11/3/2020 0 Comments Patching for the peopleKnowledge is power! With this statement in mind, I recently planned and led an event that taught our friends and neighbors how to repair their own bicycle flats. Patching for the People!
This summer was full of activism and unrest throughout the world. I watched bikes being used to help and protect people. Protests were being led by folks on bikes, knowledgable people were teaching others how to repair bikes at marches and gathering places. But we also saw bikes being used to hurt people. The police used them as weapons, the companies that manufacture police bikes refused to take responsibility for the chaos they were perpetuating. Though there were marches and protests here within Grand Rapids, I never saw the bike community come together as a united front to make a statement or help out. Another issue we faced this summer was the #bikeshortage. Running out of common parts such as tubes and brake pads made it hard to get everyone taken care of. At the shop I work at, we resorted to patching tubes for customers rather than replacing them. We even were taking parts off of our own bikes to complete repairs. Yet after all that, I felt it was time for myself and the Grand Rapids bike community to finally step up and begin working for the people. The idea for the Park Fix-It Series stemmed from a non-profit bike shop in Portland, Bikes For Humanity. I saw a flier they posted on Instagram, that they were hosting their own park meet up and repair workshop, and calling for donations. In this wild time of Covid-19, gathering groups of people for educational classes has been put on hold. I asked my co-worker, Tyler, if he wanted to try and continue our community outreach, despite the pandemic still churning away. Hosting an open house style event at a park seemed like a smart and safe option. We immediately wanted to plan for multiple events, hence the fix-it series. The first in line was decided to be a patching clinic. We had so many tubes saved up from the summer that it seemed like a win win. We get to keep the tubes out of the trash, and folks get to learn and receive what they need! Following the lead of Bikes For Humanity, we asked for donations of tubes, tires lever, patch kits and any other supplies people were willing to pass on. We chose to only post about the event on our personal Instagram's, and hang fliers through out the city. We chose to not affiliate ourselves with the shop we work with. This personal choice was made based on the desire to approach the community from a grass roots- for the people- base. My goal is to, by the best of my ability, live through symbiotic relationships. Not one that's first goal is to kiss the boots of capitalism. I purposefully chose to host this first part of the series at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. I recently moved to 49507, and wanted to engage within my new neighborhood as soon as I could. Bikes seemed like logical language for me to begin. This approach also provided a means to quickly grow my relationship with the local co-op bike shop in this area, Boston Square Community Bikes. I had talked to Jo, the head coordinator there, in the past about doing events together but again, Covid has been all season and we were unable to follow through. We finally collaborated over this event. They donated tubes to patch, we patched them, and gave them back along with other supplies we had gathered from the event. (We had never met in person until that night and I really look forward to seeing what we can come up with to continue bike education and activism.) The turn out of the whole event was great. The first new face to the event said they came because they saw a poster! That was so cool to hear because, hell, it worked! I was able to teach him how to change a flat and we patched a few spare tubes for him to take with. It was a great experience and made the cold night out at the park go by quickly. Our friends came to learn from each other, and help out. I am still smiling and am very optimistic for the next classes in our series. I feel grateful to have this position in my life, to have the support and feel the confidence to do these events. Let's talk again soon. Never forget that Black Life Matters. Keep pedaling.
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AuthorLiz is a bike mechanic in Grand Rapids MI. She is one of two female mechanics in the city. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Drawing and has one dog and one hedgehog. Archives
March 2021
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