12 new riders at IRCO
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager
On Friday, August 7th, twelve people at IRCO rode home on bikes that were generously donated to the Community Cycling Center and lovingly refurbished by our mechanics and volunteers. But it wasn’t just bikes that they earned. The Earn a Bike participants received new helmets, locks, flat fix tools, and the safety training necessary to navigate the streets of Portland and beyond.
During the Earn a Bike workshop, participants learned tips like how to bike in the rain, use hand signals, fix a flat, perform a Copenhagen left turn, and how to safely lock their bikes. They even took turns placing their bikes on a TriMet bus rack, as many of the participants are multi-modal travelers.
“Bus stops are far from me and I need to reach the bus and have access to the bus stops. The bike is the most important thing I need,” explained Sayed Mohammed, who just earned a bike. “I was walking a lot. A long, long way and a lot of time. About an hour, maybe more. The bike will save me a lot of time, and a lot of my energy.”
“Some people in the workshop had experience with bikes but it was fun to review the basics and teach them new skills,” said Lale. “There were a lot of questions about the rules of the road, sidewalk riding versus street riding, and helmet laws. The participants were really great because they were learning while helping each other.”
Thank you to our volunteers and supporters who make our Earn a Bike Program possible. If you would like to learn how to support our Earn a Bike program through volunteering, donating a bike, or making a monetary donation, please email info@communitycyclingcenter.org.
