Cookin’ Up a New Ride at
The Bicycle Kitchen
words by Mike Severson and Rae Barreca with Elisa Parhad, photos by Jon Weinberg
With the price of gas steadily on the rise and traffic being, well, what it is, the topic of alternative forms of transportation is coming up more and more often.
The return of the bicycle to the urban landscape is readily apparent. Some credit having an American (Lance Armstrong) dominate the sport of cycling has helped pique people’s interest. This may be true, but the people I see on the street aren’t generally competing with each other, they are actually going somewhere.
As the landscape of our city evolves into higher density living (more people, less space), it is becoming more clear that something has to give. This trend is pushing more people close to public transportation and is allowing people the opportunity to learn new ways to get around the city without getting bogged down in congestion. And yes, that means not driving a car as much, or at all. Long time residents have a mental block when they hear that some people may choose to not own a car and that’s because, traditionally, people who didn’t have cars couldn’t afford cars. Rae, the person whose quest for a bike started us on this journey, says that “there is definitely a stigma, people assume you couldn’t have a car even if you wanted one. But gas prices keep going up, traffic is worse than ever...and why are people still driving? When it comes down to it, driving is a nasty habit that can be broken.”
The reasons for not driving are clear, everyone knows them, so Rae and I hopped on the subway the other day to get her a hot little bike. Even though we’ve just shattered the idea that nobody walks in L.A., one thing is still in keeping with the culture of this city: Her new bike has to be an original, not just plucked off the shelves of a big-box store...basically, it’s gotta be rad. It has to have some history, it has to have a story and it has to have gears (she’s not all hardcore ‘fixie’, not yet anyway).
Enter the Bicycle Kitchen, a non-profit, all-volunteer run repair/build shop that lives on bikes, bike parts, volunteers, and donations. All these things put together make it a community hub for like-minded folks to gather, help one another, and help teach future bike aficionados, such as ourselves. That includes everything from building a bike from the ground up to simply changing out flats. Both Rae and I had heard about the place but hadn’t ever visited; then we found the perfect person to take us there.
Our guide for our first visit to The Bicycle Kitchen was our newfound friend Elisa and her ride “The Senator” which is emblazoned in gold paint down one of the frame tubes (pictured at right). She adopted “The Senator” from her landlord who had let it fall into a state of disrepair. Where her landlord saw junk, Elisa saw gold. We met her in front of the kitchen just before they opened and inquired about her progress. A day of filing and drilling to retrofit the frame has made adjustments that will allow The Senator to once again be roadworthy. We both wondered out loud what it was like to work on a bike at the Kitchen. Elisa said that she has learned so much about bikes and has been surprised by the things that she had just taken for granted: “Did you know that you have to do this thing to the wheels...truing them it’s called? Turns out the spokes aren’t just there holding the wheel in place...they have to be adjusted. Who knew?”
\Tonight her goal is to install the brakes and the front wheel. She took a shot at the task on her last visit and over-tightened some things; consequently Cook (the appropriate name for a volunteer at the Kitchen) after Cook, no doubt impressed with her strength, tried to undo the damage. As they discussed options and got bigger and bigger guys to get some leverage on the old gal, Elisa told us that it’s usually not like this. “They are always helpful but they usually teach you how to do things, not do them for you. A Cook might do a part of the job to show you, but then have you do the rest. It’s better that way, you actually learn HOW to do it.” In this case brute strength was needed, so the Cooks took their turns. Finally - resolution: the brakes are off and the correct parts are being fished for in the large yet amazingly organized card catalog of spare parts available for use. It looks like The Senator will be all fixed up and ready to go on her maiden voyage this weekend thanks to a lot of Elisa’s elbow grease,
and a little help from her friends.
Wanna know how you can get rolling? If you have a bike to start with you can bring it in, find salvage parts, new parts, and fix it up with the help of volunteers. Starting from scratch? Choose a donated “project bike” and for a donation, it’s yours! They will even store it for you while you get it roadworthy. All of this is available for a suggested hourly fee and an additional donation for the parts you use. The cool thing is no one will be turned away from the Bicycle Kitchen due to an inability to donate. Log on to their website at www.BicycleKitchen.com for hours, location information, class offerings, and a calendar of cycling events in the area. Also, be sure to leave extra time to explore the neighborhood. There is a great coffeeshop next door, a bike store across the street, and an amazing vegan restaurant, “Pure Luck” with several beers on tap and something I never thought I would say, great jack fruit carnitas.
A final thought: Really think about where you go and how far it is. Many of the places that people frequent are easily within biking distance, which is not as far as one might think. For example a bike trip from Hollywood to MacArthur Park (the h offices) takes about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace, yet it takes almost as long to drive. If a bike is not viable, consider public transportation and give it shot! Alternative transportation options are usually faster and way, way cheaper than driving. By the way, this writer paid $4.15 / gallon for gasoline, on Earth Day
about h:
About h Magazine
Advertising
Feedback