Lisbon's oldest cycle shop has a new space on Rua de São Bento, where Selim used to be. On April 30th, there is a party for everyone to get to know the new Cicloficina dos Anjos - and celebrate its 11th anniversary.
It is open on Mondays and Wednesdays between 6 and 9 pm. Anyone can drop in to get their bike fixed for free or help someone else do it. The community spirit is felt in this space, even when it is empty, as was the case this Tuesday when, at the end of the day, we arranged an informal meeting with Rui Sebastian. The objective: to learn more about this change and the future of the Cicloficina.
Rui is currently in charge of Cyclodaassociation dedicated to the promotion of the bicycle, which brings together various projects, such as the Saddle, Tia Bina and Cicloficina dos Anjos. It is the oldest cycle shop in the city and was therefore highlighted in the 2019 edition of the Norwegian magazine Bikevibe dedicated to Lisbon. Just like other cycle workshopsIt came into existence because the community wanted it to, and it continues to exist because the community wants it to.
Cyclopaths don't have to have a physical space, but the one in Anjos conquered its own in 2016, at number 15, Dr. Almeida Amaral Street, after having operated inside the Anjos Recreational Association's premises since 2011. Now, and because the rent for the previous space was going up, it has moved to São Bento, to Selim's "office," a project that is dormant because it has run out of funding and operational support from the Lisbon City Hall.
The idea is "experiment and see what happens, see if the volunteers like it, if the space is cool"Despite the formality conferred by the association Cicloda to the project, Cicloficina dos Anjos is still a very important project," says Rui Sebastian. "a collective that depends on the will of the people". Thus, number 246 on Rua de São Bento is now open again on Mondays and Wednesdays, and if all goes well it will also open on Fridays - always during after working hours. Anyone can bring their bike and count on the help of Cicloficina's volunteers to fix it - all for free. Donations are welcome, of course, but the idea is that the more experienced can help those who are just starting to ride or who don't know anything about mechanics yet and want to learn the basics.
Learning... by doing. It's like a hands-on class with socializing mixed in. There is food from whoever brings it, drink and, yes, that includes beer. The cycle workshops are also meeting places and this is very important, as Rui reinforced throughout our conversation. For those who have just arrived in Lisbon, for example, on Erasmus, a visit to Cicloficina dos Anjos (or another cycle shop) can be a good excuse to make friends and also to get a bike to move around the city. Cicloficina dos Anjos accepts donations of old bicycles and also of parts that many stores decide to throw away. "We have a lot of air chambers here that have a little hole in them but for the stores they are garbage" because they cannot risk giving the customer an imperfect material. "Often they just need a patch" And we do it here for someone who is in need of a working airlock.
Rui Sebastian took advantage of coming to Cicloficina dos Anjos to do a little tuning on his bike while we talked and exchanged some ideas informally. Everything is still open, he said. For now, there will be a party: on April 30th, starting at 5pm, everyone is invited to show up at 246 Rua de São Bento, right in front of the Portuguese Parliament. Music and socializing with food and drinks throughout the afternoon are promised, as well as a Alleycat - an orienteering race in which the participants will be challenged and the winner is not the fastest, but the one who knows the city best. Just show up, but to participate in Alleycat you need to make an application here.
One of the next challenges is to find a name for the new space. No longer just Selim's (and not knowing if and how the project will return), Rui wants to take advantage of the move of Cicloficina dos Anjos to São Bento to create a new centrality linked to cycling and a name that brings together the different projects is important. Who knows what this space will be in the future. A cafe open daily where the community can meet outside of social networks? A cowork where bicycle mechanics can work and other people connected to this form of mobility? A place to workshops and training in mechanics? For now, there is Selim, Cicloficina dos Anjos and also FEMALEa community bicycle workshop by and for all women (*women, transgender, non-cis people).
The site was given to Cicloda for Selim by the Lisbon City Council and they have it for another two years. It could be the beginning of something bigger that brings a new dynamic to the São Bento area and to the city. For now, number 246 opens on Mondays and Wednesdays in the late afternoon every week as Cicloficina dos Anjos. And it opens to women on the last Thursday of every month, also in late afternoon hours, as FEMINA. As for Selim, we'll see. And on Saturday, April 30, at 5 PM, it will also be open for the Cicloficina's 11th anniversary party - a party to celebrate the ten years as well, because in 2021 the pandemic didn't let it.
