More and more people are now prioritizing their health. One way of doing this is using a bicycle for exercise, for transportation to school or work, or for using it to buy groceries. One of the dilemmas of Nova Scotian bikers is the lack of equal access to the tools and knowledge to repair or maintain a bike. That is where the Ecology Action Centre (ECA) comes in!
The ECA’s project called Pop-Up Bike Hub is a low-cost, high-impact program that will encourage more people to get back on their bikes! This project aims to remove the obstacle that prevents individuals from using their bikes. One of which is the access to bike repair services. This was developed to increase the participation and effect of the ECA’s Welcoming Wheels program by developing a mobile bike repair facility that gives communities all throughout Nova Scotia access to tools, parts, and reasonably priced used bikes.
There are not many towns and municipalities in the province that tend to have a concentration of bike stores and mechanics. Long distances, high costs, and convenient transportation choices may make it difficult for rural Nova Scotians to receive bike repair. The Pop-Up Bike Hub works with communities to create programming that encourages a culture of active commuting while offering a movable solution to these barriers.
ECA will be using trailers that will provide access to bike tools, affordable secondhand bikes, and safe cycling education programs for youth and adults. Its primary goal is to allow people work on their own bikes and trained staff will help the community learn how to do simple maintenance and repair of their bikes.
The stands and tools are totally free to use. In the event that there is a queue of individuals waiting to use the trailer services, tune-up sessions will have a time limit of 25 minutes. Each participant will receive a tool kit from the trailer mechanics, who will also walk them through a bike maintenance checklist. The mechanics will encourage the understanding of fundamental bike mechanics by being as hands-off as possible when assisting customers.
The ECA will be partnering with over 18 communities across Nova Scotia this year.
More to this story at https://ecologyaction.ca/our-work/transportation/pop-bike-hub
Reference: https://ecologyaction.ca
Photo by Julia Schmidt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-box-end-wrench-1154089/
