Mt. Pleasant to install repair stations for bicyclists

The City of Mt. Pleasant is addressing its vision of a bikeable community by installing bicycle repair stations at three different locations.

Director of Parks and Public Spaces Chris Bundy said the stations have been assembled and are ready for installment in late May or early June once the weather changes.

“These are great products that put power in people’s hands to make minor repairs to their bicycles and keep them moving through their day,” he says. “This is another way the city can promote the local parks and get people to utilize them.”

The bicycle workstations will be placed on concrete slabs at three separate, visible locations:

• Mt. Pleasant city center
• Island Park
• Nelson Park

The locations will each accommodate a Deluxe Public Work Stand from Saris Infrastructure, a company based in Madison, Wisconsin. According to its website, the goal of the company is to help provide people and communities with products that help them ride, park and service their bikes.

The repair stations hold a variety of tools and a pump for filling tires with air. They also have QR codes that, when scanned, show individuals how to keep their bikes in working order.

“Seasonal riders take their bikes out in spring and there are always little repairs that need to be done — putting air in the tires or tightening up a nut or bolt,” Bundy says. “Sometimes people don’t always have the opportunity to do that because they are living in apartments or don’t have tools.”

If the stations are used regularly, the city will look to install more stations on bike trails throughout Mt. Pleasant, including Chipp-A-Waters Park. Bundy says installing stations on paths along the river will also allow people to fill their innertubes with air.

Bundy says the “lion’s share” of the cost for this project came from the Mt. Pleasant Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s (CVB) Destination Development Dollars (DDD), which funded about $2,500 of the project. Additional funding came from the city.

Executive Director of the Mt. Pleasant Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Chris Rowley says DDD is funded by guests who stay in Mt. Pleasant hotels.

“At the CVB, we are looking at a broad range of things to improve tourism in Isabella County,” Rowley says. “Our intent is always to give back to the community every year.”

Bundy says he hopes the project shows people that a small repair can make biking more enjoyable and gets people outdoors.

”Biking is one of the only things people can do right now,” Bundy says. “We always knew getting outdoors was good for you, but with everything going on right now, I think its highlighting that importance.”