As the 2023 cycling season starts to get underway in the Pacific Northwest, many of you are cleaning out the old bike garage and perhaps thinking about upgrading your steed this year. But what can you do with your old, trusty two wheeled companion? Donate it! There are many places in Portland that accept bicycle donations, but the one we recommend is our long time partner, The Community Cycling Center. They opened almost 30 years ago with the mission to broaden access to bicycling and to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. The Community Cycling Center has been a fixture on our Classic event for decades, helping riders keep their bikes clean and running smoothly, as well as charging up electronic devices. Funds raised on Classic help support their annual Holiday Bike Drive, where they donate bikes and helmets to over 300 children each year.

Can the Community Cycling Center pick up my bikes?

While they do not pick up bikes, they welcome you to come to their shop on NE 17th & Alberta St. to donate your bike any time the shop is open. You can find up-to-date shop hours here: https://communitycyclingcenter.org.

What kind of used bikes can I donate to the Community Cycling Center?

The Community Cycling Center gratefully accepts your gently used bicycles, parts, tools, and accessories.

There are a few things they cannot accept, including the following: used helmets, strollers, scooters, anything motorized, clothing, or toxic materials (batteries, oil, & solvents). They have limited space and capacity to accept larger items such as trainers, rollers, car racks and bike stands and may not be able to accept those items if they don’t have space at that time.

What happens to my bike?

So much happens to donated bikes! They really should do a series of comic strips on it sometime. 

Whenever possible, their brilliant mechanics spiff the bike up, get it roadworthy, and then either distribute it through their myriad of programs or sell it as a used bike via their shop. The proceeds of used bike sales help support their ongoing work. 

If the bike cannot be redistributed as a safe, rideable bike, they first they say a few words of thanks for its love and service as a bike that has brought joy to many, and then take whatever parts are still usable and redistribute them through sale or program distribution. For the metal parts that are unusable as a future bike or bike part, they are put into their weekly Salvage Sales, wherein they invite the community to sort through materials that are headed to the scrap yard. People use this as scrap metal for such things as sculptures, garden art, craft projects, and welding practice.

After all the sifting, any metal left is processed for metal recycling. Every week a dedicated team of staff and volunteers process metal that’s bound for the scrap yard. Their work includes stripping frames, separating aluminum rims from steel spokes, separating out tires, tubes, saddles, pedals, etc.

Who else takes used bikes?

The Community Cycling Center’s friends at Bikes for Humanity and Bike Farm also accept bike donations.

Bikes for Humanity

3366 SE Powell

Portland, OR 97202

Open by appointment for bike adoptions

https://www.b4hpdx.org/donate

Bike Farm

1810 NE First Ave

Portland, OR 97212

http://bikefarm.org/donate

Thanks, Community Cycling Center, for all that you do to bring cycling to so many people in Oregon!

Explore more of Oregon – ride with Cycle Oregon!

Do you love Oregon AND Cycling? Sign up for one of our multi-day cycling events this year! Rides are open to everyone and we encourage all skill levels to join us.

Cycle Oregon –  CLASSIC

• Dates: September 9th – 16th, 2023
• Days of Riding: 7
• Cumulative Distance: 350-450 Miles

Cycle Oregon – GRAVEL 

• Dates: May 19th – 21st, 2023
• Days of Riding: 2
• Cumulative Distance: 60-121 Miles