Campus News

Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library — Your Go-To Spot for Cycling Needs on Campus

Wildcat Wheels.
Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2021) — Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library (WWBL) is a nationally recognized educational resource for University of Kentucky cyclists. It also offers free bike repair services for students, staff and faculty.

The shop is located on north campus, on the first floor of Blazer Dining. It’s manned by knowledgeable students who can assist and teach bicycle maintenance and repair.

If you didn’t bring a bike to campus this fall but think you could benefit from one, consider the shop’s free bike check-out options for both short- and long-term use. If you have your own bike but need maintenance assistance, Wildcat Wheels student mechanics can help while you learn to fix your bike. Gently used parts are available in exchange for volunteer time.

Fall semester shop hours are 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Individuals who wish to work on their own bikes can also do so by utilizing the university’s numerous DIY Fix-It stations, located throughout campus. These stations offer a variety of basic bike tools and air pumps. See this page for a list of DIY Fix-It locations.

If you need to purchase bike parts in a pinch, take advantage of a bike parts vending machine located just inside the entrance to Wildcat Wheels. The machine is stocked with brake pads, shift cables, road caliper pads, bike chains, brake cables, bicycle tubes and bar tape, among other cycling essentials. The vending machine accepts all major credit cards and is accessible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Additionally, if you want to have a more multimodal commute by combining your bike ride with a bus route, learn how to load your bike on the bus with the free-standing bus rack at Wildcat Wheels.

“We’re excited to start a new semester at Wildcat Wheels,” said Sandra Broadus, UK’s Alternative Transportation manager. “So many people started riding bikes again or for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wildcat Wheels is here to keep that momentum rolling. There are some big changes in store for this legacy organization soon. We’re excited to see both the campus cycling community and Wildcat Wheels grow.”

For more details about Wildcat Wheels and UK’s bicycle programs, visit UK Transportation Services' website and sign up for Bicycle e-news. You can also follow Wildcat Wheels on Facebook.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

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