We’re two weeks in! But what do we do exactly?
Aberfeldy’s community cycle workshop is now 2 weeks old! It’s hard to believe – it feels like it was just yesterday that we opened our doors.
![A group of people outside the community cycle workshop.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/0y7bneb2/production/024bdf71f2ed0c5d97c004dfbe2a7c7f26425130-1352x1352.jpg?w=1000)
First, we want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who joined our crowdfunding campaign and became a member of the workshop. Over 40 people became annual members, which is about 50% of our Year 1 goal. You can become a member at any time, and you’ll receive discounts on repairs, parts & accessories and courses, and access to the community tools. Annual memberships are available for a pay-what-you-can rate here.
Over the past 2 weeks a wide range of people have stopped into the shop, from residents to tourists, young and old, and riders of all types and abilities. One of the most common questions we’ve received is “what do you do?”, so we thought we’d expand on that here.
Bike Servicing
Getting bikes back on the road/trail/track is one of our primary services. Since we launched a fortnight ago, we’ve repaired over 20 bikes already, from quick fixes (in-and-out in just a few minutes) to complete overhauls.
We’ve also seen several riders using the community tools to repair their own bikes, and we’ve loved hearing about their adventures exploring Scotland by bike. Riders from Canada, Australia, the UK and the US have stopped in to use the tools for DIY fixes.
And we’re not just limited to bikes – we’ve also repaired mobility walkers and electric scooters for local residents!
Bike Hires
We’re very excited to announce that we’re now offering electric bikes for hire. We’ve partnered with Tay Valley Connections (formerly Upper Tay Transport Group) to hire out 7 e-bikes, including a trike, for either half days or full days.
Bikes can be reserved and hired through our website, or in person at the workshop.
Bike Donations and Spare Parts
We’ve received over a dozen bike donations, many of which we’ve already refurbished and are now available for purchase. We have all kinds of bikes, from children’s to adults’, and road, trail and commuter styles. All are available for a pay-what-you-can price.
If you have a bike that’s no longer in use or is headed for the tip, please consider dropping it off at the community cycle workshop. We will refurbish it or use it for parts, and find a new home for it.
![A collection of bikes for sale](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/0y7bneb2/production/5f4429032c7e7ded9eb7a016c259801642d15b94-4032x3024.jpg?w=1000)
We also have an increasing number of spare parts that can be used to build or repair a bike. There are a few great finds in the spare parts bins already, so drop in to view them before someone else snags them!
Custom Orders
With access to hundreds of bike brands, we’re able to order just about any part and accessory you might want. We may not be able to compete on price with the big online stores, but you can feel good knowing your money is going to a good cause: as a Community Interest Company, our profits must be put back into improving our offering and local cycle initiatives. And on that note, stay tuned for the announcement of our first community improvement project soon!
Education Workshops
One of our goals is to equip you with the skills to do your own routine bike maintenance, to prevent and fix common issues on your bike. We do this by hosting regular education courses at the workshop.
Last week we held our first ever course: a Fix a Flat workshop where participants learnt how to fix tubed and tubeless flats, in a fun, hands-on way.
![Learning to fix bikes](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/0y7bneb2/production/04b8d1b20ba126d5f6e508f935ab8ffb9cd303d5-1443x1925.jpg?w=1000)
There are plenty more courses coming up, so reserve your spot today.
Opening Hours
As we get started we’re open limited hours, and encourage you to message us if you need an urgent fix, access to tools, want to drop off a bike, or anything else. We can usually come over to the shop to assist within minutes, and open hours will increase as we on-board more volunteers.
Monday: On Call
Tuesday: On Call
Wednesday: 2 - 6pm
Thursday: 2 - 6pm
Friday: 2 - 6pm
Saturday: On Call
Sunday: On Call