treat my needs as important, and take my own initiative to keep learning and working on bikes. The more of us who are invited into a learning and working culture that values and operates on a foundation of mutual respect, strength in diversity (not the tokenism kind) and anti-oppression – well, the more that culture will expand and multiply.

What was your experience like working at OCB? (feel free to be honest!)

Oh my gosh, it was a really nice time. I’ve grown very attached, to be honest. Any time I said, “I made a mistake!” Someone would be like “heck yeah! You learned a thing!”

I also had a chance to bring up and work through some stuff around one of my bigger “work-related challenges” which is, broadly, time management, speed, efficiency and such. It was refreshing to be able to talk about that stuff in the open. I was reminded frequently that when we’re learning something new, our main goal is to become really familiar with the process, solving problems and getting good at it. Speed and efficiency will come with familiarity and practice.

Like, seriously. Talk about a safe learning environment.

What piece of advice would you give somebody who was considering applying to the course?

Be gentle with yourself. Drink water. Eat food. Take a rest day if you need it. Take notes. Be gentle with yourself (again and again).

The post Bike mechanics is for YOU… yes YOU! appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

Our Community Bikes has witnessed this progress from the frontline. However, as demand for our services and programs has demonstrated, there is a long way to go. 

To find out more about how Canada’s cities are advancing cycling, and the barriers they face, OCB talked to Professor Meghan Winters, a leading active travel expert at Simon Fraser University. Leading the Cities, Health and Active Transportation Research Lab, Mobilizing Justice, INTERACT and many other projects, Winters has conducted research on a range of sustainable transportation-related initiatives.

Your work has involved extensive research into accessible and inclusive active travel. What led you to this field? And what excites you about it?

I’ve been riding my bike to get around in the city for 30+ years. For a long time, it was because it was the cheapest way to get where I needed to go. Certainly I also ride for  physical activity, for efficiency, and for climate reasons. I’d say it just became a part of who I am. I love seeing the city at this pace. Many of my ideas come to me while I’m on my bike! 

While in my early years I may have been somewhat fearless, I’ve certainly realized – as I rode around the city pregnant, then with kids on the bike, and then letting them ride alongside or independently – that gaps in the cycling network mean many people can’t get where they need to go on a bicycle. They don’t have route choices that feel safe and comfortable. 

That is to say, in my research I am working toward ways we can shape our cities so that people of all ages and abilities have transportation choices – and they don’t need to be as reliant on motor vehicles. Making major shifts in how people get around can create quieter, safer, and less polluted cities for EVERYONE to live in, for years to come.  

On the Mobilizing Justice project you are on the Transportation Modes working group. This explores the barriers Canadians face when using different modes of transportation (e.g. walk, bike, transit, car). What are the leading barriers which you feel Canadian cities should address, and have the current capacity to do so?

I’d start by giving a call out to a great new book by Anna Zivarts  “When Driving is not an Option”. This book does a stellar job of bringing forward the stories of people who cannot or do not drive, for reasons related to disability, to age (young or old), for financial constraints, or for personal reasons. 

Most people don’t realize that for 30% of our population, driving is simply not an option. 

Governments design and invest in our cities largely overlooking these people – those who might most need the support. 

In terms of what barriers need to be addressed, simply put, we’re in a major deficit of sustainable transportation infrastructure as a result of building cities in ways that prioritize motor vehicle travel for many, many decades. Governments always face budget constraints; however, it’s all trade-offs. We can choose to spend more transportation dollars on public transit, on sidewalks, and on bicycle infrastructure, instead of roads and highways. 

Which barriers will take longer and involve more investment and resources?

While sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure may come at a fraction of the cost of new roads and highways, initiatives like rapid transit projects are certainly big ticket items. Still, this is a crucial investment, as rapid transit can enable large volumes of people to travel longer trip distances. I’m pleased to see the federal government making greater investments, such as through the Canadian Public Transit Fund, which will provide $3 billion per year for public and active transportation infrastructure, starting in 2026-7.

Why might some of these barriers be specific to Canadian cities? (eg: urban design, social, political factors) 

Something that often comes up as a barrier to Canadian cities is our climate – the cold winters and snow. Being from Vancouver I do get teased when I speak about this, but I’d highlight that Canadian cities such as Edmonton, Quebec City, and many others have established proactive plans for snow clearing for their bike networks. Also in Montreal, the BIXI bike share program is open year round (and expansion from 50 stations in winter 2023 to150 stations in winter 2024). 

Politics are always at play, although that is not anything uniquely Canadian. Cities with bold leaders can make major progress towards supporting sustainable transportation (e.g., Mayor Valorie Plante in Montreal!). They can also take us backwards. Currently, we’re all watching Ontario Premier Rob Ford’s Bill 212. If this controversial bill passes, it gives the province sweeping control over municipal bike lanes and may result in the removal of three major corridors in Toronto (Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue). 

Transportation is a challenge in cities of all sizes – the large, the mid-sized, and the small communities. People need sustainable transportation infrastructure to travel within their community, but also options for travel between communities, or across larger regions. In much of Canada there are not currently intercity rail- or bus- options, making for different patterns than Europe.  

What I would say is that cities are interested in learning from each other and learning from cities they consider “peers”. Partnerships like Mobilizing Justice, or national practitioner-oriented meetings like the Transportation Association of Canada, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, or the Canadian Institute of Planners are great places for Canadian communities to share with each other. 

Your working group also addresses transport poverty. What have been the main findings? And how might these factors have changed in the last decade?

Transport poverty occurs when social and economic disadvantage compounds with transportation disadvantage, such as not having access to a car, poor public transit options, or substandard walking and cycling infrastructure. When transportation options are unsafe, unaffordable, or unsuitable, they can create barriers for people trying to get and keep a job, access healthcare and social services, buy groceries, or participate in community activities. 

Estimates suggest that more than 1 million Canadians are in transport poverty. Unless we are building major public transportation projects, and in communities that most need them (not only the easiest, politically or logistically), we’re not going to see that decline. Luckily, we do know what is needed!

The Transportation Modes group seeks to develop and implement an outreach and engagement strategy for involving local and national organizations. Where have you seen good practices for this? 

With Mobilizing Justice, the Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) has been running a Community of Practice since 2022. This is a venue where community organizations and researchers can come together to improve the understanding of experiences of Canadians facing transport poverty, and help to move forward priorities and community initiatives in response. 

Mobilizing Justice has also developed a Catalogue of Canadian Community Initiatives Addressing Transport Poverty, which documents and describes community initiatives across Canada that are addressing transport poverty and increasing modal choice. There is an interactive map so you can find community organizations in your local area. 

Mobilizing Justice is also creating other end-user tools, such as the Transportation Equity Dashboard. On this tool you can explore, map, and share the accessibility in your community. 

What would be your advice for local governments and transport sector stakeholders who are seeking to coordinate outreach with local advocacy and grassroots initiatives?

I’d encourage governments and decision-makers to be listening carefully, valuing the expertise, and compensating local advocacy and grassroots initiatives for time and input. There is so much passionate advocacy in our communities, and a vibrancy in this space. However, it’s done on such a shoe-string budget, or off the side of one’s desk.  

Our Community Bikes conducts extensive work on engaging young people in cycling by equipping them with the skills and knowledge around bike maintenance. Through your research, what have been some of the other factors preventing young people from cycling?

I know in our work with youth in South Vancouver, we’ve heard they really need safe, comfortable infrastructure that connects them to the places and people they care about. Many youth rely on active transportation – they don’t have cars to get around – but the see active transportation as both functional and fun.  

Bike share might be one way to help youth to have more choices for how get around. It can be faster and more flexible than our crowded transit lines! One thing I’ve been pleased to see is the Mobi’s partnerships with high schools. Offering passes for $20 annual pass is a great deal! In my neighbourhood I regularly see teens commuting to school using Mobi. Especially for kids who may not have bikes and/or places to store them, this is a great way to still enable them to use bikes to get around the city. 

When it comes to Canada’s progress on active travel, what are you most excited about? And what do you feel will be one of the biggest challenges ahead?

I’m loving that e-bikes are more affordable and available. E-bikes allow more and different people to get on a bike, for more and different kinds of trips. My 87 year old father is still regularly out and about on his e-bike! We also see families with kids on e-bikes, getting to school, to soccer practice, or just around town. All this makes a difference to everyday travel choices, and the volumes of motor vehicles on the road. 

The biggest challenge will always be political will. As the region continues to grow it is true that we will need ‘sticks’ alongside ‘carrots’ in our policy solutions if we are to get a handle on congestion and keep goods movement flowing. Congestion pricing will be a vital policy for liveable cities. The City of Vancouver looked into congestion pricing in 2020 but voted it down in 2022. In January 2025 congestion pricing launched in New York City, and the very early estimates suggest ~10% decreases in motor vehicle traffic. 

Something to watch carefully! 

The post The politics of pedal power: Meghan Winters on the future of active travel in Canada appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

It is little secret that the cycling industry has a diversity problem. Almost 90% of bike shops in North America are owned by men, with women-identifying individuals accounting for just 8% of workshop roles. While much discussion about diversity in cycling focuses on who’s on the saddle, there is growing urgency to address the face of the sector itself.

OCB’s Gear Up program, coordinated in cooperation with YWCA Metro Vancouver, is seeking to do just this. The free 13-week program equips youth ages 15 – 30 with the skills, certification and employer connections necessary to work as a bike mechanic. 

Changing cultures in the cycling sector is at the heart of OCB’s vision for the future of pedal power. Indeed, it is reflected in our own staff- who reflect the diversity of Vancouver’s inhabitants.

As a result, OCB delivers this course across the year, bringing in talented and enthusiastic individuals who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to enter the field, providing a welcoming and instructive environment.

The course provides five weeks of in-class skills development workshops, including Introduction to Bike Mechanics Certificate, six weeks of work experience with a local bike repair shop (training allowance provided), and two weeks of one-to-one job search support. 

Indeed, many of OCB’s colleagues began their careers through this program. 

“I signed up to the program because I didn’t know what else to do after high school. It was mostly something to make my parents happy, but also I had an inclination it would be something I liked because I’ve always had a competency with tools and mechanical problems,” says Nes Pederson, mechanic at OCB.

“I have recommended the program before, especially to my women trans and queer peers. I wouldn’t have gotten into the industry without gear up, it gave me instant access to a very inaccessible world. It’s very hard to break through the feeling of not belonging, even in a shop like OCB, where my co-workers are accepting. 

“I wouldn’t have felt comfortable without the “tools” in my back pocket gear up provided me. Those tools being cursory knowledge of bicycles and an early sense of the possibility of forging community,” They continue.

Entering the sector is just the beginning

However, entering the cycling sector is just the first step. All too often, exclusionary cultures inhibit underrepresented and equity-deserving genders* from remaining in, and progressing through, the industry. 

“Gaining mechanical skills isn’t like riding a bicycle, you have to use it or lose it. New mechanics start in entry-level roles, but because of the seasonal nature of bike shops, there are generally less long-term opportunities. A way to get around that is to be friends with other cyclists interested in mechanics. You ride bikes, so you talk about bikes, and then you fix bikes… But when you’re socially excluded, where do you go to get experience?” says another of OCB’s Gear-Up alumni. 

“That’s why mechanical training and access programming made by and for equity-deserving groups is essential to growing the cycling community and industry. That’s what we do here.” 

As a result OCB’s Second Gear initiative, a peer-led educational series for entry-level professionals of equity-deserving genders is seeking to develop a rounded comprehension of bike world basics that will bolster personal confidence and longevity for those already within the industry.

Could you be part of the next cohort of Gear-Up mechanics?

Are you a young aspiring bike mechanic, eager to get into the industry but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with the OCB team and we can answer any questions or concerns, as well as provide guidance on how to register.

The post Gearing the bike sector up for change appeared first on Our Community Bikes.

So, who are the supporters behind our ever-expanding work? We caught up with Karen Benson (she/her), who has played an important role supporting the shop and its programs.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you are involved in the cycling world.

Nothing makes me happier than getting out and riding my bike! I get a kick out of seeing where a bike can take me and what I can take along for the ride — maybe it’s picking up a pumpkin from Westham Island or stashing a box of Duffin’s donuts in my panniers. 

To get more involved with the cycling community, I started volunteering with the Pedals for the People program at OCB a few years ago. It’s also been a great way to learn skills, help give new life to old bikes, and recycle parts to keep stuff out of the landfill. 

How do you use your bicycle? And what have been some of your most memorable experiences on your bike this year? 

I love riding as a way to get from point A to point B, and I’ve been a year-round bike commuter for about 15 years. I find it such an efficient way to move through the city and explore new places. It feels like a natural pace too; it’s quick enough to get somewhere but relaxed enough to feel connected to the spaces I ride through. 

For me, bike commuting is the best way to start and finish a work day. It’s built-in exercise in fresh air, gives me time to think, reduces traffic congestion, and saves money. Every season brings something new, like cherry blossoms popping in spring (or on the flip side, testing the limits of waterproof layers when it’s 2°C in sideways rain). 

I’ve been dipping my toes into bike camping the last few years and some of my favourite moments have come from those trips: Finding new trails on Gulf Islands, stopping to pick up tomatoes from a roadside veggie stand, or hanging out on beaches on the Sunshine Coast. I always pack my binoculars on bike camping trips because I’m a bird watching nerd, plus you never know when you might spot whales from the ferry. 

Where do you feel the city has made progress towards more inclusive and affordable cycling? And what key challenges do you feel are ahead for Vancouver?

I’ve got my own mental map of infrastructure improvements that have made a difference to my regular bike routes, but I know that my routes are just a small piece of a much, much bigger puzzle. There’s still a lot of potential across the city and region to make cycling safer and more inclusive. When it comes to progress and challenges, I’d encourage folks to check out the work that HUB Cycling does — they’ve got excellent resources and research about what our region has achieved and what’s still ahead. If you’ve ever had the experience of sailing along a bike lane that suddenly (and alarmingly) ends, you’ll appreciate their “Ungap the Map” initiative, which highlights gaps that currently exist and aims to create a more connected, safer cycling network. 

How and why did you become involved with Our Community Bikes (OCB)?

I was looking for a way to give back to the bike community and pick up a few skills along the way. Based on what I knew about OCB, it seemed like a solid fit, so I signed up for a volunteer orientation. 

Shortly after my first few shifts, I was super fortunate to join their volunteer 16-week mechanics training course for Pedals for the People. It ended up being a commitment of three hours every Sunday night for four months; I’m so glad I got to be part of it and learn in such a supportive environment. I’ll never forget when I opened up a hub for the first time to see the bearings and how it all fit together — it was a whole other side to bikes that I didn’t know existed. 

Since then, I’ve been volunteering almost every week for a few hours and I still learn something new almost every shift. Before I started volunteering, my bike skills mainly consisted of fixing a flat tire and lubing a chain. 

Now I feel more confident about tackling other projects on my own bikes, like changing brake pads, replacing cables and housing, and truing wheels. I’ve even built a couple of wheels (with a lot of help along the way). Things that used to feel mysterious, like the tool wall, aren’t intimidating anymore. 

Where do you feel OCB fits in the city’s journey towards more inclusive cycling?

I think a lot of people in Vancouver see OCB as a bike shop, full stop. But it’s so much more than that. OCB is part of PEDAL (PEDAL = Pedal Energy Development Alternatives) which is the non-profit society that oversees Our Community Bikes… and they offer tons of local programs alongside the bike shop. 

One example? I’ve been volunteering with their Pedals for the People program, which provides free bikes to people facing financial barriers, along with subsidized repairs. That program is just one of many. There’s also DIY access nights, workshops, youth programs, repair clinics out in the community, and more. Every week, OCB has something going on to contribute to more inclusive cycling in the city and to help make biking more accessible. 

OCB’s vision is a community without oppression where bicycles are accessible to all, regardless of perceived ability, employment status, income, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Both the OCB bike shop and the programs offered by PEDAL strive to line up with that vision — Vancouver really wouldn’t be the same without them. 

The Canadian winter is upon us! What advice would you give to encourage somebody to continue cycling in the windy, wet and chilly weather?

You can do it! Sure, it’s easier to bike when it’s not rainy, windy, or cold. But it’s totally doable with the right gear and mindset. Plus it makes the warm, sunny days ahead feel even sweeter when they do arrive. A few gear tips:

For your bike:

• Fenders: To keep the puddles off your body and bike. There are often lots of inexpensive used fenders to choose from at OCB. 
• Lights: Good bike lights (front and rear) are key. I like the USB rechargeable ones for easy charging, and I often tuck an extra pair of lights in my bag just in case. 

For your body:

• Decent gloves: Cold hands make any ride miserable. I have a few pairs of bike gloves with different warmth levels to get me through the winter — they make a huge difference.
• Waterproof layers: A waterproof jacket is a must. If it’s really pouring, I like to layer on waterproof pants too. 
• Reflective vest: Last year, I found one in the OCB used bins for $8 and I love it. It helps with visibility at intersections and in traffic, and acts as extra mini waterproof protection too.

The post Behind the scenes with the OCB family appeared first on Our Community Bikes.