By Christina Birkett, OSU Student
Considering that I rely on my bike to get me to and from work and classes on time every day, I should take good care of my well-abused bike. Unfortunately, I neglected it and found out the hard way. It was a dark and stormy morning, and I had just left my house before sunrise for a physical training class. I turned into the usually-busy intersection and cranked the pedals. To my utter dismay, the rusted gears creaked and the chain locked up and would not turn. I had to propel myself forward, using my foot as you would on a scooter at two miles an hour. I must have looked ridiculous because I was in a great hurry paddling my way to class. That same day, the tires slipped on some rotting leaves and I face-planted. The next thing I knew, my brakes were completely broken on the front wheel. I realized with horror that not having a bike meant sprinting from opposite sides of campus with my textbooks. I had spent a fortune buying the used bike, and my wallet had not quite recovered yet. I felt a void of hopelessness open.
But then I remembered something wonderful: A staff had informed me earlier that term that Dixon Recreation Center has a bike shop! It is completely free unless parts need to be replaced or the bike is dropped off for maintenance. The mechanics—Bo, Scott, and Brett—can even teach you how to use the tools to fix up your bike yourself! I am not adept at taking apart tiny pieces of metal and putting them back together, so I opted to ask a staff member for help. The mechanics’ hours were posted on the window inside the shop, next to the Outdoor Rec Center (ORC) Desk at East Entry. Scott was happy to replace my chain and showed me how to use the tools. Within minutes, my rusty abomination of a bike was restored into better condition than I had bought it in.
The Bike Shop is located near Dixon East Entry. If you walk along the windows in front of the bike racks, you will see a clear door. You can also access it from inside, across from the climbing wall. Inside are any tools you might possibly need to tune-up your bike. All services are cheaper for students and RecSports Members, but anyone in the OSU Community is welcome to utilize them. I discovered that the prices can be found online on the RecSports Website, in a pdf called “Adventure”. I wasn’t really sure what category my bike fit in to, so I asked a friendly staff in the shop. (Replacing the bike chain turned out to be free, since I brought my own replacement!) Overall, the staff were very helpful and I think the shop is a great resource for everyone. I was also excited to discover that the shop also offers ski and snowboard services. You can call ALI (Adventure Leadership Institute) to set up an appointment at 541-737-3630.
I learned an important lesson that, if my bike is valuable to me, then I should keep it in shape. The Bike Shop is a great resource that RecSports offers that allows me to do so. I can even learn how to use the tools and tune-up my bike myself! (You can drop off your bike with the staff if you are not comfortable poking at your bike with wrenches.) So if you find yourself in my situation, miserably paddling along a busy intersection in the rain, check out the Bike Shop! I’m sure it won’t disappoint 
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Lucky you, left my bike in last week, cost me 50 euro to repair, was not majorly impressed.