Pedaling Through Hard Times

Moving from Texas in 2021, Carmen was previously a hospital worker and Casey, who has been a bicycle mechanic since age 12, worked at another local bicycle shop. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Carmen went to work with Casey.

Shortly after, the Hines heard that their current shop had become available. They were able to raise the money and acquire the inventory. “We started coming up with our own bike shop,” Carmen said. “I also wanted it to have a woman’s touch, because a lot of women love to ride. I feel like we’ve made it a welcoming atmosphere.”

After some extensive remodeling, the Hines opened C and C Cyclery on April 1, 2023, with an emphasis on being approachable to all riders, regardless of bike value or skill level, and keeping prices affordable to serve the broader community.

An afternoon in the shop saw one young man bring in a bike for fine tuning before an Ironman competition in Tempe, a senior with an electric bike in need of repair and several other customers who came in for various reasons. Some, Casey said, stop by solely to visit the two friendly shop dogs.

The shop now carries standard and sport bikes, lightweight carbon e-bikes, tandem trikes and a trike with a back bench seat. They also carry e-trikes and cargo bikes. Another featured product useful for Quad Cities trails is Tannus tire liners, which protect against punctures from thorns.

The Hines say they prioritize safety and provide honest guidance, based on customer experience and skill level.

Carmen said she was a “gym rat” before the couple opened C and C. “I didn’t ride bikes until after my husband and I were married. He was an avid cyclist, and he bought me my first bike since I was a kid. I still had my bike from when I was 9!”

She didn’t have the bike for long. “This sweet girl came out of behavioral health and she had $50 in her pocket. She said she had a job if she could get there,” said Carmen.

Casey added some items to the bike and Carmen gave it to the young woman because she didn’t want to take her last $50. “We had $150 on that bike,” Casey said. “But because of my wife and her passion for giving, all I could say is, ‘OK.’”

That kindness began their Pedal Forward program, a 501(c)3 charitable organization.

Pedal Forward turns gently used bikes into tools of transformation. Through donations and partnerships, the organization provides bicycles, parts and maintenance free of charge to community members of all ages who are in need. What began as a few bike donations to help low-income families quickly grew as the community responded with generosity: more bikes, more parts and more hands eager to help.

To date, the organization has helped more than 200 children and adults get to school, after-school programs, jobs, medical appointments and grocery stores. In a generous show of support, the Prescott Valley Police Department has partnered with Pedal Forward, donating helmets to accompany the bicycles. Pedal Forward also collaborates with other nonprofits and local partners to expand their impact across the Quad Cities.

Casey and Carmen also volunteer for numerous other organizations and advocate for bicycle safety. They are collaborating with the Town of Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation Department on the new Lasso Loop project – a 24- to-26-mile multimodal pathway circling the town – and with the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization on bicycle infrastructure. They currently maintain records of local bike accidents to support future improved safety measures and infrastructure.

Their business and impact on the community nearly came to an end when they could not find another place to park the RV bus in which they’d been living and affordable housing was out of reach. They began liquidating their business inventory and making plans to return to Texas. At the last minute, they were approved for a Habitat for Humanity house and are now working to complete their required “sweat equity” and volunteer hours.

In addition, they have grown the business and customer base and are busy once again.

Casey and Carmen say they love Prescott Valley and are committed to continuing to give back to their chosen home.

“You know, we started literally with nothing. So, the fact that we’ve built C and C Cyclery up like this feels pretty amazing,” Carmen said. QCBN

By Heidi Dahms Foster, QCBN

For more information about C and C Cyclery, visit https://candccyclery.com/

To learn more about Pedal Forward, visit http://pedalforwardinc.org