Just in time for National Bike Month, new self-service bicycle repair stations have been installed in a handful of locations along trails in the Metroparks of the Toledo Area system.
The Fixit stations, manufactured by Dero of Minneapolis, will be the first of their kind in northwest Ohio. Four of the five stations were to be installed by the end of the day Friday for use this weekend, a spokesman said.
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Stations can be found at the McCord Road parking entrance along the University/Parks Trail in Sylvania Township, in the Silver Lake area at Side Cut Metropark in Maumee, the Towpath trailhead entrance to Farnsworth Metropark in Waterville, and Keener Road Park along the Wabash Cannonball Trail in Monclova Township. A site for the fifth station has yet to be determined.
If a tire goes flat or brakes need adjusting, each station has all the tools necessary for such tasks as repairing flat tires and adjusting brakes, according to a Metroparks statement. Tools and an air pump are fastened to the stand with stainless steel cables, while hanger arms allow pedals and wheels to hang freely during repair.
Each station will have a QR code that links to a website at which cyclists can view short videos about bicycle repairs.
Five local bicycle organizations — We Are Traffic, Toledo Area Bicyclists, Maumee Valley Wheelmen, Team Toledo Triathalon Club, and Maumee Valley Adventurers — each donated $1,200 to sponsor a station. That covered the full cost of buying the stations, which were installed by Metroparks employees.
The Metroparks district is managing partner or owner of many bike trails around the Toledo area.
First Published May 16, 2015, 4:00 a.m.