Scenes from the Clarkston Co-op

Thanks to our awesome volunteer and talented photographer Ai-Ping, we have some new shots in the Communicycle collection. Here are a few favorites.

Thirty Cents

"Where can I make a donation?" The question emerged from Jasmine, a smily second grader with dark skin and pigtails, and a regular shop participant at the Clarkston Co-op.

I gave my stock response, explaining that she can give her donation to me and making a promise that it would get into the program's bank account.

Thrilled, she reached out to me and emptied the contents of her fist into my open palm.

One quarter and one nickel.

My heart caught in my throat. This donation may not have been the biggest our program has ever received, but I believe it to be the most significant. Our youth participants often hand over a few dollars spotted from their parents in exchange for new tubes and cables, but rarely if ever do we see our young friends reach into their own pockets in order to help sustain their neighborhood bicycle shop.

Jasmine could have given the quarter, or even the nickel for that matter. But she chose to give everything she had. May we all learn to be so generous.

Communicycle Clarkston has been serving huge numbers every week.

Word on the Street

It is always exciting when we hear folks talking about the Communicycle program. A past participant received this message from one of his neighbors and forwarded it along to us:

Wanted to share with you about a cool bike shop I went to today that is practically in Northwoods. It's part of a organization called Communicycle (www.communicycle.org) that runs three bike repair shops, one in Clarkston, another in L'ville, and then this one, located across Chamblee Tucker Rd in the Open Table Community Church. 

It is only open on Tuesdays from 6-8pm and is run by volunteers who will help you with any basic bike repair  for free and all you need to pay for are the parts if any are needed. They have all the tools there along with parts. They also have some  bikes you can purchase for a donation. I brought in a bike from Goodwill and they helped me replace a tire, fix a kickstand, do a few other tweaks and I left with a bike that rides like new for about $10. 

There are three guys to help you and while I was there, a 10 year old boy was essentially creating a bike from parts at the shop with the guidance of one of the volunteers. The guy who was helping me said they really want to work with kids in our area who would like to learn how to maintain or even put together bikes. It's a really cool program and one we are lucky to have so close!

Shifting Gears in Lawrenceville

If you bring your bicycle to McKendree UMC on Thursday nights (6-8pm), you will probably meet Larry. Leading the effort of bringing Communicycle to Lawrenceville, Larry is passionate about bicycles and building community. Though just a few weeks old, Communicycle Lawrenceville is fully-stocked, and the team is ready to teach shop participants how to accomplish repairs to their bicycles.

Come out each Thursday to work on your bike, earn a bike, learn more about mechanics, and help others with their projects. Cyclists, you may have just found your new home away from home.

Communicycle Lawrenceville

Meeting at McKendree UMC

Thursdays, 6-8 PM

1570 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road  |  Lawrenceville, GA  |  30043

Education Equals Sustainability

A Clarkston shop participant learns some repair fundamentals.

American culture has programmed me to operate in the most efficient manner -- I choose the most effective methods that arrive the quickest at the end-goals. At the Communicycle Co-op, we believe nothing could be a bigger mistake.

A simple repair that may take me five minutes to perform will undoubtedly require a tenfold time commitment from an untrained shop participant. And with a growing queue of folks waiting in the wings, it is tempting to grab a wrench and get a bike and its rider back on the road.

Imagine if I did that. The next time a similar mechanical issue arises, this bicyclist must return to a shop or co-op, dependent on the help of others once again. 

How much better it is to offer a bit of education with each repair accomplished. The more a rider knows about bicycle repair and maintenance, the more cycling becomes a sustainable means of transportation to her or him. It is a worthy investment of time, even if the line is growing.

A Little Press...

Thanks to Jennifer Woodruff or the Tucker Patch, we have a great article online about the new Clarkston shop. http://patch.com/A-lX84