2nd Cycle Promotes Bike Advocacy through Community-Building

Originally founded by four friends in May 2008, 2nd Cycle has come a long way from meager beginings to finally become a fully functional bike repair shop this past February.The City of Tacoma has taken notice, and helped to promote its ongoing success by installing a row of bike racks outside on May 25th; near the end of Tacoma’s most recent Bike Month.

Yet for 2nd Cycle, it’s not enough.

As the non-profit organization’s webpage proclaims, “The only way that more infrastructure will be provided is if there are a warrantable amount of riders on the street. We aim to get as many people riding bikes as we can.”

Thus, 2nd Cycle places an emphasis on cheap prices paired with good quality to attract an ever-growing, loyal customer base. Like other successful businesses such as the nationwide coop, REI, 2nd Cycle connects with its customers on a personal level through shared passion.

From its new Hilltop hub at 1312 MLK St., 2nd Cycle provides tools and repairs, along with education for locals, offering classes and occasionally live music acts to promote bike advocacy.

Matt Price, a recent graduate from University of Puget Sound and 2nd Cycle volunteer for the past three years, admits that Hilltop is sometimes a challenging location for a bike shop—it was the fifth business that was broken into this week on MLK St.

However, 2nd Cycle’s intent behind its move to Hilltop was to encourage locals to try a cheap and sustainable alternative in place of the motorized norm.

As Price further explained, “2nd Cycle primarily functions to disseminate information about cycling; how to commute safely and efficiently in Tacoma or how to fix your own bike. We want to show that cycling is an important and intuitive choice of transportation, especially as gas prices continue to rise.”

Although 2nd Cycle’s staff is entirely comprised of volunteers, their commitment to bike advocacy is wholly undeterred by a lack of paychecks, which is particularly evinced by the shop’s weekly Volunteer Work Nights.

In the past, the Work Nights have included simple tasks such as sweeping, cleaning and setting up bikes for sale, but most of all, they connect and empower all members of the biking community through service.

Volunteer Work Nights occur every Wednesday from 4-7 pm, so if you’re interested in helping out, simply drop by and help out with whatever needs to be done.

Looking ahead, 2nd Cycle plans to gather customers’ comments about bike commuting in the region to present at future Tacoma Mobility meetings, Price said.

“We hope that our advocacy will keep the cycling community’s momentum going,” he added.

As the shop’s blog page suggests, “2nd Cycle is a community bike project” and thus, its motives adhere to the demands of its customers while continuing to build a wider, all-encompassing cycling community.

For more on 2nd Cycle, visit www.2ndcycle.org or check out their Facebook page.