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Come to Dust Off Days for a free bike tune-up

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 by

Do you have a friend, co-worker or family member whose bike has sat neglected in the shed all winter? There’s no sense in leaving that bike unloved in a corner – bikes should be ridden! With the weather beginning to warm and (fingers crossed!) the wet season on its way out, what better time than now to drag that bike out of the shadows, dust off the cobwebs and lube the squeak out of that rusty chain? Join us at the Swedish Cultural Center on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a spring cleaning, bike tune-up event.

 

The first in a series of Dust Off Days, and just in time for Bike Month, the event will go as follows:

- Look for the bright gold Cascade tents in the Swedish Cultural Center parking lot, 1920 Dexter Avenue North.

- Place your bicycle in the trusty hands of the volunteer mechanics from Elliott Bay Bicycles, Montlake Bicycle Shop and WRENCH Bicycle Workshop.

- Mechanics will provide up to 20 minutes of free labor per bike, plus a diagnosis of those problems which cannot be addressed in the allotted time.

- Replacement parts will be available and helmets will be on sale for just $15 so bring cash.

- Your bike will be tuned and ready to go for Bike Month!

 

Special thanks to the Swedish Cultural Center, Elliott Bay Bicycles and WRENCH Bicycle Workshop for helping us launch the first Dust Off Days!

Posted in Bike ambassadors, Commuting, Events | 2 Comments »

Turn trash into treasure by donating your old bikes to Earn-a-Bike programs

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 by

Need to find a new home for your old bike after receiving a new bike for Christmas? Are your children’s BMX bikes, long ago outgrown, still collecting dust in your garage? How about the commuter bike you haven’t touched since the early 2000s? Consider turning your trash into their treasure by donating your lightly-used bicycles to the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation today.

A Major Taylor Project student poses proudly with her earned bike.

The number of kids and teens we engage is projected to grow again in 2013 – and along with it, the number of bikes necessary to run our camps, clubs and maintenance classes. By donating your old bikes, your gift will support our  Earn-a-Bike programs.

While the Major Taylor Project is perhaps best known for leading after school bike rides in south King County high schools, the fun does not end during the cold, dark winter months. The onset of colder, darker weather means the transition into the Major Taylor Project’s Earn-a-Bike program.

Students who do not have their own bikes and who have shown a dedication to the club in the past receive a bike that leaves something to be desired. Over the course of the five-week curriculum they learn to fix its quirks and at the end of the course, the bike is theirs to take home along with a helmet, a u-lock and front and rear lights.

In the 2012-13 school year Major Taylor will run a total of five Earn-a-Bike classes in four schools. All participating students will leave the program with the skills to diagnose and fix the most common problems that occur while riding including how to fix flats, adjust brakes, replace chains and tweak derailleurs.

So consider donating your old bike to the Major Taylor Earn-a-Bike today!

Drop off your gently-used bike at our office, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. For questions, please email our  Major Taylor Project Assistant at mtpa@cascadebicycleclub.org.

Posted in Major Taylor Project | 1 Comment »