"Dunedin is really intolerant of cyclists," said Mr Schmelz, who was recently the victim of a hit-and-run incident in Mailer St. They wanted to encourage everyone to learn to love cycling and to try to encourage a culture which would eventually see Dunedin attitudes to cyclists and cycling change.
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"We grew up around bikes, our families rode bikes, but we are still learning how to fix them and we want to learn off other people too."
The idea was to help people learn how to fix and look after their bikes, rather than have it done for them, with an emphasis on people sharing their skills with each other, Mr Schmelz said. The workshop had been running for about three months and people who had used it seemed pleased with what they learned.įor example, one woman had learned how to replace her old bike's brakes, after being told at a bike shop the bike was not repairable. It's 20 years old and it will last another 15 years." "This $5 bike here will do just as good as a $500 bike and you can have it going in a few hours. People might not realise they did not have to spend hundreds to fix a bike. "People think fixing a bike is beyond them, that they have to go to a bike shop to get their bike fixed, but it's not, and they don't." Taking broken or discarded bikes that would otherwise be rusting away, the men open the workshop on Friday afternoons to anyone who wants help fixing up a bike. The idea of Chris Schmelz, Simon Hellyer and Rory Harding, The Crooked Spoke is a not-for-profit venture, run entirely by volunteers.Īt their Buller St workshop, they have all the space and tools anyone would need to fix their bike and a collection of parts to help get bikes and people back on the road. Photo by Craig Baxter.Three community-minded Dunedin men have started a do-it-yourself bicycle workshop with the aim of encouraging a bike culture in the city.
See also Reading Bicycle Kitchen’s Twitter feed and their Facebook page for further updates.Simon Hellyer adjusts some cables on a bike, while Chris Schmelz looks on in their bicycle workshop.
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Reading Bicycle Kitchen will also be holding its grand opening and party with giveaways on the same day. The iconic building has been empty since the 138-year-old family retailer closed down on Christmas Eve last year. Reading Bicycle Kitchen recently received a £29,000 grant from Reading Borough Council to help set up a not for profit community interest company (CIC). It will offer a low-cost way for Reading cyclists to keep their bikes in good condition. Volunteer mechanics will give help and advice and work stands and tools will be available for use. The scheme will also enable people with no or low wages to build a bike from scratch using donated parts which will then be theirs to keep. The organisation is asking potential volunteers to contact them via Repair Cafe will be able to help with repairs to a wide range of items including bicycles, computers, electronics, tool sharpening and clothing repairs. Repairs and cakes are free but visitors are encouraged to make a donation to support Repair Cafe. Doors will be open at Jackson’s Corner, in King’s Road, from midday to 4.30pm.” “The Jacksons department store building will be buzzing again later this month when it is taken over by Reading Repair Cafe and a new DIY bicycle workshop. The regular Repair Cafe event where anything from bikes to computers can be repaired is moving into the iconic building for a session on Sunday, June 15.
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