One in an occasional series of features on Charlotte area businesses, nonprofits, and events, and how they are adapting to the “new normal.”
Our Subject: The Re-Cyclery is a unique Charlotte bike shop that accepts used, donated bikes and repairs them for resale. Money earned by the Re-Cyclery funds other bike-related community programs, like Trips for Kids, the Ride Program, and Earn a Bike – all programs that teach cycling safety, encourage confidence, and foster a love of bicycling for underserved youth and community members.
What’s been impacted: The pandemic required the difficult decision to close the shop for nearly a month in order to prioritize the health and safety of the staff, participants, and volunteers. The inability to provide affordable bikes and accessories to the community led to a significant gap in funding. Related programs like Earn a Bike and the Ride Program were delayed until staff and volunteers could refigure them to be carried out safely.
Innovative pivot: The Re-Cyclery used this time to rebuild as many bikes as possible for when doors opened again. This allowed them to maintain financial stability for employed staff, while keeping them safe. Like many other businesses, they enhanced their website to provide public access to available inventory, while staying top-of-mind by sharing “bike tips” on social media about bike safety and operation. Once doors opened again, the Re-Cyclery transitioned to an appointment-only sales schedule, while moving shop operations outside for a better socially-distant buying and repair experience.
Earn a Bike and Ride Programs also moved 100% outdoors with smaller groups that allowed them to continue bike safety and riding programs with sufficient space between participants. This allowed the programs to still connect with smaller, closed groups of underserved youth to experience mountain biking and greenway systems.
“It was a priority to find ways to still engage with youth who, due to the pandemic, were not getting the opportunity to get outside or engage with others,” says Re-Cyclery director Eric Supil. “We were able to maintain safety and make an impact.”
Reactions: Customers loved the new shopping experience, because it allowed them to choose a bike without fear of crowded spaces. And despite the funding gap from being closed for a month, an increased demand for affordable bikes prompted a surge in sales once doors opened again. The Re-Cyclery has blasted through bicycle reserves for both the shop and the programs, and needs more donations to keep up the momentum. Supil says the Re-Cyclery is close to achieving the original budget set for the year, which is necessary for the function of the programs and organization.
“Over the first two months of our reopen, we received overwhelming support from the community because we provided an option for cost effective access to bicycles,” says Supil. “Our systems and our pivot had worked.”
Forecast for the future: “Our virtual engagement has been a great way for the community to gain access to bicycle safety,” says Supil. The updated inventory system has helped workflow, and Supil sees integrated in-person and virtual connections as part of the Re-Cyclery’s growth. The transition to outdoors has been a great experience for participants, says Supil, and will be continued, too.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have been able to ensure the same service to the community and opportunities for youth to get on two wheels,” says Supil. “That is what it’s all about!”
The Re-Cyclery: https://tripsforkidscharlotte.org/re-cyclery