Have you seen the number of bicyclists on Baltimore’s streets, pedaling to galleries, studios, day jobs, and inspired gatherings? This urban transportation revolution is powered by two shops, each with its own special focus, in the Station North Arts & Entertainment District. If you like bikes, you should visit both.
Image from http://www.baltimorebicycleworks.com/blog/
Baltimore Bicycle Works is cooperatively owned and democratically run.
Everyone—management and employees alike—belongs to the Industrial Workers of the World. All seem to have subscribed to the same philosophy: what they do is fun and they make it fun for you.
Tucked away at 1813 Falls Road, the shop was started by photographer and gifted mechanic, Brent Boggs; sculptor and frame-builder extraordinaire, Tommy Nash; and Meredith Keogh and her husband Josh, who studied bike building and repair at industry leader United Bicycle Institute in Oregon.
“I rediscovered cycling while getting my sculpture degree at MICA” writes Tommy on the shop’s site. “The connection between creating things that are simultaneously utilitarian and beautiful, led me to bicycle frame building …”
Lindsey Meisinger, married to Tommy, became a part of the collective after riding her bike from Seattle to Mexico. These five people and more recent additions to the collective make the day-to-day management decisions.
Everyone there is happy and helpful. No question is dumb, whether you’re a recreational weekend bicyclist, two-wheeling commuter, or the parent or friend of a bicyclist. You can buy a used or new bike, a custom bike frame tailored precisely to your physique and taste, or cycling clothes and accessories, including incredible oversized back packs. Repairs? No problem.
Portrait by Brent Boggs, http://brentboggs.com/
If you’re willing and able (or need) to repair your own bicycle, go around the corner to Velocipede Bike Project, at 4 West Lanvale Street near The Charles. This shop is dedicated to making bicycling affordable for all. A non-profit run by collective members and volunteers, it provides tools, advice, and recycled bicycle parts. At their Open Shops, you can buy a used bike, fix up a bike that has been donated, or by making a modest donation, use tools to repair your own bike.
Image from Velocipede Bike Project on Flickr, www.flickr.com/groups/velocipede/
If you want to join this visionary foundation as a donor, click here to contribute bikes, parts, tools, cash, or time. You can become a member of the collective by donating $33 a month or by volunteering three hours of your time a month.
From Velocipede Bike Project on Flickr, www.flickr.com/groups/velocipede
During January, Velocipede will be closed for cleaning, renovating, and reorganizing. If you would like to help in their overhaul, email Ben at volunteers@velocipedebikeproject.org with your information. See details here.
Doreen Bolger is always on the move because she can’t stop seeing, supporting, and writing about the arts in and around Baltimore City. Her lengthy love affair for the arts began in Long Island when her father, an executive in the textile industry, brought home breathtaking fabrics every night from the heart of the garment district. 