By Wendy Booher
International Repair Day takes place each year on the third Saturday in October, which is this coming Saturday, October 18, 2025. Since 2017, the day has been intended to highlight the value and importance of repairing things — oftentimes in a community setting at events held around the world. Perhaps this year more than ever before, International Repair Day has vital significance — given current economic uncertainty — for consumers worldwide who rebel against planned obsolescence, who want to show respect for their possessions, and who are determined to save items from premature dumping in landfills.
“There’s a lot of value in being able to repair your own bike,” said Simon Beatson, general manager of Ritchey Design. “The money saved in fixing your bike is one thing, but the skills earned by learning how to do it yourself are yours for life.”
Why care about repair?
While it might be unusual to celebrate International Repair Day for any brand in the business of selling products, there’s more to the repair theme than just fixing stuff. Like most bike brands, Ritchey sustains itself by achieving certain revenue targets throughout the year. In contrast to a “sell at all cost” objective, founder and sole owner, Tom Ritchey, believes that everyone should be able to fix their own bike, no matter where they are, in order to get oneself back home safely. This belief guides the design process for all the products that bear his name.
DIY repair, however, isn’t without its obstacles, which mainly include proprietary product design by brands looking to control their product maintenance, and lack of mechanical aptitude on the part of the product owner. Why care about repair is a chance for Ritchey to inform and educate customers and to foster brand loyalty. It’s also a strategy for building and/or fortifying a reputation. International Repair Day provides an opportunity to achieve all three.
Community bicycle repair
“Bike repair collectives aim to do more than keep people on working bicycles, we aim to show an alternative way that communities can be self-reliant and share resources and skills,” said Vincenzo Loconte, a member of Bikerowave community bicycle repair collective in Los Angeles. “Additionally we hope they will see broken things as things that need repair instead of being added to our waste stream. We hope that folks who visit us are inspired to spread this ethos to other needs in their community.”
According to this Wiki, there are more than 200 bicycle repair collectives worldwide. This global cycling community helps explain how some brands, like Ritchey, have outlasted others — sometimes by decades. Community bicycle repair collectives, like Bikerowave, provide workspace, tools, and equipment to teach people how to build, repair, upgrade, and maintain their bicycles. These collectives depend on volunteers with loads of mechanical experience and expertise, who donate their time to help empower cyclists with basic bike care knowledge. Repair collectives, which can be found throughout the world, also serve as hubs to connect the local cycling community and when people get together, they talk … about bikes, components, and what they like or dislike about different brands.
Control the message: engage, inform, inspire
The digital “rabbit hole” can become deep and wide very quickly for anyone who’s not super focused when searching online for repair advice. YouTube, Reddit, forums, and other platforms are both fountains of useful advice and information black holes all at once. That’s less of a problem if a brand owns the source. In some instances, Ritchey has preempted Frequently Asked Questions by providing answers in advance. Ritchey has concluded that when there’s an issue for one person, there may be issues for others, and the solution would probably be useful to everyone. Examples of how Ritchey controls the message can be found in each of these tech videos:
How to Service a Ritchey WCS Bicycle Wheel
How to Install a WCS C220 Bicycle Stem
How to Wrap Ritchey Handlebars
In the ultimate nod to International Repair Day, which isn’t limited to just one day, framebuilder Paul Brodie produced a video about repairing a Ritchey frame. More than anything, it demonstrates how a steel frame can be repaired and can go on being a bicycle for many years to come.
Celebrating International Repair Day is a reaffirmation of Ritchey’s rider-first philosophy, no matter what the project is, like reviving a pre-loved bike, starting a winter project, or learning from community repair collectives. While this may be an odd way to get ahead in business, other brands may benefit from encouraging users to “Fix it, don’t ditch it!” in honor of International Repair Day because every repair is a chance to reconnect with their community and the people who place a premium on brand values.
Wendy Boohar is Ritchey's international marketing and media coordinator.
