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IOWA CITY — For more than 20 years, the Iowa City Bike Library has served cyclists in Iowa City, offering bike repair education, community programming, bike rental programs and group rides.
Tools are hung on pegboard at one of the bicycle repair stations at the Iowa City Bike Library, 1222 South Gilbert Ct., in Iowa City on May 15. The library has about five fully equipped benches, each with the proper tools to handle any repair. The library has several themed nights during the week including Outspoken Teens night where teens that attend the drop-in time learn skills of bike repair. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Now, the Bike Library is looking to expand youth programming, plan for a sustainable financial future, invest in energy efficiency upgrades, all while continuing the nonprofit’s core mission of getting more people on bikes.
The Bike Library receives about 2,000 donated bikes each year, with the majority of the donations coming between April and June. About half them are refurbished and can be resold. The other half are salvaged for parts or sent to partner organizations around the world.
The Bike Library also has bike mechanics that can help with various bike repairs. The only catch is that community members are required to fix the bike themselves, using the free work benches, tools and instruction from Bike Library mechanics.
“Sometimes that’s a little confusing at first for people, but then once they’re doing it, it’s super empowering, because a lot of what people come in for are super simple fixes, but you have to demystify the bike a little bit,” said Dustin Eubanks, the Bike Library’s youth bike coordinator. “So we’re huge on the education component, it’s another thing that kind of sets us apart.”
Any given week, the Bike Library has about 30 to 50 volunteers across all events and programming. Some of those programs include:
- Women/Trans/Femme night, which provides space for women, trans, femme and gender-nonconforming people to learn bike repair;
- Cycling Without Age, which provides cycling opportunities for those who are not able to bike independently; and
- Open bench hours.
At the moment, around 60 percent of the Bike Library’s $300,000 operating budget comes directly from bike sales and rentals. The rest comes from a mix of grants and donations, including funding from the City of Iowa City and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.
Abe Meyer (left), 17, helps his mother Renee LaLone of Coralville pick out a bicycle to buy at the Iowa City Bike Library, 1222 South Gilbert Ct., in Iowa City on May 15. Abe has been coming to the library since August 2024, when he moved to Iowa from Virginia. He said he likes the community at the library and that it is a very beginner-friendly environment. He says that it is a good outlet since arriving in a new school and community. He’s also formed friendships because of his involvement with the library. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Fundraising campaign efforts
The Bike Library is in the middle of a $1 million capital campaign that plans to set the nonprofit up for financial sustainability in the future. So far, it has raised a little over $600,000.
The Bike Library’s 7,000 square-foot warehouse, located at 1222 S Gilbert Ct., was purchased for $399,000 in 2021. One of the nonprofit’s main goals is to pay down the mortgage by February 2026 to avoid paying interest on loan payments.
In addition to financial sustainability, the Bike Library also has plans to become more environmentally sustainable.
In June the Bike Library will look to add around 80 solar panels to the building, with the hopes of getting its energy bill as close to zero as possible.
As a part of the campaign, the Bike Library will look to add three more work benches, permanent outdoor seating and shades, as well as a rainwater harvested bike wash. It also plans to add a bike skills loop in the outdoor courtyard.
The campaign has provided funding for the Bike Library to hire Eubanks, the organization’s first full-time youth bike coordinator about two months ago.
“I think the way that we’ve been thinking of the capital campaign is that it expands both our staff and facility capacity … And so now we’re in the process that we’re actually working on projects at the same time as we’re raising money,” said Bike Library Fundraising Coordinator Kate Wiley.
Funds from the campaign will be used to fund the first two years of the position, then it can transition to a typical operating expense. The additional operating expense will be paid using funds that have been going toward the mortgage and electricity bills, which should be freed up through the capital campaign.
Maria Ahmed (left), 13, of Coralville, shifts gears on a bicycle she is making roadworthy while youth bike coordinator Dustin Eubanks cranks the pedals during Outspoken Teens night at the Iowa City Bike Library, 1222 South Gilbert Ct., in Iowa City on May 15. Teens who attend the drop-in time learn bike repair and problem-solving skills. They also can earn a bike through their volunteer work. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Youth Bike Coordinator
Eubanks previously worked with United Action for Youth organizing outdoor recreation opportunities, which is how he was introduced to the Bike Library.
In his role, Eubanks will continue to help with the Bike Library’s Outspoken Teens program that specifically focuses on bike repair education. The program allows students to earn a bike by completing a series of repairs and maintenance. Last year, the Bike Library was able to provide 75 bikes through the program.
A standard department store level bike can be earned through about three visits, for a total of around five to six hours of work. Through the program, attendees can earn a nicer bike by learning even more advanced repairs.
“The idea with our youth programming is to make the cycling world accessible to kids, so that they have a healthy, supportive hobby for their whole life, and then the community here is the other part of it too. A lot of kids fall in love with working on bikes, and they like the mechanical part, but they also just like being here,” said Eubanks.
Eubanks is looking to add more youth programming events and increase outreach efforts to get more Iowa City area teens to the Bike Library.
The Bike Library also covers registration and transportation fees for youth who want to participate in area bike races. The Bike Library has a dedicated racing fleet available for kids interested in that space.
Eubanks is actively looking for volunteers who have a passion for bikes and working with kids. Anyone interested can reach out to him at dustin@bikelibrary.org
Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com
Bicycles for sale are seen at the Iowa City Bike Library, 1222 South Gilbert Ct., in Iowa City on May 15. The library has several themed nights during the week including Outspoken Teens night where teens that attend the drop-in time learn skills of bike repair. The library receives about 2,000 donated bicycles each year. About half of those are refurbished and put up for sale, to fund about 60 percent of the nonprofit operation. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
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