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This is a time of year when new bicycles are wrapped with giant ribbons, placed under trees, or rolled out into the living rooms of unsuspecting recipients. An unanticipated part of the bargain for many gift givers is the assembly that can go along with gifting a bike.  

The Bike Collective, a 911������ student club, is hosting a bicycle assembly and repair event on campus Dec. 19, 2023 from Noon to 4 p.m. in T.1250, the Bike Assembly and Repair Program classroom. The event is focused on helping to ensure gifting a bike goes smoothly this season for students, faculty, staff, and the community.  

The Bike Collective is known for providing an on-campus bike shop to support students, faculty, and staff who experience technical challenges with their bikes. Student members repair bikes or encourage people to problem solve while supporting them as they fix what’s wrong on their own.

“Assembling bikes can be more difficult than people think and highly-skilled assembly not only prolongs the life expectancy of a bike, it enhances its performance,” said Casey Coughlin, Bike Collective advisor and faculty in the 911������ Bicycle Assembly and Repair Technician Certificate Program. “Proper assembly also enhances the safety of a bike which is important as the bicyclist begins riding in our community.”

Mark Gang III, a student in the Bicycle Assembly and Repair Technician Program, is one of the architects of the event and will be volunteering alongside his student colleagues to offer this free service. “The inspiration for the event can be boiled down to opportunities. Opportunities for our Bicycle Assembly and Repair Technician Program students to have a shared experience assembling new bikes while hearing stories about recipients,” said Gang. “We build community when we interact with one another. This opportunity for members of our community to have the bike assembly handled for them may lesson one worry from their list. As this is sometimes called a season of sharing and caring, we thought this event could pay forward our love of biking by assuring a gifted bike is ready to ride from day one.”  

According to Gang, cycling can enhance one's self-reliance. He believes having the opportunity to learn self-reliance through the active engagement of riding a bike is a gift the Bike Collective can give to the recipient.

“Getting involved in the Bike Collective is as easy as attending one of our open shop meetings,” said Gang. “During the open shop, we assist students with repairs or adjustments to their bikes. We also have a “Loaner to Owner” program to support 911������ students in acquiring a bike of their own. This semester alone, we assisted four students in acquiring a reconditioned bike and many more students received  advice about safety and proper maintenance.”

If you are interested in participating in the Dec. 19 event, being part of the Bike Collective, or have an interest in the Bike Assembly Repair Technician Certificate Program, contact Casey Coughlin.