May Volunteer Highlight: Salt Lake City

Each month, the Collective will feature a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution from one of the Bicycle Collective's four locations.

We've enjoyed the amazing skills, personality, and company of one of our volunteers who found us during the pandemic, began volunteering from home, then at our in-the-park Women, Trans, Femme Nights, then became one of our core volunteers! We hope you enjoy this spotlight of Lisa.

How did you get involved with the Collective?

A girl and her bike.

In the summer of 2012 I bought a new KHS entry level road bike from the shop near the U of U. The next day it rained all the darn day - so the bike sat on its stand and I played with moving the gears-up and down. Checking all the parts, spinning the wheels. Shortly after, I enrolled in the Bicycle Collective Park Tool School and completed all the classes - determined to know how to tune and fix my own bike! That bike and I wandered all over Salt Lake valley - Little Red in Cache valley, trails in Utah valley and even did a ride in Couer d'Alene Idaho and a ride at Interbike in the Las Vegas area.

The Bicycle Collective has been a great support all these years. First the classes, then the needed parts, then during the pandemic, they gave me a way to feel value in fixing up bikes for others. Outdoors, in the park, working with great people. [NOTE: Lisa joined as a volunteer during the pandemic when we would do Women, Trans, Femme Night by fixing bicycles outdoors in the park].

What do you enjoy most about the Collective? Tell us more about how cycling has impacted your life.

I really enjoy connecting with people who like bikes!  Bicycle Collective staff, mechanics, volunteers and clients! My favorite times are helping others and giving tips on techniques for those with less upper body strength! I am excited to help others learn about their bikes as they fix them. And I enjoy problem solving - some bikes provide ample opportunity for that!

I want to thank all the folks at the Bicycle Collective for helping me learn more and patiently answering my many questions. Whenever I have gotten stuck or puzzled by a repair the staff, mechanics and volunteers have always been ready to help. Always in a kind and respectful way.

What was your favourite bicycle you've owned?

My sweet little KHS! I have since bought another but can't bear to part with my KHS.

What are some of your other hobbies?

My pipe dream?  A little shop called Wine and Wheels. :)