Tommy’s Bike Shop gaining momentum
The corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street has always been a busy intersection for USC students. During the day, in addition to being home to the United University Church, the area is frequented by food trucks and students walking to and from campus. This year, the spot has a new resident: Tommy’s Bike Repair, a bike repair service helped run by students, for students.
Fixing a flat · Tommy’s Bike Repair, located at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street, is stocked with 200 different bicycle parts. – Michelle Wolzinger | Daily Trojan
Developed by founder of DormBikes and a senior majoring in international relations, Micah Greenberg, Tommy’s Bike Repair offers students across-the-board bicycle repairs conveniently on campus. The shop, which resembles a plastic shed, is also stocked with 200 different bicycle parts and sells accessories, including a wide variety of bike locks.
“With the University Village being shut down, we wanted there to be an option for students to repair their bikes and get accessories in order to keep an ongoing bike community on campus,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg mentioned that as a freshman, he and his peers didn’t have such an option. Though he rode his bike often, there wasn’t a place close to campus that provided high-quality, trustworthy bicycle repair services to students.
The repair shop sits on the property of the United University Church. Ninety percent of the funds made from repairs and sales go to sustaining the shop. This includes paying rent to the church for allowing the shop to operate on its property and supporting the lead mechanic who works at Tommy’s fulltime. The other 10 percent of income is donated to charity.
The program was only made possible after Greenberg reached out to former USC student and part-time bike mechanic Joshua Romero, who now acts as the fulltime manager and lead mechanic of Tommy’s. Romero is in charge of running the shop and does all repairs in-house. Additionally, the team has its own head of marketing, Samira Haikal, a junior majoring in business administration.
According to Greenberg, the most difficult task in getting the project off the ground was finding a physical location where the shop could be situated. But, after much scavenging on campus, the rewards that came with the project made the whole initiative worth it.
In terms of what’s to come for Greenberg, Haikal, Romero and Tommy’s at large, the team is considering the incorporation of a bike donation or resale program, due to the large number of USC graduates who need to let their bicycles go. Another idea includes partnering with local churches and youth groups to bring unwanted campus beach cruisers to local children in need.
“Providing resources for students through something they really need — while building relationships with the community and providing jobs — I think that’s a great whole package,” Haikal said.