It is a small but busy space and the rich smell of rubber tires mingled with grease hangs in the air. The tires are hanging by the dozens from hooks embedded in the ceiling, the wall is lined with bicycle frames and at several stations, pairs of workers are fixing flats, removing rust, greasing chains and adjusting brakes. A man with a shaved head, piercing blue eyes and a wide smile approaches and says, “Hi, welcome to Third Hand, what can I help you with?” His arms are quite literally covered with thick, black grease.

This is the Third Hand Bicycle Co-op, located at 174 E. Fifth Ave. It is within walking – or biking – distance from Ohio State’s campus and the reason it is so busy is because it is filled volunteers who are helping guests to fix their bicycles – for free. Third Hand is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the public how to keep their bikes in top shape, no matter what their bike-related problem might be.

Third Hand volunteers make a conscious effort to make visitors feel comfortable and welcome.

Erin Silvert-Noftle, a first time co-op visitor, said the shop seemed relaxed.

“Everyone was really nice,” she said. “Everyone was working hard, but no one seemed uptight about their workspace…the people were very approachable and I could easily go back.”

Aside from fixing bicycles brought in by members of the general public, Third Hand restores bicycles and sells them at an affordable rate as a means of getting bikes between the legs of more people in the community.

The co-op also helps inner city children by allowing them to volunteer to earn a bike.

“We knock off the 25 percent fee that you have to pay in cash for bikes,” said Justin Morse, one of five core volunteer members who share administrative duties for Third Hand. “We offer free assistance every day we’re open to kids that just ride up.”

The philosophy behind this sort of help goes deeper than just pairing a child with a bike.

“We want to give these young kids the idea that there are people out there that are willing to work with you and help you out,” said Teddy Reese, another core volunteer.

“We’ve been able to do it because we’re all volunteer run; the majority of our inventory is received as donations,” Reese said.

Third Hand receives no assistance from the government. Instead, the organization pays the rent and utilities for its work space the old-fashioned way.

“All our operating expenses are paid for with money raised through membership sales, and sold bikes and some parts,” Morse said.

However, Morse said Third Hand has received some unexpected assistance within the past month. It won a monetary grant from ComFest for its plan to implement a weekly bike mechanics’ workshop run by co-op volunteers.

Third Hand holds open shop hours from noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

“We can get up to 30 or 40 walk-ins per open shop. That’s on a strong day,” Morse said.

Volunteer opportunities abound at the co-op and they are not limited to working as a bike mechanic.

“If you like the idea of the organization and you don’t want to get greasy and wrench on bikes, there are opportunities there as well,” Reese said.

Third Hand needs volunteers for everything from making artwork for the co-op to manning the official tent at festivals and events, Morse said.

The co-op takes donations of bicycles and parts regardless of their condition, Reese said. Any usable parts will be harvested from broken bicycles and unusable metal is scrapped. Profits from the scrapped parts go directly to Third Hand’s bank account. Any unusable material that can be recycled will be, including tires.

Donations can be taken to Third Hand during open shop hours or in the case of large donations, can be picked up by volunteers. In special cases, smaller donations can be arranged for pickup.

“Some people want to donate but they don’t have the means to get it there,” Reese said. “We have gone out of our way for just a bike or two.”

Eric Pacella can be reached at [email protected].