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With summer coming up soon, we take you on a journey to a place where we spend a lot of time: Txirrind’Ola bike workshop.

 

Clement de Nami House avec son vélo dans l'atelier de réparation de vélos

 

Located along the banks of the Adour River, on the Vélodyssée cycle route, Txirrind’Ola workshop allows you to repair your bike yourself while using recycled pieces.

 

For a few coins, you will have access to the Mecca of bike repair, with great mechanics who advise and help you, all in a good mood!

 

How good Nami House bikes are maintained!

I know, I am going to break a myth: even if I am a genius handyman (modest on top of that) and we always try at Nami House to do everything by ourselves, I have to admit that apart from changing the brake pad and repairing a flat tire, my knowledge in terms of bike maintenance was somehow limited…

 

Clement repare un pneu de velo dans la cour de nami house

 

So if like me words such as sprocket set, jockey wheels or stem don’t ring a bell, maybe you also need a hand. Good news: Txirrind’Ola is there for you!

 

What does Txirrind’Ola means?

Concerning the marketing, our Basque friends could have done better. It took us about 6 months before remembering the name of this excellent participatory association with hyper positive energy!

 

Txirrind’Ola is the contraction of the two Basque words txirrindula (bike) and ola (workshop).

 

A French concept

More than 300 participatory bike associations in France!

There is no such place as France to get so many bike repair associations!

There are actually more than 300 in the country! This is what we learned thanks to the Heureux Cyclage (“happy cycling”), a network of the French bike repair associations, which all met last year in Bayonne.

 

On that occasion, we welcomed at Nami House our friends from “Bretz’Selle” (a play on word between bretzel – the famous Alsatian pastry Georges Bush Jr is dying for J, and selle – bike seat): the Strasbourg counterpart of Txirrind’Ola.

 

bande de jeunes a velo dans la cour de namihouse

 

At Nami House, we say YES to soft mobility!

In France, 58% of people commuting less than 1km are using their car.

In those times when climate plays tricks, a little bike ride does not hurt: it’s good for your health, good for the planet and it avoids rusting wink

 

Don’t know what the statistics are in your country, but in France, 58% of people commuting less than 1km are using their car!

 

French government has just introduced a sustainable mobility package so that people who commute by bike enjoy the same benefits as those using their car or public transport.

 

Hope by 2020 our president Emmanuel Macron is going to shift toward ECOLOGY! smile

 

Why do I need to mark my bike?

In France, over the 150,000 bicycles found abandoned, only 2 to 3% are returned to their owner due to a lack of identification.

As we have just been offered two beautiful bikes for our birthday – don’t be surprised if you meet us wandering in the streets of Biarritz, at the beach in Anglet or at the food market of Quintaou – we took the direction of our favorite workshop to have them identified & registered.

 

Fanny et Clement debout avec leur velos au marche de d'anglet

 

In addition to deter malicious people, marking your bike allows especially in case it is being stolen to find its owner to return it.

 

Just in France, over the 400,000 bicycles stolen each year, 150,000 are found abandoned. Unfortunately, only 2 to 3% of victims recover their bike due to a lack of identification*

* Source: FUB (French Federation of Bicycle Users)

 

Like Fanny, mark your bike and put all the chances on your side to find your bike!

 

Fanny avec son velo dans l'atelier de reparation de velo

 

See you on the roads!

I hope I managed to convince you! Like our guest Kerstin, currently cycling around Europe, if you are cycling through Bayonne do not hesitate to stop by Txirrind’Ola workshop. They will be of great help to fix your bike during your trip!

 

jeune fille qui repare son velo dans un atelier

 

Have a nice bike tour and if you have the same kind of association in your country, do not hesitate to let us know (or to spread the world about this great concept).

 

Clement


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