ABOUT US

OUR

STORY

Cycles of Change was founded in 1998 in the basement of Roosevelt Middle School as an afterschool bicycle club that included after-school and weekend riding, mechanics, and community earn-a-bike program. This first Bike Club emerged in partnership with community groups dedicated to reversing the root causes of youth violence in East Oakland.

As our program grew in popularity, we expanded to offer Drive Your Bike, our countywide in-school bicycle safety programming and Upcycle, our earn-a-bike program for low income adults. In 2009, we opened The Bikery, which remains one of the only affordable, full-service bike shops in East Oakland to this day. The Bikery offers sliding-scale and pro-bono bikes and repairs, facilitates high school internships, and is a hub for local youth to socialize and learn bike mechanics. The Bikery is home to Mariposx, our dedicated open shop hours and group rides for women, queer, trans, and femme people.

OUR

MISSION

Our mission is to improve the health and sustainability of East Oakland neighborhoods by increasing the use of bicycles as transportation. We broaden access to biking in low-income communities of color through education programs and low cost or free resources, connecting youth with the extraordinary living ecosystems of our local area and building a diverse community of visionary young leaders.

OUR

VALUES

Our work is grounded in a holistic framework that places transportation justice at the intersection of movements for racial, gender, economic, environmental, and disability justice. Our staff is a passionate group of dedicated educators, mechanics, and advocates committed to bold solutions that embody the idea that everyone should have access to the economic, environmental, and health benefits of biking, particularly those in communities most impacted by climate change and environmental racism. 

 

We believe in the power of shared knowledge and ingenuity, so the structure of our organization mirrors the liberated world advocated for by our work. Cycles of Change is collectively governed through a democratic decision-making process. We use collaboration and horizontal organizational structures that honor the wisdom and experience brought by each staff member. We are committed to restorative justice and harm-reduction approaches to conflict management that do not involve law enforcement or the carceral state.

MEET OUR

STAFF

A group of smiling black and brown adults in front of a mural of Steph Curry.

HELP US KEEP PEDALING!

CONTACT US

Message

CYCLES OF CHANGE

Growing Bike Access for Oakland and Beyond

Tel: (510) 842-1006  Email: info@cyclesofchange.org