Ohio State Buckeye Bike Hub opens

Boniface Womber
Wed, 11 Sep 2019 01:41:11 +0000
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Ohio State students now have a central campus location where bicycle problems can be solved: the brand new Buckeye Bike Hub.?

Stemming from a partnership with Ohio State’s Transportation Traffic Management, the Department of Recreational Sports and the Office of Student Life, the Bike Hub allows students to fix their own bikes using DIY tools or have the hub staff fix their bikes for them, Tyler Young, an outdoor leadership program coordinator with the recreational sports department, said. The Bike Hub is the result of a vision to create a central location for bike repairs.?

Young said the need for a bike hub was raised after students talked about the lack of places on campus for students to work on their bikes and the expensive prices at different bike-repair locations off campus.

“The Bike Hub is something we’ve been having in the works for a few years, trying to figure out how to better serve the students here at The Ohio State University and have a facility where students wouldn’t have to go off campus,” Young said.?

Students stand in line at the new Bike Hub outside the RPAC waiting to get their bikes fixed on Sept. 10. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor

Bike repair pricing begins at $5 for a safety check, which is free for students and rec sports members, according to the recreational sports website. Other services include a quick tune, basic tune and clean, comprehensive tune, and a complete overhaul — the most expensive service at $180.

Young said the idea behind the hub came from Ohio State alumnus Jeremy Mac’s vision for a laidback professional environment.

“He had the idea of kind of some couches and maybe some good chill music and just a place where people could come and work on their bike,” Young said.?

Young said the hub currently has a 10-person, fully trained staff that will be certified through a bike mechanic program, and students will be able to have their bikes fixed on site.

Paul Swigart, a fourth-year in neuroscience and student manager of Buckeye Bike Hub, said that as a mountain biker of 10 years, he was excited to get involved.

“I worked at the Outdoor Adventure Center as a climbing instructor and trip leader, and my boss Tyler Young mentioned that we were opening this up, so I thought it would be cool to be involved in the early stages of it and get it off the ground and going and turn it into a really cool bike shop,” Swigart said.

John Shrader, field logistics coordinator for Transportation and Traffic Management at Ohio State, said the hub can provide social and educational resources.

“I think the best part of having the Bike Hub on campus is the opportunities that it presents to have bicyclists meet and have events with each other, have education opportunities and just encourage cycling on campus,” Shrader said.

Buckeye Bike Hub, located at the northwest corner of the RPAC near the sand volleyball courts, had its grand opening Tuesday and will be open Monday-Friday from 3-7 p.m. The Bike Hub only accepts credit card and BuckID.?