As students hustle past the University Union, Felix Tran wipes his grease-covered hands before crouching to replace the front tube of a student’s bike wheel. For Tran, a computer science senior, this is just another day as a bike instructor managing Associated Students Inc. Craft Center’s mobile bike unit.
The mobile bike unit offers free repair services to students, including tube changes, tire repairs, and derailleur adjustments. Additionally, it provides shock pumps for suspension adjustments and tubeless repair kits for punctured tires, Tran said.
The bike unit operates three days a week. On Mondays, it is stationed on Mustang Way near the University Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Fridays, from noon to 3 p.m. On Wednesdays, it sets up shop on Dexter Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tran said he discovered his passion for bike repairs during the pandemic, teaching himself through YouTube videos when local bike shops were closed. After becoming a bike instructor at the Craft Center two years ago, he helped develop the mobile repair service following the removal of the on-site shop during last year’s Craft Center renovations.
With help from Jill Baxter, the former manager of the Craft Center, Tran envisioned the mobile unit as a way to preserve free student bike repairs by using a cart to house tools and replacement parts. The unit officially launched in August 2024.
“I thought it was vital to have a place where people can get their bikes worked on, or work on their own bikes, rather than having a shop do it for them, needing to pay or get off campus to do it,” Tran said.
Mechanical engineering sophomore Tyler Chattariyangkul said he heard about the service through a campus announcement and decided to give it a try.
“I just bought [my bike] recently and wanted to make sure everything was good, assembled correctly and everything,” he said.
After a short wait in line, Chattariyangkul had his bike inspected and described the process as simple and convenient.
“I mean [Tran is] really helpful, really friendly,” Chattariyangkul said. “He’s been very professional with all the tools. I would definitely recommend it to anyone else.”
For Tran, the mobile unit is a way for him to express his love for bikes while helping others maintain theirs and connect with the campus community.
“I just really enjoy helping people with their bikes,” Tran said. “There’s so many different stories from everyone, and it’s very exciting to see how different people use bikes.”
Jennifer MacMartin, a coordinator at the Craft Center, oversees student instructors like Tran and orders supplies for the bike unit. She emphasized the importance of providing this resource for students who bike on campus.
“It’s nice to have something free and accessible, meet students where they’re at and help them get on their way,” MacMartin said.
