WHITEHALL TWP., Pennsylvania — The cyclist rolled his bike up to the new bike repair station at the Ironton Rail Trail pavilion, looked up with a wry smile and spoke.
“This is really something to be happy about!” he said.
Bad pun aside, bikers will benefit tremendously from the repair station, which was donated by the Whitehall Area Rotary Club and officially opened Monday morning.
“It’s a wonderful addition to the trail.”
Ed Hozza, President, Whitehall Area Rotary Club
The approximately 1.52 m high Dero Fixit Plus repair station includes all the tools such as screwdrivers and wrenches required for basic repairs and maintenance on the bicycle.
This includes inflating tires, changing a flat tire, and adjusting brakes and derailleurs (a common type of gear system).
Dero-designed tools are securely attached to the stand with stainless steel cables and tamper-proof fasteners. Hanging the bike from the hanger arms allows the pedals and wheels to rotate freely while you make adjustments.
Phil Gianficaro
/
LehighValleyNews.com
The bike repair station, which costs approximately $2,500, was donated by the Rotary Club through a grant from Rotary District 7430.
A path heavily used by cyclists
In the spring, the repair station was set up at the pavilion.
“The members of the Ironton Rail Trail are pleased with the Rotary Club’s donation,” said Ray Bieak, Ironton Rail Trail secretary and event coordinator.
“Many bikers have already used it. They found it very helpful when riding on the trail.”
Ironton Rail Trail Secretary and Event Coordinator Ray Biea
“Many bikers have already used it. They found it very helpful when riding on the trail.”
The Ironton Rail Trail (IRT) bike repair station is the second in Whitehall; the other is on the North Whitehall Trail.
According to the usage statistics of the bicycle repair station grant, the use of the paths by cyclists and pedestrians remains high.
The IRT estimates that the Whitehall-Coplay portion of the five-mile loop and four-mile branch is used by more than 153,000 people per year, or 416 per day.
More than 40% of them are cyclists.
“It’s a wonderful addition to the trail,” said Rotary Club President Ed Hozza. “We hope many cyclists will take advantage of it.”
