Mission and purpose

Beginning in 2001 with two organizers and a handful of committed volunteers, OCBC has grown from a small program conducting Earn A Bike classes into a robust resource for bike education in the Cleveland community. Read more about our history.

OCBC is a non-profit, volunteer-driven cooperative bicycle education center offering riding and repair classes, refurbished used bikes for sale or rent, hands-on learning and shop credit for volunteering, and public shop use, advice, and assistance. The Ohio City Bicycle Co-op was founded with bicycle education as its primary activity, with the purpose of increasing bicycle use, as reflected in its incorporation filing:

“The mission of the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op (OCBC) is to promote the use of bicycles in greater Cleveland and engage area youth and adults in cycling activities that foster independence, resourcefulness, and good health. The OCBC works to accomplish this by offering safe cycling and bike repair education, Earn A Bike programs, and a consumer’s cooperative bike shop; by providing dependable used bikes and accessories; and by producing cycling events and tours that impart skills while encouraging riding for fun, fitness and practical transportation.” In 2006 the our board approved this “working mission statement” to describe what we do:

 

We help people use bicycles.