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.
![The RAD Bikes shed open for business](/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/rad-bikes1.jpg?w=700)
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.
![A hive of activity at a regular RAD Bikes workshop](/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/rad-bikes2.jpg?w=700)
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…