A school bike shed has swiftly become a bustling community hub for northside Canberrans, even providing a haven for some who did not have a reason to step out and mingle.
The free bicycle library at Taylor's Margaret Hendry School has become the go-to spot to borrow and repair bike equipment as well as have a cup of chai and a chat.
Especially after a recent misunderstanding online only boosted its popularity.
"I used to ride and fix bikes in India," a local volunteer, Baldev Singh, said in Punjabi.
"Now I come here to meet other people, we've all become friends."
Almost half of Gungahlin's population is made up of overseas migrants, the Suburban Land Agency says.
Partnering with Pedal Power ACT last year, the SLA set up the shed as a meeting place for new Canberrans. It has popularised cycling for all ages.
Manager of the library Jagmeet Singh Sandhu said he was grateful to the organisations and the school for the initiative.
"A single mother had a broken bike and didn't know how to fix it. She asked at bike shops ... found it expensive. She ended up coming here," Mr Sandhu said.
He said international students and people in need would pour in every Tuesday to borrow bikes, helmets and locks while Pedal Power volunteer Peter Elford went around the city collecting donated bikes.
"People just come and gather ... many will have ridden the bikes they borrowed," Mr Elford said, with a rows of about 60 bikes behind him. He said in many cases family members who didn't have transport during the day came to the shed.
"We come here every week. It's nice to know where everyone has come from. Whoever needs a bike, we help them out," Dalbir Singh, surrounded by new peers, said in Hindi.
Standing beside him, Jarnail Singh said staying home, unable to work, had made time pass painfully slow before.
"It feels good to get out," he said in Punjabi.
"I was so bored."
About 30 men, from Indian states and other countries, said they were reaping the benefits of the library. Some used their bikes to cycle to English classes, while others rode 10km just to meet each other.
"We've cut cakes here for people's birthdays," one resident said.
Some volunteers said a port-a-loo would be a good addition as the nearby park didn't have toilets and they usually to requested the school to access bathrooms.
A couple of weeks ago, a photo of some of the volunteers sitting on the grass next to the school was posted to the Canberra Notice Board on Facebook.
"What a weird place to have a picnic," the user wrote.
The post received a range of reactions before it was deleted. In response, Mr Sandhu posted, saying the people in the photo were volunteers taking a break.
"We have also made a request for appropriate seating arrangements at the facility," he wrote.
Within hours, his post received overwhelming support, while some found the previous post "racist" and "rude".
"Fantastic work and sorry you had to defend yourself," one commenter who needed to repair their son's bike wrote. "It's so sad that sometimes cultural groups are mistaken."
The post had about 700 likes and reactions in less than a day. Most users praised the service and asked about donations and starting more libraries.
"Irrespective of how the post originally started, it's been great to see the tremendous support," Mr Elford said.
