Community-led Bike Hubs all over Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland help locals with cycling by providing basic bike repairs and helping people learn how to fix their own bikes. They may provide affordable bike parts and cycling gear. Many accept donated bikes, fix them up and provide them back to those in the community who need them.
Today, we celebrate a new Bike Hub joining the network: Manurewa.
Reesh Casey is a key part of the operation. He explains how Bike Hubs help the community in his opening speech, which he has given us permission to share here.
Nau mai, here mai. Ko Reesh tēnei.
I am a Manurewa local, father, husband, teacher, neighbour and now I am running the Manurewa Bike Hub, along with my right hand man, Mikey, and Stella and Eru.
Welcome my Manurewa neighbours, welcome to YOUR bike hub. This hub is for you.
For you, the cleaner at my school.
With the cost of living, you couldn’t keep your car running. But someone else had a bike they weren’t using and now it gets you to work.
Drop in and we’ll keep your wheels spinning.
For you, the GP who understands the importance of exercise.
You want to ride across Manurewa from home to your practice but you find the roads too intimidating.
Drop in and together we can work out a safe route.
For my student who bought a bike from us last Saturday.
I was so glad to see you riding it to school. Avoiding buying a car if you can, and use that money wisely, you could literally be millions of dollars richer over your life time.
Drop in after school and I’ll teach you how to keep your bike running.
For the family of seven kids.
You kept bring us bikes and we kept fixing them. You didn’t have to bring us fried rice as a koha, just seeing you happy was enough for us.
Come back, I’ve got a rack so you can carry your bread and milk home.
For my bro recently out of jail.
You needed to get around. I gave you my aunties bike, she wasn’t using it, she got an ebike. She doesn’t use that either.
I’m sorry it got stolen. Drop in, we now have locks in stock.
For my daughter, I encouraged to ride to school last year in Y13.
Now you’re riding to catch the train into uni, and you love the convenience.
We have lights and reflectors for when you’re getting home late.
For the busy, working Dad.
You bike to work because some days it’s the only exercise you’ll be able to get.
We’ll advocate for safe streets, so you can get home safely to your family.
For my fellow bike hubbers and enthusiasts.
You understand when I say “bikes are a love language” .
Come and grab a tool and make love.
For our local schools.
We’re educators too.
Come, lets talk about how we can collaborate.
To our local leaders.
We do this because we believe our community has so much to gain from cycling. Health, wealth, connection, a cleaner environment, safer less congested streets.
If you want this too, come and talk to us: we want to work with alongside you.
To Auckland Transport.
Chur. Thanks for making this happen.
For my Beautification Trust colleagues.
You understand that our environment is the most valuable asset we have and ‘to love your neighbour’ is to care for their environment.
Labour along with us.
To you all.
See you soon, at your Bike Hub.
Haere mai ano.
