Oak Bay dads inundated VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre with bikes for Christmas.

On Dec. 12 the Spandads, a local cycling club comprised of dads who like to wear spandex and ride bikes, delivered a truckload of bicycles to 1Up.

Trevor Tuckwell, an administrative co-ordinator with 1Up, was ecstatic.

B次元官网网址淭hey came by in a big cube van full of bikes, all the way from little push bikes right up to full-on mountain bikes with double disk brakes,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hose will go out to all sorts of kids this Christmas, and even after Christmas just because thereB次元官网网址檚 so many.B次元官网网址�

The Spandads have only formally existed for about a year and a half. According to Alec Johnston, one of main Spandads behind the bike drive, theyB次元官网网址檝e always known they would do at least philanthropic event every year.

B次元官网网址淚 think one of the reasons we decided to work with 1Up was we thought that it would be good to raise their profile, I donB次元官网网址檛 think they get a lot of support or exposure compared to some other charities,B次元官网网址� Johnston said. B次元官网网址淎lso, about 15 per cent of their clientele are single dads. As a group of cycling dads, we thought itB次元官网网址檇 be fun to support other dads.B次元官网网址�

The success of this yearB次元官网网址檚 bike drive surprised the Spandads. Johnston said they hopped for a couple dozen bikes, but ended up gathering more than 100. One of their sponsors, Oak Bay Bicycles, volunteered to help tune up the bikes and ensure they were in safe working order.

Spandad Tye Spicer was really impressed with how the bikes came out. B次元官网网址淎 lot of the stuff we collected you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 want to give people, especially not as a Christmas gift,B次元官网网址� Spicer said. B次元官网网址淭hey took a lot of raw material that wasnB次元官网网址檛 in great shape, and turned them into bikes that a lot of children and families will be really excited to get over the holidays.B次元官网网址�

The bikes collected by the Spandads are going to find new life around the globe.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got 45 bikes that are going to 1up, and about another 50 are going to Bicycles for Humanity,B次元官网网址� Johnston said.

Bicycles for Humanity is a global charity that provides bicycles to developing countries. Trevor Tuckwell is confident the bikes that remain in Victoria will make a big impact, noting 1Up has already started distributing them. He said 1Up keeps wish-lists of harder to come by items, and bicycles are on them.

B次元官网网址淭his is a time when weB次元官网网址檙e inundated with bikes of all sizes, so weB次元官网网址檙e able to fulfill those wish-lists very quickly. So all those kids, and a couple single parents, will get wishes to come true before Christmas,B次元官网网址� Tuckwell said.

By the end of January, Tuckwell is confident all the bicycles will have found new homes.

jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
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