Youth from Bikes N’ Roses are leading free bike repair pop-ups across Austin this summer – offering tools, solutions and a deeper connection through cycling.
Empowering youth across Chicago’s West and Northwest Sides, Bikes N’ Roses, a bike shop located at 4600 W. Palmer St., Chicago, provides hands-on bike repair training, leadership development and community engagement. It uses cycling as a tool for social change, helping young people apply their skills to support their neighborhoods, access services and evoke positive changes.
The free bike repair clinic takes place every other Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Upcoming dates and locations are: July 6 at the North Austin Public Library, July 19 at AltSpace, Aug. 2 at Intentional Sports and Aug. 16 at Bethel New Life.
Bikes N’ Roses engagement coordinator Alyssa Romea said that these pop-up events are part of the Pedal to Wellness campaign, a summer initiative taking place throughout the Austin neighborhood.
“Austin doesn’t have any bike shops,” she said. So what we’re doing is providing pop-up clinics throughout the neighborhood, so people can easily access free bike repairs and maintenance. We’re also doing free bike giveaways, so even if people don’t have bikes, it’s like, ‘Oh, we got you.’”.
At the previous repair pop-up event held at Columbus Park on June 7, the team repaired 21 bikes and gave away three bikes.
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes 
Bikes N’ Roses youth fixing bikes | Hector Cervantes
“Youth are pretty much the driving force behind these pop ups as youth leaders founded Bikes N’ Roses, because they wanted a space where young people could come together to work on bike repair and mechanics, do things for the community, and apply their interest in mechanics to helping others,” Romea said.
Yurem Romero is one of the mechanics on the team, helping to repair bikes.
“To me, it’s like a passion. Doing bikes, repairing them, making them, and seeing people happy in general,” Romero said.
Romero highlights that cycling has the power to unite communities, noting that even simple activities like bike repairs or group rides help bring people together.
Hoping for a career in the bike industry, Romero runs a bike business called Scycoloforge, a 3-D printed bike manufacturing company that does custom 3-D print bike parts for individual riders.
As part of the campaign, Bikes N’ Roses plans to hold a community bike ride followed by a barbecue to foster connection and celebration. Final details are still in the works.
Romea emphasized how powerful biking can be, noting that it’s not only a practical way to get around, but also something that supports both physical and mental health. He added that it’s inspiring to hear young people share how biking and bike repair have positively impacted their lives and helped them build connections.
“Community is one of the most valuable things life has to offer. The really beautiful thing about these clinics is that people across generations are connecting – youth are able to share their skills with the community, and the community gets to see that youth have something meaningful to offer,” Romea said.
As part of the Pedal to Wellness campaign, residents can enter a free bike giveaway by filling out an online form. Winners will pick up their bikes at one of the upcoming repair pop-up events.
