Wildly popular repair cafes from last year now include bicycles

By Brian Burchell

This year, Karma Co-op is hosting its first spring Bicycle Repair Cafe on Saturday, April 27, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Karma’s parking lot. The co-op is located at the rear of 739 Palmerston Ave. (off Karma Lane).

Residents are encouraged to bring their bikes to get a free diagnostic and tune-up to be ready for riding this year. In addition, the repair cafe will share some core skills to get your trusty stead road worthy. If parts are needed, technicians will specify what you need to go purchase. 

“We aim to provide a mentoring relationship and enable community members to mend and fix items in their own lives and divert things from landfill, ” said Andrea Dawber, a Karma Co-op volunteer and event organizer.

All repair cafes are open to the public, and they aim to teach people bike repair skills. Bring whatever you need fixed and stay and learn a few repair skills from the volunteer fixers. Last year the repair cafes were so popular that Karma has decided to host three this year. At the next two events, one in late June and the other in late September, community members are encouraged to bring clothing and fabric items that need mending, small appliances, and electronics for repairs and/or diagnostics. If you need to replace a part, the fixer will let you know.

These free repair events are an extension of Karma Co-op’s mission to sell locally sourced food in bulk, where possible. The bicycle repair cafes provide community members with access to affordable and  sustainable transportation, and diverting repairable products from landfills is consistent with Karma’s goals.

If necessary, the rain date for the bike repair event is Sunday April 28. 

READ MORE:

• LIFE: Save Karma Co-op (Dec. 2022)
• NEWS: Celebrating 50 years of  sustainable food and community (July 2022)
• NEWS: Mural reveals eco-anxiety (June 2021)
• NEWS: Karma marks 45 years (JUNE 2017)
• NEWS: Karma Co-op celebrates its 40th anniversary (July 2012)