By Ally Horine | Echo
Watch for the neon "Open" sign on the Honors Lodge lawn. Re-Cycle, an on-campus bicycle repair shop, is preparing to open its (garage) doors.
Bicycle problems-most notably bike theft-are nothing new to Taylor students. Other problems dealing with flat tires, broken chains and effects of a harsh winter leave bike owners frustrated and ultimately abandoning their bicycles. As a result, Re-Cycle aims to keep bikes falling into disrepair. The bicycle repair shop will hosts its first open house this weekend to give students a tour of its services, which will be fully available by spring 2015.
Re-Cycle, located in the garage of the Ockenga Honors Lodge, will be a student-managed bicycle co-op shop to service personnel and student-owned bicycles. According to faculty overseer and chair of the Earth and Environmental Science Department Michael Guebert, "The purpose of the shop is to educate and advocate for conscientious transportation choices through enhanced bicycle use."
The shop also aims to teach practical lifelong skills such as basic bicycle repair. To do so, Guebert hired a student manager along with other paid student workers and volunteers.
"We are wanting to take the fall and really get the shop ready," junior and student manager Zac Smith said. "Our purpose is to have a shop where you can come and not only get your bike fixed but learn how to fix it and learn how to prevent from having the same problem again."
As a part of Re-Cycle, Taylor will also implement a bicycle borrowing program, known as Taylor Taxi, in the spring of 2015. The Taylor Taxi service includes a fleet of yellow bicycles for all students to use free of charge. These bikes, found in bike racks around campus, will provide access to bicycles for students who might not have brought one to school.
Over the last seven years, Guebert has found approximately 400 bicycles abandoned on campus after graduation. Though some of these bicycles could not be repaired, several of them were stripped and painted yellow to become the Taylor Taxis. By spring 2015, these bicycles will be ready for student use.
"I do believe that Taylor Taxi will solve the bike theft problem on campus," Smith said. "I also think it will equip people with the ability to really learn how to fix their own bikes. Many students have super simple fixes, and they don't know how to do them. My hope is that the shop can give people knowledge on how to fix the bike that they ride."
The Re-Cycle shop will have its first open house on Saturday afternoon. Students and parents are welcome to take part.
