Where The Tall(er) Wheelmen Roam.

On any given Wednesday or Sunday evening, the valley of Manoa is filled with the distinctive sounds of tinkering. Upon further inspection, the merriment of friends converging and laboring on bicycles is apparent. This humble bicycle workspace is known as Cycle Manoa.

Since 2008, the UH Manoa student volunteer organization has been dedicated to promoting and advocating for bicycling. Cycle Manoa provides free hands-on bicycle instruction to university students. The organization seeks to empower students to learn about bicycles and to encourage bicycling as a lifestyle.

Cycle Manoa was instrumental in advocating for sharrows - shared lane pavement markings - throughout the UH Manoa campus and Dole Street. Currently, the organization is campaigning for bike lanes on Waialae Avenue.

On the last day of 2011, coordinator Nathan Domier and volunteer Ryan Nakamura paid a visit to KVIBE. Both Domier and Nakamura immediately went to work utilizing their bicycle knowledge to assist Kalihi’s youth.

Domier, a “super senior” in MIS and International Business recalls summers bicycling across town (in native Chicago) with friends. Domier arrived in Honolulu for college and quickly realized that he needed a mode of transportation. Domier found Cycle Manoa and a community of friends with a shared interest in bicycles.

Nakamura, a sophomore in Japanese, found bicycling at a later age. Nakamura befriended Cycle Manoa mechanic Zeb Brown in a dormitory elevator. After seeing Brown’s bicycle, Nakamura began clamouring for his very own. With Brown, Nakamura is currently working towards forming “Team Cycle Manoa” as a registered collegiate cycling team.

Although Cycle Manoa and KVIBE share similarities, both programs have very different instructional approaches and patrons. KVIBE looks forward to developing a good working partnership with Cycle Manoa to promote bicycling. With great hope, the youth of Kalihi will view college as a viable career option through the coolness of Cycle Manoa. Please consider being a friend of Cycle Manoa.

Cycle Manoa | Educate, Advocate, Ride | www.cyclemanoa.org