One of the nominees for the 2007 Alice Awards is the Bicycle Repair Collective, located on SE Belmont. They’ve been nominated for offering a workspace for neophyte bike mechanics, dispensing wisdom at affordable rates, and in doing so, empowering people not just to ride their bikes but to learn to care for their bikes.
This is the first in a series of “guest blog posts” by Alice nominees – we’ve asked them to write a little something about what they do and why they do it. Here ya go!
“One of Portland’s charming features is seeing bicycles everywhere. In summer they are thick on the streets; in winter, riders bundle up and persist. Among the many joys of a bicycle is its silence. Gliding, swooping, even laboring up hills, all that is heard is the subtle grip of tires on pavement and the slight meshing of nearly frictionless parts. A bicycle is not a single thing: it is a contraption, a group of large and small pieces connected by screws, glue, rivets, and clamps; all designed for optimal mechanical advantage. Ball bearings, for instance, roll within a sterile chamber, barely touching its sides, held fast by a clever series of threaded parts; a delicately balanced system which is strong enough to last for months, if not years—but not forever. Allowing smooth silent bicycles to fill the streets requires a network of skilled bicycle mechanics.
The Bicycle Repair Collective began as a group of volunteers sharing ideas: the world would be a better place if everyone threw away their cars and rode bicycles; and that would be more likely to happen if more riders knew how to maintain and repair their bikes. The BRC threw open its doors in 1976, offering workspace and tools for riders to fix and maintain their bicycles. For those who preferred drop-it-off style repair work, that was part of the BRC package. Fast-forward to 2007: a greatly more sophisticated array of tools is available for public use, while repair work is offered by skilled mechanics whose careers date back to the days when those now-retro bikes were considered hot stuff: ten speeds!
Over the years, BRC staffers have been involved in many bicycle improvement projects—lobbying (by bicycle!) for the original Bicycle Bill, testifying at council meetings, serving on committees, teaching bicycle maintenance. The bicycles which come through the BRC’s doors these days may be anything from bygone varieties to representatives of the latest sophisticated gadgetry. Whatever they may be, the dedicated mechanics at the BRC view them with the same goal: keep them on the road!”
Thanks for your good work BRC! We salute you!
