People over Process: Healing with bikes

Published April 15, 2023

Gabriel van Dyck is a 28-year-old medical student in his third year of schooling. He is a regular volunteer with the ReCycle shop at Bike Walk Wichita. While talking with Gabriel, he remarked that one of the biggest challenges in childhood can be learning to ride a bike. “I feel like we forgot the learning curve, how long did it take you to learn to ride a bike? I remember just struggling thinking, ‘Like wait, without training wheels, I’m supposed to balance this thing…’” The skill seemed almost unattainable at first, but once you get the hang of it, and start to peddle and balance on your own, it’s something that always stays with you. I would like to share a small part of Gabriel’s story and experiences while working at ReCycle and Bike Walk Wichita.

While living in Kansas City, Gabriel volunteered to do street medicine at Care Beyond the Boulevard. They had a large green bus that transported doctors, pharmacists, and all the necessary medical staff to provide medicine to people on the streets. “We would go to these same spots and deliver healthcare, and it was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it a lot”. After moving to Wichita to take classes, Gabriel began looking for something similar to Care Beyond the Boulevard and stumbled upon ReCycle while Googling bike shops.

“I love knowing that no matter who I help, they will be able to get what they need whether it’s through a bicycle or patience. That’s ReCycle and why I volunteer”

Gabriel thought it looked cool on the internet and decided to go in one night to check it out. He knew right away, this was it, he found his volunteering home. “I loved it at first because I could just come here, and not be bothered and just work on bikes, and they have all the tools here. It was so much different from working in the hospital and what I do every day, it was really nice to escape ”.

Gabriel noticed ReCycle is built on a deep human connection, the diverse walks-of-life entering the doors is incredible. “I just liked interacting with people in the community, and I like that a lot of homeless people come here, and people off the street, people I would never interact with, it teaches me a lot.” He notes ReCycle has a family-esque dynamic that makes it comforting for anyone to come in and just fit in.

Gabriel says one aspect that really stands out in our ReCycle family is our Earn-A-Bike program, where volunteers can donate 15 hours of their time and earn a free bike. This program truly makes it possible for any person, from any walk of life, to receive a bike for transportation and be able to maintain it.

While discussing this program, Gabriel remarked on a past bike-packing adventure. “I had some s**ty bike that was too small, but it worked. I attached my panniers and it was great. You don’t have to have the greatest bike to have fun and get to where you need to go”. Providing accessible transportation beyond a name brand or vehicle is a core ideal of Recycle and Bike Walk Wichita.

“I like that it provides a means of transportation for those that don’t have a license. It’s often the only way some can get to a job”. In ReCycle you never know who or what will walk in the door, so being flexible is key to giving back in the best way possible.

“I think I’ve taken too many science classes, I think to myself, what’s the proper way or order for this, what’s the right answer?” When volunteering, there is no right way, the way we help others changes based on the person and the tools at hand. “I think there’s the requirement for the bike to be safe and functional, but I’ve learned that if you look at what needs to happen, you can adjust how you get there to better fit.”

In the end, it is less about bikes and more about helping people achieve something they can be proud of in their daily lives. “I love knowing that no matter who I help, they will be able to get what they need whether it’s through a bicycle or patience. That’s ReCycle and why I volunteer”.

ReCycle is driven by a core desire to help as many people as possible. Often it is a derailleur, frequently a flat tire, and on occasion a broken spirit in need of enough support to know they can do it.

Like Gabriel, come in, check out the ReCyle shop, and meet our family. Let’s get more people rolling.

Story – Cody and Morgan