"It's way more than just fixing your flat. It's about having something good for you to do and give you the opportunity to have a healthier lifestyle."
Jezamil Vega-Skeels, Layton Blvd West Neighbors
In 2011, Jezamil Vega-Skeels, Neighborhood Planner with LBWN, started engaging people in her community with Quality Of Life Plan sessions. Looking to see what the main needs were for the neighborhood, the focus was on youth education/leadership and healthy living. "From there we started talking to the Bike Federation about other ways to promote healthy living and biking in an dense urban neighborhood" says Vega-Skeels.
Together, they wanted to open a bike clinic in the neighborhood, but space was scarce and expensive. They looked into space in schools, but that wasn't looking good either.
That's when they came up with the idea for a traveling bicycle repair shop, and the seed for the Mobile Bike Hub was planted. "The initial design was made for vegetable produce" says Vega-Skeels. Enlisting the design help from her husband Ethan Skeels, the team submitted rough plans to volunteer Mike from the community, who finished putting together the Mobile Bike Hub last month.
"The grand revealing will be on May 18th at the Bike Fiesta," says Jake Newborn, WI Bike Fed Youth Education Program Manager. "It will pack everything up nice and tidy inside. When it expands, it has a workspace area, a chalk board to teach on with promotional banners to let neighbors know things going on."
The Mobile Bike Hub will operate throughout the summer at various locations. To learn more, visit LBWN at www.lbwn.org.