Went to a co-op bike shop and nobody was fixing their own bikes

I stopped by the community bike co-op in Portland last Saturday to grab a used chainring. Place was busy, but almost everyone was paying the staff to fix their flats and adjust their shifters. The whole point of that place is supposed to be learning to do it yourself, right? Tools on the wall, stands available, volunteers to help. But I watched three people just hand over their bikes and sit on the curb scrolling phones. Kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Has anyone else noticed this at their local co-op?

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2 Comments

brian8655mo ago

Honestly just go up and offer to show them how to do it. Most people at co-ops are scared to mess up their bike and just need someone to walk them through the first time. That's how I learned, some random dude showed me how to true a wheel while I was waiting.

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skylerw874mo ago

That totally misses the point when some people just want to figure it out alone without being bothered.

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