Looking for a bike in Winnipeg?
Some stores in the city may be experiencing a similar pandemic-related shortage as last year, but a local community organization says there are other options available.
Kate Sjoberg, managing director of the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (WRENCH), told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the work done at the organization’s Logan Avenue facility is “a community story across Winnipeg.”
“We have a really amazing partnership with the City of Winnipeg,” said Sjoberg.
“Discarded bikes or bikes that turn up at the landfill… we’re able to bring those bikes and those parts back to our shop, and then with volunteer and paid labour, we’re able to refurbish the parts, put the bikes back together, and make sure they’re safety tested.”
The bikes are then redistributed through community events and are also put up for sale, so Winnipeggers looking to get pedaling on a ready-to-ride, repurposed bicycle can hit the city’s streets.
“It’s a really nice way to reduce our pressure on the landfill, get more people on their bikes, and make really good use of a resource that’s just sitting there,” said Sjoberg.
The WRENCH, however, hasn’t been immune to shortages. Sjoberg said the organization felt the pressure last year, and has heard from distributors that some supplies will take long to arrive than usual, but the recycled bikes — as well as the organization’s repair services and instructional workshops — are an affordable way to get back in the saddle.
“It’s exciting to see people revisit a really fun activity that maybe they enjoyed in their youth,” Sjoberg said.
“We want to help people get on the road.”
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