Dave Krack puts more miles on his bicycle than on his car.

Driving the vehicle about 3,500 miles each year, the Butler math teacher estimates his bike miles at closer to 7,000.

But that is just a guess, Krack clarifies, adding "I don't actually keep an odometer on my bicycle. I just ride."

As well as pedaling to work year-round, Krack rides his bike on Fridays to Fixed Gear, a bicycle collective he recently began offering in Butler.

Hosted in partnership with Dan Nichol of Meridian, the free workshop is held in the back parking lot of Westminster Presbyterian Church in America on Main Street, where Krack and Nichol help with repairs or offer free bikes to those willing to help with the work.

Krack and Nichol will make tools and some recycled parts available, however, bike recipients might be asked to purchase some parts if necessary.

Though new to Butler, Krack says the idea of bicycle collectives — or community-based bike shops — began appearing about five years ago, probably beginning in 2002 with the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. Staffed largely by volunteers, that group hosts educational programs and provides refurbished bikes to the community, focusing on low-income families and children.

With a similar goal in mind, Pittsburgh's Free Ride! — a project of the Bike Pittsburgh! advocacy group — also began around that time.

"It is somewhat of a trend," Krack said. "It's a trend of people wanting to work within their communities."

Krack understands the concept of community, having volunteered for many years with the annual Bicycle Rodeo, which ended this year with its 13th reconditioned bike giveaway at the Island Playground.

"I was the guy who primarily fixed bikes," Krack said, noting the end of the rodeo seemed like the right time to start a collective.

"Last year I'm guessing I had somewhere around 50 I personally checked.

"That was the time I decided the next step needs to happen — which is to organize and, rather than giving away bikes, help people fix the bikes they have."

Both avid cyclers, Krack and Nichol met recently at a mountain biking event in Venango County, where Nichol offered to help with the project.

"I've built a couple bikes on my own. I've gotten involved in (situations) where I fixed bikes for friends," Nichol said.

"I always wanted to do something like Dave was doing, but never really knew how to do it."

But armed with knowledge of bike repair, the driver for Butler-based Alpin Surgical Specialties is offering his services alongside Krack.

Those services include repairing and adjusting all of the working parts of bikes. They also will include offering used bicycles, then providing the tools and guidance to fix them up.

"Usually, finding a fixer-upper is not a problem.," Krack noted. "Probably finding people who want to earn them might be a little tricky."

Although Fixed Gear began in July, some weeks have drawn few visitors to the workshop, which moves inside the church during rainy weather.

With successful ventures in other communities, Krack and Nichol hope Fixed Gear will grow as people learn it exists.

As the demand for Fixed Gear's services grows, Krack hopes more volunteers also will come forward.

"I don't want it to feel like it's my project," he said.

"The whole concept is hopefully to get people excited about being part of a community."

This season, Fixed Gear will be offered through October, then will resume in the spring.

<b>WHAT: </b>Fixed Gear bicycle collective<b>WHERE: </b>Westminster Presbyterian Church in America, 420 N. Main St., Butler<b>WHEN: </b>4 to 6 p.m. Fridays through October<b>COST: </b>Help with repairs is free, but participants might be asked to buy some parts.