City Life

Gearing Up For Bike Month

Local bike advocacy groups celebrate #BikeMonthRI

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“Never pay someone to do something you can do yourself.” If there were a collected tome of Dad-isms this would be the title and it’s sound advice. It’s also one of the philosophies at Recycle-A-Bike (12 Library Court, Providence). Anyone who can ride a bike is more than capable of the basic upkeep and maintenance required to keep their whip in tip-top shape. For one reason or another, a lot of folks don’t, and it’s Recycle-A-Bike’s mission to change that.

On a Tuesday night in late April I stopped by RAB’s Olneyville space for a commuter bike workshop. Ally Trull, RAB’s Education Director, led the group of six participants with varying degrees of mechanical acumen in basic upkeep, like cleaning chains, adjusting and inspecting brakes and checking rotational systems. This was a special workshop offered ahead of May’s slate of National Bike Month events, but RAB offers open shop time on Tuesday and Saturdays where anyone is welcome to stop by and make use of the shop’s tools and volunteer bike technicians.

“A lot of people reach out to us because they want to get a bike and they want to know how to fix it,” says Ally. “Some just want to build their skills as mechanics.”


Other programs include a six-session Build-A-Bike class where participants will bring abandoned bicycles back to life, partnerships with the MET School that certifies high school students as junior bike mechanics, and WTF Wrenching Wednesdays which are open to anyone who “feel[s] their socialization or treatment as a woman/transperson/femme has impeded their participation in bike mechanics.”

At the end of two hours, six strangers with greasy hands knew more about their bikes and about each other than when they had entered the shop. That’s really the idea; to expand and encourage a sense of inclusivity among the city’s cyclists and to share the knowledge to keep everyone riding smoothly. 

Continuing in that mission is the slate of events that RAB, the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition (RI Bike) and Bike Newport have lined up for National Bike Month. May 1 through May 28 is loaded with rides and meetups meant to enhance riders' understanding of bike maiantance, skills for safe commuting and spreading bicycle advocacy to the community at large. Highlights include RIBike's bike advocacy meeting at Flatbread Pizza Company, Bike Newport's Ladies' Night Bike Class, Bike the Night with Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Lovecraft themed Tour de Tentacle 

For a full list of Bike Month events, click here

Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, RI BIKE, recycle a bike, Bike Newport, jorge elorza, ally trull, providence monthly, bike advocacy, cycling, National Bike Month, Recycle-A-Bike

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