Bikes have a lot of moving parts, and thus, a lot of parts that are susceptible to break. For many bike owners, these repairs can be a daunting task. 

Greg Talarico, a Parachute resident and co-founder of the Bike Clinic, wants to make those repairs more accessible. 

“Let’s teach people how to fix their own flat tire, how to adjust the brakes, how to deal with the chain that’s come off, and things like that so these bikes just aren’t sitting, rotting because of some simple mechanical problem that’s easily fixed,” Talarico said. 

With the closest bike shop 18 miles from Parachute, Talarico wanted to ensure that everyone had access to bike repair service. 

Thus the Bike Clinic was born. 

Spearheaded by Talarico and co-founder Mary Watson over the summer, the Bike Clinic is still in its early stages. The vision is to create a community resource where Parachute-area residents learn to repair their bikes and access tools and supplies. 

Despite getting started just recently, the Bike Clinic has already repaired 66 bikes in Parachute. 

The organization provides its services for free. 

Most repairs so far have taken place at pop-up events at the Parachute Monday Market and the Kiwanis Bike Derby. 

The Bike Clinic also offers free repair and teaching clinics, where volunteers work alongside participants to diagnose and repair their broken bicycles. After completing the teaching clinics, students can return as volunteer mechanics. 

The Bike Clinic also has plans to expand. 

The group is scheduled to go before Parachute Town Council on Oct. 15 with a formal request to lease a vacant building from the town. 

It is also working to fundraise $4,000 for a mobile bike clinic trailer. Although the original plan was a strictly brick-and-mortar operation, Talarico said a mobile trailer could broaden the Bike Clinic’s reach. 

“I actually love that idea more than a brick and mortar because we can go to people, we can service a bigger area,” Talarico said. 

“We want to be able to really become a mobile unit where we have a trailer and we can go to places,” Talarico added. “We’re talking schools, libraries, rec centers, where we can advertise that we’re going to be there, and people can come bring their bikes to us. 

Bike safety is another focus for the organization. The Bike Clinic recently received a $2,000 grant from the Garfield County Emergency Medical Trauma Advisory Council to purchase helmets for the community. 

For Talarico, bicycles are more than recreational equipment. They also provide an important form of transportation. 

Bikes are a “fantastic mode of transportation for a lot of people,” Talarico said. “You can get to work on a bike. You can get to a bus stop on a bike. A bus can take you somewhere. You get on the bike and get to your job from wherever that bus drops you off. Kids can ride to and from school, and kids can ride to you know other kids’ houses.” 

Talarico is hopeful about the impact of the Bike Clinic in the Parachute community. 

“If we can provide this service in town, hopefully we can get people, and not just kids, back out on their bikes,” Talarico said.