Victory in Roll Out of
New Bike Shop

In September, Vice President and Dean of Students Jefferson Huang, and Assistant Dean and Director of Residential Life David "Fid" Castro, went on a field trip to Cycle Werks in Orange County. At the register, they bought seven new Trek bikes, 100 or so tire tubes, 10 locks, a handful of helmets, and a pile of parts and suppliesthe makings, if you will, for the College's new bicycle shop in Wohlford Hall.
A couple of weeks later, a team of CMC bike enthusiasts met for a full day in McKenna Auditorium, building the bikes from the boxes they came in, and learningunder the watch of a Cycle Werks representativehow to make minor repairs such as fixing flats, filling tires, and adjusting brakes.
It was just a matter of days thereafter that the College would launch its new bike shop, where students and staff could rent a bike for free or pay next to nothing for simple services. Caught somewhere between a green initiative and a provision for practical transportation, the shop has been a solid performer since its Sept. 28 launch.
"We actually had to adjust the amount of time bikes could be rented out due to the overwhelming demand," says senior Melissa Irvine, who co-manages the shop with classmate Brentt Baltimore '10.
"The groundswell of support continues to be impressive," Huang noted. Read more about the shop's genesis.
Under current policies, bikes are loaned at no charge for up to 24 hours. A $10 late fee is applied daily to bikes returned after that. If a bike is considered lost or stolen or is returned damaged beyond repair, a student or staff member is required to reimburse the College for the bike$300 plus tax.
While rentals are limited to CMCers, students and employees from other Claremont colleges are welcome to bring their bikes in for modest repairs, Irvine says. Right now, customers only pay for replaced parts (i.e., a tire or cable), but not for the service.
So far, she says, the most common requests are inflating or replacing tires, adjusting seats, replacing bike cables and pads, and adjusting gears. "We even attached a child's seat to the back of a faculty member's bike," Irvine says.
The shop's averaging about 20 patrons a day(more on weekends)mostly students borrowing one of the 14 new or reconditioned loaners to get around campus or run errands in the nearby Claremont Village.
The plan for the near future is to expand the level of services, including the kinds of bike repairs available. "As a student-run organization, we'll learn from our mistakes and build our business," Irvine says.
The bicycles and equipment were purchased with funds from the Student Activities budget, said David Castro. And the shop's 10 technicians are work-study students, he said.