Green Chile Bike Bank

Bike Distributions:

501(c)(3) Tax Exemption:

We have recently applied for tax-exempt recognition from the IRS. This marks a big step for us organizationally, and we await the possibilities it opens up for us.

Green Chile Bike Institute:

The GCBI which launched mid-February has now graduated its first 2 classes of students, who completed a 20-hour curriculum including bike maintenance classes, guided volunteer shop work, and riding and repairing bikes out in the community. Major appreciation to Sam, who has instructed and coordinated the program from Day 1. Classes will continue through late spring, with a total of 6 cohorts benefiting from this grant-supported community program. Spots are still available for interested community members on a space-available basis, so please reach out with interest to greenchilebike@gmail.com

Ongoing Needs:

As the weather warms, our needs and the needs of the community for bikes and bike repair services increase. So, we ask the following:

1. If you have bikes that need a new home when you’re spring cleaning, please consider donating them to GCBB to restore and pass on to someone in need. Donations of repairable bikes are always welcome!
2. If you have funds that are itching to be employed toward creating a kinder, gentler world, consider GCBB as a way to make that happen. We take no salaries from our donations, every last bit of it goes to operations expenses – parts, tools, components, and rent for our workshop. We would be glad for whatever you may be able to give to support the Pueblo community through our work.
3. Consider coming out to our Spring Fundraiser, evening of Thursday June 1st, at Walter’s Brewing. We will have GCBB merch for donation, a very nice bike and repair stand for raffle, treats and a silent auction. It will be a chance to have fun in celebration of all that our students, volunteers, and supporting community have put into the project.

Thanks for reading this far! And for being involved in the ways you are able.

-The GCBB volunteers

These are some of the Puebloans we’ve been able to recently serve with your support:

GCBB is excited to announce our newest project, the Green Chile Bike Institute!

We have been granted funding by the wonderful KRD Foundation (check them out!) to conduct a skills- and community-building educational program. Read on to find out more!

Ok, sounds interesting, what’s it all about?

Course participants will have the opportunity to build their own bike and receive a $200 stipend as well as a Certificate of Completion for the following 20 hour curriculum:

3 2-hour Bike Maintenance and Building Classes (taught by a professionally-trained mechanic/instructor)

3 3-hour Supervised Shop Nights, working with our volunteer mechanics on restorations, including a bike of their choice for themself or a loved one

5 hours of riding in the community, with 2 repairs completed out and around Pueblo and visits to a local bike shop as well as one of the community repair stations.

Eligibility criteria for the course are the same as for our bike recipients. Those can be found here.

Our hope is that anyone completing the course can use the skills, confidence, community and bike they’ve built to go on to whatever opportunity is next for them, with the whole support of the GCBB team behind them.

We are recruiting participants now, so please contact us if interested!

Above are some of our recent bike recipients.

This sounds great, but I’m not eligible. Is there a way I can participate?

Interested community members not eligible under those criteria can take the course series and receive a certificate (no stipend) on a space-available basis. At this time we are only able to accommodate participants ages 18+. Please contact us to find out more! greenchilebike@gmail.com

I don’t have the time to participate or volunteer, but is there a way I can help?

Yes! We can still use donations of partial or complete bikes as well as tools, components, and accessories. Financial support is also welcomed, as it helps us to focus on work directly with those in need rather than fundraising.

We are always looking especially for 80s, 90s and 2000s mountain bikes or cruisers with 26″ wheels, as these are great candidates for rebuilds. While we appreciate generosity in all its forms, we have limited volunteer energy, so please ensure donations are repairable – a bit of rust or dirt, missing pieces and parts, or worn tires are fine, but very old frames, road bikes, and bent or damaged bikes are not as useful.

Donations can be dropped off at Great Divide during business hours at 4th and Santa Fe.

Thank you! We can’t wait to update you on our first couple cohorts completing the GCBI!

-The GCBB volunteers

Save the date – Thursday October 27th. Meet for a short (costumed!) ride @ 5:30, ride leaves 6pm. Return to Walter’s for more fun, costume contest, raffle prizes and a good cause!

Come on out for our Spring Fundraiser in conjunction with Cruisin’ Pueblo and our friends at Walter’s Brewery!

6pm meet at Walter’s, 6:30 roll out for a supported, no-drop community ride, then return to Walter’s about 7:30 for music, a bike auction, bike games, and an update on GCBB’s work over the winter from the whole motley crew!

We are raising funds for shop rent, parts, locks, lights, and all the other odds and ends that help us to keep restoring and distributing bikes into the community.

GCBB merchandise (shirts, socks, stickers, etc) will be available for donation, so please bring some bills or your checkbook. We can also accept payment via PayPal /Venmo but no credit cards at this time.

Hope to see you there!

Come out and see us tomorrow Saturday the 23rd at the 2nd Annual Pueblo Classic!

GCBB will be supporting the AMR Safety Jam, working on minor repairs and instructing kids and their families in basic bike repair, safe riding, and some fun activities. Other organizations will be doing giveaways as well. FREE for all to participate!

Please also plan to join us as we ride the Classic downtown race course on Union Avenue at 12:30pm in the Mayor’s Community Ride – open to all! Great turnout last year, fun to fill up the course and get a few laps in with all kinds of bikes and bikers from around the area.

Race schedule here – there will be lots of cool cycling to watch. Please stay safe and remain out of the course boundary flagging tape. Hope to see you there – come join us for what’s shaping up to be a beautiful day!

Our workshop has been such a success that we’ve worked through our backlog of bikes this winter – this is a great problem to have, since that means they’re out in the community now, helping people get around.

That means we need you! (and your bikes)

As we get into spring cleaning season, please consider donating any bikes that are going unused. We have a continual need for adult bikes, especially mountain bikes. They are endlessly rebuildable, and provide reliable transportation for our neighbors here in Pueblo. Parts, tubes, tires and other bike-related odds and ends also help us in our mission. At this time, we do not need any children’s bikes.

Donations can be dropped off anytime during normal business hours at Great Divide on 4th and Santa Fe, or on Wednesday nights from 6-9pm at our workshop, 807 N Greenwood.

Thank you for your continued support!

-The GCBB

With your help we have rented a workspace. This will help us to keep meeting Pueblo’s need for reliable bike transportation even as the weather turns. Without a space, our work would slow down tremendously in the winter months.

We have partnered with the nonprofit Access Point to rent a portion of their building. We are paid up through April ’22 but would like to stay in the space as time goes on. See Our Needs for how to help us do so!