Recycle-a-Bike
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Recycle-a-Bike does
Recycle-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bike shop founded in 2000 and headquartered at 1911 Westminster Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The organization refurbishes donated bicycles and resells them alongside new parts, accessories, and tools, while also offering repair services and structured mechanic education (a four-session introductory "Know Your Multi-tool" course and a five-week "Rebuild a Bike" course in which students keep the bicycle they repair). Its underlying technology stack is entirely conventional: a Wix-hosted website, an online product catalog of approximately 73 SKUs, and a single physical retail/workshop site. There is no proprietary software, no API surface, and no integration or AI capabilities disclosed.
The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and philanthropy. Earned streams include unit-priced sales of refurbished bicycles (ranging from $0 for qualifying children and needy recipients to roughly $750 for premium mountain bikes, with high-end road bikes like the Cervelo R3 having transacted at $2,100), parts and accessory sales ($7–$79), labor-based repair services, and tuition from mechanic classes. Pricing for the bulk of inventory is deliberately low-cost or free, consistent with the mission of bicycle access for underserved populations, including recent immigrants, individuals transitioning from incarceration, and low-income residents served through SNAP and Medicaid partner channels. The non-earned side of the model consists of tax-deductible donations, grants, sponsorship, and volunteer time, with volunteers able to earn shop credit redeemable against purchases.
The go-to-market is hyper-local and community-driven. The organization sells exclusively from its Providence storefront (open four days per week, primarily evenings and weekends) and through community events such as bike valet services and bike giveaways. Customer acquisition relies on organic social channels (Instagram @rab_providence, Facebook, X, LinkedIn), community partnerships with entities like Brown University and REFocusRI, and word-of-mouth referrals from volunteers and program participants. The customer base is horizontally segmented: children and youth (primary), underserved adults (primary), and general Providence community members (secondary), with no enterprise or recurring-revenue accounts.
Recycle-a-Bike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Recycle-a-Bike
- Legal name
- Recycle-A-Bike
- Website
- https://recycleabike.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Recycle-a-Bike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Bike Shop Services
- NAICS
- Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (8114)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Used & Refurbished Bike Retail (CRAMAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bike Accessories Retail (Lights, Locks, Racks, Bags) (CRAMAHAD), Kids’ & Family Bike Retail (Youth, Trailers, Seats) (CRAMAHAG), Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ), Bicycle Programs & Bike Share (Parking, Repair, Rentals) (EDALAKAE)
Keywords
Where Recycle-a-Bike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Recycle-a-Bike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Bicycle and parts sales: Sale of refurbished and donated bicycles, parts, accessories, and tools at low cost to community members. The shop sells a variety of bikes including road, mountain, hybrid, children's, and specialty bikes along with replacement parts, brakes, chains, locks, pedals, saddles, and tools.
- Bicycle repair services: The shop provides repair services for bikes brought in for service, generating revenue through labor and parts.
- Educational classes: Fees from mechanic education classes including the 'Know Your Multi-tool' introductory course (four sessions over four weeks) and 'Rebuild a Bike' class (5-week course where students repair a bike and keep it).
- Donations and grants: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and organizations. The nonprofit also pursues sponsorship and grant funding to support programs and operations.
- Volunteer shop credit: Community members volunteer at the shop and earn shop credit, which can be used toward purchases, creating a reciprocal engagement model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free bicycles for children and those in need |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Refurbished bicycles for general community |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bicycle parts and accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Educational classes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Recycle-a-Bike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Recycle-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bike shop that refurbishes donated bicycles and resells them at low cost, offers bicycle repair services, sells parts and accessories, and provides hands-on mechanic education classes. The organization also runs youth engagement programs and a bike matching program that distributes free bicycles to children, recent immigrants, individuals transitioning from incarceration, and other underserved community members in Providence, Rhode Island.
Product overview
Recycle-a-Bike is a nonprofit community bike shop in Providence, Rhode Island, offering a diverse portfolio of bicycles and cycling accessories. The core offerings include bicycles across multiple categories (ATB, BMX, Children's, City, Comfort, Fixed Gear, Hybrid, MTB, Road, Tandem, and Trailers/Tag-A-Longs) ranging from free children's bikes to premium road bikes like the Cervelo R3 ($2,100). Accessories include brakes, chains, locks, pedals, saddles, and tools from brands like Shimano, Park Tool, Kryptonite, and Sunlite. The organization complements its retail operations with education services including Rebuild a Bike classes, Advanced Maintenance classes, and Know Your Multi-tool introductory courses. Community programs include free bike matching for those in need, youth engagement in bicycle mechanics, and events/partnerships with community organizations. All offerings support the nonprofit's mission of educating, empowering, and building community by connecting people and bicycles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Refurbished Bicycles
Quantifiable outcome
- Free bicycles for all children in the Providence community
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Recycle-a-Bike
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Recycle-a-Bike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Recycle-a-Bike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Community-focused organizations and institutionscoreRecycle-A-Bike partners with other community-focused organizations and institutions to provide bike resources and fun. Partners help identify folks who need free or affordable bicycles, plan and execute Bike Giveaway events, and organize Bicycle Repair Workshop sessions.
- Brown UniversityminorCommunity partner for events and bike-related activities at Brown University in Providence.
- REFocusRIminorCommunity partner organization working with Recycle-A-Bike on local initiatives.
- SNAP and Medicaid providersminorPartnership network to identify and serve individuals receiving benefits like SNAP and Medicaid who are eligible for free or low-cost bicycles.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Recycle-a-Bike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage): Tucson, AZ nonprofit combining bicycle salvage, mechanics education, and youth arts programming—an adjacent nonprofit model where refurbishment funds community programming.
- Working Bikes: Chicago nonprofit that refurbishes donated bikes for local sale and international shipment; its reuse-and-redistribution model directly parallels Recycle-A-Bike's donated-bike refurbishment pipeline.
- Bikes Not Bombs: Boston-area nonprofit that refurbishes donated bikes and uses cycling as a vehicle for youth development and international solidarity—closely aligned model combining refurbishment, education, and youth engagement.
- Community Cycles: Boulder, CO nonprofit community bike shop offering refurbished bikes, repair services, and education programs—structurally similar to Recycle-A-Bike across all four program pillars.
- The Recyclery: Chicago nonprofit community bike shop using bicycle repair and sale to fund education programs; mirrors Recycle-A-Bike's refurbishment-plus-education combination.
- Yellow Bike Project: Austin, TX nonprofit community bike shop focused on refurbishment, education, and accessible cycling—directly comparable in mission, programs, and operating model.
- The Bike Project: Nonprofit operating community bike shops with refugee and adult education programs; comparable in combining bicycle access, vocational-style training, and direct community service.
- Free Cycles: Community nonprofit bike program offering refurbished bikes and repair education; shares the donated-bike refurbishment plus education thesis of Recycle-A-Bike.
- Revolutions Bicycle Cooperative: Madison, WI cooperative bike shop offering refurbished bikes, repair services, and education; overlaps on the community-driven bike shop and education model.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: National outdoor and cycling retailer that has expanded into repair services and community education; broadly incumbent in the bike retail and education spaces where Recycle-A-Bike operates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Recycle-a-Bike social profiles
Digital presenceRecycle-a-Bike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Recycle-a-Bike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Recycle-a-Bike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Recycle-a-Bike M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Recycle-a-Bike
What does Recycle-a-Bike do?
Recycle-A-Bike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bike shop that refurbishes donated bicycles and resells them at low cost, offers bicycle repair services, sells parts and accessories, and provides hands-on mechanic education classes. The organization also runs youth engagement programs and a bike matching program that distributes free bicycles to children, recent immigrants, individuals transitioning from incarceration, and other underserved community members in Providence, Rhode Island.
Is Recycle-a-Bike a public or private company?
Recycle-a-Bike is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Recycle-a-Bike founded?
Recycle-a-Bike was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Recycle-a-Bike based?
Recycle-a-Bike is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Recycle-a-Bike make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Bicycle and parts sales are the primary driver. The others are bicycle repair services, educational classes, donations and grants and volunteer shop credit.
Who are Recycle-a-Bike's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage), Working Bikes, Bikes Not Bombs, Community Cycles, The Recyclery, Yellow Bike Project, The Bike Project, Free Cycles and Revolutions Bicycle Cooperative. REI Co-op is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Recycle-a-Bike have an API?
No public API is recorded for Recycle-a-Bike.
What industry is Recycle-a-Bike in?
Recycle-a-Bike's product category is Community Bike Shop Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAHAK, Used & Refurbished Bike Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAHAH, Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops. Its NAICS code is 8114 and its SIC code is 7600.