You may remember some time ago we talked about Street Stream, the so-called ‘Uber for cycle couriers’. Well, from the same company we now have Kerbi, a mobile puncture repair service.
It presents an opportunity for not just existing bike shops, but anyone looking for a bit of extra money on the side. All you have to do is download the app, get yourself set up as a provider and be ready when someone nearby gets a puncture.
Imagine you are a cyclist with a puncture. You don’t have a spare inner tube or you can’t fix the puncture yourself. You don’t know where you can find a bike shop and you are going to be late for an appointment. Wouldn’t it be great if you could hail someone just around the corner to come to your rescue? Well now you can with the Kerbi app for iPhone.
Obviously, it helps if you have a wide range of inner tubes and a stack of patches to hand, as most good bike shops would –not to mention be quick and efficient at repairing punctures. However, if you are already a Street Stream courier, you could also carry a few extra tubes and patches with you and pick up a bit of extra work whilst waiting for another delivery.
If fixing punctures for cash sounds like something that appeals to you, or you like the idea of paying someone else to fix your own punctures you can download the app from the App Store.
Stating the obvious…
However, it goes without saying that you should never leave the house with a spare inner tube (even if you are running tubeless!), some tyre levers and a pump. You never know when the puncture fairy is going to strike.
It’s also good to get the hang of fixing your own punctures, but if you are ever caught short –one more puncture than you have tubes for example, then Kerbi could be a good option.
Cardiff By Bike 
I work with Kerbi, I was a skeptic too when I first heard of the idea, but after talking to cyclists and workshops/bike shops we found Kerbi helped to tackle the barriers to people starting to cycle.
Punctures are one of the most common problems. Bike maintenance can be a bit of a daunting task until you pick up hands on experience.
The Kerbi app is just a new way to access an existing service option, enabling the local bike shop or mechanic to come to you. Rather than other way around.
There’s a great global event called CycleHack that brings together cyclists and their allies to target the problems and barriers faced by cyclists. I’m wondering if any of them could help the Cardiff by Bike campaign?
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