Beyond Bikes
Lauren Riegl, the executive director of Charlottesville Community Bikes, sees bicycles as much more than a mode of transportation. They’re a lifeline, a tool for empowerment, and a way to build a more equitable Charlottesville.
Her journey to leading the nonprofit began unexpectedly during the pandemic, when she took a temporary position at CCB after stepping away from a teaching career. “I thought it’d be a short-term thing,” she says, reflecting on her initial role. “But I fell in love with the mission and the people. It became clear this was where I could make the biggest difference.”
Under Riegl’s leadership, CCB has expanded its impact, distributing more 1,600 bikes in 2024 alone. The organization provides free bikes and repair services to underserved communities while also selling refurbished bikes at their Preston Avenue shop to help sustain their programs. “A bike can be life-changing,” she says. “It’s freedom, it’s mobility, it’s opportunity—especially for someone without other means of transportation.”
Since becoming executive director in 2021, Riegl has spearheaded several initiatives, including mobile bike clinics that bring repair services directly to communities. She also launched a youth mountain biking program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and a workforce development program teaching teens bike mechanics and soft skills.
Riegl is quick to credit her team for the organization’s expanded reach. “I always call the staff unicorns, because you have to be part social worker, part bike mechanic, and it’s hard to find that in one person,” she says of CCB’s four full-time staff and dedicated volunteers. “The real magic happens because of their hard work.”