Programs | Mobo Bicycle Coop

Mobo Bicycle Coop
1415 Knowlton Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio

MoBo is a project of
The Village Green

Mission of MoBo:
The MoBo Bicycle Cooperative is a non-profit volunteer-run cooperative dedicated to making cycling accessible and practical to everyone in the greater Cincinnati area. We build community by providing a welcoming and communal workspace, knowledgeable staff, and the tools and parts for cyclists of all ages and skill levels to repair, maintain and acquire bicycles. Members learn from and teach one another by sharing knowledge and experience. Mobo facilitates healthy and sustainable transportation through bicycle programs, events, and advocacy in our immediate community and beyond.

Vision of MoBo:
The Mobo Bicycle Cooperative envisions a world made healthier through the increase of people using bicycles for environmental, social, creative and practical purposes. We believe that cycling and its benefits should be made equally accessible to people from all walks of life. We see that the promotion of the social and educational aspects of cycling creates empowered individuals and communities. We see the intrinsic value cycling has for developing community, and we acknowledge that as our culture and infrastructure become more inclusive of bicycles, quality of life is enhanced for all.

Open Shop

During Open Shop hours, you can:

Join the co-op

Learn how to fix your bicycle

Help others learn to fix their bikes

Adopt a bicycle

Donate bikes/parts/tools

Hang out and meet new people

No experience? No problem! Our volunteer mechanics are here to help you learn how to repair your bike. We have most of the tools and parts that you may need. We also have an inventory of donated bikes that you can adopt for a small fee. Open Shop operates on a first come, first served basis, and is open to all co-op members aged 16 and older. Open Shop currently occurs every Wednesday (6-9pm). Don’t be intimidated to drop by, even to just look around. Everyone is welcome!

Sister Cycles

Info coming soon!

Kids’ Day Program

MoBo Kids’ Day summer program offers local kids the opportunity to repair, maintain, and build bicycles with one-on-one guidance from experienced mechanics. Once a week, the all-volunteer staff devotes the shop, its tools, and their expertise exclusively to the servicing of kids’ bikes. Membership fees are waived for youth members of the Co-op, so participation in Kids’ Day is free for all youth members (aged 16 and under). Children under 6 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Additionally, MoBo collects donated bicycles and matches them with kids who need bikes. Mechanics work with each new owner to make repairs and adjustments as necessary. Helmets are distributed free of charge. Youth are served on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting area is staffed by at least 2 adult volunteers who provide supervision, games, water, and occasional snacks. Jobs such as set up, clean up, sign in, trash duty, and cup duty are delegated to mature kids so as to nurture the spirit of cooperation.

In 2009, 62 kids became members and we distributed 34 bikes.

Workshops

Monthly Bike Basics Workshop

This workshop is currently not being offered, as we are in need of a mechanic interested in making it happen. In the past, we have offered this once-a-month workshop to the public as an opportunity for people unfamiliar with bicycle mechanics to learn a few things about how their bikes work, how to maintain them, and how to diagnose problems in a more focused environment than Open Shop.

We’d love to offer this workshop again! If you are a mechanic and are potentially interested in leading a monthly, bi-monthly, or one-time workshop, please let us know!

Winter Workshop Series

Each year during the cold season we also organize a Winter Workshop Series, in which we offer volunteer-led workshops on a variety of topics. Past workshop topics have included Brake Adjustment, Wheelbuilding, Commuting, Winter Riding, Living in Cincinnati Without a Car, and Fix-a-flat. If you’d like to see a specific workshop at MoBo, please email us at mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com.

Also, if you’d like to lead a workshop in our space, please let us know! We have a community space that we’d like to see used more than it is, so if you or someone you know has some knowledge you’d like to share with people, speak up! We’re open to hosting workshops and other forms of cooperative education on many topics, bicycle-related or not!

Mechanics Internship Program

In addition to supporting the sharing of skills and knowledge broadly through our open shop program, workshops, and special events, MoBo sponsors a small number of members each year to complete a national bicycle maintenance training program called Park Tool School. In return, those members commit to sharing their new skills with the co-op for a number of hours as Volunteer Mechanics during Open Shop. For details about the internship program, talk to a Shop Coordinator or send an e-mail to the co-op.

Advocacy

The MoBo community is a vibrant part of Cincinnati’s growing bicycle culture. Our primary focus is sharing knowledge and building community through our open shop, workshops, and other programs. However, we do advocate more directly for bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policies in our community through partnerships with other organizations and hosting or participating in events such as forums, discussions, film screenings and group rides. Furthermore, we strive to use our shop and community space to share resources, news, and ideas on how to get involved. We also support other D.I.Y. projects of all sorts.

Those interested in these activities should come to Advocacy Committee meetings, which are announced on the calendar, in the shop, and on our Facebook page.

Anyone interested in advocating for bicycles in Cincinnati should also get involved with Queen City Bike, a partner organization focusing on bike advocacy in our city. They are fantastic!

Upcoming Events

Cincinnati Resources

Partners

Open Shop

Sister Cycles

Kids’ Day Program

Workshops

Mechanics Internship Program

Advocacy