The Working Centre - Community Tools Projects


Recycle Cycles was founded in 1993 with the assistance of the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group. We are a community bicycle resource centre which provides:

  • Inexpensive reconditioned bicycles for children and adults.
  • Bike shop facilities for individuals to repair their own bicycles.
  • A large supply of used, refurbished and new parts.
  • Opportunities for volunteers and the public to gain bicycle repair experience in a supportive environment.

Links:

How to Reach Us

What We Do

Our Goals

Environmental Benefits

Cycling Links

Recycle Cycles is located on the second floor of The Working Centre's 43 Queen St S. building. We are run by volunteers and are dedicated to cycling and cycling issues.

What We Do

As a community bicycle shop Recycle Cycles’ focus is on promoting cycling by making bicycle purchase, maintenance and repair accessible and affordable.

Members of the public can reserve bicycle repair stand space and make use of our tools and volunteer assistance to repair their bikes. Recycle Cycles volunteers will not fix your bicycle for you, but they will service it with you. Use of the shop and volunteer assistance is free.

Recycle Cycles volunteers work with members of the public to provide whatever level of assistance is required to repair their bicycles. Volunteers also work on refurbishing bicycles donated to us, which are then sold to help support our free services. Last year (2007) Recycle Cycles volunteers worked on over 2,400 bicycles.

We accept donations of bicycles, parts and accessories any time during our open hours.

In addition to our shop operations, Recycle Cycles supports a number of other cycling related community improvement projects, ranging from free local Summer Bike Camps to a Womyn’s Bike centre in Ugunja Kenya.

Our Goals

  • Preventing unwanted bicycles from going to landfill
  • Promoting cycling as a non-polluting transportation alternative
  • Making bicycling more accessible and affordable in Kitchener-Waterloo
  • Passing on skills in an interactive way
  • Providing access to tools and assistance to enable people to repair their own bicycles

Environmental Benefits

Donating a bike to Recycle Cycles helps someone else in our community afford one. Through repairing the bike community members can learn & share skills together.

Reduce - Using bicycles for transportation can help reduce our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels which, when burned, contribute to a host of environmental problems. In 2007 our volunteers worked on over 1400 public bicycles!

Reuse - Bikes donated to us get a new lease on life – using things longer, or again, keeps us from needlessly consuming more resources. In 2007 Recycle Cycles saved 874 bicycles from going to landfill!

Recycle - When we finally can't use it, we recycle it. In 2007 we recycled approx. 20 tonnes of scrap metal!

How to Reach Us

For more information about Recycle Cycles, contact Jesse.
E-mail: recyclecycles@theworkingcentre.org
Phone: 519-749-9177 ext. 222

Where and When We Are

Recycle Cycles is located at 43 Queen Street South on the second floor.

Shop Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Please call ahead to book a time to repair your bike (space is limited).