The Squeaky Wheel by Mike Sloane “Do you still have that bike I can try?” asked Briar. “Yeah—it’s down in the basement. One sec,” I said. Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op is a volunteer-supported social enter-
prise operated by London Cycle Link (LCL). In 2014, LCL was established as a cycling advocacy and education non-profit organization, one that just recently became a registered charity. In 2017, LCL set up a space for their co-op, and since then, they have had all locations in OEV, with its current location at 740 Dundas Street since 2022. “Oh, dear.” New to the neighbourhood, there were – and still are – piles of CDs, instruments, records, clothes, toys, books, etc., en route to the basement. Obstacles galore. While it did take a decade, eventually, I spotted, in a corner, the bike I was looking for, one gifted from a friend after one of mine was stolen. “I found it!” Now I had to get back upstairs. 740 Dundas is an Indwell building project called Embassy Commons, one that provides affordable supportive housing for vulnerable populations. Indwell’s project is named after the former Embassy Cultural House and Hotel, which opened in the early twentieth century and, until a fire in 2009, served as a crucible for hospitality, art, and politics. Fitting in with the history and sentiment of the space, the Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op welcomes everyone. From beginners to experts, The Squeaky Wheel and its team of volunteers assists and empowers people with know-how and resources to repair and maintain their bikes (a special thanks to Jensen). “Okay—here it is,” I said, winded and bleeding a little bit. “Let’s go outside and try it out.” The sun was shining, and Briar got on the bike. “I think we’ll need to adjust the seat, but otherwise, it fits really well,” she said. I smiled. “I’m so happy for you. We should take it to Squeaky Wheel, though, to get an axle nut and get it checked out overall for safety’s sake. Your Perfect Match awaits you at The London Animal Care Centre and The Catty Shack! Bringing people and pets together www.accpets.ca
Investing in accessibility at the ground level, LCL and the Squeaky Wheel help to facilitate active transportation throughout the city, which yields environmental, psychological, and social benefits, to name a few. Clearly caring about community, the Squeaky Wheel reaches out to many groups of people—consider, for instance, how, in a collaboration with another charitable organization, Queer Intersections, the Squeaky Wheel hosts a monthly bike repair workshop called WTF for cis women, trans women, trans men, and femme, non- binary, gender-queer, and gender-nonconforming folks. It means the world to me that, as a person who identifies as non-binary, I can dig up a bike from my basement for my friend, a trans woman, and take it to The Squeaky Wheel to get the help we need in an inclusive space, one that has, more recently,
C atty S hack THE
London Animal Care Centre – Licensing, Bylaw Enforcement, Adoption and Lost/Found Services: 121 Pine Valley Blvd., (519) 685-1330 The Catty Shack: 756 Windermere Rd., (519) 432-4572
Page 8 Old East Villager Nov-Dec 2025
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