What Is upCYCLING?

Summary: Kids grow fast, and so does their need for the right-sized bike! woom's innovative upCYCLING program offers a simple, affordable, and sustainable solution. This guide explains how our membership allows you to easily trade in your child's outgrown woom bike for the next size up, getting 40% of the original bike's cost back, all while contributing to a cycle of giving and reuse.

In this article:

Understanding the woom upCYCLING Membership
How the upCYCLING Program Works: Step-by-Step
More Than Just Savings: The Sustainable Impact
Where Does Your Old woom Bike Go?
Selling Your Used woom Bike vs. upCYCLING
Ready to Join the upCYCLING Movement?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We believe that a love for bike riding starts with a great bike – and part of what makes a bike so great is that it properly fits your kiddo. Though you can adjust the seat or handlebars all you like, children generally outgrow a bike at the two-year mark (hello, growth spurts!), and then need a larger size. We understand that bike purchases are a significant investment. That’s why we offer upCYCLING Memberships—an affordable and convenient way to size up when your child outgrows their current woom bike.

Plain and simple, our upCYCLING Program allows you to return the woom bike your child has outgrown and get a credit towards a brand new, next-size-up woom. By becoming a member, your child will always have a bike that fits their growing needs, ensuring comfort, safety, and continued fun.

How the upCYCLING Program Works: Step-by-Step

Here’s what you need to know about making the most of your upCYCLING Membership:

Join the Program: An upCYCLING Membership begins with a one-time $59 fee. This makes you eligible for the program's benefits for future bike size-ups.
Get 40% Back: When your child is ready for the next size bike (whether that's two years after buying their current bike, or sooner), you’ll receive 40% of your original bike’s purchase price back as a credit when you trade it in. This benefit can be used each time your child needs a larger bike and you're part of the program.
Order the New Bike: When you notice your child needs a bigger bike, simply purchase the next size up from us (or join the waitlist if it's not yet available).
Initiate Your Return: After purchasing your new bike, you become eligible to initiate the upCYCLING return of the outgrown bike. We even pay for return shipping and provide a box to send it back in!

For a full rundown on the rules, eligibility, and specific instructions (including how to pack up your used but well-loved woom), please check out our comprehensive upCYCLING FAQ page.

More Than Just Savings: The Sustainable Impact

While upCYCLING significantly lessens the monetary load that accompanies buying new bikes as your child grows, its benefits extend further. It's a truly sustainable way to manage bike sizing. Our bikes are designed with high-quality materials and craftsmanship to last far beyond the typical two-year period of usage by one child. While many parents choose to hand down their woom to a younger family member or friend (we thoroughly endorse this method!), upCYCLING offers another fantastic option that keeps your woom bike moving and grooving on sidewalks and streets everywhere, bringing joy to another child.

Where Does Your Old woom Bike Go? The Second Life of Your woom

Last but surely not least, you may be wondering about the journey of your old woom bike after you send it back. Rest assured, it’s headed towards a bright future!

All bikes we receive through the upCYCLING Program are thoroughly inspected and quality-checked by our expert bike technicians. If any repairs or refurbishments are needed, we make them! Your tried and true woom will then be given a second life in one of several ways:

Donations via #woomgives: Your bike might be donated to a family in need through our own #woomgives initiatives.
Partnership Donations: We also partner with organizations focused on bicycle access, such as Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, to provide bikes to children.
Resale at a Discount: Some bikes may be resold to another family as a Certified Pre-Owned woom bike at a discounted price.

No matter the path, your bike won’t go to waste. Instead, it helps create one more happy, confident young cyclist ready to take on the world. Through the upCYCLING program, customers like you are directly helping us live out our mission of getting young ones to love bike riding and making quality bikes accessible.

Selling Your Used woom Bike vs. upCYCLING

It’s no secret that woom bikes hold their value exceptionally well over time, due to their durable components and sturdy design. With that being the case, some customers have discovered that they stand to recoup a higher dollar amount by reselling their used woom bike on the open market instead of using the upCYCLING program. We’ll be the first to acknowledge this - it’s true! Customers typically can sell their used woom bike for upwards of 75% of its initial cost, on average (especially with a little cleaning and replacing worn components).

So if that’s the case, why would anyone get an upCYCLING Membership? Well, it depends. Some folks like the ease and convenience of simply sending their bike back to us regardless of its condition, and not worrying about refurbishing it themselves. Others are happy to avoid creating a used bike listing or selling it through a third party. Others live in remote areas where it’s difficult to find potential buyers nearby.

Whatever the case may be for you, we’re pleased to offer our upCYCLING program as an option when you consider your next kids’ bike purchase (and also consider what to do with their old bike). As long as your used woom bike finds its way to a new owner rather than the landfill, we consider that a win!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How does the woom upCYCLING program actually work?

A: You purchase a one-time upCYCLING membership. When your child outgrows their current woom bike and you buy the next size up from us, you can return the outgrown bike. You'll then receive 40% of the original purchase price of the outgrown bike back.

Q: How much credit do I get for my child's outgrown woom bike?

A: With an active upCYCLING membership, you receive 40% of the original purchase price of the woom bike you are trading in.

Q: Is the $59 upCYCLING membership fee a one-time cost or annual?

A: The $59 fee to join the upCYCLING program is a one-time cost per child, making you eligible for the 40% trade-in value on future size-ups.

Q: What happens to the old woom bikes that are traded in through the upCYCLING program?

A: Returned bikes are thoroughly inspected and refurbished by our technicians. They are then given a second life, often through donations to families in need via #woomgives or partner organizations like Ghisallo, or sometimes resold as Certified Pre-Owned bikes.

Q: Can I purchase an upCYCLING membership at any time, or only when I first buy a woom bike?

A: You can purchase an upCYCLING membership at any time to cover future bike upgrades for your child.

Q: How soon can I use the upCYCLING benefit after joining?

A: You can use the upCYCLING benefit whenever your child outgrows their current woom bike and you purchase the next size up from us, provided you have an active membership. There's no minimum or maximum time frame specified beyond the child needing the next size.

Q: Wouldn’t I stand to recoup more money by selling my used woom bike on the open market?

A: Chances are, you could earn back more money selling your used woom bike on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or other third-party sales platforms. The primary factors are your proximity to a decent-sized city, and whether it’s worth your time and effort to refurbish and list your used woom bike and interact with potential buyers. Check out the woom bikes buy/sell/trade Facebook group here.