Anyway, I found a free bike clinic earlier this week that was part of a Levi's special event, but the line was too long so I left. I found another group that offered what I thought was free bike tune-ups Saturday mornings, so I went this morning to Bikes for Humanity PDX. Turns out they don't offer free repairs per se, rather, they have you volunteer at their bike restoration shop, and in return for every two hours of volunteer work you get one hour to work on your bike in the shop.
I really like this concept. I know nothing about bike repair, so I decided to volunteer and earn some personal repair time. Steve gave me an excellent overview of the shop's workflow, then put me to work cleaning an old-school Schwinn cruiser. I had a great time, and learned a little about brake systems in the process.
When my two hours were up Steve let me put my bike up on a stand and we tackled the gear shifting system. Turns out it was a hot mess, but Steve fixed it! He explained every step to me in hopes that I'd retain the info and help others. I must admit...not much stuck. I don't know why, but I have a hard time retaining mechanical information.
I was so happy I earned my bike's repair. It feels good to work. I certainly got more out of the experience than a free repair. And I got much more than I would have if I simply dropped the bike off at a shop and returned a few days later with my credit card.
You can check out the group's site here.
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