December 2007 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

The question of selling Bikes
by Edward France 18 Dec '07

18 Dec '07

Good People, So Bici Centro of Santa Barbara is finally legit- we obtained fiscal sponsorship from our local bicycle coalition on December 4th, and are hoping all the hurdles to getting bank accounts, vendors number, liability insurance, financial 'books' and all that good stuff. Of course this means that we don't do any under the tabley stuff and cover our butt's. So here's a big question we are trying to deal with properly: How do we legitimately sell bikes? In other words- do we have people sign a release similar to if they build the bike themselves? do we have a special insurance for selling bikes? can the price be a donation, or is it a taxable payment? is there any advice you all could send our way on the question of being a non-profit selling bikes. All the best from fair Santa Barbara, Ed France BiciCentro.org

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Very specific job that is somewhat vaguely available
by Andy Dyson 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

Greetings all. Here's an offer of paid work that will probably--but not definitely--pan out in the next few months into an intense and rewarding creative experience. We need someone to help move our Earn-a-Bike curriculum and our manual that teaches people how to teach EaB to the next level. This is part of the Bicycle Education Enhancement program with the School District of Philadelphia, The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and NBW. We have the basic material, which we have developed over the years with gracious input from many people and agencies--you know who you are. What we need now is someone who has experience writing curricula for school districts in the past. I know most of you have done this kind of thing at your agencies, as have we. This isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about being employed by a school district to write for them, preferably writing something that has been published in a binding. We need help with adapting our current materials into a more professional form. Part of what we are doing here is creating materials for teachers who are not initially bicycle experts, so the best person to help us may well be someone who is not a techie, though it wouldn't hurt as long as you are someone who has a good appreciation of how technical manuals can be improved by limiting jargon. What is essential is that you are someone who has done this kind of thing to a greater level of professionalism than we have. The person we choose for this will likely be a current or former teacher or other professional educator. This job would involve visiting Philadelphia for at least some of the time that we were working on the project, which I would estimate to be a few months. Specific tasks would include reviewing NBW's current Earn-a-Bike teacher's materials and Earn-a-Bike curriculum, working with NBW staff to improve and streamline these items, creating a look that unifies the Earn-a-Bike curriculum with the other materials for our project (bike rodeo, etc.) and possibly with the materials of other programs. If you are interested in helping us <b>and</b> have 1 Written curricula for a school district 2 Have created curriculum materials in a publishable form including graphics and layout. please contact us with details of your experience and/or any questions. Many thanks, Andy -- Andrew C. Dyson Executive Director Neighborhood Bike Works Increasing opportunities for youth through bicycling Check our Web Site: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org Neighborhood Bike Works 3916 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Office: (215) 386-0316 Cell: (215) 873-6695 FAX: (215) 386-7288

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any coops in holland or rome?
by david cicero bevacqua 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

hi all, i'll be in holland and rome for a few weeks and want to visit as many bike coops as i can to learn about how things are done there and hopefully take some knowledge home to neighborhood bike works in philly. does anyone know how to get in touch with any cooperative/ collective/community bike shops/programs in holland (amsterdam, rotterdam, the hague...) or rome, italy? thanks, -dcb

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Re: [TheThinkTank] anyone have a similar situation?
by plan_9＠riseup.net 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

I don't really see a problem keeping this on the list, personally, since this isn't really just about "police good/bad" and ties into the larger picture of ethical donations/funding, etc. I would still question how long the funding was going to be there. It seems like you have done pretty solid economic analysis, but that is only for one year, as far as I can tell. If they sponsor this for one year, they use it as a "look what we did for the community" as long as it's effective, then when the initial PR is over, they drop the funding (maybe they won't). The community isn't going to point the finger at the police, they are going to think that it was you who pulled the plug. Either that or you will keep the programming going at your own expense. Unless you have a mission and programming that is very different than most, I don't really see how this program they are proposing is any different than what you already do, except you will be open more hours. My gut reaction is that they are going to throw 3500 at you and then feel free to drop off "troubled" kids there whenever they feel like. I think that if this was a need in our community it would be better off being supported by the people it's serving rather than the police. Also, If the police are serious about this being about you making the shop more accessible to at-risk youth, then maybe you could work out a grant that would be used to extend your hours during the summer months with no strings attached. Not trying to be confrontational or paint police with an "all bad" brush (we recently were donated 200 bikes from the police so....) Andy FMCBW

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anyone have a similar situation?
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

We just moved into our new space a month ago and have been approached by a police officer about running a program in our shop. From his explanation this is what I understand of the program: He is a "community" police officer (beat cop) who walks the streets and talks with members of the community on a daily basis. When he encounters youth that need something to do and may need a bike he would tell them to come to us. We would outfit the kids with a bike and work with them to have a better mechanical awareness. There would be no charge for these services. Job Corp has offered 20-30 hours per week of community service "man hours" in the shop. He has met with some Weed And Seed folks who tentatively approved $3,500 to finance the program next year. The money would be used to buy a complete tool kit from a LBS as well as "parts". The bicycles themselves would be obtained via donations and the police impound although I believe the majority of those are adult bikes. He has asked us how much money he needs to set aside in the grant for "us" and for "what". I flat out said I have no idea.... We've never done anything like this before and neither has he so it's a little bit of the blind leading the blind...Here are some of my concerns, hoping you guys could shed some light on the situation for us: 1. We were not planning to open the shop for more than a couple nights a week and 5-10 hours on weekends. He would like the program to be "ongoing" throughout the week. Any time the shop is open kids could stop in as opposed to a designated "kid's bike day" or something. 2. The core members of our group all have day jobs and are not available to supervise the shop until at the very earliest 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, perfect for after school but in the summertime, problematic. 3. Though Job Corp has offered help, it would be untrained help. We would be required to train the individuals to basically become bike mechanics if they were to be able to work independently. There is a serious lack of time for this in terms of us teaching. 4. This would also require giving key access to the shop to people that we have no prior experience in dealing with. Yes, I am inclined to trust a police officer but he will not be physically in the building for much of the time. 5. Even if we were to swing all these things at once, past experience has taught me that children require a significant amount of attention and supervision. My concern is we will often be operating the shop with only 1 or 2 volunteers and if 2 kids come in, no one else will be able to get any assistance. 6. How do we determine the costs of this program? Once the $3,500 grant is used up there will be no more money to operate the program other than what we have saved from regular shop customers. 7. How do we ask for money in the grant to assist with rent, electric, purchase of new tools etc? The program would require substantially more volunteer hours and the shop being open much longer hours that we had planned at this time. I won't ask any more of you guys though I could go on and on. We have to sit down with him and work out the details so if anyone has suggestions, comments or comparisons to programs you have run or witnessed please share them with us and the rest of the bike collective community! Brian -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone - 302-654-5304 Visit online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Recall: commercial/non-commercial hybrids
by Caroline Samponaro 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

Caroline Samponaro would like to recall the message, "[TheThinkTank] commercial/non-commercial hybrids".

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Bike tools for collective in France
by Cascadian Fox 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

Hello All, I just joined the list and was wondering where I could buy some bike tools before I head back to France (where they are super expensive). The two sites I have found so far are: likebike.com and www.biketoolsetc.com However neither of them had every tool i needed in stock (either the 30/32 mm headset wrenches or a 15mm crank bolt wrench). So I would like to check out a few other places. I am a bit pressed for time cause I am leaving in a little over a week. I already purchased a park tool kit, the one for about 250. But I still want to get some things that I'll need that were missing, like some headset wrenches and certain freewheel tools. The bicycle collective here houses a free bike workshop in a squatted garage in Lyon France. It has been operational since jan 07. All used parts and workshop time are free. We serve not only the activist/squatter community but the entire community at large. We really only deal with older bikes as everything that we get is recycled or donated bikes. So there are a lot of wierd free wheels and things of that nature (those cotter pins things on the pedals). We also specialize in making cargo trikes, bike carts , and tall bikes as we have a welder. So yea, if anyone has any leads on some good online tool retailers please let me know. go bikes, Fox ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Potential Bike Co-op in Nepal - ! ?
by bike against 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Julian Beldotti <badassbeldotti(a)gmail.com> Date: Dec 11, 2007 6:19 PM Subject: Maybe we can fundraise? To: coordinator(a)fcbikecoop.org * Good morning, from Kathmandu! I know this is sort of a bizarre request, but I'm looking for any help I can get. My name is Tom Martin, I'm an American living in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. I moved out here after college to see what the wide world had to offer, and as you can imagine, the differences in culture are nothing short of overwhelming. Nepal is the ninth poorest nation in the world, owing largely to the fact that there is a very small skilled workforce. That's why I'm contacting you today; I'm starting the process of investigating options for opening a volunteer bike cooperative here. I worked at two separate co-ops in the US, one in New Brunswick, NJ (http://www.nbbikelibrary.org) and one in New Orleans (http://www.rubarbike.org), where I gained a few years of experience as a mechanic and non-profit organizer. I've also worked professionally as a mechanic, and I hope to be one of the volunteer mechanics when we get Bikes for Nepal off the ground. I need help with bikes, tools, volunteers, anything. I know you are not in the position to throw resources around, but maybe you could help me come up with ideas. I'm writing to every co-op I've been to, and hopefully we'll come up with some way to raise money or collect parts/bikes/tools for a co-op out here, which will train Nepali people for life-long careers and ensure many people have affordable transportation. Additionally, an English-speaking workshop allows those who choose to participate in invaluable training in the world's largest business language. This is an excellent opportunity for grant writers and students looking to study abroad as well, I should add. I will be seeking NGO status here, another project with which I could use help. However, this would mean that any donations are potentially tax-deductible. Contact me for more specific details, or if you can give advice for organizing NGO/iNGOs. Of course, my qualifications and references are available before making any sort of commitment. Feel free to circulate this email widely. Get back to me if you have any ideas. Thanks! Tom Martin +977 980 349 3788

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Wal-Mart Introduces Full Service Bicycle Department
by Jonathan Morrison 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

http://www.theroadbike.com/2007/11/08/wal-mart-introduces-full-service-bicy… -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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I own the building Time's Up has been operating from in NYC for the last 4 years
by Steve Stollman 09 Dec '07

09 Dec '07

Now that it has been sold, I want to keep helping nurture engaged environmental activism by buying not expensive properties and offering options to buy them from me, in a couple of years, to bike stores and community bike operations that want to locate there. This is what I have been putting out on my website www.LightWheels.com and distributed at BikeBike in Pittsburgh. I only have about three months to find these properties and make the other arrangements, which is not a real long time. I am looking for feedback on this . Also take a look at www.LocalExpression.com at the UpsideDowntown News, which I wrote and assembled about a year ago, as well. Here is some material relating to the community bike movement followed by a proposal relating to finding good hq's. Sharing Bikes etc. Handlebars and pedals make bikes into three-dimensional objects. If these protrusions can be flattened to the body of the bike when not in use, the vehicle is about 6” wide and much easier to both store and transport in the close company of other people. Current technology permits this modification to be performed safely and conveniently. To minimize space needed, there could be a large number of somewhat-identical bikes using variations of this simple design, with adjustable seat heights, to keep initial costs low while providing for the fastest and widest proliferation. At most times, these sturdy bikes will be fine. Buying a shipload will reduce their cost to such a low figure that a few months of advertisements, removable after all costs are covered, could finance the entire exercise. Ads for one month a year or less could finance ongoing top-level maintenance. If properly designed they can be free to use and possibly not need to be locked at special locations as current systems usually demand. http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com. Permanent sidewalk or vehicle defacement by ads touting the same corporate culture of over-consumption that got us in this mess is not necessary. We cannot afford to allow the bottom-line calculus of Clear Channel and the other billboard-industry giants, to decide for us how we share our bikes. Across this country, before this massive invasion of profit-driven, probably sub-standard systems take hold, Community-based bike collectives and other people-friendly individuals and organizations, including some local bike businesses, must begin to assume these responsibilities. This will not destroy the existing bike business, because shops can help create, maintain and upgrade the fleet continuously. Many people will want their own machine regardless, and far more people will be riding all the time. When seas rise so do boats. Paris today is a good example. A second system needs to be established, designed and built, which is comprised of unconventional vehicles, multi-passenger, weather-protected, electric-motor assisted, art-inspired and plain fun. Access to this fleet would need to be restricted and require credit-card id, GPS location devices, special maintenance and a fee-system to help pay for it. Some support should come from the government since it will provide many benefits to the public as a whole, the way other publicly-accessible transit systems ordinarily do. Self-support is ideal and achievable. This could enable a much more creative and adventurous effort than one sponsored by a corporation or government. It is also being suggested that all this be done in tandem with a local-neighborhood based, ambitious and creative system, for sharing rides and vehicles of all kinds. This facility can also accept tax-deductible contributions, some as valuable as cars etc., and generate income from the small fees earned for expediting these much needed various transportation-related companion efforts to reduce traffic. Anchored by a robust and growing community bike effort, a strong framework for positive change can be constructed. If a substantial decrease in the number of cars on the road is achieved this will also help in the improvement of roadway safety for cyclists and others. The soonest path to the safest, highest quality, most diverse, appropriate and convenient system, with the least expensive continuous operating costs, that also rocks, is the goal. The proliferation of these new forms of transport will also require the taming of our highways back into the streets that they were intended to be. We must demand civility and respect from large and dangerous Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)-Age vehicles, and the complete eradication of any lingering people-unfriendly behavior. The reward for this change will be an historic flowering of enjoyable, human-scale, responsible and healthful transportation in our cities and towns. Bikes and Property I want to invest my profit from selling a property in Manhattan to help enable 10 bike shops to establish themselves in their own spaces. Each will each be given an option to buy the space they are renting after a few years, to enable them to grow more rapidly and to own and benefit directly from the improvements they make to their properties and businesses. In some cases this would involve buying existing locations, in others it would mean finding a great local building for sale at a good price in a good location. (As each group is able to purchase its building, the money paid is made available to another group in another state so that they may be able to purchase a building etc.. If this property investment methodology helps in bringing forth better means for bike store owners to control their own futures and expand their businesses, others may decide to invest this way as well. As mortgage credit tightens, the strength of this industry, in the face of $3+ gas and frightening obesity and diabetes rates, could entitle it to an alternate form of investment capital. There are many people today on every stratum of society who are starting to come to terms with the damage being done to a seemingly robust, but actually dangerously fragile, ecosystem. The central role of inappropriate transportation is conspicuous in that picture. They want their kids to be healthy, have a future and love them and they want to have a cleaner conscience. At the same time they want their investments to be sound financially. A program such as this could satisfy all of their needs, while giving bike stores some valuable additional leverage against overly-aggressive landlords, and a better shot at economic justice and self-determination. It is also my intention to use this opportunity to help gain more visibility through these stores for hybrid human-powered/electric-assisted vehicles, including safe, road-worthy and weather-protected wheelchairs. In an aging population, many stores may find this to be one of the most high-growth elements of their businesses and one of the most gratifying. Meanwhile re-defining cycling as basic transportation, not just a pleasurable, recreational activity, will help drive the infrastructure improvements that we so badly need. These upgrades, a flood of new and more utilitarian machines, and the dramatic increases in bicycle and other lightweight vehicle use that they will trigger, will finally begin to bring this vital activity its due respect.

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