James Wilson remembers the first bike he ever got.
“My first two-wheeler was such a piece of junk,” he says with a laugh, noting he could ride it fine in a straight line, “but trying to turn the thing around at the end of the street, that was epic.”
The bike, which he got when he was five years old, had been owned by five other kids before him and was in pretty rough shape. Still, Wilson remembers that it offered him a sense of freedom and a way to explore his community.
“The bike was everything,” he says, adding it took him all over town at a time when not many families owned two cars and his own mom didn’t get a driver’s license until he was 12 years old.
These days, Wilson, the owner of Obsession Bikes in North Vancouver, is sharing his passion by refurbishing “previously loved” bikes and donating them to kids of all ages. There is no cost to the families that receive the bikes.
Since 2005, Wilson and his staff have collected used bikes, replaced old parts and tires, removed rust, and got the bikes in good working condition to donate them to North Shore Family Services, Hollyburn Family Services, Salvation Army Chapel, and other groups, including groups that work with local foster kids.
“It takes a lot of labour to repair all the bikes,” explains Wilson.
He estimates that each bike takes at least an hour of work to fix up, and last year they managed to turn around 250 bikes, which is a bit more than they usually produce.
The work is done during the holiday season partly because it’s a less busy time for the store than spring and summer. All of the labour costs are covered by the store, but this year, they are asking for the community’s help.
They still need more bike donations and they also need funds to purchase helmets to go with the bikes.
Wilson explains that he has arranged a deal with manufacturers to get the cost of the helmets reduced, but he still can’t afford to buy all the helmets they need for the program.
Anyone interested in helping the cause can donate $20 to buy a new helmet that will be donated with the refurbished bikes. This spring, Wilson plans to hold a fundraiser for the cost of the helmets he’ll need for next holiday season.
“What I’m trying to do is make the program sustainable,” he explains. But this year, the program needs donations.
And while he occasionally receives thank you cards from recipients of the bikes (the cards “bring tears to my eyes,” he notes) Wilson says he is not doing this for recognition.
“There is a genuine need in this community to provide kids that won’t get bikes, bikes.”
Donations can be made at the store (94 Lonsdale Ave.). For more information about the program, contact Wilson at [email protected].
