Employing four to six trained mechanics, the nonprofit has serviced 428 bikes in eight Navajo communities, said project organizer Shaun Price.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to empower kids to ride bikes and experience that freedom of discovering themselves and the land out their back doors,\u201d he said at the conference, which was organized by Navajo Yes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mobile bike mechanic project was funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mission is to develop bicycle infrastructure across Navajo country,\u201d said supporter Renee Hutchings. \u201cBicycling connects our people and culture with the land.\u201d<\/p>\n The traveling bike shop is crucial on the Navajo reservation, which lacks bicycle shops, organizers said.<\/p>\n Many opportunities that people in the U.S. take for granted do not readily exist on Native American reservations. Across the combined 29,500-plus square miles of Hopi and Din\u00e9 (Navajo) land, there isn\u2019t one bicycle shop, according to the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.<\/p>\n Residents must travel to reservation border towns to find support. With the emergency health restrictions, such travel has become difficult.<\/p>\n In addition to free bike repairs, the mission includes education programs that teach youths how to repair their bikes. After a trainee completes a bike mechanic course, they can they can set up classes on the reservation to share skills.<\/p>\n \u201cThat way kids have the power and knowledge to get bikes up and running again,\u201d Price said. \u201cMany homes on the reservation have that rusted bike against the wall, probably because of a repair issue like a flat tire. Providing technical skills empowers youth to get that bike off the wall so they can experience the freedom and joy you find on a bike.\u201d<\/p>\n