Las Cruces bike shop has ‘incredible year’ supporting cycling community

“What an incredible year.”

That was Donald Wilson’s comment in the Velo Cruces, Inc. quarterly update in January, as he reported that 234 bicycles moved through the Hub Community Bike shop in 2022.

Wilson said 14 of the bicycles were given to youth, two to veterans; nine to Mesilla Valley Community of Hope clients, one to a graduate of a bike club program, 86 were distributed through the Velo Cruces Used Bike Distribution (Earn a Bike) program, 70 were sold through Cruces Creatives nonprofit makerspace, eight were sold during bike swaps and 16 were traded for other bikes that were either still rideable or scrapped. Another 28 bikes were likely donated directly to individuals or included in the Earn a Bike program.

The Hub also has provided many bicycles to Afghans who have relocated to Las Cruces.

Wilson said bike sales for the year totaled almost $10,000 and donations were more than $7,700.

“Of course, the most important part of the Hub is the dedicated volunteer mechanics,” Wilson said. “The core group made up of Hal, Jaime, Don and Michael L (‘Apron’ Mike) was joined this year by Mike S (‘Arizona’ Mike). Just recently, ‘JJ’ has become a regular volunteer. We still get a lot of support from Steve G and Chet and have had ‘special projects’ support from Eldon, Jim, Joe, Gary and Doug. Now that the winter is here, we hope to see our snowbird buddy, Craig, again.

“Hats off to this group that have dealt with any number of mechanical and personal challenges throughout 2022 and always come out smiling,” Wilson said.

“We do a lot of fixing bikes,” bike mechanic (Hal) Ruzal told the Bulletin in a 2022 interview, especially for homeless people and “people who have had bad luck,” he said.

 Wilson said the Hub’s goals for 2023 including recruiting more “steady mechanics so we (can) offer more classes and more open shop hours,” find someone to assist the shop with office work and set up additional accounts for parts, supplies and sales.

Biking “keeps you healthier, it saves money (car ownership is said to cost $10,000 per year), it helps the environment, but most importantly because it’s fun,” Velo Cruces President George Pearson said in the newsletter. “I only see smiles on people who are riding their bikes.”

Pearson also is a League of American Bicyclists cycling instructor.

The Hub is located at the north end of Cruces Creatives, 205 E. Lohman Ave.

Velo Cruces is the “voice for the cycling community,” according to its website. The nonprofit “supports and advocates for cycling,” including “complete streets,” which enable “safe use and support mobility for all users,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For more information, leave a phone message at 575-323-0883 or email velocruces@gmail.com.

Visit www.velocruces.org.