I've Got a Bike - You Can Ride it if You Like

Here at SparkFun, we love bikes. On any given day at our headquarters you’ll find big bikes, little bikes, fold-up bikes and tricycles. We even have a couple unicycle riders, for those of you who think two wheels is just one too many. It doesn’t stop there; we also like riding our bikes together!

In fact, SparkFun has participated in the past three years of the National Bike Challenge. This past May, nine of our staff members signed up to track their rides and participate in the event. Those nine individuals logged over 900 miles in 128 riding sessions! That’s a lot of pedaling!

A team that rides together, stays together!

With all this bike activity, we found we were running out of space for people to park their bikes. The space was just not working for our needs, so a small group of SparkFun folks joined together to build out what we have called “The Spoke House”! Our goal for The Spoke House was to create a warm and inviting space that welcomes our staff as they enter the building. We tried to keep the project low-cost by using supplies we already had. In a matter of a few days, we really began to see a transformation!

The Spoke House, before

The Spoke House, after

The bikes are hung from thick plywood planks that are mounted to the studs of the wall. A tool bench is stocked with all the gear needed to fix a flat or change out a bottom bracket. And some creative paint and signage is being installed to brighten up the mood and really tie the room together.

As we continue to iterate on this space, we plan to include more SparkFun electronics in the space, like a sign with interactive spinning gears using a RedBoard and an Ardumoto to bring interactive art installations, and an plan to brighten the space with addressable LEDs, to bring color and excitement to the walls.

Working on some bike repairs

Our next event is Bike to Work Day, on June 27th. What has your workplace done to support alternative forms of transportation? Tell us in the comments!

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