Bike co-ops are places for active promotion of cycling
Les ateliers sont des lieux pour promouvoir l’usage du vélo en ville en facilitant l’entretien et la réparation des vélos. Ils ont comme vocation de multiplier le nombre de cyclistes quotidiens dans nos villes en offrant la possibilité d’acquérir un vélo et de l’entretenir à moindre coût.
Facilitating everyday use of the bicycle
Co-ops want to promote cycling and enable the development of new cyclist’s practices. Allowing the acquisition of second-hand bikes and repairs at a lower price, the co-ops are intended to facilitate and initiate new cyclists to the biking world. Having a place where we can repair our bikes, whatever the problem to fix is, guarantees a more frequent use of bicycle.
By providing a public service, workshops want to increase the number of cyclists, thus, pacify the streets and make the city more enjoyable.
Street entertainments
Associations that manage bike workshops are generally involved activity and animation taking place in the street. It can be critical mass, Vélorution, festive wandering, biking events, etc…
In addition, workshops are involved in many other festive activities (street workshops, urban walks, bicycle fest, etc.). See claims (on-site actions, etc.)..
A véloparade on the streets of Grenoble
Co-ops are places of production of unidentified non-motorized wheeled objects. With a little bit of imagination and a welder, mechanics at the workshops sometimes produce original and a little bit crazy engines. The goal here is to transform the general public imagination about bicycle…
More practically, workshops allow the construction of trailers, as well lending them to their members. Again, this will contribute to change the outlook regarding the use of bicycles and the concept of mobility in general.
Make a vulnerable road user’s voice heard
Finally, many workshops wish to bring cyclist’s voices through the Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB), while others are run by groups that are part of the velorutionnary movement.
Bike Co-ops are places for reuse and upgrading
L’activité des Ateliers Vélo se basent sur la revalorisation des vélos abandonnés et des pièces détachées. Les caves de nos villes regorgent de vélos depuis que l’automobile a pris une place dominante dans les rues.
The co-ops try to give a new life to these bikes according to the 3Rs principle (Reduce waste, Reuse parts, Recycle raw materials) and participate in the implementation of a bicycle’s circular economy.
The bikes are not abandoned waste
Bike co-ops are often born from the refusal of waste and the desire to upgrade thrown bikes that can be repaired or recovering its parts.
The recovery of bikes in Concarneau by the C.R.A.D.E.
Thus, bike co-ops are seeking to recover a maximum of bikes to prevent them from landing waste reception centers. Afterward, bikes are diagnosed to see if they can be repaired or if they will be taken apart to enlarge the stock of spare parts.
From experience, we find that retrieving a around ten bikes, we can put back between six and seven bikes in the street. The bikes that come out of co-ops are made from abandoned objects (bicycles and spare parts). Thus, their production doesn’t require new raw materials and prevents the accumulation of waste.
Spare parts are a local richness
During the twentieth century, Europe was producing a lot of bikes that are still in circulation. These bikes, very well manufactured, can be used for many more years.
In bike co-ops, there are parts that are not found anywhere else. This stock of spare parts ensures a longer period for the use of bicycles. The purchase of new parts and reparation in a bike shop can quickly cost more than the bike itself.
The establishment of a circular economy bike
Bike co-ops participate in the environment and recycling education. Young public as well as adults can comprehend eco-citizens gestures of waste reduction (consumption choices, maintenance of equipment, second life products, sorting, etc.)..
Real specialized “resourcery”, the co-ops are demonstration sites on the feasibility for a chain establishment of a circular economy. In many areas, shops cooperate with the bicycle shops that have a higher demand for quality toward waste. (Là encore je ne comprends pas bien la phrase)
Bike co-ops of L’Heureux Cyclage want to be recognized for their actions and require an agreement with local authorities in charge of refuse collection and waste treatment to establish a circular economy
Bike Co-ops are places of knowledge transfer
Bike Co-ops are places of knowledge transfer to learn to anybody to become autonomous (or cyclonomous) in his cycling . This process in mechanical learning should be in a cooperative and solidary way: everyone is invited to teach others how to fix his bicycle.
Ignorance in mechanics affects the cycling practice
Many cyclists do not know how to repair or maintain their bikes When they have a mechanical problem, they may use a bike that does not works well, putting themselves in danger on the street and increasing the bike’s problems. If the problem is major, these cyclists are likely to leave their bikes while waiting to find someone who can repair their vehicle. The bike, once abandoned, might even be regarded as waste without having had any diagnosis.
Learning to become “cyclonomous”
If a few years ago to handle screwdrivers and wrenches were a common practive, today we realize that many people may not have had the chance to learn to do DIY. In many families, mechanics was also an activity rather entrusted to boys depriving girls of equivalent knowledge in this field. Thus, the co-op facilitators transmit their technical knowledge to both girls and boys, young and old.
Le dévoilage de roue au Recycleur (Lyon)
The aim is to enable everyone to understand a bicycle and master it according to our own needs (daily cyclists, bicycle travelers, etc.). In bike co-ops, you can learn to maintain your bike, diagnose problems and solve them. From initial repairs (flat tire, brake adjustment, etc..) to racking up the wheel, the co-ops are intended to improve the mechanical skills of all riders who wish to learn them.
Thus, bike co-ops are places for popular education, in line with the "DIY" approach (Do it yourself).
The results already observed
L’Heureux Cyclage conducted a survey in 2010 on the mechanical skills of cyclists. One of the first results was the finding that a large majority of participants have a desire to learn. In addition, cyclist members of a bicycle co-op have much more mechanical skills: 60% of members are self-sufficient in repairs, while only 40% for non-members.
Level of qualification declared by participants
Finally, members of bike workshop are cyclists who are able to maintain their bikes better. After a breakdown, their bike is repaired twice faster, allowing them to travel by bicycle more frequently, especially for commuting.
Learning mechanics is essential for the bike co-ops because it is inherent in the logic of active promotion of cycling and is necessarily based on recycling. In addition, numerous of bike workshops want to go further in the development of "cyclonomy", offering bicycle school for adults.
