Green Bikes, in Waldport
Story & Photos by Niki Price • Oregon Coast TODAY
Rick Hill compares the bike shop at the Seashore Family Literacy Center to a MASH unit. There, Hill and other volunteers prepare and repair Waldport’s now-famous “Green Bikes,” a squadron of 100 cycles that are free for anyone to use. They come back with bent wheels, busted brakes and spidery spokes.
“We’re like an Army surgical unit,” Hill said. “They come back in bad shape, in the back of pickup trucks and car trunks, from all over the place. We patch them up, and put them back into battle.”
There’s more to this program than broken-down ten-speeds and green house paint, however. In its four-year history, Green Bikes has grown to become a bicycle cooperative and community resource. The shop offers bike repair classes, for both teens and adults, and long-term bike loans for those who are unemployed or otherwise unable to maintain a car. It has installed fleets in the Seashore after-school program and the toddler playgroup room, both headquartered right down the hall. Bikes for the homeless, bikes for the young, even bikes for tourists who need a lift — the Green Bikes Program has breathed new life into hundreds of bicycles and still owns more than 250, in various stages of life.
“Anything we can do to encourage people in Waldport to get out of their cars and onto bikes, we’ll do,” Hill said. “Once they are donated, these bikes belong to the community. We just keep putting them out there.”
The wonder of Waldport
Bicycle sharing programs have been implemented in cities all over the world, but Waldport retiree John Maré first saw it in Amsterdam, in the 1990s. Mare thought that a similar system might work, on a smaller scale, in the relatively flat terrain between the Oregon coast towns of Newport and Yachats. While public bikes are white in Amsterdam and yellow in Portland, Maré thought that in Waldport — home of the Irish, Waldport High School’s mascot — the bikes should be bright green. By happy coincidence, that color also signifies two other goals of this volunteer-led program: environmental responsibility and recycling.
In other cities, users are sometimes asked to register or pay into a cooperative. In Waldport, it’s simple and based on the honor system. Each bicycle is equipped with working brakes, reflectors on the front and back, a regulation helmet and a yellow rope tie. If you find one that is “tied” with the rope, it is in use. Otherwise, the bike is available — for fun, for transportation, for whatever. When you’re done, leave it in another accessible spot.
Rick Hill compares the bike shop at the Seashore Family Literacy Center to a MASH unit. There, Hill and other volunteers prepare and repair Waldport’s now-famous “Green Bikes,” a squadron of 100 cycles that are free for anyone to use. They come back with bent wheels, busted brakes and spidery spokes.
“We’re like an Army surgical unit,” Hill said. “They come back in bad shape, in the back of pickup trucks and car trunks, from all over the place. We patch them up, and put them back into battle.”
There’s more to this program than broken-down ten-speeds and green house paint, however. In its four-year history, Green Bikes has grown to become a bicycle cooperative and community resource. The shop offers bike repair classes, for both teens and adults, and long-term bike loans for those who are unemployed or otherwise unable to maintain a car. It has installed fleets in the Seashore after-school program and the toddler playgroup room, both headquartered right down the hall. Bikes for the homeless, bikes for the young, even bikes for tourists who need a lift — the Green Bikes Program has breathed new life into hundreds of bicycles and still owns more than 250, in various stages of life.
“Anything we can do to encourage people in Waldport to get out of their cars and onto bikes, we’ll do,” Hill said. “Once they are donated, these bikes belong to the community. We just keep putting them out there.”
The wonder of Waldport
Bicycle sharing programs have been implemented in cities all over the world, but Waldport retiree John Maré first saw it in Amsterdam, in the 1990s. Mare thought that a similar system might work, on a smaller scale, in the relatively flat terrain between the Oregon coast towns of Newport and Yachats. While public bikes are white in Amsterdam and yellow in Portland, Maré thought that in Waldport — home of the Irish, Waldport High School’s mascot — the bikes should be bright green. By happy coincidence, that color also signifies two other goals of this volunteer-led program: environmental responsibility and recycling.
In other cities, users are sometimes asked to register or pay into a cooperative. In Waldport, it’s simple and based on the honor system. Each bicycle is equipped with working brakes, reflectors on the front and back, a regulation helmet and a yellow rope tie. If you find one that is “tied” with the rope, it is in use. Otherwise, the bike is available — for fun, for transportation, for whatever. When you’re done, leave it in another accessible spot.
Tyler Balfour
Maré rolled out his first fleet, of about 100 bikes, in the summer of 2006. Then, he went looking for a community service group that could help support, and possibly house, his growing program. Senitila McKinley, director of the non-profit Seashore Family Literacy Center, was quick to offer Green Bikes both space and support. It is now under the same roof as the center’s other education and social service programs, inside the former Waldport Middle School building (which SFL rents from the Lincoln County School District) on Hwy. 34 and Bay St.
This facility, also known as the Waldport Community Learning Center, is home to a free Saturday breakfast, a summer food supplement program and a “clothes closet” for the needy. McKinley also oversees a variety of educational programs, including GED preparation, Job Opportunities for Youth, after-school homework help and adult literacy classes. The community bikes program was a perfect fit.
Last year, Maré gave the Green Bikes handlebars over to Rick Hill, a retired teacher with the Oregon Youth Authority. Hill, an avid cyclist, has helped it expand from “a crescent wrench and a screwdriver,” to a professional shop with work stands, back-up parts and a full closet of tools. It’s all been accomplished through donations, from the central coast cycling community and from the general public.
Yaquina Wheels, the cycling club in Newport, and Bike Newport, the sale and service store, have given gear, money and expertise to the cause. Wal-mart recently donated 25 new bikes that were damaged in shipping, but will be relatively easy to repair. But the majority of the bikes have been donated, one or two at a time, by people in Lincoln County.
“We’ve been inundated with used bikes. People say their kids have grown out of them, or moved away, or they just aren’t getting used any more,” Hill said. “People are incredibly generous.”
Among these donations are high-end cycles made by companies like Trek and Raleigh — “too good to paint green,” the coordinator said. Those are sometimes repaired and sold, with the proceeds going back to the Seashore Family Literacy Center, or used for a fund-raising raffle. Right now, for example, there’s a shiny BMX that’s making the rounds of Waldport businesses, which each sell raffle tickets for its giveaway. That drawing will be held during Beachcomber Days, June 19-21.
The influx of bicycles led to the long-term lending program, which began last year. It’s a valuable service, Hill said, open to anyone in the community who needs transportation.
“It’s perfect for people who have lost their jobs, or lost their license, and who are unable to keep a car. We ask for their name and phone number, and that’s it,” he said. “If it breaks, they can bring it back here and fix it themselves. We’ll teach them how.”
Hill sees all kinds of students, from juvenile offenders on mandatory community service to middle-aged adults looking for a new profession. Students can learn specific skills as well as basic shop etiquette — rules, safety, cleaning, sorting — and how to use the correct tool, in the right way. There’s something for everyone, from sanding and painting bikes to the painstaking work of recovering a vandalized frame.
“Actually, we see more damage than loss. Some of what we see is regular wear and tear, but some is just malicious. We see damage that a normal bike shop probably wouldn’t see” Hill said. “But that, in itself, is an opportunity for education. When the young people in the shop have to fix what has been vandalized, they might have a different perspective.”
A few, like 14-year-old WHS freshman Tyler Balfour, are truly hooked. Balfour spends several afternoons a week in the shop, accumulating work credits while he masters skills.
“Four months ago, I would say my skills were below average,” Balfour said. “Now, I’m a Master Apprentice and I really want to work at Bike Newport during the summer. After I graduate, I’d like to make my own brand of bikes, and become a millionaire.”
Balfour helps to teach the community bike repair classes, offered several nights a week.
“This program is great for our community, and great for our kids,” McKinley said. “In fixing and rebuilding the bikes, they are learning tangible skills from adult role models.”
This facility, also known as the Waldport Community Learning Center, is home to a free Saturday breakfast, a summer food supplement program and a “clothes closet” for the needy. McKinley also oversees a variety of educational programs, including GED preparation, Job Opportunities for Youth, after-school homework help and adult literacy classes. The community bikes program was a perfect fit.
Last year, Maré gave the Green Bikes handlebars over to Rick Hill, a retired teacher with the Oregon Youth Authority. Hill, an avid cyclist, has helped it expand from “a crescent wrench and a screwdriver,” to a professional shop with work stands, back-up parts and a full closet of tools. It’s all been accomplished through donations, from the central coast cycling community and from the general public.
Yaquina Wheels, the cycling club in Newport, and Bike Newport, the sale and service store, have given gear, money and expertise to the cause. Wal-mart recently donated 25 new bikes that were damaged in shipping, but will be relatively easy to repair. But the majority of the bikes have been donated, one or two at a time, by people in Lincoln County.
“We’ve been inundated with used bikes. People say their kids have grown out of them, or moved away, or they just aren’t getting used any more,” Hill said. “People are incredibly generous.”
Among these donations are high-end cycles made by companies like Trek and Raleigh — “too good to paint green,” the coordinator said. Those are sometimes repaired and sold, with the proceeds going back to the Seashore Family Literacy Center, or used for a fund-raising raffle. Right now, for example, there’s a shiny BMX that’s making the rounds of Waldport businesses, which each sell raffle tickets for its giveaway. That drawing will be held during Beachcomber Days, June 19-21.
The influx of bicycles led to the long-term lending program, which began last year. It’s a valuable service, Hill said, open to anyone in the community who needs transportation.
“It’s perfect for people who have lost their jobs, or lost their license, and who are unable to keep a car. We ask for their name and phone number, and that’s it,” he said. “If it breaks, they can bring it back here and fix it themselves. We’ll teach them how.”
Hill sees all kinds of students, from juvenile offenders on mandatory community service to middle-aged adults looking for a new profession. Students can learn specific skills as well as basic shop etiquette — rules, safety, cleaning, sorting — and how to use the correct tool, in the right way. There’s something for everyone, from sanding and painting bikes to the painstaking work of recovering a vandalized frame.
“Actually, we see more damage than loss. Some of what we see is regular wear and tear, but some is just malicious. We see damage that a normal bike shop probably wouldn’t see” Hill said. “But that, in itself, is an opportunity for education. When the young people in the shop have to fix what has been vandalized, they might have a different perspective.”
A few, like 14-year-old WHS freshman Tyler Balfour, are truly hooked. Balfour spends several afternoons a week in the shop, accumulating work credits while he masters skills.
“Four months ago, I would say my skills were below average,” Balfour said. “Now, I’m a Master Apprentice and I really want to work at Bike Newport during the summer. After I graduate, I’d like to make my own brand of bikes, and become a millionaire.”
Balfour helps to teach the community bike repair classes, offered several nights a week.
“This program is great for our community, and great for our kids,” McKinley said. “In fixing and rebuilding the bikes, they are learning tangible skills from adult role models.”
Green Bikes Program
At Seashore Family Literacy center, Hwy. 34 & Bay St.
Green Bikes
These community bicycles are free for anyone to use, within the Waldport area. If the yellow rope tie is on, the bike is in use; if it isn’t, it’s free for use. All are supplied with a helmet, recommended for all riders. If you find one parked or abandoned outside of town, or in a location invisible to the general public, call 541-563-7323.
Long-term Loan
Bicycles are available, on long-term loan, for anyone who is in need of transportation in the Waldport area. Riders are asked to fill out a form, and to bring the bike back when it needs repair. For details, call the same number above.
Bike repair classes
• Bike Knowledge for Independent Women, 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays
Class is limited to four women, pre-registration required.
• After-School Bicycle Repair & Maintenance, 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
Open to middle and high school students.
• Bicycle Repair & Maintenance for All Ages, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays
Open to youth and adults.
Other opportunities
The Green Bikes shop offers training for people in many different situations, including GED students, adults looking for new skills or anyone who is looking for a rewarding volunteer experience. To learn more, call 541-563-7323.
At Seashore Family Literacy center, Hwy. 34 & Bay St.
Green Bikes
These community bicycles are free for anyone to use, within the Waldport area. If the yellow rope tie is on, the bike is in use; if it isn’t, it’s free for use. All are supplied with a helmet, recommended for all riders. If you find one parked or abandoned outside of town, or in a location invisible to the general public, call 541-563-7323.
Long-term Loan
Bicycles are available, on long-term loan, for anyone who is in need of transportation in the Waldport area. Riders are asked to fill out a form, and to bring the bike back when it needs repair. For details, call the same number above.
Bike repair classes
• Bike Knowledge for Independent Women, 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays
Class is limited to four women, pre-registration required.
• After-School Bicycle Repair & Maintenance, 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
Open to middle and high school students.
• Bicycle Repair & Maintenance for All Ages, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays
Open to youth and adults.
Other opportunities
The Green Bikes shop offers training for people in many different situations, including GED students, adults looking for new skills or anyone who is looking for a rewarding volunteer experience. To learn more, call 541-563-7323.
