Open Bicycle

Every week, we are faced with the prospect of dozens of busted and rusted wheels, frames and components.  Fodder for the dumpster, we sigh reluctantly.  Today, our friend and benevolent landlady Wenzday over at Metro Pedal Power let us know that there were some folk close by that would collect the scrap metal parts for reuse and recycling.  Hopefully, this will mean that the dumpster isn’t overflowing any longer and that we aren’t contributing to the equally overflowing landfill problem…

Everyone know recycling is a good thing.  The ubiquitous green triangle arrow signs constantly remind us of the active role we play in a finite system.  In considering our shop’s impact and position, both globally and locally, I was reminded of an Internet Manifesto (I know, I know…) that I ran across a bit back that is worth considering:

At times, we here in the OPEN shop find ourselves facing a dilemma.  A component on a customers bike is broken or damaged, and we recognize two alternative paths of action.  We could spend an hour or two disassembling the part, scrounging for a replacement pin or bushing, and inevitably one-off manufacturing something that will work (and often times work better than the original).  It generally is easier (and more profitable, of course) to toss the broken mechanism in the trash and sell the customer a new, if perhaps lower quality, part.  That sort of solution, however, lacks the personal satisfaction of  the repair and the greater utilitarian good of reducing consumption.

Is it counter-productive of me to discourage consumption?  In the end, I believe not- it’s not that I naively think that one can exist in our contemporary Western society without buying new things- the manic-depressive Massachusetts seasons require a closet full of gear and outerwear, your bike will wear through tires and chains as you put in the miles,  etc.  I don’t think that helping people spend less, consume less, and ultimately demand less production means that I’m shooting myself in the foot as a business owner- as I personally enjoy the meta-material relationship of a repairer to “repairee” more than the reductive relationship of the seller to consumer, and as people (re)learn to appreciate and support the craft and art of expert repair, I think that my business will flourish.

To this end, we are offering, as is appropriate this time of year as we are all looking for something thoughtful and expressive for our loved ones, OPEN Shop gift certificates.  These cards, unlike out standard certificates, are good only for labor and repair time.  Here’s the deal: insofar as we want to promote the repair and utility of the bicycles we so dearly love, we’ll match you dollar for dollar on these certificates.  Buy your guy a $100 card, we’ll pay $50.  Get your wife credit for 2 tune-ups for her daily commuter and we’ll cover the cost of one.  The idea here is give the gift of repair- we’re not going to look over your shoulder but we’re trying to encourage the growth of local personal human services over that of crude consumption of imported future landfill real estate.

There’s no expiration date on the certificates.  Any denomination (US$ or equivalent) is fine with us.  For the record, comprehensive tunes are $60, rebuilding your French BB about $25, and a complete service of your 55 year-old Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub about $50.  Anything else you can think of / make-up / inspire us to try: $60/hr.  E-mail me with any questions.