Winnipegger helping newcomers by fixing and donating bikes

Giving bikes to a newcomers A local man is giving Winnipeg newcomers the gift of transportation in the form of new bikes.

A Winnipeg man is making sure newcomers to the city have a form of transportation when they come to the city.

Jeff Nespiak is an owner of a bike shop – Southside Cycle Works – and during the pandemic noticed an increased need for bikes.

He said supply chain issues limited people from getting a bike and so he started looking to collect bikes to repair them.

"I repurpose them and basically get them fully functional again. I've had some that, you know, sit outside for 10 years, they're all rusted," he said. "(I) cleaned (them) all up and re-donated to someone to use to around the city a bit easier."

Nespiak estimates he can fix up around 15 bikes a day.

He has partnered with the United Way and other organizations to get bikes to those who need it. In his first year, he said he did about 35 bikes and now that has climbed to around 600.

"It's very gratifying, definitely. It's great because a lot of families can't afford (it). I mean the way the world is now and everything, you know, someone will drop off one and all of a sudden redo it and now someone has (a new bike). It's like giving a new life basically."

On top of donating the bikes, he said he has been fixing most of the bikes on his own dime.

For anyone who is interested in donating a bike or helping Nespiak in any other way, they can contact him on Southside Cycle Work's Facebook page.