Linfield Bike Co-op starts pedaling

The Linfield Bike Co-op opens its doors to the Linfield community for the second year this fall. The co-op will continue to provide free bike maintenance and will officially launch a Bike Loan Program, piloted last spring. The project will be fully staffed by work study students this year and will receive a budget from the Associated Students of Linfield College (ASLC).

The co-op was established in the fall of 2009 by students looking to encourage a bike culture on campus and provide a space for the Linfield community to maintain bikes. A $1,000 Oregon Campus Compact grant was awarded as seed money for construction materials for the shop and tools and supplies. Volunteers from the orientation program, “Green Team,” helped set up shop before students arrived back for class. Volunteers and work study students developed and maintained the shop.

“The first year was a lot about learning,” said David Kellner-Rode ’11, who co-founded and managed the co-op. “Most students working in the co-op had little or no experience with working on bikes.”

With the leadership of Kellner-Rode, the project received a $3,116 grant from the Sustainability Grant Fund, allowing the organization to build up its tool supply, become more organized and get the Bike Loan Program off the ground.

Several events were sponsored last year, including Bike the Pipe, a ride along a proposed liquid natural gas pipeline in Yamhill County, a Bike ‘n BBQ event and several bike maintenance training workshops for students. 

In the spring of 2010, the co-op was able to secure 30 hours of work study and a budget from the ASLC to staff the shop. Next year Kellner-Rode would like to see more staff trainings and an increased bike loan fleet to better meet the needs of the Linfield Community.

“I really want to make the Linfield Bike Co-op more of a place where people can come together,” said Kellner-Rode, an avid cyclist and environmental activist, “You don’t have to be an environmentalist to enjoy riding bikes.”