Three free-to-use bike repair stations were installed in Kitchener to allow quick repairs while on the trail.
The stations include Allen keys, tire irons, bike wrenches, different screw drivers and bike pumps.
Vandalism and thefts have made the stations far less efficient, in some cases even rendering them useless.
“Sometimes people try to put the pumps on and then actually end up leaking all the air out of their tire and then end up worse off than they start because the pumps are broken,” said Scott Cottcalway, a coordinator at Recycle Cycles.
One of the stations is located in front of the Kitchener Farmers’ Market and another resides at Kitchener city hall.
The third station, on the Iron Horse Trail near Queen Street, was temporarily removed for trail expansion.
It was not clear whether it would be re-installed in the same location.
The city replaced the old braided cables with heavy-duty chains, and tools have been welded on to prevent thefts.
Contact information is printed on the stations so riders can notify the city if tools are broken or missing.
