We cram into cars and head to Peter’s Bicycle Clinic. The directions head down Cascade. Turn right. Turn right again. Little did I know we were heading to another world.
Walking into Peter’s bike shop, the first thing I notice are the walls of positivity. Handmade signs remind me to smile. The décor of optimism is transformative.
I am intrigued. How is a bicycle clinic a living example of non-violence? I sit in awe as Peter humbly explains his mission.
He opened his bike shop to fill a void in the community. Colorado Springs is an expansive city with poor public transportation. He provides bikes to people with a need for transportation who would otherwise not be able to attain a bike.
He does not pay rent for his bike shop. Instead, Criterium Bicycles pays the rent for Peter’s shop. I cannot help but smile. A bike shop that sells $7,000 bikes pays for a bike shop pays it forward by supporting a community that does not have means to purchase a bike. This simple gesture is incredibly humbling. Not all businesses are hungry for maximized profit.
We then ask Peter if why he doesn’t he require people to work off their bike instead of providing free bikes. For example why doesn’t he require people work at the soup kitchen in exchange for a bike? His answer is beautifully simple. Providing bikes is the way he lifts spirits. A person who receives a bike is in a better position to help the community. He states that people who pick up glass of trails or those who dumpster dive for parts are just as essential to the success of the bike shop. He puts good into the word knowing that those who receive it will do good in exchange.
Peter sees the world in a way in which I have never thought to look. He states that he may never know the fruits of his labor in his lifetime. I hope I can take this experience with Peter and see progress instead of results.
