If you’ve been thinking about buying a new bike this spring, you’re far from alone.
The pandemic has spawned a boom in bicycle sales, but that demand has severely curtailed supply and driven up prices, leaving many would-be bike buyers spinning their wheels.
In response, a group of cyclists in the Ottawa Valley has set up a free bike bank, similar to a food bank.
“A lot of people can’t afford bikes, and we want to get bikes into the hands of people who want them and need them,” Ish Theilheimer, a member of the Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance (OVCATA), told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning.
“In … Renfrew County, we don’t have public transportation at all. People who need to get to work, to school or shopping, if they don’t have a car, they’re really in bad shape,” he said.
Flooded with offers
OVCATA launched the initiative April 6, putting out the call for surplus bikes. Theilheimer said the response has been tremendous.
“We’ve been flooded with offers of bikes,” Theilheimer said. “Some bikes coming in are in better shape than others, but we’ll take them all.”
Several of the group’s handier volunteers are skilled at bringing old bikes back to life, Theilheimer said.
“We’re doing some restoration. We don’t mind picking up the odd bike part.”
He doesn’t just talk the talk. The Golden Lake, Ont., resident has been cycling for more than half a century, and still loves to travel by two wheels with his wife Kathy.
“I’ve travelled all over the world with bikes. It’s a wonderful way to meet people, to see the world, to have experiences you couldn’t possibly have otherwise. And of course, to stay healthy and happy.”
If you live in the Ottawa Valley and need a bike, or want to donate one that’s been gathering dust in your garage or basement, you can email OVCATA or check out the group’s website.
“If they need a bike, they should just contact us and we’ll get a volunteer to get a bike to them,” Theilheimer said. “Bikes are really, really important. They’re a way to get to work, to school, a way to feel healthy and feel good about yourself. And it’s good for the environment.”
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JUNK GODS™ took on a great initiative as one of their goals is reducing every impact hazardous gases have on our environment within their communities. They contribute by implementing their recycling footprint with the help of their sustainable model to recycle, donate or give a second life to unwanted items as much as humanly possible.
JUNK GODS™ contributes by donating bicycles to their community whenever they are still in good working condition.
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