Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2007, Blaðsíða 7

1_RVK_GV_07_007_ARTICLE/ENVIRONMENT
“We just wanted do to something!” says Ingibjörg
Ingvarsdóttir, one of the four people who run the alterna-
tive bike repair shop Ræbbblarnir (punxs) at Ásvallagata
48 in West Reykjavík. The label “shop” really does not do
the enterprise justice since the service is free, although
donations are welcome. “The idea was born 2 years
ago when some of us visited the punk K-Town festival
in Copenhagen. Every time the festival is held there
is a bike repair shop and that’s where the idea comes
from”, says Viktor Orri Dietersson Pollitz. Since then a
loosely defined group of 10-15 people belonged to the
Reykjavik Bike Brigade, swapping tips on everything bike
related and riding free together.
Now the name has changed to Ræbbblarnir (the three
b’s stolen from the legendary punk group Fræbbblarnir)
and shop has been set up in a rented garage in a quiet
neighbourhood. Early this summer Ræbbblarnir called
for donations in the form of bikes people no longer
wanted and needed. The response was big and now
they have a sizable stash of old bikes of any kind. “We
want people to realize it’s easy to fix a bike – you don’t
have to take it to a repair shop or buy a new one”, says
Ægir Freyr Birgisson. “But this isn’t a repair service, it’s
a place where you can learn how to fix your bike and
get the tools, help and space needed”. The municipal
authorities provide the four with pay during the summer
months through the program “Creative Summer Jobs”
and a partnership with Íslenski Fjallahjólaklúbburinn (the
Icelandic mountain bike club) is in the works.
“This is about recycling and using old things. Some-
one’s piece of trash can be valuable to somebody else”,
says Ægir. At the garage, every piece of equipment
needed to fix a bicycle is available: wrenches and screw-
drivers, nuts and bolts, a welding gun and plenty of
old spare parts, salvaged from donated bikes. But the
Ræbbblarnir are not just about bikes. Early this month
they put up a daytime punk show in the garden next to
the garage. “The neighbours complained a bit… said
it was like a 5 on the Richter scale earthquake”, says
Ingibjörg laughing. “But we’ll do it again!”.
Other bike related events are on the agenda: Viktor
really wants to have a demolition derby style bike-war
competition and there is a Critical Mass event in the
pipes. Critical Mass events are known in other countries
but have never taken place in Iceland. It is a day when
self-propelled commuters of any kind take to the streets
en masse – forcing cars and motorbikes to acknowledge
their existence under the slogan “We Are Traffic”. The
first Critical Mass took place in San Francisco in 1992
and has been spreading throughout the world since.
The idea behind Ræbbblarnir is that there are no
customers or clients, only people participating. Any-
body can bring their bike over and repair it or get help
repairing it. One of the organization’s objectives is to
raise awareness about the environment, pollution and
recycling. “Anybody can do anything here – there is no
elitism”, says Ægir. “And it should be fun… and it will
be!” he adds.
The garage is open this summer every working
day from 10 to 5 at Ásvallagata 48. If you own an old
bike which you’d like to donate to the project, contact
Ræbbblarnir and they will pick it up from you. As any
cool kid in the world, the bike-gang has a Myspace
presence, www.myspace.com/raebbblarnir and the email
address raebbblarnir@gmail.com.
Reykjavík Bike Punks
Text and photo by Páll Hilmarsson
GREEN
Happy Hour
Every Weekday from 17:00 – 20:00
Pósthússtræti 2, 101 Reykjavik – ICELAND / +354 599 1000 www.saltrestaurant.is
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