Fix Your Own Damn Bike: Time's Up! Bike Co-Op

This bike is beyond "tacoed."

When hooligans ripped out the foam from my bike seat and bent my front wheel, I was so full of fury that I didn’t even try to think of a nicer adjective than 'œfucked.' But then a Time’s Up! volunteer told me that my wheel had been 'œTacoed.'

Time’s Up! is a bike co-op that offers in-depth workshops about everything from fixing flats to (occasionally) welding. Tonight, the Brooklyn location is having their Fix-Your-Own Bike workshop. For a nominal hourly donation, you bring your malfunctioning bike and Time’s Up! provides tools to use and volunteer mechanics to field questions. Even though there was little hope for my wheel, the volunteers were totally friendly and helpful in telling me how me to straighten my wheel. While I was attempting to wrangle the spoke wrench, my friend successfully fixed her brakes and put in a new tube. Their patio may be the closet thing to Portland in New York: there are chickens in the space where they sell used parts at reasonable prices.

Busy tonight? Haul your bike and across the river to the Manhattan Time’s Up on Thursday for their Fix-Your-own bike workshop. Either branch, you should get to the Fix-your-own bike workshop early. Stands fill up fast.

Time’s Up! Fix-Your-Own Bike workshop
99 South 6th Street [Williamsburg]
Wednesday 6:30pm to 8:30pm
$3/hour suggested donation