Jenni Gwiazdowski's guest appearances

Jenni Gwiazdowski

Pro Women's Cycling

The Restart Project Podcast

Freewheeling

Ride For Unity Podcast - Cycling Chats

Ada Lovelace

Adam Minter

Emily Chappell

Alex Green

Kris De Decker

Lauren Hall

Mark Phillips

Monique Hanley

Leyla Acaroglu

Helen Wyman

Stabby Stabby

Tim Cooper

Abby Mickey

Ben Wood

Isla Rowntree

OwlTail

As 2022 gets on the road, we spoke to Jenni Gwiazdowski, founder and Director of London Bike Kitchen. With cycling taking more prominence in recent years, due to concerns about pollution and safety on public transport, what better time to learn more about maintaining and fixing your bike? Gwiazdowski tells us about her journey from amateur fixer to bike repair savant and sharing these skills.  A decade of London Bike Kitchen The idea for London Bike Kitchen was conceived when Gwiazdowski wanted to learn how to build and maintain her own bike. After learning about the concept of bike kitchens from a friend, she decided to start her own, as London was lacking this type of space. Since its opening in 2012, LBK has taught people of all backgrounds how to maintain and repair their bikes and also fostered a diverse and welcoming community. They had to change their practices due to the pandemic but carried on teaching online. Gwiazdowski tells us about the challenges that this presented and how interactivity stayed integral to their work.  Championing inclusion in cycling and repair Gwiazdowski is also co-founder of Women of Colour Cycling Collective and LBK regularly hold online WAG (Women and Gender Variant) Nights. She works hard to encourage those who do not necessarily feel represented or welcome in traditional workshop spaces. We talk about how the repair community can make events more inclusive. She points out that it is integral that members of minority groups are already present – and often leading – these spaces. Old, new barriers and proprietary parts There are also changes happening in the production of bikes, with the rise of proprietary parts and designs that make repairing much more difficult, and often more expensive. This is a trend that Gwiazdowski – and us as a repair community – hope does not catch on. She tells us of a couple of instances that exemplify how these business practices create additional barriers to repair. “The current new bikes that are coming out with proprietary fittings and proprietary parts, that drives me crazy…I wish I could smack the industry and just be like, don’t do this. I know all you care about is money but think about something else for a second and think about the repairability of a bike.” Alongside the inaccessibility and cost of new parts, supply chains for bike parts in general have been disrupted by the pandemic. The inability to get common parts like cassettes without warning has inhibited their work and will probably continue.  The state of cycling today There are also changes happening in the culture of cycling. In terms of being on the road, Gwiazdowski says that there is still a long way to go. But conversation shifts in recent years mean that the safety of cyclists is starting to be considered, with more bike lanes being introduced across London. However, now the focus needs to be directed at making cycling safer for everyone – not just those that are able-bodied or riding road bikes. She quotes Wheels for Wellbeing Director, Isabelle Clement, saying “when you build for the most vulnerable, you create the most inclusive infrastructure.” Wider, more accessible bike lanes mean that those on unconventional bikes like cargo bikes, and families can ride more safely. This is the direction that she hopes cycling and road infrastructure goes. Links:  London Bike Kitchen Wheel Suckers Podcast Women of Colour Cycling Collective How to Build a Bike: A Simple Guide to Making Your Own Ride by Jenni Gwiazdowski Wheels for Wellbeing Repair.eu: Disposable e-bikes? The problem with unrepairable batteries  [Photo courtesy of Jenni Gwiazdowski] The post Restart Podcast Ep. 72: Maintaining your bike and your community, with Jenni Gwiazdowski appeared first on The Restart Project.

<p>As 2022 gets on the road, we spoke to Jenni Gwiazdowski, founder and Director of London Bike Kitchen. With cycling taking more prominence in recent years, due to concerns about pollution and safety on public transport, what better time to learn more about maintaining and fixing your bike? Gwiazdowski tells us about her journey from amateur fixer to bike repair savant and sharing these skills. </p> <h2><b>A decade of London Bike Kitchen</b></h2> <p>The idea for London Bike Kitchen was conceived when Gwiazdowski wanted to learn how to build and maintain her own bike. After learning about the concept of bike kitchens from a friend, she decided to start her own, as London was lacking this type of space. Since its opening in 2012, LBK has taught people of all backgrounds how to maintain and repair their bikes and also fostered a diverse and welcoming community. They had to change their practices due to the pandemic but carried on teaching online. Gwiazdowski tells us about the challenges that this presented and how interactivity stayed integral to their work. </p> <h2><b>Championing inclusion in cycling and repair</b></h2> <p>Gwiazdowski is also co-founder of Women of Colour Cycling Collective and LBK regularly hold online WAG (Women and Gender Variant) Nights. She works hard to encourage those who do not necessarily feel represented or welcome in traditional workshop spaces. We talk about how the repair community can make events more inclusive. She points out that it is integral that members of minority groups are already present – and often leading – these spaces.</p> <h2><b>Old, new barriers and proprietary parts</b></h2> <p>There are also changes happening in the production of bikes, with the rise of proprietary parts and designs that make repairing much more difficult, and often more expensive. This is a trend that Gwiazdowski – and us as a repair community – hope does not catch on. She tells us of a couple of instances that exemplify how these business practices create additional barriers to repair.</p> <blockquote><p>“The current new bikes that are coming out with proprietary fittings and proprietary parts, that drives me crazy…I wish I could smack the industry and just be like, don’t do this. I know all you care about is money but think about something else for a second and think about the repairability of a bike.”</p></blockquote> <p>Alongside the inaccessibility and cost of new parts, supply chains for bike parts in general have been disrupted by the pandemic. The inability to get common parts like cassettes without warning has inhibited their work and will probably continue. </p> <h2><b>The state of cycling today</b></h2> <p>There are also changes happening in the culture of cycling. In terms of being on the road, Gwiazdowski says that there is still a long way to go. But conversation shifts in recent years mean that the safety of cyclists is starting to be considered, with more bike lanes being introduced across London.</p> <p>However, now the focus needs to be directed at making cycling safer for everyone – not just those that are able-bodied or riding road bikes. She quotes Wheels for Wellbeing Director, Isabelle Clement, saying “when you build for the most vulnerable, you create the most inclusive infrastructure.” Wider, more accessible bike lanes mean that those on unconventional bikes like cargo bikes, and families can ride more safely. This is the direction that she hopes cycling and road infrastructure goes.</p> <p>Links:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.lbk.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London Bike Kitchen</a></li> <li><a href="https://shows.acast.com/wheel-suckers-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wheel Suckers Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenofcolourcycling.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Women of Colour Cycling Collective</a></li> <li><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/books/how-to-build-a-bike-a-simple-guide-to-making-your-own-ride/9780711238985" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Build a Bike: A Simple Guide to Making Your Own Ride by Jenni Gwiazdowski</a></li> <li><a href="https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wheels for Wellbeing</a></li> <li><a href="http://Repair.eu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Repair.eu</a>: <a href="https://repair.eu/news/disposable-e-bikes-the-problem-with-unrepairable-batteries/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Disposable e-bikes? The problem with unrepairable batteries</a></li> </ul> <p>[Photo courtesy of Jenni Gwiazdowski]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://therestartproject.org/podcast/london-bike-kitchen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restart Podcast Ep. 72: Maintaining your bike and your community, with Jenni Gwiazdowski</a> appeared first on <a href="https://therestartproject.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Restart Project</a>.</p>

Restart Podcast Ep. 72: Maintaining your bike and your community, with Jenni Gwiazdowski

Recorded on the 20th November 2020 Jenni and I talked about her journey from San Diego to Japan. We got into how she began some amazing institutions in the LDN bike kitchen and Women of Colour Cycling Collective. Listening to Jenni you feel a sense of zen. Her tip for dealing with road rage will have tears rolling down your face! Jenni also has a book out "How to build a bike" which is packed with helpful advice to help you maintain or build your own bike. Check out her work with @ldnbikekitchen and @wccc_uk.

Chat with Jenni Gwiazdowski (Mechanic/ Director @ldnbikekitchen/ Author/ Podcaster)

Hopefully you listened to the recent BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour programme dedicated entirely to women's cycling, and set at the London Bike Kitchen.  If you did, you will have heard LBK Director Jenni Gwiazdowski talking about their work teaching people to repair their own bikes - or maybe you've heard the Wheel Suckers' podcast Jenni runs with Look Mum No Hands' Alex Davis, which I was on that same day.You can imagine, being in the LBK space, and being on the podcast made me want to know a whole lot more - how and why did Jenni set up LBK in the first place, and what do they do?  Why's she podcasting?  What's her superhero secret origin story?  There's only one way to find out - asking her!Click through to my website for the links to everything we talked about:  https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/05/25/jenni-gwiazdowski-london-bike-kitchen/

Hopefully you listened to the recent BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour programme dedicated entirely to women's cycling, and set at the London Bike Kitchen.  If you did, you will have heard LBK Director Jenni Gwiazdowski talking about their work teaching people to repair their own bikes - or maybe you've heard the Wheel Suckers' podcast Jenni runs with Look Mum No Hands' Alex Davis, which I was on that same day.<br><br>You can imagine, being in the LBK space, and being on the podcast made me want to know a whole lot more - how and why did Jenni set up LBK in the first place, and what do they do?  Why's she podcasting?  What's her superhero secret origin story?  There's only one way to find out - asking her!<br><br>Click through to my website for the links to everything we talked about:  <br><a href="https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/05/25/jenni-gwiazdowski-london-bike-kitchen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/05/25/jenni-gwiazdowski-london-bike-kitchen/</a>

Sarah interviews... Jenni Gwiazdowski on the London Bike Kitchen