SBC Cycling team rolling out Fairbanks bike shop

The Springfield Brewing Co. Cycling team plans to launch a bike shop at The Fairbanks early next month.

The shop would provide children with free helmets and simple repairs, as well as access to donated bikes starting April 5 and running through September. Adults also will have access to bikes at a low cost or via rentals, said Neil Chanter, manager of the SBC Cycling team and a member of the SBC ownership team.

Chanter said the team, which traces its roots back to 2012, was searching for a community outreach project when member Jacob Showalter — an SBC employee who also volunteers at The Fairbanks — suggested the idea.

“It was a perfect fit for us,” said Chanter, who’s also a shareholder at Springfield law firm Strong-Garner-Bauer PC.

The Fairbanks is donating the space, a reading room at the school building’s former library. Any revenue generated would be donated back to The Fairbanks, which provides various services for residents in the Grant Beach neighborhood. The Fairbanks is the central hub for The Northwest Project poverty initiative.

“It needed all kinds of work to make it functional,” Chanter said, noting team members donated time and materials to create a workbench and shelves.

Chanter said the group has received 30-40 donated bikes so far, including 20 for children. The organization is seeking further donations and volunteers. Pinnacle Sign Group Inc. donated the bike shop’s logo, and real estate agent Trent Jackson provided two bike stands.

So far, the majority of the shop’s volunteers are members of the cycling team. The shop will be open 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and noon-2 p.m. on Saturdays.