Welcome to our Free Bike Clinic! We believe a bicycle is more than just a toy, it is transportation, freedom, independence and discovery. And it is great for our health to boot! And to enjoy it fully, the bicycle needs to be in good working order. Whether it is a newer model or an older one, we will do what we can to get your bike running smoothly.

 

Who is working on the bikes?

The chief mechanic of the day is Joshua Lee, pastor of LHBC, but also passionate cyclist and former engineer. With over 25 years of riding and fixing bikes, and having worked in the cycling and sporting goods industry, he knows a thing or two about bicycles. We also have Jarret, a passionate cyclist and commuter from West Side Gathering (a fellow Pointe-Claire church) who will be lending his wrenching skills.

 

There will also be volunteers from the congregation to help with other details, from receiving the bikes to lubricating the chain and pumping up tires, to helping setup and take-down.

 

What do you offer?

The goal of the clinic is to bring your bike to a good working order for kids and youth. We will therefore make adjustments to bring your shifting and braking to perform as well as they can, but given that we are not able to provide replacement parts, we will let you know if anything needs to be replaced. Or, if you know a part needs replacing, bring us the replacement part (e.g. a new tire or cable or chain) and we will install it for you. To purchase parts, we can suggest Gianella in Pierrefonds and Paul's Cycle in Point-Claire (village) who have supported us in the past.

 

How much does it cost?

NOTHING! Today’s service is FREE. But if you insist on giving something, we invite you to pay it forward with an act of kindness to someone else. We will also be accepting (non-perishable) food donations for West Island Mission Food Bank that serves families in need in Pointe-Claire. Monetary donations can also be made directly by visiting their website and clicking on “Donate Now”.

 

 

Why are you doing this?

We are part of many churches across Canada that are participating in The Big Give, a day of giving to our communities. Our heart is to reflect the generosity of our heavenly Father who gave us eternal life through Jesus, His only begotten Son. For more info about the Big Give, check out: thebiggive.ca

 

Who is this for?

We are looking to help people and families who would otherwise not be able to have their bikes tuned-up. Having worked in the bike shop industry, we know that bike repair bills may be beyond what some are able to afford, especially now. We are inviting people and families from Pointe Claire and surrounding boroughs to bring their kids' or youths' bikes for a free tune-up

 

If you are thinking of bringing a bike that hasn’t been used for years,  it would be a good idea to bring new tires and tubes, or on the flip side has years worth of grime build-up, would you extend us the courtesy of washing your bike first? It doesn't have to be sparkling but working on a bike that isn't caked with dirt or grease will help us to bring it up to the maximum potential.

 

Also, while we do not want to turn anyone away, if you bring us a higher end bike (say worth more than 800$) we may have to suggest you to visit the bike shop instead. We personally enjoy working on a nicer bikes, but this event is geared toward those that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it, or whose bikes wouldn't normally be accepted at a bike shop.

 

But what about Covid-19?

By now, we know a lot more about Covid (too much?) and we will be exercising  reasonable precautions for clientele and volunteers alike. We will be outdoors, in our parking lot, maintaining social distancing.

 

Anything I should know?

Joshua and the team of mechanics have many years of experience, and have brought an array of cycling tools to repair bikes of all kinds and ages. But in the course of bike repair, it may happen that parts break, either because it is seized, or it was previously damaged (e.g. from a crash), or age (e.g. rubber components that are dry rotted) or it may simply be of low quality (budget bikes) that does not fare well to servicing. By bringing your bike to this free tune-up and signing-up your bike, you are agreeing that LHBC or anyone associated with the clinic will not be held responsible for any damage that may occur during the course of the repair.

 

From death to life:

A story from past year’s event: a man had brought his taco’d wheel to see it could be brought back to service. Despite valiant efforts, the rim had sustained too much damage to be trued back into shape, and even if that could be done, the spoke tensions would have been all over the place, resulting in a wheel that was just waiting to collapse (and possibly cause an accident!). But by coincidence – we believe providence – there was another client who had a flat tire that happened to be in need of a tube that was the exact size as on the taco’d wheel. The man gladly gave the tire and tube off his damaged wheel so that the other client could have their bike up and running again! It wasn’t quite an organ transplant, but close! Both walked away (or rode away for the latter) with a happy ending!

 

OK, I’D LOVE TO GET MY KIDS' or TEEN'S BIKE TUNED UP.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Sign up for your free tune-up by clicking HERE.