By Sam Morrison

Spring cleaning comes early this Monday, Thursday and Friday, as the Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library and Repair Shop holds a three-day bicycle maintenance clinic to get cyclists’ wheels rolling.

Free to all UK students, faculty and staff, the one-hour clinics will be held at 4 p.m. at the shop, located between Blazer Hall and North Hall on UK’s north campus.

“The winter beats up bicycles really bad,” Scott Beckmeyer, manager of Wildcat Wheels, said. “Come spring, a lot of people get on their bike for the first ride of the year and realize that it doesn’t work like it used to.”

The winter cold has a habit of claiming the lives of assets left outside, bikes being one of the most frequent casualties.

“The ‘Spring Clinic’ will teach people how to defeat rusty chains, fine-tune their shifting, get their brakes working and learn to clean and maintain their bicycles in the upcoming months,” Beckmeyer said.

The clinic is open for any and all bikes regardless of the brand, style or size. As well as providing all participants with a free patch kit for flat tires, the clinic gives people the chance to bring their already broken bikes and apply what they have learned from the clinic.

“Half of what Wildcat Wheels does is educational maintenance,” Beckmeyer said.

Whether it’s for exercise or the casual ride, bicycles can provide off-campus students with a reliable means of transportation, making their upkeep vital.

“After moving off-campus to live, I rely on my bike even more, and this winter has been especially brutal,” Collin Watkins, a psychology junior, said. “I am looking forward to learning self-repair and maintenance techniques.”

Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Shop is open Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. each week for those unable to attend the clinic. More information can be found online at http://www.wildcatwheels.org.