YouAlberta Spotlight: The Bike Library

By Shadi

I bike to school every day, and find that at least once a week… something usually breaks. I’ll pop an inner tube, my chain will snap, or my brakes won’t break (since they’re pretty worn). More recently, my DIY pannier (that’s “rear bike bag” in cyclo-language) fell apart and landed on my rear wheel. (It was actually pretty dangerous since is caused me to swerve in front of oncoming traffic.) In any case, when it comes to my bike, things get expensive. Parts aside, bike shops can charge more for labor than an auto-mechanic, and as someone who’s both frugal and stubborn, I won’t have any of it.

So, I often find myself in the Sustain SU Bike Library. Tucked away in SAB, the Bike Library rents bikes out to the U of A community. And even better, it has a full array of tools, as well as some more common parts (for a good price), to help get you and your bike back on the road without severely bankrupting you. I like being able to do the work myself, and since they have mechanics and volunteers on hand to help you DIY your repairs, you can rest assured you won’t screw anything up too badly.

But — don’t take my word for it — take a look at the video and see what makes this community bike library such a campus gem.

Bike Library Hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 2–5 p.m.
Wednesdays: 12–3 p.m.

Location

1–13 South Academic Building (SAB).
Please follow the directional signs and enter through the back of the building.