Story and Photos by Sami Edge
If you are one of the many University students that use a bicycle as your primary mode of transportation, then it’s likely you’ve noticed a small addition to campus this fall. At five separate bike racks a hollow, green pole stands conveniently to solve common bike malfunctions. These “Fix-It” stations, the latest campus contribution by the Outdoor Program, are tools for learning and performing DIY bike repairs.
Here’s how they work: the user hangs their bike from the arms that protrude from the top of the fix-it pole. Next, they scan the QR code on the reverse of the pole with a smart phone. The QR code then initiates a video with instructions on how to perform a specific repair. The last step is to use the tools suspended from steel cables inside the hollow Fix-It tube to follow along with the video instructions. Viola – working bike.
The Fix-It stations come equipped with a bike pump, an assortment of wrenches, screwdrivers, hex wrenches and tire levers, perfect for simple repairs such as brake adjustments and tire repairs. Students in need of a tire repair can purchase repair materials at the Campus Café in Lillis, the Knight Library, HEDCO, the Student Rec Store and the Union Market in the EMU.
The Fix-It stations were installed to supplement the services already provided by the UO Bike Program, a subset of the Outdoor Program geared toward connecting UO students and cycling. Additional services provided by the Bike Program include bike loan services, repair help and buying advice. Students unable to perform self-repairs on their bikes at one of the Fix-It stations can stop into the Bike Program’s DIY bike shop for access to more tools and some expert advice.
Former Bike Program Coordinator, Ted Sweeney initiated the Fix-It movement at the UO. After Sweeney’s graduation in the spring of 2012, Aaron Rourke, Bike Program Student Manager, helps carry on his legacy. For him, the importance of the Fix-It stations lies not only in their convenience, but also in the hands on education they provide.
“The real benefit of the Fix-It stations is that they give students the tools they need to do their own minor repairs 24/7,” Rourke says, “It’s a learning opportunity. A very empowering learning opportunity.”
From the beginning, the Fix-It project has been a timely undertaking. In order to implement the project, the Bike Program had to approve the rollover use of ASUO funds toward the Fix-It initiative.
With the ASUO’s blessing the Bike Program then applied for and received a grant from the Student Sustainability Fund to pay for five of the six proposed stations at the cost of $900 a stand (the Outdoor Program agreed to cover the cost of the sixth station). Then, the Campus Planning Committee had to approve of the placement and design of the stations.
“There’s a big load of detail in terms of the bureaucratic process we had to go through in order to make this happen,” Rourke says.
After eight months, the project is almost complete. Five of the existing stations are up and running and the sixth is on schedule for installation within the month. Current locations include next to the urban farm, the corner of 13^th and Kincaid, the Knight Library, in front of the Global Scholars Hall and in front of the Outdoor Program barn at the corner of 18^th and University. Once its placement is approved by the Campus Planning Committee, the sixth station will be located at the EMU.
Although daunting, performing a do-it-yourself repair can make a sizeable impact on a student’s wallet. The average tire repair or break adjustment costs the owner $10-$15 dollars in labor, in addition to the cost of new parts. When the purchase of tools is factored into the equation the Fix-It stations could save a bike owner anywhere from $50-$60. Graduate student Kyle Posselt doesn’t feel the need to own bike tools because of the availability of the Fix-It stations.
“These [Fix-It stations] are pretty convenient and easy to use. It’s very nice to have them around campus,” Posselt says.
In the near future the bike program plans to advertise the Fix-It stations with posters and maps, as well as send mechanics to the stations to teach students about the available tools. The bike program hopes that positive feedback on the Fix-It stations will lead to bigger and better things, perhaps even a bike sharing initiative and a DIY bike shop at the heart of campus.
Now that you know the stations exist, do yourself a favor and use them to install fenders before it really starts to pour.
 
 

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