Restoring Bikes to the Community – a partnership between customers, businesses and councillors
Just as things can fall apart, they also come together. When two of our customers approached us with a collection of 6 bikes, well loved, well ridden, bearing the scars of use and adventure, we agreed to take them, not really knowing what we could do with them.
Their move from the forgotten corners of two garages to new homes in Stamford is a story of connection and community well worth telling, and one which we are proud to tell. You see, Stamford Cycleworks is a young business and Matt and I started it with the intention of embedding values which would ensure care for People (our community), Planet (our environment), Purpose (what makes us love this business) and Profit. Repairing and restoring bikes, reusing what we can, returning bikes to service (or finding them new homes), and rehabilitating owners (a service coming soon!) is what we are all about.
So, restoring bikes can take many paths. Sometimes a grimy frame becomes an on trend urban fixie, a 90’s mountain bike remodelled to an about town single-speed. Sometimes, as in this case we really weren’t sure. A concern these days is the expense and time required to source parts which means giving a bike a new lease of marketable life is not always possible. However Matt was pretty sure new owners could be sourced for this collection of sturdy rides if potential owners knew they were most importantly, safe to ride.
Community Connections
Fortunately Matt has a side gig as a rather talented Barista at our local awesome plant based cafe, The Blonde Beet , where he is well placed to happen on useful conversations! This time, with Stamford’s Councillor Amanda Wheeler, who was looking for help with the town’s response to the arrival and welcome of Ukrainian refugees.
While a bike may not be a necessity, for children arriving with very little, they are a source of joy, play and perhaps a little bit of normality. We all have memories of childhood bike riding, and we felt we could help provide this little piece of normality. People, as I said earlier, are a part of our business values. By giving our time, we could help others through our business.
Putting Bikes back on the Road
So it was that the motley collection of bikes that had come to us from customers, keen not to see their bikes languish in landfill, could be put back to use. Matt spent a day safety checking and prepping the bikes for use, and we delivered the fleet last Sunday to Councillor Wheeler’s house ready for almost immediate distribution. It will be a pleasure to see them out and about, hopefully bringing that little bit of normality and carefree-ness that children deserve.
Ready to go…….
