WORKSHOP
empowerment. Now, however, she takes a more structured approach with her messaging, starting with her four pillars: normalise, amplify, educate and inspire.
“I knew that there were women who knew how to fix their bikes, but if the perception out there is that nobody can, then we needed to see more of it. And not only women but all diversity. I knew that there are people out there doing that. But a lot of it wasn’t mainstream.
“When people think about getting their bike
fixed, they think about the local bike shop. And the bike shops are typically male dominated. So I wanted to show people that there are loads of grass roots projects out there and people who run small businesses doing bike stuff that are more diverse and that there are other options.”
Inspiring others to get out on two wheels Daisy Chain Mechanics isn’t just about empowering women or diverse groups specifically, the underlying message from Mulholland is that the more people that know how to fix their bikes on the road, the more they’ll feel confident to ride. That’s what helped her get out of London and ride through places like the New Forest or Surrey, and it’s hopefully what will inspire others to get out on two wheels. “I want everybody to feel independent on their
bike, whether they’re commuting or out on an adventure. Because the more I learned, the more I felt that I could go out of London by myself. “But I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t know that
my bike was in good shape, and that I could fix things that went wrong if stuff happened on the ride. And I wanted that for other people as well, instead of it being a barrier to people going on adventures.” Daisy Chain Mechanics will continue to focus on
like I’m doing anything to reduce bike shop use. For me personally, I started going to my bike shop all the time because I was learning stuff about my bike. I was riding my bike more and I had questions, and I had parts that I wanted to buy.
“I think that the more people know about their bikes, and the more they love cycling because their bike is working properly, the more they’re going to use their bike shop.”
When Daisy Chain Mechanics began in the aftermath of Covid, Mulholland focused on accessibility and
18 | April 2024
interactive sessions, for the sheer satisfaction of teaching someone else how to fix their own bike in real time – rather than simply providing instructions based on ‘what if’ scenarios. “I’d much rather service someone’s bike with them and
teach while we’re doing it, than teach a trail side repairs class. Because it’s so intangible, at the end of the session you haven’t changed anything. Whereas if you work on a bike with someone, they leave, and they’re like texting me half an hour later saying, “Oh my god it feels so smooth.” And that’s better.”
The future is bright for small grass roots organisations
like Daisy Chain Mechanics, and it’s projects like these that will help to encourage more types of people to not only ride, but become interested in their bikes.
www.bikebiz.com
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