Today was my first day volunteering at my friend’s bike-shop. It was fun to learn about bikes from the top down, meaning taking them apart instead of putting them together. This is an important job in a shop that pays attention to all aspects of bicycling. I must have stripped five bikes in the eight hours I was hanging out there. All while having interesting conversations with other mechanics, and learning about the tools and the various types of bicycles and their components. At the same time I got a first-hand experience of this amazing business and its approach to bicycles, combining recycling and education with the usual sale and servicing of bikes.
For Those Looking for a Quick Fix
For Those Who Want a Better Bike
As any good bike-shop, Recyclistas is there for anyone who wants to make the most of their bikes. Many times people use bikes that are not fit to the rider. This leads them to be uncomfortable, get tired more quickly, and causes quicker wear and tear in the mechanisms. Usually, with only a few tweaks the bicycle can become much more comfortable, faster, safer, and more fun to ride. Sometimes, even the most hopeless looking bike can be turned into a dream to ride with only a few changes, maybe by replacing one part or another. In many cases the don’t even need to be brand new ones. A different type of handlebar can do wonders to one’s riding posture, even if it just came off an old, used bike. Many customers come in with the hopes of getting most parts replaced, or even have a completely new bike custom built. Others just go for the bikes offered for sale, assembled from used as well as new pieces.
For All Those Unloved Bicycles
Unfortunately, there are many bikes out there that were not so fortunate to have an owner who took such good care of them. Many of them are thrown out, or abandoned somewhere. Others have hardly been ridden, and the owner wants to get rid of them for some reason. In either case, Recyclistas is the solution: they accept donations of bicycles, and rescue those thrown into a ditch in the area. Many of these bikes are still good, or at least have usable parts. At the bicycle shop they are carefully evaluated and properly fixed, so they may reach their full potential. Then they are either sold, or donated to charity bicycle programs.
For Those Who Want to Learn About Bikes
Recyclistas is all about education. After all, it’s hard to turn people into happy cyclists by just selling them bikes if they don’t know how to take care of them properly. This could lead to bike owners giving up cycling, and abandon their bikes. To prevent such a tendency, this amazing bike-shop has a list of classes, ranging from the most fundamental skills like patching an inner tube to advanced expertise such as building your wheel from scratch. In these courses many people discover their love for bike maintenance, and develop an understanding for their bicycles. As a result, they end up taking good care of them, gaining more out of them in the end. It’s a win for all involved. Bike owners also have the option to rent shop space to work on their bikes, in case they can’t do this at home, or if they just want to enjoy the fun environment of the bike-shop.
For Those Who Want to Offer Their Skills
One of the best things about Recyclistas is their work-trade program. If someone wants to volunteer their time to work on bicycles, their time is valued at five dollars worth in exchange for what the shop has to offer. The interested individual doesn’t even need to be a trained mechanic. Even someone who has never held a wrench before is put to work on disassembling recycled bikes, under the helpful guidance of experienced mechanics. This way they get to know how the tools are used and the way the bike parts are put together. It also identifies the folks who really know their way around bicycles, so the shop can have them do more building jobs rather than just stripping in the future.
For Everything and Everyone Else Involved
Looking at the big picture, Recyclistas closes all the loops in the world of cycling, including the bicyclists and the bikes. They strive for bringing out the best in bicycles, their riders, and even individual bike pieces. Parts are used and re-used, even when they don’t serve for anything else than artfully welded bike-stands, which can be seen throughout Victoria, or household items such as toilet paper holders. As a local patron for the arts, the bike-shop also sponsors local artists, such as Cam Kidd who painted a beautiful mural in exchange for a bicycle. Having so many used bikes at their disposal, Recyclistas regularly donates them to charitable organizations, such as Bicycles for Humanity, Compassion Warehouse, or Spokes. Additionally, the bike-shop maintains a close relationship with the local community. For example, they built a set of bike stands for a day-care center, in exchange for using their premises as a venue for weekly bike-polo games, which is growing in popularity. I'll have more detailed posts on the bike polo, and other bicycle related articles, coming up soon, so stay tuned!