Stuck without tools and need to fix your bike? Lucky for you, the city’s efforts to be bike friendly now include a free bike repair station. A bicycle pump and tools have been installed at the Alameda Free Library, which continues to expand the city’s mission to promote eco-friendly travel.
Located at the corner of Oak Street and Lincoln Avenue near the flag pole at the Alameda Free Library, stands this new library service, a Do-It-Yourself Bike Repair Station. The new service is called a Dero Fix-it Station. It has a rack to hang a bike, tools including tire levers and wrenches, and a very sturdy bike pump. For help with repairs, bicyclists can use the QR (Quick Read) code on the front of the stand to view detailed instructions on a smart phone.
“Alameda is a great place to ride a bike and the library wants to be of assistance if you need a simple Do-It-Yourself repair,” says Library Director Jane Chisaki. “The idea is that bicyclists could do a quick repair any time, and then be on their way.”
Funded by a donation from the Alameda Free Library Foundation, the fix-it station is one of the first in Alameda. Depending on how well-received this fix-it station becomes, others are being considered for installation at yet-to-be-determined locations along the Cross Alameda Trail.
“Our overall goal is to encourage people to commute to the library, or anywhere in Alameda, by bicycle,” Chisaki says, “and the library hopes to offer bike safety or bike repair programs in the future, and provide other needed amenities such as bike parking as well as this repair station.”
Several Bike Walk Alameda members shared photos of the new repair station on the BWA Facebook group. Check out their pictures and member reactions here.