BiciCentro Article

Second BiciCentro Bike Repair event cements success!



Sunday the 15th at La Casa De La Raza a second bike repair/ work party helped thirty people fix ailing bicycles and get a taste of bicycle culture. This community service of La Casa and the BiciCentro group helped connect donated bikes to those in need, used parts to otherwise broken bikes, and repair/maintenance skills to the people who rely on bicycling for transportation. After two events, word is starting to spread, and old bicycles long left in garages and backyards are getting dusted off for a second life of use. More than ten mechanically-skilled volunteers, or 'wrenches' are now regularly donating their time to help others fix their means of mobility, while numerous groups, such as Café De Velo, Echelon Cycling club, Hazards Bicycle Shop, and Open Air have all contributed necessary resources to stock the events with replacement parts.

La Casa De La Raza, the primary sponsor of these events, deserves tremendous thanks for their work in helping add this service to the extensive list of resources it offers its primarily Latino constituency. Eddie Gonzalez, Facility Manager of La Casa, immediately took action when first presented with the concept of community free bicycle repair events. "Let's set a date, put together the resources, and make this happen" was his directive and the commitment of La Casa put this idea into motion. By using this superb facility and using the extensive La Casa network in outreach, the collaboration of BiciCentro has been able to effectively put together cyclists who rely on bikes for work commutes and volunteer bicycle enthusiasts/mechanics to create a special opportunity for the community.

Our next event is Mother's Day Sunday, May 13th from noon to 4pm, but there is much more in store than just another repair/work party. Our wrenches and enthusiasts are putting together plans for a permanent space for 'biciCentro,' a bicycle kitchen of sorts, where students and community members can come and fix donated bicycles, take mechanical skill lessons, repair their own bikes, and increasingly foster bicycle culture here in Santa Barbara. We hope to continue to build on our successes and ramp up the services our group can offer. We meet every Wednesday at 7pm at La Casa De La Raza. Contributions of any nature; event volunteers, organizers, networking, and financial sponsorship are all needed as we build a space for the self-determination of the bicycle to flourish.