The Beginning

The Community Cycling Center started as an idea to help children in the Vernon and King neighborhoods of NE Portland. The kids rode the streets on broken down bikes and had little access to structured activities. The Community Cycling Center first opened shop in a small, run-down space on NE Alberta Street as “A Bicycle Riding and Repair School for Kids.”

With boarded up windows and one bike stand, the little bike school offered a unique opportunity to those children: we would teach them to fix their bikes if they would sit, watch, and learn so the next time they could do the work themselves and teach their friends.

Early Growth

In 1994, the Community Cycling Center obtained 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit devoted to helping youth from low-income families in Portland develop a sense of self-confidence and self reliance through community-oriented educational and recreational bicycle programs and services.

The first Community Cycling Center events for area adolescents were Fun Ride Bicycle Rodeos. In 1995, we held Community Bike Repair Workshops in local parks, providing free maintenance and repair services as well as basic bicycle education to long lines of excited kids. That same year, we developed a Bike to School and Back project that, with the support of volunteers, mapped safe routes to schools and taught bicycle riding skills to groups of kids who wanted to ride to school.

Some Things Change (and Some Stay the Same!)

A combined bicycle maintenance and cycling safety curriculum soon expanded into both the Summer Rides Program and a series of school-based Bike Clubs. Devoted to training a new generation of cyclists, Community Cycling Center developed ongoing Bike Club partnerships with local elementary and middle schools, as well as with other local youth groups. In 1997, we designed and implemented a Vocational Education Shop Management Program that trained young adults in advanced mechanical skills, marketing, customer relations, inventory control, and cash handling.

In 2000, our unique Create a Commuter program debuted to serve the needs of low-income commuters. Over the years, our programs have continued to evolve and grow with the needs of those we serve. What’s stayed the same is our commitment to serving our community.

Where We Are Now

The Community Cycling Center is still on Alberta Street, just blocks from our humble beginnings, but now we have a full professional bike shop and a nonprofit organization with nearly 20 employees and 8,000 community supporters. From one bike stand on the street to year-long safety programs and a full staff, things have changed quite a bit. We now offer year round programs for low-income youth and adults as well as bicycle services that address the needs of our community.

Where Are We Headed?

Towards a safe, sustainable, and healthy community, that’s where! At the Community Cycling Center, we believe bicycles are a vehicle for change. We strengthen our community and protect the environment by making bikes accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and incomes. To learn more come by our shop, volunteer your time, or take part in a Community Cycling Center event. Join us to see how simple change can be.