Repair Hub On The Horizon
With spring right around the corner we find ourselves especially looking forward to another outstanding season of the Repair Hub in North Portland. Every spring for 13 years, we’ve opened the doors of the Hub to offer no-cost repairs and other resources that encourage and support people in the neighborhood to ride a bike. While it’s common for us to provide nearly 1,000 free repair services each year, sometimes more, the greater impact of the Hub is starting to reveal itself as a larger cultural shift.
Because the Hub has been a resource for the community for so long, the idea of riding a bike to school, or work, or just general transportation is much more commonplace than it once was. Natty, Our Community Engagement Coordinator in North Portland, has lived in the New Columbia neighborhood since 2009. She describes the changes she sees as evidence that the Community Cycling Center’s commitment to the neighborhood is an investment well-spent. “It’s not just a resource anymore — it’s becoming part of the lifestyle out here. We’ve been here long enough to see kids grow up using their bikes to get to work. That’s the part that’s amazing — seeing something a child learned turn into part of their adult life. Change takes time. But we’re finally seeing it.”
To further encourage this change, something new that Natty is planning this year is a series of community rides out of the Hub.“In our culture, biking isn’t always seen as something fun or empowering. But when you ride as a group, it changes everything.” These rides will provide a fun way for neighbors to connect and gain confidence riding with the safety that riding in a group provides.
The Repair Hub is just one of many touchpoints the Community Cycling Center has with communities in North Portland. In effort to take a holistic approach, we offer afterschool Bike Clubs, summer Bike Camps, and Community Bike Drives at various neighboring schools and community organizations throughout the year. Many of the young people who first meet us through an afterschool Bike Club or summer Bike Camp eventually find their way to the Repair Hub, and back again, creating a full circle of support that grows with them. What starts as learning to fix a flat or ride with friends becomes confidence, independence, and connection. That continuity is where real change happens.
As we look ahead to the months of sunshine and longer days, we’re energized by what this next season will bring. The Hub will reopen in May, ready once again to offer no-cost repairs, welcoming space, and new community rides that bring neighbors together. We can’t wait to see familiar faces, meet new riders, and continue building a North Portland where biking is not just accessible, but a joyful and lasting part of everyday life.
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