Why we do what we do

What kicked off your interest in bikes? 

I got into bikes through my Dad who was a keen cyclist. As a teenager growing up in the Scottish Highlands, we got hold of mountain bike magazines and it became an obsession. We lived a long way from any sort of shops so we were forced to work on our own stuff. I always wanted to work in a bike shop, but it only happened when I came to Queenstown over winter for the snow/ski industry. I wanted to stay in Queenstown the summer afterwards, and managed to get a job at Vertigo Bikes where I learnt most of my bike maintenance. That was six years ago – I still work there during the summer.

Why did you want to be involved with the OneBike Project?

I have a personal interest in waste minimisation and our local community. In my line of work as a bike mechanic, I also work in a retail commercial environment, which can sometimes feel like I’m going in the wrong direction. I love it, but it had me thinking and interested in what happens in the future to these new bikes. I contacted one of the local bike clubs, with some ideas about how to be a bit more sustainable, and it ended up with me being put in contact with Amanda (Robinson) from the Lightfoot Initiative. Opportunities have come up mainly through Amanda’s vision and kind of ability to find the right people for different projects like OneBike and progressing forward.

What do you do?

I fix up bikes! Yeah, taking things that aren’t working and making them functional again is really satisfying to me. I love fixing things and getting bikes that aren’t being used by people who will give them a home and get people cycling that wouldn’t otherwise be cycling. And I love the waste minimisation side of it.

What exactly are you asking the community to do to support OneBike?

If people are thinking about buying a new bike, consider donating their current bike to us. We’re getting people to send us details of the bike and a photo for starters. With our limited storage space at the moment, we’re looking for bikes that are in reasonable condition that won’t take too much effort to get them roadworthy and to then pass them quickly on. Then in the future, we’ll be looking for anything and everything because those that are in really bad condition, we’ll be stripping them down to recycle the materials.

Is there a limit to the age of bikes you’re willing to take on?

Not really, because a lot of stuff that was made a long time ago, was made very well. We get a lot of road bikes in particular that were made in the 80s and 90s, and they were made really nicely. You can actually restore them quite well. Some of the stuff we’ve been getting is probably 20 years old (and a bike only lasts that long if it’s good quality) some of it’s in quite good condition and relatively easy to restore, which is nice. Also, you’re starting to get things that are a little bit classic, a little bit interesting. So in terms of working on bikes, as a mechanic, sometimes those older ones are a bit more fun to do.

Have there been any bikes that you haven’t been able to restore?

Yes, but that’s generally more because of their condition than an age thing – like it’s been sitting outside and it’s just rusted away. That then becomes very difficult to fix. Down the line when we get more storage space, with those bikes we’ll take the parts that are still functional and worth something and store them to reuse. Everything else we’d take to the transfer station to recycle. I love that you’re getting a bike from sitting in someone’s garden rotting away, into the correct pathway to get that material recycled. Some things aren’t recyclable at the moment like tyres, but most of the bike is aluminium, which is recyclable – even the inner tubes are recyclable if they end up in the right place.

What sort of bikes are you after?

Any. We’ve had all sorts, from kids’ bikes to adults’ from BMX’s to quite modern mountain bikes to classic mountain bikes. We’ve had mountain bikes that are a year old and 20 years old. We’ve had road bikes, hybrid commuter-style bikes and even what I’d call a ‘cruiser’ bike.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m trying to build up our volunteer base so we can fix up more bikes. I guess the key thing is getting people to contact us if they’re interested in fixing up bikes (either at their own place or as part of OneBike fix-up events) with a rough idea of their skill level and any resources that might be available to them in terms of tools etc. There’s no commitment other than just being on our file, so we can make contact and take it from there. Eventually, we want to branch out into education, knowledge and skill sharing too, to get people upskilled and empowered to fix up their own gear.