UVM Bikes!: Coop News & Upcoming Goals from president Luke Fredrickson
“The things that keep me passionate about the co-op and keep me energized enough to continue putting in the time and effort into maintaining and growing the club is seeing people come in and realize, ‘well, this is really cool…’ And when they start volunteering, I can tell that they're just as excited about it as I am.” --Luke Fredrickson, President UVM Bikes!
STVT spoke with Luke Fredrickson-- president of the UVM Bikes! Co-op and current junior at UVM-- to gain insight into the club and its current initiatives. The co-op collects bikes (that are either found or were donated) to be restored in the shop and rented to anyone on campus. This project is not only sustainable in its use of materials, but it promotes the eco-friendly use of bikes as a mode of transport in the community. Volunteers at the shop foster an educational setting by teaching cyclists how to fix mechanical issues with their bike; allowing them to understand their machinery as well as develop a contagious sense of pride and connection to their wheels.
“Just knowing we can make a broader impact, beyond that one teaching moment in the shop… is really cool. [This encourages] people to branch out and spread biking everywhere [in the community].” -- Luke Fredrickson
Currently, UVM Bikes! is in the planning stages of a large scale expansion on campus. Moving into more rooms of the Hills Building will allow for more storage space for bikes-- as the club has now grown to have more than 100 bikes. With the acceptance of their proposal, they will have the storage space for upwards of 150 bikes. This critical expansion will also encourage a more widespread use of sustainable transport on campus, as there will be more bikes available for use by students, faculty, and staff. Luke explained how it is a “big project-- just getting more space. But more space means more rental bikes, which means more UVM students can rent to bike from [the club] and have a method of transportation that's not a car or a bus-- and is faster than walking”.
In addition to this expansion plan-- happening behind the scenes-- there are various other goals that UVM Bikes! has already found success in accomplishing this semester. As described on the blog of Co-op’s official website, the LUVMYCLUB fundraiser recently concluded: raising well over the $1000 goal. Keep an eye out for more fundraisers and events for a chance to get involved-- either as a community member or a part of the growing team of 25 volunteers.
In closing, Luke shared about what is most meaningful to him in his role at the Co-op and how his work inspires others. His leadership and teaching ability exemplifies how to bring community members together over a common passion for biking and sustainability:
“When I get to help someone learn how to work on their bike, it's sort of similar to what teachers talk about-- they really love when students have an ‘AHA’ moment [of understanding]. It's really cool to be able to help when someone comes in, they don't know something, and then they come out with a useful skill that I've helped teach them.”
For more information and resources, check out the links below:
Official Website: UVM Bikes! - Your campus bike co-op.
Facebook: UVM Bikes (facebook.com)
Instagram: UVMBikes! (@uvmbikes) • Instagram photos and videos
