Pedal For Parts: Supporting Troy Bike Rescue

What & When?

On May 12th, I will begin a 5 day solo bike tour along New York's Erie Canal Trail spanning 360 miles from Buffalo to Albany. In an effort to highlight the remarkable accessibility of bike-touring (and cycling in general), I will be riding on a 1990's Trek single-speed rigid mountain bike built from Troy Bike Rescue's parts-bin. On this bike, I will carry all of my gear in a single bag and tent-camp at the Canal Locks each night. One person, one speed, one bag, one ride.

Who?

I am a regular volunteer and recently appointed board member of Troy Bike Rescue (TBR) and I derive a great sense of joy and community from my involvement with the shop. I am quickly learning how integral TBR is to the local community and becoming privy to the immeasurable amount of smiles it creates.

Located at 3280 6th Ave, Troy Bike Rescue is a collective of cycling enthusiasts operating a volunteer-run bicycle resource space in North Central Troy. We are committed to removing bikes from the waste stream and returning them to the streets in an equitable manner. We help to build a bicycle community in the Capital Region through hands-on education and mentoring.

Why?

Most of my time under TBR's roof is spent refurbishing donated rigid mountain bikes into comfortable all-road bikes that can be ridden by anyone and anywhere. I take great pride in rebuilding these bikes with equal emphasis on form and function so that their new owners can sport a bike that looks as good as it rides.

Most of these bike builds can be completed with parts sourced from our overflowing bins of donated and salvaged components, but many require consumable components to be replaced with new equivalents, including brake pads, cables, chains, and tires. The cost of these components add up, but we can subsidize these costs for our end-users by soliciting donations from the public through means such as this bike-tour!

We’re asking for your help to cover the cost of these consumable components so that we may continue to build safe, functional, and affordable bikes for members of our community and beyond. This amount will cover 6 months of replacement parts!

Your tax-deductible gift of any amount will enable us to continue delivering on our mission to make bicycling accessible to the youth and other residents of North/Central Troy.

Need your bike tuned-up? Make an appointment with TBR today!

Calendly.com/troybikerescue