For more than two years, Moab Community Cycles has been connecting and empowering riders in the Moab community through tuneup nights and affordable used bike sales. Now, they’ve found a “forever home” where they can continue to grow their mission.
Evan Smiley, the founder of Moab Community Cycles, started the project with a simple goal: get more people on bikes. In a town that attracts and often caters to hard-core mountain bikers, he wanted to create a hub that served all levels of cyclists, especially those who need bikes to get around town.
“The biggest focus is providing bikes and bike maintenance to either folks that can’t afford it in the traditional way or folks that don’t feel welcome in the traditional cycling community in Moab,” Smiley says.
For two years, he ran the operation out of his own garage and, eventually, a storage unit, cramming dozens of bikes and hundreds of parts into whatever space he could find and operating their “Community Wrench Nights” out of the Moab Valley Multicultural Center. The setup was functional, but resources were dispersed among different locations and Smiley was spending hours before and after those events loading in and out of the space.
“That was very difficult when the project was spread all over — it was hard for the volunteers to do work because everything was so scattered,” Smiley says. “The goal here is to have a situation that allows volunteers to come in and be able to get a lot of work done.”
He turned to the Moab Community Resource Center to find a solution for the growing operation. The Center was opened in March of 2023 by the Moab Free Health Clinic at the former Utah State University-Moab campus, offering spaces for several local nonprofits, health services, and community-oriented organizations. Smiley was able to secure a corner of the campus with a shed, and with affordable rent and space to grow, signed a three-year lease.
The operation moved into the space officially in early March, and has already hosted two Community Wrench Nights. At these monthly events, “everyone and every bike is welcome,” and volunteer mechanics are on site to repair bikes. Modest donations are encouraged.
A big win came this spring when Moab Community Cycles, under the umbrella of the Moab Bike Association, was awarded a $7,000 Recreation, Arts, and Parks Tax Grant from the City of Moab. That funding will primarily be used to build out the new space to house the sheer number of bikes and bike parts that they’ve amassed.
Smiley estimates that around $4,000 of that money will go toward lumber for bike racks and overhangs to protect the bikes from the brutal desert sun. They’ll also build enclosed storage for parts, and then use the remaining money for higher quality storage inside the existing shed.
They also hope to move a fence so that they can access a dirt lot next to the shed where they can potentially build more storage, test ride bikes, and even install some bike art with parts that aren’t usable. All of that work will be done by volunteers.
Smiley, who originally ran Moab Community Cycles alone and has since enlisted around ten regular volunteers, is optimistic about the daunting task.
“We’re growing, we’re evolving… we only moved in a little bit ago and this is all volunteer run,” he said. “We have no employees, nobody gets paid. I’m so appreciative when people are able to donate their time.”
Moab Community Cycles is sustained financially primarily through selling used bikes, which they receive through donations, then tune up and sell to locals. They offer special discounts for those buying their first bike, give some away through direct donations, and work to keep pricing affordable. More than 50 bikes have been distributed to the community in this way.
Smiley also hosts bike events around town, often in the style of alley-cat races where riders must go to checkpoints or participate in scavenger hunts.
The events are meant to encourage riders of any level to come out and have fun, and they often double as fundraisers or food drives.
Using bikes as an avenue for good is Smiley’s bread and butter.
“There’s inherent joy and empowerment that comes with riding bikes,” he says. “We want to open up that culture and the community through these simple machines. Biking is for everyone, and I want to make that known and accessible.”
“Part of our mission is to be a hub for a bike community here,” said Smiley, “just a space that people feel safe and comfortable riding bikes in whatever form it is.”
As they settle into their new space, the new breathing room will be essential to Smiley’s plans over the next few years. He hopes to be able to eventually hire part-time staff to manage operations or compensate volunteers for their time.
“I’d love to have routine hours, people staffing the space, events at least twice a month if not every week,” he said. “I’m just excited to have this be a little bit more of a staple of a service for the Moab community.”
All bikes for sale and upcoming events are advertised on Instagram @moabcommunitycycles, and Smiley says those interested in sending donations or volunteering can reach out through that page. They plan to start a fundraising campaign soon as they continue to grow the organization.
