Are you gearing up for your bike ride to school but notice that your bike is looking a little “tyred” lately? Bike puns aside, maybe you ought to stop by the UCLA bike pit stop this week for some complimentary bike service.

The pit stops, which can be found at different locations in Westwood throughout the week (see below), offer refreshments, free bike gear and information, as well as bike tune-ups, courtesy of the UCLA Community Bike Center. It is one of many biker-friendly events taking place for the annual Bike to Campus Week.

“We just wanted to show a little TLC to the bike community,” said Michael King, a transportation planner for the UCLA Transportation.

More than 40 people checked in to the pit stop for repairs Tuesday, King said.

UCLA alumnus David Duong noticed the pit stop on his morning ride to work, and the mechanics fixed his derailleurs (for any non-bikers, it is basically the part of the bike that helps switch gears). Duong commutes every day from his home in Santa Monica to his job in the marketing department at the UCLA Anderson School of Business. He said he decided to start biking to work when gas became too pricey. The ride to UCLA is quick and enjoyable, he said. He carries only a backpack with his business suit tucked inside.

Most of the bikers that stopped by had bikes that needed minimal repairs, such as Duong’s derailleur issue, said bike mechanic and third-year geography student Sophia Forde.

For bikes that needed more intensive repairs, Forde recommended bike owners to the UCLA Community Bike Center, located in the John Wooden Center. The shop conducts full service of bikes and also provides tools for students who want to work on their bikes for free.

Bikers, make sure to stop by the remaining pit stops this week:

Wednesday, 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Tiverton Dental in front of the School of Dentistry

Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Ackerman Turnaround

The Metro is also providing free bus rides for bikers on Thursday.

Also, check out this column by Elizabeth Case about UCLA’s efforts to become a more bike-friendly campus and her tips for the best biking routes around Los Angeles.

Did you check out the pit stop? Do you bike to UCLA on a regular basis? Send us a photo of you on your daily bike route to our Twitter @dbmojo or comment below with your experiences.

—Kate PM

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Hey, UCLA students (read: 21 and over), the Cinco De Mayo festivities – or at least the drinking-related activities they include – don’t have to end this weekend.

The new social networking startup “Plan A Drink” is giving out free margaritas at O’Hara’s Monday evening to individuals who sign up for the service through the website.

Here’s how it works: you connect to the site through Facebook, set up a profile and create a “circle,” or you and your five closest friends. Then you “plan a drink” with your circle. You can also see what other outings friends are planning and request to join them.

The idea was developed by New Jersey natives Josh Israel, 25, and Devin Serago, 26, who both gave up six-figure salary jobs last year to travel to Los Angeles and start the project. The project is funded by Start Engine, a Westwood-based company that invests in new startup projects and mentors startup business leaders.

“We were working corporate jobs, wearing suits and dealing with 16-17 work days,” said Israel. “Then this idea came along that we were just so passionate about and we had to act on it.”

Israel and Serago said they both noticed that current dating sites did not match up with the lifestyle of the 21 to 25 year-old age group.

“There just weren’t any sites that catered to our dating life, which basically revolves around going out with buddies and meeting people at the bar,” Israel said.

Plan A Drink is meant to serve the early-twenties crowd. In a way, it’s kind of a group dating site. But Israel said he often hesitates to call it that.

“Labeling it a dating site can sometimes turn people off,” said Israel. Although it can help expand the dating pool, he added, the site is ultimately about making it easier to plan drinks with friends and meet new people.

Third-year economics student Luis Mendoza is currently working as an intern for Plan A Drink. He said he’s developing a more nuanced understanding of how to establish a successful startup.

“I’m definitely learning that I want to follow the ‘create your own business’ path,” said Mendoza. The idea of developing his own company is far more appealing than working in investment banking, he said.

Los Angeles may soon become a new center of technology and startup businesses, added Serago, so Mendoza just might be in the right place.

Have you heard of Plan A Drink? Would you use the service? Tweet us your thoughts @dmojo or comment below.

—Kate PM

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—Kate PM

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