LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence bicycle repair shop is earning praise for salvaging and donating dozens of bicycles dumped by a bike-share company at a scrap yard.
Lawrence Re-Cyclery used about $2,000 in donations from the community to buy and repair bikes from a 20-foot-tall pile scrapped by Veo, the bike-share company., the Journal-World reported.
Veo operates a bike-share program in Lawrence that allows people to rent bikes using a smartphone app. The company provides both pedal bikes and electric bikes, but it recently removed its pedal bikes from the University of Kansas campus after its agreement with the school ended March 30.
Re-Cyclery co-owner Kristie Shay said the shop was able to salvage and repair 15 bikes that suffered only minor damage in the dump. But many of the Veo bicycles were heavily damaged, she said. The shop was able to glean parts from the heavily damaged bikes to repair a couple dozen bikes from the pile.
The repaired bikes are being donated to the Lawrence Community Shelter, O’Connell Youth Ranch and the Transitional Living Program, which serves youth who have recently aged out of foster care. Three of the bikes have been donated to individuals, including a homeless man who recently had his tent and bike stolen and needed a way to get to work, Shay said.
