TurningWheels teams up with City Team to repair about 70 bikes in San Jose

About a dozen kids were lined up at 9 a.m. at the City Team Ministries Youth Outreach Center in San Jose Saturday morning waiting for handy volunteers to help them fix their bikes. They were told the week before that the “Bike Doctorz” would be in at 10 a.m. The TurningWheels For Kids crew was ecstatic that so many kids were eager to get their bikes back up and running.

For the last five years, TurningWheels For Kids has been working to get kids on bikes. Simple as that. The organization has provided more than 7,000 bikes to local charities in the last four years alone through its bike builds each December, and nearly 1,000 of those have gone to the Valley Medical Center’s Lifestyle Modification Clinic. While the holiday giving is a joy, the TurningWheels group wanted to connect with its community and help get even more kids on bikes.

“For a lot of kids, a flat tire means a retired bike,” said Susan Runsvold, director of TurningWheels For Kids during the group’s first ever bike repair clinic on April 24.

Throughout the day, about 14 volunteers with TurningWheels For Kids who are affectionately known as “wrenches” helped repair more than 70 bikes in the Mayfair neighborhood in East Side San Jose. Flat tires, loose or broken chains, and hand brake problems were among the most common fixes needed.

Carlos, 9, said he was happy to get his bike fixed.

“I can go back to the park now with my bike instead of walking,” he said. He said he doesn’t have to ride his bike to his friends’ house since they live so close, but he’s happy he can ride his bike with them now. His little brother, Jorge, 7, was getting his bike fixed too.

The group also distributed about 40 free helmets.

Among the wrenches were two teenagers who were happy to help local youngsters. Elias Pena, 18, and Ian Ortiz, 17, are students at Lincoln High School, and together repaired about 20 bikes.

“It made me feel good just to know that little kids have a chance to ride their bikes instead of them never working again because of money issues,” Pena said.

City Team Ministries provided a free barbecue lunch for families who brought bikes to repair, as well as festive music and smiling faces. City Team has received bikes from TurningWheels For Kids bike builds each December for the last four years, and City Team director Vernon Hills partnered with TurningWheels to organize the repair clinic.

Talk of the next repair clinic has begun, and there’s one thing TurningWheels knows for sure – wrenches are needed!