Cyclists are hard to overlook in Montreal. Rain, shine, or snow, bikes are ever-present on the streets, and DIY repair shops quietly sustain the city’s cycling culture with community bike shops and cooperatives. They’re the ones providing patrons with the facilities and tools to fix their bike at a fraction of typical repair costs.

“Our goal isn’t for us to do the work for people, it’s really to get them used to bike repair such that they can do it themselves,” said Nazmus Syed, the operations coordinator at Santropol Roulant’s community bike shop Santrovélo.

“It’s not super simple, but simple enough that you can possibly do these things at your home if you have Allen keys. We’re just there to teach you how easy it can be... It doesn’t have to be scary.”

In Montreal, riding is as recreational as it is a necessary form of transportation. Biking can be a cheaper alternative to driving or taking public transit to commute, but financial barriers, including repair costs, remain prohibitive for many.

“There’s a movement to allow more people to access bicycles and try to reduce the barriers that are there,” said Penny Postgate, a member of worker’s cooperative and repair shop Lurlu. “Trying to reduce [financial barriers] can allow this culture of reducing reliance on other modes of transport that can be more financially draining and environmentally draining.”

The process of repair looks different at each shop, but many foreground affordability in their mission and offer far lower prices than traditional repairs. Santrovélo has in place a pay-what-you-can model for patrons accessing the repair space; at Lurlu, volunteers will adjust the estimated cost of a build for patrons with lower budgets.

Cyclists are hard to overlook in Montreal. Rain, shine, or snow, bikes are ever-present on the streets, and DIY repair shops quietly sustain the city’s cycling culture with community bike shops and cooperatives. They’re the ones providing patrons with the facilities and tools to fix their bike at a fraction of typical repair costs.

“Our goal isn’t for us to do the work for people, it’s really to get them used to bike repair such that they can do it themselves,” said Nazmus Syed, the operations coordinator at Santropol Roulant’s community bike shop Santrovélo.

“It’s not super simple, but simple enough that you can possibly do these things at your home if you have Allen keys. We’re just there to teach you how easy it can be... It doesn’t have to be scary.”

In Montreal, riding is as recreational as it is a necessary form of transportation. Biking can be a cheaper alternative to driving or taking public transit to commute, but financial barriers, including repair costs, remain prohibitive for many.

“There’s a movement to allow more people to access bicycles and try to reduce the barriers that are there,” said Penny Postgate, a member of worker’s cooperative and repair shop Lurlu. “Trying to reduce [financial barriers] can allow this culture of reducing reliance on other modes of transport that can be more financially draining and environmentally draining.”

The process of repair looks different at each shop, but many foreground affordability in their mission and offer far lower prices than traditional repairs. Santrovélo has in place a pay-what-you-can model for patrons accessing the repair space; at Lurlu, volunteers will adjust the estimated cost of a build for patrons with lower budgets.