Who are we?
PEDAL is a non-profit organization that develops and promotes the use of pedal-powered technology. We are the employees, board and volunteers supporting Our Community Bikes (OCB), the Bike Depot and PedalPlay.

Why do we do what we do?

By recycling and refurbishing bicycles, PEDAL takes bikes out of the waste stream, offers affordable bikes for sale and encourages cycling as a sustainable, healthy transportation choice.

EMPOWER
* Teach people how to fix and maintain their own bike
* Offer work and experience and occupational therapy to volunteers from social service organizations

ENABLE
* Provide free bikes to low-income individuals, as access to transportation is essential to participation in the world and accessing social and economic resources
* Develop and distribute pedal-powered technologies in rural and local communities

EDUCATE
* Train and teach people to fix their own bikes, learn mechanic and bicycle safety skills
* By promoting the use of bicycles and pedal-powered technologies, PEDAL improves our common environment from global climate change

History

PEDAL grew out of Our Community Bikes (OCB) which was started in 1993 as a project of BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation). The original idea was to provide a do-it-yourself bike shop and recycling service to commuter cyclist in Vancouver. In the spring of 1999, BEST transferred OCB to Pedal Engery Development ALternatives and a new non-profit society was born.

Past Projects:

Maya Pedal
From Jan 1998 to April 2001 PEDAL coordinated a partnership-based appropriate technology project in the Guatemalan highlands that recycles old bicycles into pedal-powered agricultural devices. PEDAL continued to support Maya Pedal by training Canadian volunteers and interns until 2004. This project is now run separately by Maya Pedal of Guatemala.
www.mayapedal.org

Pedal Works
From 2001-2003 PEDAL developed pedal driven technologies for primarily agricultural/food processing application (water pumps, grain mills, blenders), oddball bikes and cargo/load carriers from recycled bikes here in Vancouver.

The Bike Kitchen
From 1999-2000 PEDAL worked with the UBC Bike Coop to develop a bicycle shop based on the OCB model.
www.thebikekitchen.com www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/bikecoop

Maya Pedal