Laura Crossett wheeled her electric bike into the Iowa City Bike Library, past the front desk and into an area with benches, tools and stands. She hoisted her bike onto the stand with a little help, grabbed a rag and a spray bottle, and started cleaning.
The 48-year-old Iowa City woman has been riding bikes since she was a kid, but never gave a lot of thought to maintenance and upkeep — until her electric bike, or e-bike.
“I really decided I needed to learn to take care of it myself,” she said.
Enter the Iowa City Bike Library.
Through its Rent-a-Bench, W/T/F Night and Outspoken Teens programs, the bike library teaches cyclists to care for, maintain and fix their own bicycles.
“We used to offer more classes but now we have shifted to offering this open shop concept for 15 hours a week where people can just come in and do whatever you want or need to do,” said Audrey Wiedemeier, the library’s executive director.