April Hours and Update

The April Shop Schedule is as follows:

Sundays – April 12, 19, and 26 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM (Shop will be closed April 5 for Easter)

Tuesdays – April 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – April 9, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (Shop will be closed April 2)

Things have been very busy lately at the shop. The crew has already repaired over 100 bicycles to give away! This is in addition to all the paid repairs, of which there are a lot more than in the past. The bicycle give-away count (as of March 30) is 117 in 2015! We also had a major uptick in sales for March, which was badly needed as our bank account had dwindled to a dangerously low level.

We recently purchased a Worksman delivery tricycle that we plan to retrofit for a special needs person. We also have had two offers to donate adult tricycles to us, which we plan to match up with special needs folks. These items are frightfully expensive, and those people who need them most are often the least able to afford them. We feel it is important to do what we can to provide special needs people with equipment so they can enjoy cycling. If you are interested in working on a great project, the Worksman is going to take a lot of love to get it ready for its new owner.

We are adding some brand-new items to our merchandise mix. Offerings include some nice MicroShift derailleurs, Dia-Compe brakes, and some budget-priced new saddles. As with sales of all our used stuff, we give 10% of the sale price of what you buy to charity. For quarter 1, part of the charity donation is the purchase and retrofit of the Worksman, and the remainder is going to a local ministry called Shobi’s Table. This is a food truck run by a pastor.  She bakes calzones and weekly she gives them away in a low-income neighborhood to whoever wants one. We at MMRB love supporting local charities that give food directly to the needy, and this one fits the bill.

One final note – we plan to have our English Day on Sunday, April 12 from noon to 4 PM. We will have a variety of English bicycles and parts available, including some lovely ready-to-ride English 3-speeds that would be perfect to ride on the Lake Pepin Tour. Stop by and enjoy tea and biscuits. Weather permitting, we will go riding after the shop closes and stop off at a pub for some Brit-style fish and chips. Hope you can join us.