Onelazyeye

It’s well past the middle of the summer and I still hadn’t used my bike nor had it tuned up. Yes, very delinquent of me. Well, once I did pull the bike out of the basement I discovered that the tire tube valve had cracked and that some of my gears were not changing smoothly. Changing tire tube I know how to do. Messing with derailleurs – no clue. Take it to the bike shop to get fixed and have a tune up right? Not so easy. My local bike shop has a waiting list longer than most high end restaurants. So getting this done quickly was not in the cards.

So, in a rather serendipitous moment, I was walking my dog at the Brickworks this morning and saw a cave of a workshop called ‘Bike Works’ with a sign outside mentioning DIY hours on the weekend. Curious, I went in and shyly asked how it worked and what was involved. I was told that anyone can come in and tune up or do repairs to their bike – and they can use the myriad of tools available. They even have spare parts for sale! They ask that you consider making a cash donation and any parts you needed are sold at cost.

I know DIY bike spots are not new but this was my first time using one. Yes, it was significantly less costly than your typical bike shop but the best benefit, in my opinion, was learning how to fix some of these common issues myself. Now I know what to adjust and how when I have problems with my rear derailleurs. I also now know how to toe brakes.

It’s a brilliant concept that really ties in community and self-knowledge while promoting a healthy lifestyle. It’s such a good thing that I am sure Rob Ford will find a way to stop it!

And as an interesting note, my neighbor Doug volunteers there and helped me with my repairs. Thanks Doug!

If you have a bike and either need some repairs or a general tuneup, I highly recommend the Bike Works!

Bike Work
Located in the Toronto Brickworks

http://ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-here/bike-works/