For those newbies in town if you haven’t realized by now UCSB is a biking campus. Similar to Los Angeles traffic, the biking scene here at UCSB can be a brutal awakening for many, if not all, freshies. Have you ever thought of the people who help assemble our ‘rides’? Well look no further; meet the girl behind the wheels.
Morgan Kumlin is a second year BioPsychology major here at UCSB, and if she looks familiar it is probably because she helped put your bike together. Morgan works at the renowned and often crowded UCSB Bike Shop. HC got to sit down with her for a quick second to get the details of what it is like working at the Bike Shop, especially given the huge crowd the first two weeks of school.
HC: What made you want to work at the bike shop?
Morgan: Honestly I did not know anything about bikes before I was hired. Truly what really drew me to apply was the Bike Shops’ musical taste. I figured ‘good music and good vibes’ would be an awesome place to work.
HC: Coolest thing about the bike shop?
Morgan: The painting of the dinosaur pooping out some bike parts. Just jokes, actually my favorite thing about the bike shop is definitely my boss. He’s super helpful and is patient enough to teach you everything you would ever want to know about bikes. However, he also teaches his employees to be very autonomous, always encouraging us to research any problems we may not know how to fix. I cannot imagine anyone else doing such a good job when it comes to managing a shop that so many students are dependent on.
HC: So you would say you have learned a lot about bikes?
Morgan: Most definitely, I have learned so much since I have started. I think it is mainly because we often get bikes that are not in the best condition; everyone is on a college-student budget so it is completely understandable. However, it does make it harder to figure out the problem with the bicycle.
HC: What is your preferred ride?
Morgan: Skating all the way. I am actually trying to learn how to rollerblade right now, so you’ll probably see me stumbling around campus.
HC: Most memorable experience at the shop.
Morgan: I actually met my now-boyfriend there. It was quite simple. He came in one day and I went over to ask him if he needed any help, and the next day when I gave him his bike back he asked for my number!