I Am Collingswood: Joe Bonaparte

Joe Bonaparte is a self-taught bicycle mechanic who parlayed a passion for all things two-wheeled into a position as director of the Collingswood Bike Share.

This week, Joe tells Patch how the Bike Share program works for Collingswood residents and shares the story of the '70s two-wheeler on which he began his love affair with bikes.

Collingswood Patch: For those who may not know, can you explain how the bike share works?

Joe Bonaparte: The Bike Share program was founded by [Collingswood Borough Commissioner] Joan Leonard and Rich Everill about four years ago.

We get bikes that have been donated to us in various states of disrepair and some bikes that have been recovered by the police that no one has claimed for over a year. We get them road-worthy, paint them green and, if you're a Collingswood resident, you get a bike for $25 a year.

Patch: Why green?

Bonaparte: It helps to identify it as a Bike Share bike and it's symbolic of our mission of trying to keep the bikes from ending up in a landfill.

Patch: Can kids be members as well?

Bonaparte: It's harder to convince kids to ride a used bicycle. But, if an adult gets a membership, we'll give them a kid's bike if we have one.

Patch: What are the benefits of purchasing a membership in the Bike Share as opposed to just buying your own bike?

Bonaparte: Our bikes are 100 percent recycled. It's $25, which is a heck of a lot less than purchasing most bikes, and members get free repairs. But there are cases where a Bike Share bike can't meet a specific person's needs and I'll recommend they buy a bicycle. Like, if someone wants a very specific style of bicycle and we don't have it in stock.

Patch: What motivates you to work so hard running this program? Is it because you think it's environmentally beneficial? Community building? Or do you really just like working with bikes?

Bonaparte: I like to make bikes most of all. That's pretty much it. I like to take the worst possible bike and make it into the coolest bike. One that the hip citizens of Collingswood will appreciate.

Patch: How did you learn to build and maintain bikes?

Bonaparte: I was very rough on bikes as a child and my father wasn't very mechanical. So I think I started repairing my own bikes about age 10. It was all hands-on. Basically, clockwise—tighten; counterclockwise—loosen.

Patch: I hear you have a history of stunt biking?

Bonaparte: Yeah, I raced BMX bikes for three years in the '80s in a sanctioned league. I can still do a wheelie, that's probably about it.

Patch: Tell me about your tradition of giving your bikes names before you lend them out? What are some of their names?

Bonaparte: I only name the bikes that I've built from scratch. I tell people that I only name the bikes that my hands have given birth to. The first one was Dengleburt, he was kind of awkward to start with and think the name kind of went along with that.

I made a pink bike that was named Tuscadero, and then a black bike named Suzi Quatro which is also a Happy Days reference. Leather Tuscadero was played by Suzi Quatro.

Patch: Do the people who adopt the bikes continue to use those names?

Bonaparte: Absolutely. They usually do.

Patch: Everybody's got a favorite bike from their childhood. Tell me about the first bike you fell in love with.

Bonaparte: Well, this might explain why I named the bikes with Happy Days names. My parents bought me a Fonzie bike in 1978. It had a plastic gas tank with flames on it and a chain guard that said “Sit on it.” I saw one recently on eBay.

Patch: Can you remember any specific instances in which a person's life was greatly enhanced by their participation in this program?

Bonaparte: A lot of people tell me that it's their only source of transportation. And I've been in that situation as a young adult (in the '90s when everyone was a slacker). A bicycle is about 100 percent more energy efficient than walking, so yeah, getting a bike can really enhance a person's life.

Patch: Any thoughts on Collingswood's bike theft problem?

Bonaparte: Yeah, don't give the thieves an opportunity. Keep your bike locked up. Even if you're only leaving in front of Wawa for two minutes. That's when they get stolen.

Some parts, seats and wheels, can have quick release mechanisms and those get stolen often when they're not locked up. I prefer to remove the quick release mechanism on bikes entirely so I don't have to lock up every component on a bike. You can replace those quick release mechanisms with fixed bolts.

Patch: Do you think the Bike Share program would work as well in any South Jersey community, or just Collingswood?

Bonaparte: Of course there is a magic in this town, but there is also a Camden County Bike Share that serves the entire county. They're looking for distribution points, so anyone that reads this and wants to have a bike share in their town can Google “Camden County Bike Share,” and have a bike share ready to go. All you need is a space.

Patch: Tell me about the beef-and-beer event you're hosting Nov. 17.

Bonaparte: Yeah, The Beef, Beer, Bikes and Bowie is going to be at Perkins Art Center on Nov. 17. South Jersey's No. 1 musician, Kevin Monko, is going to be leading a cast of thousands of musicians in performing the entire Ziggy Stardust album.

We're asking for $25 a ticket, and you can buy tickets online by sending a Paypal payment to collingswood.bikeshare@gmail.com. Or you can buy tickets at the Bike Share during our normal hours: Tuesday 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-12 noon.

We are currently looking to partner with a local restaurant to provide the beef part of the beef and beer.

Patch: What will the donations go toward?

Bonaparte: We're buying a public repair stand with tools and a public pump since we're not there as often as we'd like to be. It's so people can pump up their tires, which is the most common thing people need to get done on their bikes, and make simple repairs. Hopefully we can use the money to get more space too.

Patch: Besides buying a membership or a ticket to the beef and beer event in November, are there any other ways Collingswood citizens can support the Bike Share?

Bonaparte: Absolutely. The Bike Share runs on volunteer power, and we always need volunteers. I'm very grateful for the volunteers we do have; they put in a lot of work and they do it out of love.

If necessary, we'll teach volunteers the basics of bike mechanics, but there's more than just fixing bikes. There's organizing the place, there's some paperwork that needs to get done. There's always something to do.

Patch: So, can Willa June ride a two-wheeler yet?

Bonaparte: No, not yet, she's working on her balance bike right now.

Patch: Can she change a tire?

Bonaparte: She can. Her preferred tool is the hammer.

The Collingswood Bike Share is located at the Collingswood Farmers Market on Saturday mornings or Tuesday evenings, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the garage between the Community Center and the Department of Public Works garage. 

For more information about obtaining a membership or volunteer opportunities you can contact them by email at collingswood.bikshare@gmail.com or by phone at 856-425-8946.