I am starting something new. I’ve been hinting at doing a free or community bike repair or bike co-op kind of thing for a few years, and now it is finally happening.
I got a grant from the Comox Valley Community Foundation, and have set up shop at my uncle’s house where I will be offering free bike repairs, by appointment, through to the end of the year.
How it works is you can sign up on my website, link below, and pick a slot for your repair. From there I’ll reach out to you, organize either a pick up or drop off, depending on what is needed, and then I’ll fix your bike. There is no charge for the labour, and I’ll do my best to make sure your bike is safe to ride. If it needs any parts, I’ll give you a list of what’s needed and you can source those parts from local bike shops. I’m not able to pay for parts myself, since I won’t be making any money on this, but I’ll help you find whatever parts you need.
The plan is also to do some more educational things, teaching folks to fix their own bikes, teaching kids, that kind of thing. I’m trying to get involved with the farmer’s market here too, for a more drop-in experience. There will be more on that later as it comes up.
For now, feel free to book a tune up whenever you’re ready. I can do most things, currently lacking tools for brake bleeds and electronics, but if you have that kind of bike I assume you are fine with paying for a mechanic.
The idea here is that everybody deserves to have a functional bike as a form of transportation, and lack of funds shouldn’t be a barrier to that. The more people on bikes the better!