The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Bicycles

  • One More Reason to Ride a Bike

    One More Reason to Ride a Bike

    Saving money and the planet at the HSU Bicycle Learning Center

    Humboldt State University’s Bicycle Learning Center made the transition in September 2018 from a student club to an Associated Students program umbrellaed under HSU’s Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program.

    Steven Sperling volunteers at the BLC while pursuing his master’s in business administration.

    “Bicycles are the most efficient form of transportation there is for human beings,” Sperling said. “Bicycles can and should save the world, period.”

    Originally founded in 1992, HSU’s entirely student-staffed Bicycle Learning Center is a free resource available to all HSU students in need of bike repairs. The transition opened up two part-time instructor positions, paid for with student fees, that are currently split between three students.

    “Probably the biggest thing that I’m working on here is how to share my bicycle knowledge efficiently,” Sperling said. “Learning how to teach is one of the things that I’m most excited about learning while I’m here.”

    • BLC Director Julian Palmisano scours the donated pins bin on Jan. 29. | Photo by Dakota Cox
    • Colton Trent hard at work at the BLC on Jan. 29. | Photo by Dakota Cox

    Current Director Julian Palmisano has been a member of the BLC since he transferred to HSU from Santa Barbara City College in 2017.

    “We all started as volunteers at the shop to serve and build community, utilize the resources and gain experience,” Palmisano said.

    The BLC does its best to provide all of the tools necessary for maintaining a well-conditioned bicycle, along with as many consumable parts that they can get their hands on. With a budget of only $800 provided by WRRAP, the majority of parts that cycle through the BLC are donations.

    “Sometimes we just don’t have stuff and we have to tell people like, sorry we can’t help. Which is a real bummer.”

    Colton trent

    Colton Trent is an instructor entering his third semester volunteering for the BLC.

    “The budget provides a buffer in case we run out of stuff,” Trent said. “But for the most part we can function pretty well trying to up-cycle and recycle things.”

    As a result of their small budget, the BLC can only provide a finite number of students with bicycle maintenance.

    “Sometimes we just don’t have stuff and we have to tell people like, sorry we can’t help,” Trent said. “Which is a real bummer.”

    The BLC encourages donations in the form of tools, bicycle parts and old bikes that will be refurbished and donated to a student-rider in need. All cash donations that the BLC receives go directly into the shop’s spare parts fund.

    In the fall semester of 2019, the BLC saw over 180 documented student visits, totaling over 100 hours of bicycle maintenance. By spreading the trend of using bicycles as a primary-method of transportation, the BLC is promoting a healthier lifestyle with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.

    Located in the eastern tunnel by the Redwood Bowl, the BLC is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with instructors and volunteers standing by to assist and educate students in bicycle repair.

  • Downhill Dust

    Downhill Dust

    2nd Annual Mad River Enduro hosts 111 riders in Blue Lake

    On Saturday, the hills south of Blue Lake were filled with the sound of bicycles shooting down the trails. The 2nd annual Mad River Enduro hosted 111 riders who traveled through the five stages, twisting pathways created by Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association. Riders took to the course at 9 in the morning and rode for 7 hours before retiring to the Mad River Taproom for drinks and the podium ceremony.

    • Rusty Buholz of Team Roaring Mouse heads down a small incline while competing in the men’t expert 40-49 catagory of the Mad River Enduro in Blue Lake on Spetember 7.
    • Ashli Lewis exits a berm on during a fast section on stage four of the Mad River Enduro on the way to finishing thrid in the Open/Pro Women’s class on September 7.
    • The upper tube of local artist Joel Grave’s bike featuring graphics themed for each stage of the Mad River Enduro in Blue Lake on September 7. S1: Cobbler S2: Woodrat S3: Gnome of Love S4: Pits S5: Woodstock
    • Transition Bikes rider Bonnie Burke makes her way through stage two of the Mad River Enduro course on the way to winning the Open/Pro Women’s class on September 7 .
    • John Cahill drops down an almost vertical trail at a marshalling station on stage three of the Mad River Enduro in Blue Lake on the way to winning the Sport/Beginner Men’s 50+ class on Spetember 7.
    • Nigel Hill of team Revolution Bicycles takes a series of jumps while going down stage four of the Mad River Enduro in Blue Lake while competeing in the Open/Pro Men’s class on September 7.
    • John Cahill drops down a slope at the start of stage five of the Mad River Enduro in Blue Lake on the way to winning the Sport/Beginner Men’s 50+ class on Spetember 7.
    • Vincent Kimber takes a little extra air on a jump during stage 4 of the Mad River Enduro while cometing in the Open/Pro Men’s class on Spetember 7.
  • Moon Cycles mentality

    Moon Cycles mentality

    Small Arcata bicycle shop with good intentions 

    When Sage Saatdjian and Sprout Page teamed up in 2016 to create Moon Cycles, much more was being made than a bike and roller skate shop. A whole change in culture toward bike repair was stirring.

    “We strive on being a comfortable space for everyone, especially women and queer folks, to serve the average cyclist” said Saatdijan. “We can do the fancy and expensive repairs if we need, but we want to help fix what needs to be fixed.”

    Sage and Sprout prides Moon Cycles and their mission on a consent-based policy between their customers to ensure transparency in what they’re doing to their bikes and if that’s what they want.

    “We don’t do anything without bringing it up with people first,” Sprout said.

    Most people can relate to being at a mechanic and not knowing what questions to ask or how to negotiate pricing. Moon Cycles wants to eliminate that discomfort from the bike shop experience as a whole, especially for women.

    “The culture at a lot of shops, no matter the trade, is not welcoming to anyone that isn’t a conventional male,” said Page.

    With most shops not paying much attention to what the customer really wants, Moon Cycles makes sure to always keep their customers in the know.

    “A majority of places assume you want your bike back to perfect brand new condition, but most people just want it to work and be safe,¨ says Saatdjian. ¨If you don’t care that the gears shift well and just want it to be safe, we can do that while working within your budget.¨

    Saatdjian and Page both have heard enough stories from customers coming in, saying that they feel other bike shops are taking advantage of them.

    “Customers say other places have asked absurd prices for repairs or simply said that some very normal repairs can’t be done,” said Saatdjian. “You get talked to like a baby and people don´t feel respected or listened to.”

    Moon Cycles, on the other hand, is putting the power in the hands of the customer.

    “We want to be a different place where people aren’t taken advantage of or talked down to” said Page. “We are even looking forward to doing some workshops to teach people how to ride a bike because not everyone can.”

    Saatdjian also looks forward to having group bike rides in the future and mechanical workshops on bike repair for women first, then opening it up to everyone.

    Until then, Moon Cycles is setting the standard for bike shops here in Arcata. You can give them a visit at 1905 Alliance Road.