Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Lubbock on a Bike: Helping Others Ride (Co-Op Bike Shops)


Two days in a row commuting on the bike! Beautiful weather! Snagit, it feels good to leave Lucy (the Ford Ranger) at home and pedal to work. It feels good to pedal in silence. It feels good not to be polluting, not to be paying money, not to be supporting OPEC, and not to be getting fatter in traffic.

  • Super-low-cost transportation
  • Super-low-cost workout program
  • Significant personal carbon reduction
  • I get to be outside (Yesterday I saw that the Northern Shovelers and the wigeons are back in town!)
  • And life is more enjoyable behind handlebars

So, dust off your bike and join me! (I have almost gotten around to the point.)

Besides finding joy in riding, I also find joy in helping others ride. It's not a rare occasion at all to have one of the neighborhood kids show up needing advice or help with repair work. It's not much more rare to have an adult ask for help or advice as well. And my limited mechanical skills are very well suited to things with no carburetors or electronics. (In other words, I'm not the sharpest  tack in the road, but I can help you remove that tack from your tire - and plug the hole!)

I read an article on Grist today that discusses two places where people feel like I do about the joy of biking and the joy of helping others bike.

This co-op bike shop will teach you to fix your own damn bike (and that matters) - Be sure to read about the Bikery and BICAS to see two different approaches.

Co-op, workshop, bike kitchen, whatever you would like to call it, I love the idea of a community space to promote and support bicycling by helping and sharing with people.

Here is my first post on the topic: upCYCLE!

May health, wealth, and joy ride with you!

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