Bob Surratt and Kate Cowper have formed an unlikely partnership.
Surratt is a library assistant and Cowper is a bicycle mechanic at Hub and Spoke Cycleworks.
Thanks to their efforts the downtown Central San Diego Library is now offering a Bike Kitchen — a free monthly bicycle repair day open to anyone with a bike, or an interest in learning about bikes.
Bike Kitchen is a place where people can go to use tools, talk with volunteer mechanics and work on their bicycles.
Cowper said the library’s tools are top notch and can fix anything.
“We want people to be able to work on everything from a 1960s Schwinn to your 2016 specialized carbon-fiber road bike,” Cowper said.
Fixing a bicycle can be expensive, Surratt said.
“Some folks in this area are living pretty close to the edge and it’s difficult to make the choice of ‘do I get my wheel fixed, or do I buy dinner?’” Surratt said. “Hopefully, with this Bike Kitchen people won't have to make that decision as often.”
The Central Library’s Bike Kitchen will be open every third Saturday of the month. Starting with an opening class and open fix-it time this Saturday, Oct. 29, between 1 and 4 p.m.
