Wheels turn on bicycle program

When it comes to helping Broome youths gear up for a rewarding challenge, Smicko Boone has found a wheely good way to lend a hand.

The Broome resident and bicycle builder has channelled his passion into a recently established community program to engage youngsters around town.

But the idea behind the initiative is far more than just teaching kids how to build a bike from scratch - it is also a way to boost a sense of empowerment and self-worth.

Smicko's philosophy behind Bicycle Recycle is simple.

"I believe when two hands and a mind are involved in making something, their sense of ownership increases, along with self-esteem, pride, knowledge, and a heightened sense of accomplishment," he said.

Smicko's love of bikes can be traced back to childhood - a passion he said was born out of "necessity".

"With hard-working parents raising five children, money was always spent wisely.... never on luxuries like bicycles," he said.

At age 10, Smicko built his first bike after scavenging parts from the side of the road and using spray paint bought from savings he'd collected from selling fruit to neighbours.

The completion of his first bike heralded a new exhilarating chapter in young Smicko's life.

"The world changed for me, I was free to experience the world and its adventures," he said.

As a long-term resident, Smicko said he was aware of social challenges facing Broome such as rising crime rates, and had noticed the recurrence of bicycle thefts during school holidays.

He was told bikes were allegedly being stolen for the wheels and tyres because children didn't know how to fix or look after their property.

"That got me thinking," he said. "I grew up in an era of workshops - every dad I knew had a shed out the back where things were made, repaired or serviced.

"When Dad wasn't in, my brother and I were building stuff."

It begged the question: where do today's youth learn all the basic life skills and keep themselves amused?

"The wheels had started to turn in my head... but the gears hadn't clicked yet," he said.

At the start of the New Year, Smicko appealed on social media for people to donate their unwanted bikes.

His intention was to fix a few bikes, keep an eye out for one for himself, and donate the rest to charity, but he was flooded with responses.

For the next five weeks he repaired and donated more than 70 bicycles, working out of a small courtyard with no financial support or extra muscle.

He hatched a plan to donate 400 bikes a year, but needed to find a way to manage the volume of bicycles coming in, and co-ordinate fixing them.

Smicko found the local men's outreach centre's bike program had relocated to the West Kimberley Regional Prison, presenting an opportunity to establish his own initiative.

"It's at that point I decided to become a full-time bike builder and open a dedicated youth workshop, specialising in bike maintenance, and building bikes," he said.

He has since entered into a partnership with the First Scouts of Broome and has a "huge processing plant" that can house more than 2000 bikes.

"This is an ideal marriage where resources, knowledge, equipment and location comes into play benefiting everyone involved, especially the youths we are embarking to teach," he said.

Smicko said the facility would be a relaxed environment where kids could come and fix a tube, pump air into their tyres, and service their bikes under supervision and guidance.

Beginners can learn the basics such as how to fix a flat tyre and check brakes and gears.

Then they learn about "anatomy" by stripping a bike down to its frame before being challenged to reconstruct it to understand how everything works.

Once these basics are mastered, participants get to build their product and customise it by choosing a frame and personalised accessories.

New parts will be sourced from local suppliers to support local businesses like Broome Cycles.

After spray painting their bike "skeleton", participants can assemble the bicycle and ride it home accompanied with a tool kit and their newly acquired skills.

Smicko said his ultimate goal was to see Bicycle Recycle grow and offer a program under which every child and their parent or guardian can get involved in making a custom bike together.

The organisation has collected more than 500 bikes and is now urging the community for support by way of donating any old or unwanted bikes.

He is also appealing to local businesses for support.

Smicko thanked everyone who had already made a contribution to the program. To make a donation call Smicko on 0497 865 391 or email streetappeal@hotmail.com .

For more information join the Bicycle Recycle Broome Facebook page.