The Nakusp Bicycle Hospital

by Darrell Noakes
for Kootenay Business and Kootenay Visitors magazines, 2002

A hill is so much longer and steeper when viewed over the handlebars of a bicycle. Some hills are worth the effort.

An old bicycle and a Norco sign at the driveway let travellers know they've found the right place: the Nakusp Bicycle Hospital.

Peter Roulston moved to Nakusp from Toronto in 1977, built a log house on five acres near the top of a hill, and settled into what he planned to be a life of homesteading.

In 1982, a friend introduced him to bicycling.

"I was going with a lady who was a fairly keen cyclist, and at that time I had a really basic three speed bike that I was riding just to and from town" says Roulston. "She persuaded me to buy a pretty decent road bike. We did a couple bike trips together, and I got to really like cycling."

"I used to go for fairly lengthy bicycle rides, before I got into the Bicycle Hospital," he says. "Around 1990 I pretty much got into it full time."

Roulston sells new bikes, but he gets most of his work from service and repairs. He rents bicycles only through other businesses, such as bed and breakfast establishments and a local heli-ski company.

"Repair, servicing and maintenance are what people appreciate," says Roulston. "You can buy bikes anywhere. You can get pretty nice 500-dollar bikes now from the big box stores. But servicing them, even though the bike will have a warranty, people don't want to haul it all the way back and then be told to come and fetch it again in a week. So they'll come here and they're quite content to pay the price of the tuneup or repair."

For many, an old bicycle is like an old friend. Parting with it is out of the question.

"People come in here with an old five-speed, one of those bikes from about 1970, and it'll need tires and grips and a seat, a couple of pedals, a tune-up," he says. "They're committed to the bike that they bring in for the tuneup and repair."

"If you own the bike, you've got that commitment and that devotion," he says.

The acreage and the business make a perfect fit. The log house has an open design with a loft. Large windows provide a view of the fields and woods. The basement contains the shop, with display and work areas. A small wood stove heats the house while creating a focal point for customers. On one side of the house, a set of steps leads down into the shop, while on the other, a covered porch protects the main entrance. Ramps on either side of the porch allow bicycles to be rolled on and off. Local children make a game of riding noisily up and down the ramps.

In the large yard, bicycle art, sculptures made from bicycle wheels and other parts, create whimsical displays. A bicycle windmill spins in the soft breeze, its wheels aglow in the late afternoon sun. On the side of the house, a wind chime made from bicycle chainrings fills the yard with harmonious tones.

"I do enjoy my life on my acreage," says Roulston.

"In my case here, being five kilometres out of town and being on top of a hill, people don't come in just to look around. They generally have come all the way out here with a purpose. People tend to come only a few at a time, so I can work with them while they're here."

"In the summer, on a really hot day, it's always quite cool down here. People will come in and after a few minutes they're seated on the carpet on the floor, quite comfortable and quite content to look over little bits and pieces and ask questions. They're very much at home."

"On nice days I can take my carpet - my ‘operating theatre' - and my portable work stand and my tools outside."

"The Bicycle Hospital name reflects perfectly what I do: repairing, saving, prolonging the life of, strengthening - even birthing - bikes."

"This year, for the first time, I've made a point of working only three days a week. I used to work Monday through Saturday, six hours a day, and you end up kind of squandering the whole summer doing that."

"But, this year, I've gone to working three consecutive 12-hour days. I'm getting tons of stuff done, I'm making money, and I have four days off every week. It's perfect. It's totally perfect."

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