• In Rennes, the La Petite Rennes bicycle repair shop will move into a new room at the end of June.

  • The association hopes to develop its activities there and welcome its members in good conditions.

  • Self-repair shops are an essential link in the development of cycling in cities.

    Access to stores is often expensive and delays are significant today.

At its peak, the association had up to 1,700 members. Driven by the boom in cycling, La Petite Rennes quickly experienced a major problem. That of his workshop. Installed in a tiny 30 m² ground floor on rue de Chicogné, the self-repair association has always suffered from the smallness of its premises. The social distancing obligation imposed by the Covid-19 epidemic has only made matters worse. For years, La Petite Rennes has been trying to find a new HQ to welcome its members with dignity and prevent the brake cables from intertwining. The long-awaited day is coming soon. If all goes as planned, the association will open its new premises at the end of June in Courrouze. By multiplying its workshop area by five, it will be able to breathe and develop.And support the tremendous boom in cycling in Rennes, of which it will be one of the pillars.

"We're finally going to stop complaining." David Piederrière uses a scathing humor to express his satisfaction. Her very relief, to finally be able to move. “The reception in the old workshop was sometimes in appalling conditions. For our members, but also for our employees. With this new workshop, we will take a step forward. We will be able to develop all the activities we want, ”explains the president of La Petite Rennes.

For years, he and his board of directors kept hoping to stay downtown.

The boom in real estate and the impossibility of finding suitable premises will have dampened their ambitions.

Their new house is being fitted out in an old ruin that belonged to the army and located in the mushroom district of Courrouze, a stone's throw from the future line B of the metro.

"Self-repair workshops allow you to be autonomous"

Inside, more or less seasoned cyclists will find professional advice and a 150 m² workshop equipped with all the tools necessary to dismantle a bicycle. Here, the parts are used and offered at free price. An essential link in the development of this increasingly used mode of travel. “Self-repair shops allow you to be autonomous to maintain your bike. We know that this is a drag, because not everyone can go to the store. First for budget reasons, but also because they do not have the capacity. Cycling has exploded in Rennes and the sellers are all saturated, ”explains David Piederrière.

Before the opening of its new HQ, La Petite Rennes will have to complete the layout of its workshop. Due to the restrictions of Covid-19, only members of the board of directors are allowed to work there. To speed up the work, the association launched crowdfunding. It is also a way to test its notoriety after the non-renewal of nearly a thousand members, cooled by the narrowness of the old workshop and the access restrictions. “We should have arrived with 1,700 members at Courrouze. Our goal is to come back to it quickly and surpass it. Our vocation is to put people on the bike but also to develop activities that are lacking. The repair of bicycles makes it possible to make integration, training ”, promises the president. In 2021, La Petite Rennes intends to change gear (sorry,we had to do it).

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