Crocodile Cruisin’ pt. 2: Cleaning up

Have you ever wondered about the path a bicycle takes on its way to a lucky kid at the Holiday Bike Drive? So much time and love goes into each bicycle, now you can follow one bike’s transformation.

In a series of web posts this fall, we will follow the path of one 12″ “Crocodile Cruisin'” to show you how the magic works. We sure can’t refurbish 500 bicycles on our own! Along its way to the 2008 Holiday Bike Drive, this little red bike will be handed over by a donor, collected at a community-initiated bicycle collection event, cleaned and refurbished by volunteers, and triple checked by staff mechanics.

This little bike needs a name! Send your suggestions here.

Step two: Cleaning Up

Crocodile Cruisin'

A week after the bike collection at Forest Park Elementary School, a different group of volunteers spent the afternoon at the shop cleaning bicycles for the Holiday Bike Drive. One of the bikes in the stands that day was our hero, the Crocodile Cruisin’.

These volunteers spent an afternoon at the shop as a “day of service” to the community arranged through their workplace. Team leader Chris, shown scrubbing away in the photo, chatted with his coworkers while he worked on the Croc. Chris is an old hand at cleaning Holiday Bike Drive bicycles and works fast! He had the little Croc shined up in no time.

Often, groups from businesses or local organizations will spend an afternoon cleaning bicycles for Holiday Bike Drive. It’s fun, messy work and it’s a nice break from a cubicle. If you are interested in arranging an afternoon of volunteering for your coworkers, please contact our

Initial cleaning

Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Brian.

On this particular sunny, fall afternoon, 33 people cleaned 21 bicycles!

Next time: The Crocodile Cruisin’ receives tender, loving repair at a drop-in volunteer night

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Hours: Open Wednesday-Friday 11AM-7PM & Saturday/Sunday 12PM-5PM. Closed MondayBike Shop Address: 1700 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Phone: 503.287.8786