The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Remember that beat-up old bicycle waiting for the trash truck?
It can be repaired, recycled, and made available to a deserving youngster whose parents can’t afford the high-priced Big Box Store new bike. It will be safe, mechanically sound, and something a kid will treasure for a long time. How, you might ask?
A while back I was riding my electric bicycle running some errands when for the first time in over a thousand miles my back tire began losing air. I keep an emergency inflator with leak sealant in my bag so I was able to air it up and keep going. I thought it was fixed. Being an experienced bike rider (over 60 years) I should have known better.
The next day I was returning from the RecPlex (old YMCA) when again it went flat. And stayed that way. My emergency inflator was empty and I had not yet replaced it.
So I had to get it fixed. A flat front tire is easy to fix: just loosen and remove the wheel, take off the tire and patch or replace the tube. The rear wheel on my e-bike is a different matter. The hub motor makes it a bit complicated and I am lazy. And I tend to lose parts in the grass. In years past I would have to drive at least an hour to find a bicycle shop in Ark City or Stillwater but I remembered seeing one near downtown. So downtown I went, bike in the back of my car.
He fixed my bike! Yeah!
Paul Reeves, a retired Conoco employee, opened his shop three years ago when, being an avid bicyclist, he noticed there was no place to get repairs done in Ponca City.
He takes in old abandoned bicycles for $5, fixes them up and sells them to kids for just enough to cover his costs. Adult bikes he’ll sell for a bit more, but a whole lot less than buying a new one.
He barely breaks even. Might even lose money most of the time. Most of his income comes from storage units nearby. And he sometimes sleeps in a room in the back.
My unusual bike would not fit his repair stand so he grabbed a quilt off his bed and used it to place the bike on upside down. I noticed the quilt on the floor and asked where he got it. He’d made it, he said. He's a quilter. His two sisters are quilters, also. So I made a deal with him: a copy of my late wife Elsie's quilting book Winning Stitches as well as copies for his sisters in trade for a new tube, tube liner, and labor. Deal, he said.
So, Ponca City has a bicycle repairman who quilts and likes beautiful murals on his walls. Next time you need a good used bicycle or want to get your neglected ride (and you) back in shape, go see Paul. He also sells scooters and parts. Address: on west Cleveland two blocks past the RR tracks. You can’t miss it. He calls it “The Virtual Realm.”
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