Jackson man spends spare time fixing bikes for the needy

Marvin Niedbalski of Jackson has been fixing bikes in his spare time and giving them away for 35 years. Niedbalski said he learned how to repair bikes from his father as a child. (Elizabeth Dodd) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Six bicycles lay against Marvin Niedbalski's house ready to go to a new home. He already has someone in mind for the little purple-and-white girl's bike with training wheels.

"My dad died when I was very young, so it was either work on a bike or not ride," Niedbalski said.

Niedbalski said he has two passions. One is riding; the other is fixing bicycles and finding children to give them to.

Niedbalski, who has lived in Jackson for many years, is originally from south St. Louis. He still uses the socket set his older brother gave him when he began fixing bicycles at age 12.

Later, when Niedbalski returned from serving as a master mechanic in the Army in Vietnam, he noticed children in his St. Louis neighborhood didn't have much. He decided he would use his skills and his hobby to help.

"There were kids everywhere who didn't have a bike," Niedbalski said. "They didn't have much, and to get a bike they either had to borrow one or steal one. I figured I'd just give them one and put a stop to that."

Over the years he said he thinks he must have given away at least a thousand bicycles. Niedbalski won't give them to companies or organizations. He derives his joy from seeing a child receive his work.

"I like to see those little kids faces light up, that's what it's all about. If I give them away to an organization, I don't get to see that," Niedbalski said.

Niedbalski moved to Jackson 30 years ago to work as a line technician at Procter & Gamble. Now retired, he said he is glad to spend his time riding with his family and putting bicycles together from scrap.

Niedbalski said word has gotten around about his work. He often receives calls from people who want to donate old bicycles or parts. He said he searches yard sales for extra parts and only buys a new part if one is completely missing.

"Mostly I take apart ones that are scrapped, and I just keep buckets of parts around for the next time they'll fit somewhere," he said.

Niedbalski said the higher price of bicycles these days keeps him working so children can still get them for Christmas. He said his biggest problem is getting smaller bikes to work on, especially little boys' bikes, because they tear them up pretty fast.

He passed on his love for bicycles to his sons.

He said he is looking forward to his son Kevin coming home from college in St. Louis this summer so they can ride around town together. Niedbalski, his wife and six children used to ride together for charity and on leisure rides.

During a leisure ride in St. Louis called the Moonlight Ramble, Niedbalski said a truck hit his son John, throwing him from his bicycle. John sustained a severe brain injury despite wearing a helmet, and now lives in the Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. Niedbalski said his son has short-term memory loss and will never walk again.

While visiting his son in the nursing home, he said he noticed a nurse's aide who had several children. Later, he said the aide became unemployed. Niedbalski was able to provide her children with bicycles and said he fixes them if anything goes wrong.

"Someone told me that in a way this is like a ministry," Niedbalski said. "I don't know about that, but I like to do it. It keeps me busy and helps people out."