The Kitchen is up and running

It's maybe not the most glorious of bike shops, but it's the only one of it's kind...in Bozeman anyway. The Bozeman Bike Kitchen is officially up and running. We didn't have an incredibly numerous turn out for the first work night of the summer, but the folks who did show up were all experienced mechanics who came to throw down on some used bikes.

Amongst the eager volunteers was Steve, who is not only a ridiculously qualified mechanic that showed up with an entire bike shop in the back of his Suby, he also brought a portable sound system, with which he turned me on to Groove Armada. My iPod hasn't played anything else since.

I'd say we got three or four bikes together on our first night. I considered it a good start, since we're trying to get ten bikes up and running to provide to a local chapter of Americorps, who will then distribute these bikes to local persons in need of viable, affordable transportation. We're also trying to get weekly bicycle maintenance clinics going, but at this point I'm not sure exactly when that will happen.

So, if you have mediocre/exceptional (or no) skills as a mechanic, and (most importantly) you think that bicycles are a good way for people to get around, send the Bike Kitchen an email at info@bozemanbikekitchen.org, or better yet, come down on Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm. We're located just north of the high school on Durston Ave and we are always looking for help getting bikes ready for people looking to find a responsible way to get around.

We're also very happy to except donations of used, but quality (no 'huffys'!) parts and bikes. So, if you've got an old 80's roadbike sitting in the garage that you want to get out of the way of your lawnmower, we'd love to put it to use as someone's commuter.

Just to be clear, the mission of the Kitchen is first and foremost to provide transportation options to those in need. If you have a bike you need fixed so that you can get around, please see us. If you're just looking for a frame to build a chopper, you'd be better off cruising garage sales.

Cheers,

C-Note