NewBo Bike Collective plans to open soon in new Cedar Rapids location

CEDAR RAPIDS - A non-profit bike restoration organization that has been closed since August is primed to reopen early in 2015, the organization's president said. 

The NewBo Bike Collective, which diverts old bikes from the landfill, repairs them, and resells them for a fraction of the retail cost, has moved to a new location in town. The shop was supposed to be down for about a month, but recovering the flood-ravaged space the collective now will call home has taken longer than expected, said Scott Anderson, president of the collective.

'We are down to weeks, not months,” Anderson said of reopening. 

The collective left behind former digs at 1029 Third St. SE, where its low-cost rent and prime location helped build a following for its used bikes and repair classes. The space was considered temporary, with the understanding the landlord eventually would redevelop, Anderson said.

When it came time to move, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library stepped up to provide a building at 39 16th Ave. SW near the entrance to Czech Village, Sokol Park, and the bike trail. 

Before the collective could reopen, the space had to be gutted and remodeled, including installing handicap-accessible restrooms and building work benches. 

'Soon as the bathrooms are done, we will be ready to reopen,” Anderson said.

The collective started as a project called Art Bike to pull bikes out of the landfill, but it evolved quickly into something else. Originally the junk bikes from the landfill were sent to Working Bikes, a collective in Chicago that has a similar mission as NewBo and ships bikes to Third World countries. Working Bikes did arrange pickups, but it did not come frequently enough to meet demand, which opened the opportunity for the local effort. 

'The amount of people that want bikes and to learn how to take care of those bikes has been incredible,” Anderson said.

The collective, which still is accepting used bikes while closed, fixes and resells about 10 bikes a week. The bikes are priced at market value, similar to what they'd fetch through Craigslist, Anderson said. 

'We don't want to be a wholesale outlet for people looking to make money,” he said. 'We are trying to educate people.”

As the collective plans to reopen, Anderson said it is looking for volunteers of all levels of experience, including people to do outreach, secretarial help, and bike techs to help with repairs. People who volunteer 12 hours a year are considered members.

Members get 10 percent discount on parts, free access to classes, and the potential to build credit toward a bike, Anderson said.

'It's been all volunteers to this point,” Anderson said. 'We are proud of what we've done. But we need more people.”