Last Wednesday we had our final Mobile Fix-it bike repair pop-up for the year. This was our 40th stop working on kid’s bikes this season, and in doing so we were approaching our 750th bike repaired. Coming into the season, we had set our sights on 500 bikes, and even that number seemed a bit high.

It became clear almost immediately that there was a huge need in our community for bike repair and soon repairing 30+ bikes a stop became a regular thing. This meant that often we were recruiting extra volunteers and staying late to try and make sure that every bike and kid was taken of. Needless to say, I was so impressed that so many awesome volunteers stepped up to make sure that we were out there helping these kids in our community.

As I arrived at the Pioneer Square Apartment complex for our last stop of the year, I was happy to see many of our regular volunteers make the ride down to close out the season together. As we were setting up for the day I asked the crew to share a moment or two that they appreciated from the season. There were stories of the bike carnage that kids would roll in with - a flat tube wrapped in the chain or through the derailleur or inside the hub, the way-too-small bike that had the frame bent by an overextended seat post, or the bike that the kid rode up with out an axle bolt or quick release or anything at all attaching the wheel to the frame! There were stories that made us laugh like when the kid accidentally was walking off with James’ bike instead of his own, or taking hot laps with the kids around their homes with their freshly repaired bikes. There were stories about awesome community partners ensuring the kids who needed bikes or replacement bikes were given them the very next day.

Finally, I shared one last story that I feel really sums up the awesome and dedicated crew this year . This October we returned to the Whitney Elementary Community Center for one last Mobile Fix-it. As per usual, it was a barn burner and we fixed upwards of 30 bikes, thanks to our largest volunteer turn out of the year. As the stream of bikes slowed to a stop and evening approached, we packed the bike trailer with tubes and tools and were getting ready to head back to the shop. Right before we bounced, a young woman with three little girls pulled up in her car and began unloading bikes. I walked over to talk with her and see if we could figure out a time to get the bikes fixed at the shop. By the time I said Hi and checked out the bikes, our volunteers had already begun unloading the trailer and to fix three more bikes before we left.

With that I’d like to extend a huge thank you to our truly awesome volunteers who help us go out and impact our community so much! THANK YOU to Chris, Troy, Yumi, Leonard, Paula, James, Greg, Guido and every other volunteer that roved with us from apartment complexes to parks to community centers to school yards. You guys are truly awesome and were such a pleasure to catch a bike ride with and hang with!

I’d also like to sneak in another quick thanks to our community partners who helped us set up events across the valley and did the heavy lifting to help advertise- so to all of the Community Organizers, Apartment Managers, Good Neighbors and Teachers who went the extra mile… THANK YOU.

I admit I will be a little lost on Wednesdays without the Mobile Fix-its, the kiddos, the community and the bike rides but I can’t wait to get back out there next year and head out with the trailer again! Until then, I will see you at The Hut, tinkering with kid’s bike for our Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway.

Cheers,

Devin