The Ohio City Bicycle Co-op (OCBC) is a non-profit bicycle education center with a small professional staff and many skilled volunteers.  In our well-equipped 12,000 square foot bicycle mechanic shop, OCBC upcycles donated bicycles to make them safe and reliable for community members. We teach classes on bike riding and repair skills and lead community programs such as fix-athons, bike valet parking, and group bike rides. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, OCBC also runs a “bicycle thrift store” for refurbished bikes, as well as new and used bicycle parts, clothing, and accessories. Through work-trade and our Pay What You Can programs, we provide free and affordable bicycles, repairs, and accessories (such as helmets and locks) to cyclists facing financial difficulties.

Mission and purpose

OCBC began in 2001 by a group of committed volunteers from Cleveland’s small bike-advocacy movement, has since grown from a drop-in Earn A Bike program for neighborhood youth into a robust resource for bike education in the Cleveland community. Read more about our history.

Our overarching goal of increasing bicycle use is reflected in our incorporation filing:

“The mission of the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op (OCBC) is to promote the use of bicycles in greater Cleveland and engage area youth and adults in cycling activities that foster independence, resourcefulness, and good health. The OCBC works to accomplish this by offering safe cycling and bike repair education, Earn A Bike programs, and a consumer’s cooperative bike shop; by providing dependable used bikes and accessories; and by producing cycling events and tours that impart skills while encouraging riding for fun, fitness and practical transportation.” In 2006 our board approved this “working mission statement” to describe what we do:

 

We help people use bicycles.

Click here to view our Form 1023
Click here to view our 2023 annual report
Click Here to view our Non-discrimination policy
Click Here to view our Code of Conduct/Safe spaces policy

Our Board of Directors

We’re currently looking for new board members! If you’re interested in joining, please reach out to us at board@ohiocitycycles.org. Our areas of greatest need are accounting and legal.

Joe Bashover – President

Joe is an engineer by day and a part-time basement bike mechanic by night. Over the years, he has scavenged parts, built new and used equipment, ridden for fun and transport, and aided friends and family with repair and maintenance. For many years, it was just a side-interest. Then, in 2018 he was in an accident that made standing and walking difficult. The recovery was relatively quick, and he is very lucky to be as healthy as he is, but the experience pushed him to work hard to be mobile. He remembers the first thing he did after he was able to move around with crutches was to teeter precariously in the garage and build up a suitable road-bike. Soon, he was back in the saddle and able to enjoy the freedom that he had craved so much. The experience rejuvenated his passion for cycling, but more importantly, forced him to see the value it can bring to everyone on two wheels. A bike is not only a way to get around: it’s a road to recovery, a means of self-expression, and ultimately, it’s independence.

Rick Andersen – Secretary

Rick is retired from a career as an engineer manufacturing Energizer/Eveready batteries. He specialized in machine and process automation and controls for manufacturing facilities worldwide. Rick enjoys endurance rides, mountain biking, and bike touring, as well as skiing, sailing, and canoeing. In his spare time, he also does wooden boat woodworking, has built several canoes, and enjoys working on bikes. He is excited to be involved with OCBC both from a selfish aspect (learning) and being able to give back to the community. At the co-op, Rick has enjoyed participating in Fixathons, working on bikes, and getting to meet new people.

 

Blake Yoho – Treasurer

Blake was one of the first new volunteers at OCBC during the pandemic, hoping to learn more about how to maintain his first “real” bike while finding community through a passion for cycling. He quickly realized the supportive and inclusive community at the Co-op, and he served as the Volunteer Coordinator the following summer to become more involved in getting folks access to reliable transportation. With a deep interest in nonprofits, Blake has been excited to support the board in helping OCBC reach even more folks in a sustainable way. Blake has a degree in Business Management from Boston College, a Master’s in Education from John Carroll University, and a never-ending desire to learn more about and contribute to the Cleveland community. He’s grateful to be a part of the Co-op, which brings together all sorts of folks for a shared purpose – to find joy in and access to reliable bicycles.

Andrew Kinnen

A life long cyclist, Andrew retired after 30+ years at Sherwin-WIlliams and is now spending his time volunteering with a variety of community organizations. At SW Andrew leveraged his Business Management degree from Ohio State and progressed through a diverse series of roles in Sales, Sales Management, Marketing, New Product Development and retired as a Senior Director of Marketing.  Strictly a road biker, Andrew is glad to get more involved with the cycling community in NE Ohio. 

 

Marcia Mauter

Marcia has a strong background in outdoor experiential learning and nonprofit leadership in NEO.  She is also a lifelong globetrotter and combines her keen interest in people, cultures, and adventure at every turn. Even though she got sent home from New Zealand in March 2020 due to Covid — and then again from Hawaii in 2022 due to a fall and big ouch — she hopes to get it right next time! Marcia is pleased to roll up her sleeves and advance, together with other board and staff, the mission and good work of OCBC in our community.  Marcia also serves on a second board, Council of International Fellowships/USA. You can find her on her fold up touring bike, stepping out on some remote waterway, high altitude trail, open road, freezing tundra or scorching desert, visiting her far flung kids/grandkids, or ‘Facilitating through Story”, her next entrepreneurial venture.

Connor O’Brien

Connor began his journey with OCBC in 2022 as a volunteer salvaging parts, eventually taking the tune-up class, building his own touring bike, becoming a volunteer mechanic, and joining the Co-op’s board of directors. OCBC’s commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and community is what drives Connor to volunteer with the Co-op. With a Master’s in nonprofit administration and Bachelor’s in communications from John Carroll University, over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector in Northeast Ohio, and a love for riding and fixing bicycles, Connor is excited to lend his skills to OCBC.