Jayson Paulose is a dedicated biker. But as a faculty member, his time is precious.
When he left Willamette Hall one day last month to ride home, he found he had a flat. Fortunately, help was just across 13th Avenue. Paulose dropped his bike off with the Outdoor Program in the Erb Memorial Union the next day, and the day after that, he picked up what felt like a new bike — tune-up, brakes work, new tires — for a price he called “super reasonable.”
“For many of us folks working on the Eugene campus, the convenience of being able to integrate [bike repair] into our commute can’t be beat,” said Paulose, an associate professor in the Department of Physics. “I always thought the bike shop was just a place for DIY. If you’re biking to and from work, you come in, you can get something done the same day, then you pick it up. It’s really a huge time saver.”
The Outdoor Program now offers full-service bike repair in the EMU, providing the University of Oregon’s Eugene campus with a convenient option for tune-ups and fixes for drivetrains, frames, brakes, wheels and more. A full-bike inspection is provided free and repairs are generally $20 to $40, with tune-ups costing $35 to $60 and a complete overhaul, $135.
Logan Devack, bike program manager with the Outdoor Program, said the service will “fill the gap” for UO cyclists, including students, who don’t have the time, means or inclination to get their bike to an off-campus bike shop for service.
The Outdoor Program has long run a bike program that provides students, faculty and staff with support for do-it-yourself maintenance, rentals, rides, university biking information and more. The program added limited bike repair in the EMU in fall 2024 — primarily fixing flats — but has expanded service to, Devack said, “anything and everything.”
“Last fall, with the limited services, very few people were coming in,” Devack said. “We expanded those services midway through spring term and people got a lot more interested.”
The repair service is provided in the Outdoor Program office in Suite 008 of the EMU, near the information desk. Summer operation is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and walk-ins are welcome. Customers are also welcome to email the program or call 541-346-6092 to inquire about repairs. With the return of school in the fall, bike service will run from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
All mechanics are enrolled students and the program will continue to provide do-it-yourself space and educational “bike schools” for those who want to learn more about their bikes and save money in repairs, Devack said.
The addition of bike repair “is great for awareness of the Outdoor Program, brings in another revenue stream and is also outstanding professional development for our student staff,” he added.
Student mechanic Scout Gesuale, who graduated in June, took a moment last week while replacing a spoke to reflect on the bike program’s value.
“I’ve learned something new every day I work here, and it’s also really cool to interact with more of the UO community,” Gesuale said. “We’re learning not only how to fix bikes but how to teach people to fix bikes.”
—Matt Cooper, University Communications