Expanding bicycle accessibility.
Bicycle mechanics are a great way to bike safer, work with your hands,
and even make a steady salary!
Being able to ride a bike gives someone access to mobility, but being able to fix a bike gives someone access to freedom. Especially for teenagers and young adults, finding a good-paying, fulfilling job is difficult. But, with the right knowledge and practice, a teenager could find work at their own local bike shop. Or, they could run their own bike shop out of their garage. Teaching basic mechanical skills to teens, especially those in low-income and/or marginalized communities provides an opportunity for hands-on work that would otherwise be very difficult for them to find. Having the confidence to fix your own flat tire in a crisis, as well as to make money fixing others’ bikes, can open a world of possibilities that someone might never have even realized was there.
Images taken by me, Fiona King.
Park Tool's "Home Mechanic Tool List: Intermediate"
GCN Tech Show's "Essential Bike Checks Before Riding Outside"
Cycling News' "Everday Racism: Breaking cycling's other glass ceiling."
Images taken by me, Fiona King.
@thatintersectionalcyclingchick
Images taken by me, Fiona King.