"I was working a retail job in college, and a customer saw my bike and said, 'Oh, is that your bike? I biked across the back United States when I was your age.' And I thought.... no way."
When it come to bicycle knowledge, Evan Pack is your guy. But, the Milwaukee-native explains it wasn't always that way,
"Everyone rides their bike growing up... it's like a rite of passage."
But a few years back, one spontaneous bicycle trip completely changed how he saw biking culture.
"I bought a touring bicycle and bought a tent, a sleeping bag... things I've never done before! I went out to Seattle and biked east to Portland, Maine."
"I remember on that trip I saw one of those hands-on bicycle workshops in Missoula, Montana and learned how to fix my hub that was loose and really wanted to start in Milwaukee where I grew up." Today, Evan Pack is the cofounder and owner of "Vulture Space," a hands-on bicycle workshop in downtown Milwaukee. "It's bizarre, it's pretty unique. It's a hands-on bicycle workshop, it's not a bike shop in the traditional sense where you come in, you get your bike tuned-up, you don't drop it off here. We don't fix bikes for people instead we show you how to fix your own bike."
We don't fix bikes for people, we show you how to fix your own bike.
And running completely off of donations and support from the community, Vulture Space is completely free and open to the community.
"It's a nice resource to the city; a place where you can work on your bike and meet people. It's kind of unique seeing different income levels and different types of people that come in here.... and everyone seems to mesh well!"
Need a spring tune-up? Vulture Space is at 651 N Plankinton Ave. in Downtown Milwaukee and is open Wednesday-Sunday. More on their website www.vulturespace.org