Help Alan B. to Earn Bike Mechanic Certification

Hello! I'm Alan, and about a year ago, I joined the Laurel Cyclery crew as your friendly do-it-all front desk person. A year later, the Cyclery has offered to cover my tuition in the Bike Mechanic Certification Program at the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, OR coming up in December. I'm excited about this opportunity, but to make it all work out, I am asking for your help! Support for lodging, transportation and food during the two weeks I will be in Oregon attending UBI are crucial, especially because I won’t be generating income while I attend classes. I am asking for your help so that when the day comes, I'll be able to pay it forward to my community.

For those who don’t know me: I am a first generation Latino who has lived in the Bay Area for 21 years. Though I’ve lived all over the Bay Area, I feel most at home in Oakland where I’ve spent the last ten years. Where I really feel at home though, is on the bike. Cycling may be a white male dominated sport, but I strive to make a difference in the scene by sharing my experiences with my growing group of friends on the only social media platform that I use, Strava (look me up! Say hi!!) I haven’t always felt welcome in groups, but the friends and allies I found in the cycling community support and accept me for the person I am, and I strive to widen the circle. I have been part of the cycling community for years, and I’m invested in all the ways we can learn to dismantle racist, sexist and other biased stereotypes that some folks have about the cycling community and bicycle shops.

I constantly think about what inclusivity really means, and try to make everyone feel welcome, even if we have never ridden together or if it is our first time meeting. I am optimistic, a bit odd, and enjoy the simple pleasures in life such as... a nice view wherever I pedal one of my bikes, or those afternoons when the dirt is just right.

I find joy in problem solving and helping others, especially when it comes to cycling. The opportunity to attend UBI will help me feel fulfilled and further my goal of helping people have a great time on the bike. I believe that everyone’s problem has a solution and methodical, technical thinking is required in order to find the best path forward and execute on a plan.

Once I have finished the mechanic certification program, my goal is to take more initiative and provide more service at the Cyclery. I also look forward to problem solving with my newly acquired skills, sharing what I know with folks who could benefit from that knowledge. I will continue to make everyone feel welcome at our shop in a way that is not alienating, but accepting. We are all equal and we all belong everywhere.

I appreciate the time you have taken to read this, and whether you choose to support or not, thank you!