From the spring 2023 issue of The Prairie Progressive, Iowa’s oldest progressive newsletter. The PP is funded entirely by reader subscription, delivered to your door for $15/year and available online at theprairieprogressive.com. Send check to PP, Box 1945, Iowa City 52244. Click here for archived issues.
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Bikes Create Community
by Clarity Guerra
Recently, I was talking to my therapist and told her I was feeling irritable and pessimistic and felt a touch of despair creeping in. I asked her, “How do I get back to the light-heartedness I’ve felt the past few months?” She said, “I don’t know, but how about going to the Bike Library? You always seem happier after you’ve hung out there.”
I took her advice and went to Women/Trans/Femme Night, or “open-wrenching” hours on
Tuesday nights reserved for women identified, gender non-conforming, and femme folks. A W/T/F mechanic will help coach you through repairs or upgrades on your bike. All the tools, lubes, and new and salvaged parts to do quick fixes or major overhauls are there. If you don’t have a specific bike project, you can just come and hang out, drink a beverage, and be in community.