Keeping the Wheels Rolling
ROD WEBB talks to Mat McDonnell about how Bike Lab became The Bike Project and what this means.
Sketch for outside mural
One of the first positive things I noticed when I came to Hastings was the existence of the Bike Lab. But however much I wanted to check it out, it never seemed to happen. Just locating it took persistence, as the only evidence was the usually closed door in the promenade wall opposite Warrior Square. Once located, I kept forgetting to turn up on the one day it was open – distracted by the many other things the town has to offer.
Bike Lab was set up eleven years ago to promote cycling culture in Hastings as a “free to access, volunteer-run, weekly community bicycle workshop”. During that time, in a nutshell, they refurbished over 900 bikes, helped more than 1,200 people maintain bikes, provided over 1,500 volunteer mechanic hours and delivered over 400 workshop sessions. And during that time, all I managed to do was donate one bike.
Things are different now. There’s a notice on the door as well as a Jake Bowers ‘bike sculpture’ on the roof. There are also plans afoot to create a bike-related mural along the wall it shares with the promenade.
Having arrived early, I had a coffee and watched as Mat finished off two bikes, which were subsequently collected, and chatted to Jo, one of the eight core team members. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the customers were clearly happy with the service. It turned out that both used their bikes to get to work, one a doctor at the Conquest.
Like so many other areas of life, the pandemic had led to a rethink. Horrible as it was, the empty roads and greater emphasis on healthy living was a real boon for bike riding. But Bike Lab had to close, and many of the key volunteers moved away during that time. Another factor in the rethink was the closure of the nearby High Tide Bikes last year, when the owner Andy Tompkins felt it was time to move on.
It was decided that the community would be best served by having a paid professional team to enable Bike Lab, now The Bike Project, to operate full time. As Mat says: “The pandemic showed there was an appetite for riding in Hastings, despite the hills.”
The Bike Project was therefore incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) with the business model initially based on retail repair work, taking up the slack from the closure of High Tide. Other income will be derived from the developing side of second-hand bike sales and bike hire. No more “lurching through uncertain pots of grant funding”. But emphasising the community nature of The Bike Project, Mat says: “We need to make money, but big bucks are not the issue.”
Mat was keen to emphasise the vital part countless volunteers have played in getting the project to where it is: “We continue on the shoulders of many good people who gave generously of their time as well as the support of the council over the last decade.” And the aims are similar: to get as many people riding bikes as possible, with a focus on ecology, community and creativity – or “reuse, repair and ride” to be succinct.
To emphasise the community nature of the project, we are now sitting outside on the promenade – and being interrupted. One interruption turned out to be another core team member, Boris, “who helps with all the practical stuff”. This led to Mat also highlighting the involvement of Anna Sabin, a keen cyclist and environmentalist, in the sketching out of the design for decorating the promenade wall. There is a sense of community as an extended family.
Accessibility is important, so you can dip in your toes every Thursday 4-6 pm at the free-to-access Bike Kitchen sessions. “The focus is on preventative maintenance, to stop small problems becoming expensive problems and keep you rolling,” Mat says. And perhaps to draw you in?
Sitting outside in the sun on a busy promenade led naturally to Mat’s answer about how he sees the project developing: “As a hub for the practical rider,” he says.
To donate a bike, particularly kids’ and young adults’ otherwise destined for the waste stream, send a picture to [email protected]. Drop off times can be arranged. To get involved or help run the project, contact [email protected]
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