The Common Wheel is the Lemon Street Market #GiveLocal partner for the rest of June. We caught up with Adriana Atencio, Director of Outreach and Resources, to chat about how biking can make a difference on an individual and community basis. When customers opt to round up at the register this month, all proceeds will be donated to The Common Wheel in order to inspire, educate, and empower people to ride bikes and live happy, healthy, and environmentally-conscious lives.
How can bikes change lives here in Lancaster?
Bikes have the ability to transform lives by making people happier, healthier, and wealthier. Why happier? Well, you’re not a part of traffic. You are moving and grooving and looking at things, saying hi to people, and building community. Why healthier? I think that one is easy. You’re exercising. Whether you’re pumping up a hill on a single speed or using your gears, you’re burning calories left and right. Plus, you’re not polluting the air while biking. We have some of the worst air quality here in Lancaster, and by cycling, we can reduce CO2 emissions by 10%. And then we come to wealthier. You’re saving money by not having to go to the gas pump as often. You’re saving money because maintaining a bike is a whole lot cheaper than maintaining a car. You’re saving money by becoming healthier. But there is even more that biking can do for you. You can read more about the benefits here.
Where do your bikes come from? How can bikes be donated?
We sell used and new bikes. Our new brands are Raleigh, Surly, All-City, Civia, WETHEPEOPLE, and Redline. We looked for lines that are affordable and good for myriad uses. Used brands vary, as the used bikes come solely from donations. We gratefully accept donations at our King Street Community Center. We also work with groups to host bike drives. We also accept used parts (with hardware included) and accessories. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept donations that are very rusty or extremely broken down. A good rule of thumb is if the bike has been kept indoors (shed, basement, garage) we can most likely use it! However, we are happy to recycle any donation that we cannot use for a $10 donation.
What’s the difference between your Bike Shop on Queen St. and your Community Center on King St.?
Our Queen Street Bike Shop is where we do most of our sales and the majority of our service. We have new bikes and a selection of higher-end used bikes. All of our programming, as well as limited sales of our economical used bikes and service, happen at the King Street Community Center. We opened on Queen Street for numerous reasons, but the biggest one is that we are better able to support our programming through higher foot traffic, more sales and service, and events. The King Street Community Center will always be the heart of our organization, but with improved visibility, we can continue to transform our community through the power of bikes.
Can bikers and drivers coexist in a city? Do you have any advice for either parties?
Yes. Bikes and cars can coexist in a city. Many of us are both drivers and cyclists. The biggest thing is that people of all persuasions need to practice patience. State law says that you must allow 4 feet of room to pass, and I see people all of the time who come up right behind cyclists and pass extremely close. It is SCARY. Just like everyone should have to work in the restaurant industry once in their lives, everyone should be a cyclist on a city street. It makes you a much better driver. You are more aware, and you generally leave yourself some wiggle room to get to where you need to go because you may be behind some folks who are using active transportation. Plus, speeding isn’t good in a city anyway. They are streets, not arteries or highways! If you want to learn more about the laws surrounding drivers and cyclists, check out what PennDOT has to say here.
Are there any local foods you recommend for bikers?
As they say, food is fuel! Any protein-packed food is sure to do you well. Nuts and seeds are easy to pack and do the body good. Also, grab and go bars are really convenient too. We are lucky to have places like Lemon Street Market who carry a great selection of protein-heavy foods for meat-eaters and vegans alike!
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Adriana Atencio
Director of Outreach and Resources
The Common Wheel
Coming up next: Our July & August #GiveLocal partner organization is Meals on Wheels Lancaster County.
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