A way to experience your community: WRENCH holds Cycle of Giving

A bike mechanic works on a bicycle for the 15th annual Cycle of Giving at Lord Roberts Community Centre in Winnipeg on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Zachary Kitchen/CTV News Winnipeg)

A Winnipeg organization is holding its 15th annual marathon – not the kind you use your legs to run about 42 kilometres, but fixing bikes.

The Winnipeg Repair Education ‘N’ Cycling Hub (WRENCH) held its annual 24-hour kids’ bike building marathon Cycle of Giving Saturday, providing youths in Winnipeg free bikes.

Held at Lord Roberts Community Centre, about 100 volunteers will attend the event and repair children’s bikes. The repaired bikes will be distributed to families who need the bikes.

Marking its 15th year, executive director Merrill Grant said reaching the milestone takes everyone’s effort.

“It takes the work of a lot of volunteers and WRENCH staff members, people in the community and all our sponsors,” Grant told CTV News on Saturday. “There’s a lot of pieces and they all come together to make this happen year after year.”

Most of the bikes will be for children between the ages of three and ten, Grant said. When the bikes are ready, other community serving organizations will find the families in need.

Featuring wide range of ages on Saturday, Grant described the bike-build-a-thon has been a hub information exchange.

“I really love the way that bikes and bike mechanics bring together people from so many different experiences and backgrounds and ages, and it’s really a sharing of experience and knowledge and that goes both ways,” she said. “We learn from other people and we teach other people in that exchange.”

Grant said the organization would “love to get to 500” bikes; 400 making her “very happy and excited.

“Generally, we build between 350 to 500 bikes every year.”

She explained that a bike is more than just a toy.

“It’s getting a way to experience your community, to gain confidence and to really get into a lifelong relationship with cycling and really experiencing your community in a really independent building and healthy way.”

For more information, refer to the WRENCH’s website.