Bikes repaired, donated to local children

Hugh Wu unscrewed the rusty handles of a red children’s bike.

Wu, a UF computer engineering senior, spent about three hours repairing the bike Saturday at The Freewheel Project, located at 618 S. Main St. Wu, 22, was one of four volunteers fixing bikes for poor Gainesville children as part of the Saturday Bike Repair Clinic, which occurs weekly.

“It’s nice that these bikes go to people in need,” Wu said.

The bikes repaired Saturday will most likely be given to organizations including Southwest Advocacy Group and local schools.

Don Hackett, 38, has repaired bikes every Saturday for six months and learned how to care for his own bike, on which he will ride from Key West to California’s redwoods in the spring.

“(The Freewheel Project is) kind of an unfound gem in Gainesville,” Hackett said. “I’ve learned the true innards of any bike. I’ve learned quick fixes for the side of road in a pinch.”

Hackett calls Freewheel staff members “brothers” and wishes more people knew about what they do. The chef hopes to open a bike shop one day.

Ryan Aulton, the executive director of The Freewheel Project, said biking is a cheap and efficient way of getting around.

“You know you give a bored kid a bike, and it’s like a life-changing thing for them,” he said. “It’s giving them something to do so they don’t get in trouble.”