Crocodile Cruisin’ pt. 3: Tender, loving repair

Have you ever wondered about the path a bicycle takes on its way to a lucky kid at the Holiday Bike Drive? So much time and love goes into each bicycle, now you can follow one bike’s transformation.

In a series of web posts this fall, we will follow the path of one 12″ “Crocodile Cruisin” to show you how the magic works. We sure can’t refurbish 500 bicycles on our own! Along its way to the 2008 Holiday Bike Drive, this little red bike will be handed over by a donor, collected at a community-initiated bicycle collection event, cleaned and refurbished by volunteers, and triple checked and adjusted by mechanics.

Step three: Tender, loving repair

On a drop-in volunteer night in November, volunteers Lelainya and James repaired the little Crocodile Cruisin’. They applied grease strategically, switched out the saddle, and installed new tires.

James and Lelainya

James has been very involved with the Community Cycling Center over the past three years, as has his whole family. His daughter, Claire, volunteers and attends Summer Camp, and his wife, Karen, posed for our “I ride” portrait series.

Lelainya, a middle school teacher by day, has been volunteering since last summer. She discovered our volunteer program at a Family Fun Ride and has been attending drop-in volunteer nights ever since.

James and Lelainya spent some quality time on the Crocodile Cruisin’ and finished by applying the Community Cycling Center sticker, the sign that a bike is finally complete.

Next time: The Crocodile Cruisin’ meets its new rider at the 2008 Holiday Bike Drive

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Hours: Open Wednesday-Friday 11AM-7PM & Saturday/Sunday 12PM-5PM. Closed MondayBike Shop Address: 1700 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Phone: 503.287.8786