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Photo courtesy The Common Wheel
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Photo courtesy The Common Wheel
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Photo courtesy The Common Wheel
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Photo courtesy The Common Wheel
Driving in downtown Lancaster, it’d be hard not to notice the new bike lanes spanning the city streets. Around the world biking remains a popular mode of transportation, but even in cities like Lancaster, the trend is only warming up and gaining popularity. But if Chris Caldwell and The Common Wheel have anything to do with it, seeing more people in the bike lane will be anything but uncommon.
Out of both passion and necessity, Caldwell started riding a bike in college “as a way to sleep later, save money on gas and tickets, avoid the gym, and have a little fun while doing so,” he says. While living in Lancaster afterwards, he continued to ride his bike as an efficient means of transportation and to continue to save “as much money as possible,” while noticing that there wasn’t a big biking community downtown.
Deciding to do some research, he began looking at bike riding as more than just a fun, inexpensive way to get around. “I began to read more and more about bikes and their benefits to society: social and environmental justice, a smarter way to do local economic development, direct health benefits, as well as air quality, mental health benefits through a daily active lifestyle, and the list goes on,” explains Caldwell.
With the gears turning in his mind, he did not envision a traditional bike shop route, but instead he wanted to make riding a broader community activity in the form of a non-profit. The “non-profit community bike center model seemed like a great way to help build an everyday biking culture and infrastructure while also providing access and support for all of the small issues that arise when getting people to try something new.” With this concept in mind, the idea for The Common Wheel began.
Between information from the library, “people that are much smarter than me,” and Brad Copeland (who’s currently a professional race mechanic), the idea was in motion; it just needed a space. Without irony, Caldwell began riding his bike around the city scouting for spots to operate. The current location actually came about as a suggestion while in a meeting at the mayor’s office.
The suggested building was in need of some repair and would serve as the first “major project.” “They mentioned the pumphouse in Reservoir Park as a possibility,” remembers Caldwell. “I’ll never forget the first time we walked in the building on a freezing cold, dark day in February. It was in pretty sad shape, but it had great bones, and we thought it could be a perfect location for what we wanted to do.” Dating back to the early 1900s, the pumphouse, located under the blue water tower, served as a place to monitor water levels, but it has been out of use since the 1950s. They managed to overhaul the building with an ADA compliant bathroom for under $15,000.
Now, the shop hasn’t pumped the brakes since opening over three years ago, keeping busy with repairing, rehabilitating and reselling bikes—all from donations. With all of those initiatives it may be hard to imagine what keeps them most busy, but according to Adriana Atencio, director of outreach and resources, it really “depends on the season.” She adds, “springtime comes around and we are inundated with people looking to get their bikes tuned up. But we are busy all of the time with refurbishing and repairing donations. All of the business we do on this front goes directly to funding our programming.”
One of their primary ways of giving back is the Earn-a-Bike program. Through it, they educate kids about bike riding, while teaching important STEM skills along the way. The program allows eligible kids aged 12 to 17 to choose from one of the donated bikes, then work on it themselves while gaining valuable experience in basic bike mechanics and the help of a mentor. “At the end of the program, they get that bike, a tee-shirt, a lock, a helmet, and a light set,” says Atencio.
Helping to put those new bike lanes to use, The Common Wheel has other programs for those who have aged out of the Earn-a-Bike program. The Bikes for All initiative “equips refugees, low-income individuals and those re-entering society” with a bike for reliable transportation.
While The Common Wheel has many amazing programs to help those in need, it is also a full-service shop with on-hand mechanics.
According to Atencio, there are five current employees. In addition to Caldwell, the executive director, and Atencio, there are Matthew Mendez, the new program director, Meagan Rinier as lead mechanic and Bernie Smith, the operations manager.
Expanding to include an additional location on the 300 Block of North Queen Street, The Common Wheel aims to “host information sessions and workshops and other events to help build the culture,” says Calwell. The new location will also enable retail, presentations, and events in a more central location.
The Common Wheel
701 E. King St., Lancaster, PA
324 N. Queen St., Lancaster, PA
717-461-3386 / thecommonwheel.com