{"id":9503,"date":"2021-10-05T07:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T07:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/landauinjurylaw.com\/theathleteslawyer\/?p=9503"},"modified":"2021-10-06T13:45:06","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T13:45:06","slug":"meet-some-of-the-youth-bike-mechanics-from-phoenix-bikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/landauinjurylaw.com\/theathleteslawyer\/2021\/10\/05\/meet-some-of-the-youth-bike-mechanics-from-phoenix-bikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Some of the Youth Bike Mechanics from Phoenix Bikes!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Aelin and Liam! On our recent visit and helmet drop-off to Phoenix Bikes in Arlington (read more about it here<\/a>), we had the pleasure of visiting not only with Executive Director Emily Gage, but a few of their young bike mechanics as well.<\/p>\n

Through their trademark educational Earn-a-Bike<\/a> program, participants learn bike mechanics by building bikes from the recycled parts of other bikes, and walk — or ride, shall we say — away from the program with their very own bike. Aelin and Liam are just two of the many young mechanics impacted by this wonderful program.<\/p>\n

Aelin, 12, from Alexandria, VA<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Aelin stripping parts from a bike, to be used on other bikes or sold in the shop as individual parts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aelin, 12, is one of the kids currently in the program. His dad had first started teaching him about bike mechanics little by little, and then his friend taught him more, until it became a greater interest and he learned about the Earn-a-Bike program. Now his mom brings him in from Alexandria, and believe it or not, his workshop learning is actually part of his home-schooling curriculum this year. How fun!<\/p>\n

What he likes most about the program? “I like to be in a bike shop. It’s fun, and I get to work on bikes.” Usually his work sessions run about 2 hours, but as the saying goes: “do what you love, and you’ll never work<\/em> a day in your life.” That sure seems to hold true for Aelin. He intently continues working on his bike as I pester him with questions, but he obliges me with clear, straightforward answers while staying focused on his task — in this case, stripping a bike for parts. These parts will then be used on other bikes, or sold in the shop to cyclists in need of a given part.<\/p>\n

He also describes how the completed bikes themselves will either be sold or given away to a kid. He struggles for a bit with an uncooperative bolt that apparently doesn’t want to be separated from its bike. “That’s why you grease your bolts,” he says sagely. Of course he triumphs in the end, and removes the bolt like it’s all part of the routine. This mechanic knows what he’s doing, after all.<\/p>\n