Mission:

The Mission of the Carbondale Bicycle Project is to increase individual, community, environmental, and global health by operating a sustainable, safe, and educational community bicycle shop and bicycle education programs.

What can you do at the Bicycle Project?

• Come learn how to work on and repair your bicycle.
• Come Build a bicycle from our donated inventory
• Purchase a used bicycle or used parts
• Donate old parts and bicycles (we can provide a tax receipt)

Recommended donation of $10 per hour.

We have the tools and mechanics, come learn with us!

The Carbondale Bike Project is a community-driven and volunteer-run bicycle shop that is focused on improving community health through sustainable bicycle programs. Our main service is providing a safe shop space for individuals and groups to learn about working on bicycles. We have many donated bikes and parts for you to use and knowledgable volunteers to help you repair your bicycle.

We aim to keep bikes out of the land fill and put back on the road for use. We delight in working with community members who have an interest in learning something new, being of service to others, and keeping themselves and others rolling on pedal power!

We invite you to stop in and use the community shop during our open shop time. No appointments necessary.

History

The Carbondale Bike Project started in 2009 to meet the need of refurbishing landfill-bound bicycles and provide inexpensive transportation for community members. During the years of 2009 and 2010, the Carbondale Bike Project (then called the Bonedale Bicycle Project) operated out of a dirt parking lot in the center of Carbondale. During the warm months, the bicycle project provided educational opportunities and service work for people and their bicycles. We were fortunate to start receiving donated bicycles for our inventory, and have recognized this generosity to be an inexhaustible resource in our valley; our bicycle piles are evidence of that! During these first two years, the bicycle project refurbished and returned 60 bicycles to the local community, and raised $500 for World Bike.

In the Beginning of 2011, the bicycle project was brought under the “wheel” of Aloha Mountain Cyclery. For the next 6 years the bicycle project operated under Aloha Mountain Cyclery providing open shop time and service work for people and their bicycles. We saw the continued importance of the community bicycle program in providing lower priced service work, education, and opportunities for volunteering. In the first 5 months of operating out of Aloha Mountain Cyclery, the bicycle project refurbished more than 40 bicycles and was able to fundraise $1,600 for World Bike, and $500 for Bicycles for Humanity. We are forever grateful for the continued support of Aloha Mountain Cyclery.

In 2015, due to an increasing number of participants, the bicycle project moved its Sunday open tuning days into a basement storage unit. This move was necessary to relieve Aloha Mountain Cyclery of over cramped shop space with “too many mechanics in the kitchen!” issue. Having a separate shop space allowed for our staff to really focus in with participants, making the bicycle project more efficient and safe place for participants. We began a slow process of gathering more tools and stands to open up the project for more participants. This move also brought with it the responsibility of our first ever rent; $200 a month. It was proven over the next two years that the community was fully ready to support this space, and the $10 per hour recommended donation more than covered our expenses.

In January of 2017, the Bonedale Bicycle Project became a non-profit under the Way of Compassion Foundation and changed its name to The Way of Compassion Bicycle Project (WOCBP). In the summer of 2017, the WOCBP saw a boom in participation with normal Sunday shop days, and Thursday after school programming.

In the first year of operation as the WOCBP, and increasing the community tuning days to two days a week, the WOCBP was able to generate around $12,000 through donations and sales. We continued to recognize the benefits that people are getting from the WOCBP, and in February of 2018 a vision of an above ground dedicated community bicycle shop become a reality as we moved into the Third Street Center. The new above ground location had windows, heat, running water, and bathrooms! The operating budget increased with a salaried position for a director, and an increased rent from $2400 to $12,000 per year.

2018 was a year full of wonderful new events in our new space. We hosted open shop time 2.5 days a week, hosted bicycle tuning workshops, saw a boom in volunteer and donation support, hosted school programs, created a women’s specific tuning night, and much more. We were delighted to reach our financial goals as well with the support of donations from Umbrella Roofing, the Rebekah Lodge, and many individuals. We earned over half of our income through bicycle repairs, sales, and services.

In the beginning of 2020, the global pandemic brought a halt to our in-person events, and we wondered if we might be able to “make it.” As it turns out, the bicycle industry went through the largest boom in recent history and we responded by focusing all our efforts in building much needed bikes and providing much needed service for our community. Bicycles became a much needed outlet and recreation for a time of increased stress and difficulty. We were well supported by the community and kept people pedaling to the best of our ability.

As the global pandemic release a bit we returned to open shop hours and inviting our community in for repairs and building bikes. In the end of 2021, Aaron Taylor stepped down as acting director of the Way of Compassion Bicycle Project and with the help of the Third Street Center, we formed our own non-profit and once again changed our name to the Carbondale Bike Project. We transitioned the bicycle project to a group of volunteers to operate the shop for the community.

The following individuals comprise the Carbondale Bike Project advisory board:

• Steve Novy
• Lyn Williams
• Aaron Taylor
• Colin Laird (Fiscal Sponsor Contact)
• Darryl Fuller
• Aaron Humphrey

The Carbondale Bike Project is grateful for its supporting community: Aloha Mountain Cyclery, Umbrella Roofing, The Rebekah Lodge, Roaring Fork Transit Authority, Crystal River Elementary School, Roaring Fork High School, Ragged Mountain Sports, The Buddy Program, and all the individuals who are too many to name!