Reduce, reuse, re-cycle

We’ll never tire of Waldport’s Green Bikes Co-op

Story & photos by Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

I met Meric McNeilus in a local trail running club. Looking to make changes in his life, including to his waistline, Meric approached running with the zeal many have when starting a new venture.

Many pounds lighter and two beautiful daughters later, Meric is instilling in five-year-old Charlotte and two-year-old Edith the same love for outdoor recreation that had such positive effects on his own life.

But, as many parents know, purchasing sports equipment is like playing the stock market. The investment might not pay off due to low interest, and even a good purchase could soon have little value.

Enter the Green Bike Co-op in Waldport, where Meric has found bikes for Charlotte and also his wife Hannah.

“One of the first bikes I ever purchased new had a pedal just break off, right when I was riding on the highway; it was pretty scary,” he said. “I found out for the same price or less, you can get a good quality used bike at the green bikes place.”

The Green Bikes Co-op was started as a bike share program, then was adopted and grown by Seashore Family Literacy as part of its mission to promote good health and recreation. The program provides free bicycles for anyone to ride, vocational training and volunteer opportunities. You can even go in and receive training for repairs.

“I took Hannah’s bike back there when it needed some work,” Meric said. “They fixed it right away, charged me almost nothing and were incredibly nice.”

The community loaner bikes were originally painted bright green, but now only have a sticker on the top bar. And the program is still very green in the more metaphorical sense — keeping donated bikes out of the landfill, reusing parts and recycling unfixable metal frames.

“I like that they give bikes a new life that might have just been sitting and rusting in a yard,” Meric said. “It’s a great program.”

Curt Werner has been volunteering at the co-op for about 10 years, suckered into it by his friend Rick Hill, who is going on 15 years of volunteering himself.

“About 10 years ago Rick said ‘Come by this place, I’ve got something for you to try’ and I’ve been here ever since,” Werner said. “I was retired and looking for something to do, and found really good energy here. The program has become an integral part of the community; people respect us and are grateful for what we are doing.”

Community support includes lending bikes long-term to people that have lost licenses or vehicles.

“We also service the bikes at the Olalla Center in Toledo and the Yachats after-school program,” Hill said. “Our Christmas bike program gets bigger every year.”

The program receives so many donated kids bikes, they store a percentage of them to spiff up and give away to pre-identified families every Christmas.

“Last year we gave away 30 bikes and will probably have about 50 this year,” Hill said. “The money we’re able to donate to Seashore’s other programs has been increasing every year, too.”

They do charge for supplies, but depend on donations for the repairs.

“Over 90 percent of people do donate,” Werner said. “That’s how we are able to keep this going.”

The costs are also kept down by the fact that the workforce is 100-percent volunteer.

“We usually have at least three or four other volunteers, but COVID created some issues,” Werner said. “We are slowly ramping back up, which is good because the bikes never stop coming in.”

The program also serves as an apprentice opportunity for local youth.

One young volunteer was sponsored to receive training through the United Bike Institute, after he had been helping at the shop for roughly four years.

“He became a certified bike mechanic at 17,” Hill said. “He soon after got hired in the bike department at Walmart.”

By lending bikes to tourists and providing low cost repairs, the co-op has also become popular with cycling travelers heading up and down the coast, like a group that were heading from Alaska to South America making a documentary about sustainability; and the family on the way home to Seattle on a tandem with a trailer for their two small kids, who entertained Werner and Hill with stories of traveling the world by bike for a decade, having both kids during the trip.

Charlotte McNeilus’ bike from the co-op is actually her second; the first Meric had purchased new.

“Her first bike was so hinky she was getting frustrated and had no confidence riding it,” he said. “The one we got from green bikes rides so well that she has more confidence and her ability is improving quickly. I can barely keep up with her now.”

The Green Bike Co-op is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm, and is located at 115 SW Highway 101 in Waldport. For more information, go to www.greenbikeco-op.org or call 541-563-7328.