This is my students' bike club model and it's so much fun
People donate busted bikes and they rebuild them and give them to volunteers with a set of basic tools and tire patches
I'm using them to apply for a grant to start an ebike library for students this year
I’ve been wanting to open my garage to the neighborhood children for bike tune ups.
I’m mid way through starting a bike bus. I might pitch it at that point.
“Free tune ups” sort of thing.
Do you have any advice?
Coming up with a name and minimal presence for your project. Then seeking collaborators. My students big ones are:
Local bike shops - pop up support and discounted gear
Local transit people: ours has an interest in cycling, promoting and cross events
Community cyclists - donate frames and wheels
Their basic activity are weekly clinics where they fix people's bikes or teach other using the donated bikes
When the donated bikes are completely rebuilt they enter the free to volunteers pool or some of them become "mascot" bikes they ride or park around campus for promo
If you get a club bike
You get a pack of tire patches and basic tools to keep it on the road. That stuff was paid for by student fees, the club applied for funding
They're working on becoming a full time student run shop but that's a lot of red tape. They're making progress tho
