Duo-Gard’s Bike Repair Stations Keep Riders Rolling
Bicyclists traveling the Pinellas Trail on Florida’s west coast are enjoying a new addition to the scenery: six bike repair stations from Duo-Gard. Running 47 miles from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, the trail attracts more than 70,000 visitors each month. Many of these are bikers, rolling through the county’s picturesque parks, along waterways, coastal areas and residential neighborhoods.
Strategically situated along the trail, Duo-Gard’s repair stations “encourage bicyclists to use the trail without fear of being stranded on the trail because of a flat tire or other minor mechanical problem,” says Alicia Parinello, program planner for Forward Pinellas, in its role as the metropolitan planning organization for Pinellas County. “Duo-Gard’s stations met our requirements and our budget.”
The pearl-green, 6-foot-tall stations are equipped with a tool kit, foot-operated air pump and psi gauge, plus two bars that allow riders to hang their bikes while they repair them. Bikers can now easily perform maintenance and repairs as needed while they enjoy the trail.
“Surface-mounted and easily installed, these stations are built for durability and functionality,” says Sean McKnight, Duo-Gard’s bicycle infrastructure coordinator. “They’re designed as a one-stop for repairs.”
Installed in the summer of 2016, the stations did experience some vandalism early on, says Parinello. This prompted the county to order spare foot pumps, tool kits and pressure gauges to keep in stock.
“The stations are getting a lot of use,” says Parinello. “Bicyclists seem very glad to have them on the trail. They’re a great amenity.” Opened in 1990 as a railway conversion, the Pinellas Trail has been inducted into the National Rail to Trail Hall of Fame.
McKnight adds that although the Pinellas Trail stations are outdoors, the repair stations work equally well for indoor use in Duo-Gard’s bike rooms and shelters: “These repair stations are a perfect complement to our 250-plus biking support products and services, which garnered Duo-Gard an award as a Top 10 Product for 2016 from BuildingGreen.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Forward Pinellas