Support

Re:Ciclos began in full swing in March 2022 with support from the Energy Foundation who awarded us a seed grant for one year of general operations. Since then, we have worked to build capacity and lay the groundwork for our organizational structure and purpose. We have accomplished so much in that time and there is plenty of work still ahead!

We ask the community at large for monetary donations to help us continue to grow as an organization into the future. Donations by people who can afford to do so act as direct support to those who cannot. Furthermore, donations contributed to our cause are directed towards on-the-ground mutual aid support that can have an immediate and potentially lasting effect toward more equitable mobility future for Los Angeles. Please consider donating to Re:Ciclos! Donations made to our project are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.

Donate Bicycles, Parts and Goods

Monetary donations are of incredible help as they are used to purchase supplies and tooling which makes it possible to do the work of building cargo bikes for our communities. Aside from money, there are certain items that can make a real difference to our operation. Some such items are, but not limited to:

Complete bicycles

  • Old unused or underused bicycles make great donations as raw materials for cargo bike frame construction or salvaged parts to be repurposed.
  • Within our project we have experience taking unwanted bicycles and transforming them into useful varieties of cargo bicycles. We also have years of experience restoring some bicycle parts.

Bicycle Frames

  • Old frames make great canvases for a variety of cargo bicycles.
  • Damaged frames can even be useful to us (depending on the damage.)

Bicycle Components

  • Bicycle components of all kinds are also extremely useful for being restored and repurposed into our cargo bicycle creations.

Wheels!

  • We have a fondness for freshly built wheels and have a lot of experience building them. Especially for certain builds that are designed to carry heavy loads, a rebuilt wheel made from salvaged materials makes a key difference
  • 20” or BMX wheels are especially useful for the majority of the cargo bicycles we build. Our Cycle Trucks, Long Janes and Mr. T’s all utilize smaller wheels to lower cargo platforms and create more stable transportation machines. These are especially helpful!

Old Dynamo’s!

  • As those who own a dynamo hub know, they last almost indefinitely, barring certain catastrophic circumstances. Donations of any and all dynamo hubs, vintage ones included, have a 100% chance of being rebuilt and installed on one of our cargo bicycles. We strongly believe in dynamo technology and that it can contribute to a more bicycle friendly environment. Yes, even in Los Angeles.
  • Dynamo lamps, naturally, would also be incredibly helpful. We have the experience and capacity to install dynamo lamp systems in addition to building wheels

Fabrication Tools

  • Welding and metal cutting tools such as:
  • Flux core wire
  • Angle grinder discs
  • Metal cutting band saw blades
  • Welding Magnets
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Welding aprons, welding gloves of all sizes, welding helmets (auto-darkening preferred), etc.
  • Metal cutting drill bits
  • New Shop Rags
  • Etc

SPONSORING

Through the generous donations made by folks like the Bicycle Kitchen and StrongHand Tools, Re:Ciclos is equipped with the right gear to work the magic of transforming old disused bicycles into better cargo bicycles and in turn help a variety of community members begin to kick the car habit that harms us all. If you own or work for a company in the bicycle industry, in the fabrication, welding or raw materials industry and are interested in supporting our project by kicking down some supplies that we can use, please do reach out to support@lareciclos.org! Re:Ciclos is a project of CRSP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and we can provide you with an in-kind donation letter for any goods you provide to us. Additionally, we are happy to add you to our Sponsors Page, where you can be proud to be represented as a part of the solution toward equitable and sustainable mobility in Los Angeles.

USE OUR BIKES!!!

One way to support us is to become one of our clients and use our bicycles. Our mission is to introduce cargo bicycles into the LA transportation ecosystem. By becoming one of our clients you participate in the movement by utilizing a cargo bicycle in our otherwise car-centric environment. Using our cargo bicycles by virtue alone supports our mission and the overall bicycle movement. As we are growing as an organization and as builders, having more opportunities to improve on our designs and receive feedback from clients about our cargo bikes also contributes to the overall health of our mission. Please drop us a line at customcargo@lareciclos.org for custom work or cargolibrary@lareciclos.org for the lending library if you think you’d like a cargo bike from us so we can talk about options, design, budget, timeline and all the inbetweens.

Also see “HOW IT WORKS” (underlined is linked to “how it works page”) to learn more about our different cargo bike programs.

(Note: at the time of writing 8/16/2022, we will still be taking in requests on our waitlist but due to the nature of operating from grants we may not be able to fulfill all requests by the end of our funded year. We hope to secure more funds for proceeding years to continue building cargo bikes and fulfill all requests for cargo bicycles.)

VOLUNTEERING

We are a relatively young organization and are creating the building blocks for a robust and dynamic community institution. Currently we’re looking for volunteers to fulfill some essential functions to grow the mission and capacity. Here are some essential volunteer positions that would help Re:Ciclos greatly:

  • Volunteer Volunteer Coordinator (not a typo)

While volunteers are an awesome force in moving an organization along, that awesome force can be somewhat unwieldy without vision and management. Enter the Volunteer Coordinator. We’re seeking a volunteer to help us design a volunteer curriculum, parameter, standards and process. From working with youth, to welding and designing, to keeping track of the lending library, volunteers can help fill in essential and basic tasks to further the mission of getting cargo bikes in the hands of community members whose lives would be greatly improved with this tool.

Re:Ciclos is seeking funding toward making the Volunteer Coordinator position a paid one. Until that time, we seek the generosity of a dedicated community member to volunteer for this post.

  • Social Media Coordinator Volunteer

Regrettably, the powers that be, both politically and culturally, are not interested nor are investing neither funds nor attention toward building a just world where transportation does not cause harm to communities of color and our environment. The battle happens on-line to directly reach out communities where they are engaging. More and more that place is in Social Media and Media in general. Re:Ciclos, like all other organizations, needs to make some noise to combat the negative social, cultural and environmental impact that car companies and their allies have on our world. Our Social Media Coordinator is involved in capturing our work, working on building positive narratives and engaging on the battlefield of the mind: the internet. We believe that with smart, directed, thoughtful and provoking content, our project builds opportunities for light to be shone on the deely damaging nature of car culture and its ubiquitous infrastructure that chokes our cities out of green space, playgrounds, housing and other vital human space in order to make room for parking, gas stations, electric charging stations, refineries, freeways and an unending plethora of expensive, earth-depleting, dehumanizing list of amenities required for the single-occupant motor vehicle paradigm to exist and proliferate.

  • Shop Manager Volunteer

At Re:Ciclos, building cargo bicycles can involve some pretty basic tools, like angle grinders, welders and metal files, but even basic tools can hurt you if you’re not trained in using them. The Shop Manager is a volunteer who ensures that all participants are up to speed on safety protocols, maintains the shop basic required safety features, tools, supplies, tools and stock. If you have some experience in shop management or are interested in learning, please drop us a line at and we’ll schedule a time to interview and give you an overview of what our shop requires to remain fully operational.

  • Grant Writer

This past year of work at Re:Ciclos was only made possible by a grant by The Energy Foundation which funded us in order to grow capacity and lay the groundwork for a future prospering organization. If you are a grant writer with experience, are looking for experience or would just like to donate some of your time, that helps us in the long term.

  • You

There is an abundance of modalities that can help a non-profit, mutual aid organization such as ours start up and grow capacity. If you feel like you have a skillset or set of experience you personally feel can be a contribution to this cause and you have a desire to do so, please reach out and inquire with your idea.

Thank you for considering volunteering your time with Re:Ciclos! We know just how precious our time is for survival. For any interest or inquiries please direct all correspondence to .