This guest post is from Catarina Gutierrez – enjoy!
RAD is that small shed you’ve seen on the corner of Tuam and High St, across from C1 Espresso {update Jul ’15: now at The Commons, cnr Kilmore and Durham}. RAD is a non-profit organisation, run primarily on donations from the public. Open every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon, RAD (Recycle A Dunger) is a Gap Filler community project where you go to learn bicycle repair and restoration. They have a container filled with various parts and in partnership with ICECycles, you can even find a bike of your own to restore.
As a weekly volunteer, I’ve learned more about bikes in one month than I have all my life. The opportunity to get your hands dirty and learn as you go is what’s… well, RAD. A steady flow of people come in to fix a flat, inquire about their gears, or check their brakes. Since summer is in full swing, we’ve seen lots of people arrive looking for a bike for a few weeks and keen to make one of their own to get it.
One of the best parts about RAD is the people. Richard Sewell, Gap Filler Project Coordinator, heads up the shed. He, along with a great team of volunteers, keep the place tidy and running smoothly every week. Among them are the Christchurch residents and visitors who come to fix bikes and leave with a smile on their face because they learned something AND their bike is fixed. We’ve seen tandems, fixies, unicycles, and even penny farthings. If it’s rideable, RAD has probably seen it.
RAD has served as host to amazing events this past year and provides a great outdoor workspace to get down and dirty. For more information about RAD, check out their website and Facebook page.
Catarina Gutierrez is a freelance writer and copy-editor, specializing in social enterprise management and business strategies. Catarina is an avid cyclist. She tours Christchurch in her purple Tornado with a blue milk crate on the back.
Have you been down to visit RAD Bikes yet?
One of these things that make Christchurch a special place to live in…