“It’s not essential to everyone ... but it’s essential to us.” Taylor Pace
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hroughout the pandemic, the bicycle industry in Canada has simultaneously been faced with the highest demand and lowest supply it’s ever seen; with the limitations of public transit and a need for safe exercise, more and more people seem to be biking. Yet, the CSA Bike Centre at the University of Guelph, which has been around for about 20 years, has remained closed since March 2020, forcing the community to go elsewhere for their bike service needs. “It’s been a record breaking year for bike sales, bike stores are running out of stuff. The bike centre is here with it’s doors closed,” said Giancarlo Martini, a fifth-year environmental engineering student who has worked
as the repair coordinator for the past two years, and was a volunteer for two years prior to that. On March 29 the centre was broken into, and bikes, parts, and tools were stolen. Martini said this likely happened because “people are desperate for services.” He said it’s been especially crucial during the pandemic because many more people are riding bikes, or riding bikes more often, since they don’t want to take the bus. When asked why the bike centre has remained closed while other centres are still open, CSA President Tyler Poirier told The Ontarion that there are several factors at play, the biggest one being their “lack of capacity throughout the pandemic,” adding that he understands the closure has
“negatively affected many who are passionate about cycling,” and is looking forward to seeing it reopen. Martini, alongside other advocates for the centre, have been trying to convince the CSA to reopen the doors since they closed last year, meeting with the CSA over the summer and into the fall semester. Fourth-year water resources engineering student Michelle Robinson was a volunteer for one year and then hired as the volunteer coordinator, but her contract was cut short when the centre closed. She told The Ontarion that in an attempt to address their concerns, in the fall semester the CSA began doing things like uploading bike repair videos online. They also provided a $40 gift card to the first 50 students who signed up to receive bike service at Speed River Bicycles, a bicycle store in downtown Guelph that sells bikes and bike parts, and offers repair services.
“Forty dollars covers nothing for a bike,” said Spencer Ploeger, who is a fifth-year engineering systems and computing student, and has been a volunteer since 2016.
bike centre, which shares a building with the campus food bank, is basically a DIY bike repair centre with specialty tools and bins of used parts that both students and community members can use.
Without the bike centre, there isn’t really a similar service that can provide the same level of quality service and sense of belonging. Especially in times like these, community bonding is perhaps what we’re all in need of the most. — Max Ornat For example, he said a common fix is new brake pads, which “might cost $40 before tax if you’re lucky, and that’s before paying an additional $40 to get them put on.” For those that don’t know, the
There are also around 25 knowledgeable volunteers who can help with anything else you might need, including helping you learn to repair your bike. More than that though, it was a welcoming and diverse
