October 2012 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Re: [TheThinkTank] TigreBici
by Mariposa.obsidiana 20 Oct '12

20 Oct '12

Hola desde San Antonio Tejas Hemos empezado aqui en San Antonio con la BiciCocina, trabajando con ninos en un barrio de bajos recursos reparando a sus bicicletas. Estamos en el proceso de convencer al distrito escolar urbano tomar nuestra programa para que este en la escuelas secundarias. Nos gustaría intercambiar ideas con ustedes porque queremos promover la cultura saludable por parte de la bicicocina pero tambien la comida saludable en una zona cultural muy similar a ustedes. Hello from San Antonio Texas We have started a bicycle kitchen, BiciCocina, here working with low income kids learning how to repair their bikes. We are in the process of trying to convince the Urban school district here to take it on so that we can spread to different schools. We would like to exchange ideas with you all because we want to promote a healthy culture through the bicicocina and also a healthy diet in a cultural regional very similar to yours. Thanks! Judit Vega Enviado de Samsung Mobile -------- Original message -------- Subject: [TheThinkTank] TigreBici From: Tigre Bici <bici.uanl(a)gmail.com> To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org CC: ¡Hola a todos! Solo queremos presentarnos ya que por fin hemos decidido suscribirnos a esta herramienta que nos parece maravillosa. Somos TigreBici una plataforma universitaria que busca la inclusión de métodos alternos de transporte dentro de los diferentes campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) y eventualmente queremos contar con nuestro taller comunitario ciclista donde no solo la comunidad universitaria, si no la comunidad en general tenga un espacio para aprender a arreglar si bici, la pueda arreglar y se pueda crear comunidad, universitaria como en general, alrededor de la bici. Aún estamos digiriendo toda la información que encontramos en la página, que por cierto es muy buena, y una vez que se discuta si tenemos dudas estaremos poniendo en contacto con ustedes. Quedamos a sus ordenes para cualquier duda, comentario o lo que sea. Un gusto saludarlos y a seguir pedaleando! Raquel Treviño -TigreBici. Hi everyone, we just want to introduce ourselves to this amazing tool we just suscribe to. We are TigreBici a university platafform that looks to implement alternative transportation methods inside all campuses of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) and hopefully a community bicycle workshop that allows every student and people in general to learn how to fix a bike, fix it and create community around the university and general public using the bicycle. We are still digesting all the information available on te page and once we have read and discuss all the new information we have if we have questions we will emailing you again. If you have questions, comments or anything we are at your service. A pleasure to greet you all and keep pedaling! Raquel Treviño -TigreBici

3 3

TigreBici
by Tigre Bici 19 Oct '12

19 Oct '12

¡Hola a todos! Solo queremos presentarnos ya que por fin hemos decidido suscribirnos a esta herramienta que nos parece maravillosa. Somos TigreBici una plataforma universitaria que busca la inclusión de métodos alternos de transporte dentro de los diferentes campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) y eventualmente queremos contar con nuestro taller comunitario ciclista donde no solo la comunidad universitaria, si no la comunidad en general tenga un espacio para aprender a arreglar si bici, la pueda arreglar y se pueda crear comunidad, universitaria como en general, alrededor de la bici. Aún estamos digiriendo toda la información que encontramos en la página, que por cierto es muy buena, y una vez que se discuta si tenemos dudas estaremos poniendo en contacto con ustedes. Quedamos a sus ordenes para cualquier duda, comentario o lo que sea. Un gusto saludarlos y a seguir pedaleando! Raquel Treviño -TigreBici. Hi everyone, we just want to introduce ourselves to this amazing tool we just suscribe to. We are TigreBici a university platafform that looks to implement alternative transportation methods inside all campuses of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) and hopefully a community bicycle workshop that allows every student and people in general to learn how to fix a bike, fix it and create community around the university and general public using the bicycle. We are still digesting all the information available on te page and once we have read and discuss all the new information we have if we have questions we will emailing you again. If you have questions, comments or anything we are at your service. A pleasure to greet you all and keep pedaling! Raquel Treviño -TigreBici

2 1

Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips!
by Mattbc 19 Oct '12

19 Oct '12

Thanks. Life Cycles - for all your cycling needs. Tel: 07966366762. -------- Original message -------- Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips! From: veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> CC: Matt, the Community Bike Shop Directory is a list of about 200 organizations who have submitted their info, including some who have posted their mission statements. you can view this document here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Ar4uqyu2es-YdEVvMWFNVDlyRm8wQ2… you'll want to scroll to the right, all the way to column AC to see the mission statements, but hopefully the ones which are posted will help. On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 8:14 AM, Matt Beale-Collins <mattbc(a)hotmail.com> wrote: Hi can someone point me to a really good mission statement please for a community cycleworks. We are a newly funded project in South London with a view to becoming a social enterprise with a five year business plan. Very excited and a bit daunted. Recycling, training, Dr Bike, group rides etc. Thanks Matt BC From: vanslyke.matthew(a)gmail.com Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 07:30:20 -0400 To: garethpritchard(a)shaw.ca; thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org CC: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips! Thank you all so much for your insight and advice, it is very encouraging. Keep it coming! Matt V. On Oct 17, 2012, at 3:33 PM, <garethpritchard(a)shaw.ca> wrote: Regarding the comment regarding the seasonality of bike sales, we find that the winter is the time when we have the time to train our group, and build up our inventory of prepared bikes for the spring. We are not a true bike collective in as much as our main thrust is tend mountain bikes to Africa, but the refurbishing and sales (inexpensively!) of donated 10 speeds and roadsters (not suitable for use in rural Africa) are an important source of funding for us. We also donate some of the refurbished bikes to needy locals on occasion. Gareth Pritchard, Chair, Bicycles for Humanity Thunder Bay. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jonathan Morrison To: The Think Tank Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 3:21 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips! 1) Start with the right founders that BELIEVE in your mission statement. Make sure you have people interested in the harder / boring stuff like accounting and legal work. Other nice to haves would be people with graphic design, technology and business skills. Mechanical skills seem like a logical one too, but realistically mechanics trained by for-profits either don't know how or have trouble working on less expensive bikes and not turning the people away that right them as they would in a for-profit. In Utah our best mechanics have started out as volunteers (believers) before they worked in a for-profit, some of our worst experiences were with "frustrated" for-profit trained mechanics. 2) Don't reinvent the wheel. You are a business. You are a bike shop. You are a non-profit/social enterprise. Accept those facts earlier and you will be able to help more people sooner (per your mission statement). If anything you just add a special twist to those models, which means there are plenty of tried and true systems and methods you should just adopt/steal from the start. Get an accounting system (quickbooks online), get a point of sale system (quickbooks pos), get a volunteer hour system, PAY for a shop space, hire staff to make sure the harder / boring stuff gets done and done on-time, get insurance, file all the necessary legal paperwork, keep money in a safe when it doesn't need to be out. THEN focus on fixing bikes. AKA eat your dinner before your dessert. 3) The mission statement is your guiding light. Make sure it is a good one. It should give you an easy way to say "NO" to energy detracting ideas, that while they may be bike related, are not central to your mission. As you grow, so will your capacity to entertain those ideas, but for starters, pick a few programs/projects close to your mission and do them really well. Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.bicyclecollective.org The mission of the Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households. On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 12:41 PM, Anibal Davila <info(a)bikesauce.org> wrote: Josh's number 3 point is essential. Especially if your open hours are going to divide your core members. If you can afford to, start with fewer hours and then ramp up. Just so all your early members are working together and its easy to work things out as they happen, rather than at a weekly, or monthly meeting. and... (this is an odd one) eat together. have a weekly dinner, or lunch, for everyone at the shop. spending time together without an immediate bicycle-purpose is huge. You will retain volunteers better, they will work better together, and little grievances will get worked out without even trying. Anibal. BikeSauce, Toronto. On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 2:27 PM, Matt VanSlyke <vanslyke.matthew(a)gmail.com> wrote: These are great tips, particularly since I'm in the "exploratory phase" of starting a community shop here in New York state. We have a few good models, obviously one of them being Troy/Albany. Bicycling and bicycle retail in NY is somewhat seasonal, but I wonder if the work of community bike shops is too. I assume the answer I'll hear is "I wish I could take a break in the winter..." But maybe not. Is this a seasonal operation for those of you in the snow belt? Matt V. On Oct 17, 2012, at 12:57 PM, Nancy Stimson <freewheelinbikes(a)gmail.com> wrote: I would make funding a director a really, really high priority. Nancy Stimson, Executive Director Freewheelin' Community Bikes 3355 Central Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46205 http://www.freewheelinbikes.org Earn-a-Bike program: 317-431-7951 mailto:nancystimson@freewheelinbikes.org Retail shop: Phone: 926-5440 Hours: 10-6, Tuesday-Friday, 10-4 on Saturday CLOSED Sunday and Monday On Oct 17, 2012, at 7:24 AM, Stewart Vanns <stewartvanns(a)gmail.com> wrote: Hi, We are in the process of setting up a community cycle project in south east London, Uk. I just wondered if you guys & gals could pop down 3 top tips you learnt in your set up phase to help us avoid the common pitfalls. We are planning to build a not for profit enterprise, with a 5 year business plan, focusing on recycling donated bikes, repairing bikes and doing this with young people and young adults. The bikes will be given to trainees or sold very cheaply to local residents of low income. We also plan to do outreach work at local schools to educate children in basic cycle maintenance. We have funding, a venue and a steady flow of interested people. Thanks in advance, Stewart Burgess community cycleworks. _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

1 0

New community cycleworks need top tips!
by Stewart Vanns 19 Oct '12

19 Oct '12

Hi, We are in the process of setting up a community cycle project in south east London, Uk. I just wondered if you guys & gals could pop down 3 top tips you learnt in your set up phase to help us avoid the common pitfalls. We are planning to build a not for profit enterprise, with a 5 year business plan, focusing on recycling donated bikes, repairing bikes and doing this with young people and young adults. The bikes will be given to trainees or sold very cheaply to local residents of low income. We also plan to do outreach work at local schools to educate children in basic cycle maintenance. We have funding, a venue and a steady flow of interested people. Thanks in advance, Stewart Burgess community cycleworks.

13 15

Re: [TheThinkTank] Waivers - English and French
by scott＠gknightride.org 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

1 0

Re: [TheThinkTank] Waivers - English and French
by scott＠gknightride.org 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

3 2

Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips!
by summitcyclingcenter＠yahoo.com 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

Good point. We have a "NO BUY" policy too Sent from my HTC EVO Design™ 4G from Boost Mobile ----- Reply message ----- From: "Affordable Bikes Re-Cyclery" <affordablebikesrecyclery(a)gmail.com> To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips! Date: Wed, Oct 17, 2012 09:29 Our (new, similar) project is located in a low-income neighborhood. We opened in the late summer -- so, after the heavy sales season -- but we find that we receive far more requests from people for us to buy bikes from them than for them to buy bikes from us. We could go broke buying bikes. This has fortified our "no buying bikes" policy, toward which we were already leaning. It also keeps us from strengthening the stolen bikes business, and protects us from the ire of stolen bikes victims. On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 7:24 AM, Stewart Vanns <stewartvanns(a)gmail.com> wrote: Hi, We are in the process of setting up a community cycle project in south east London, Uk. I just wondered if you guys & gals could pop down 3 top tips you learnt in your set up phase to help us avoid the common pitfalls. We are planning to build a not for profit enterprise, with a 5 year business plan, focusing on recycling donated bikes, repairing bikes and doing this with young people and young adults. The bikes will be given to trainees or sold very cheaply to local residents of low income. We also plan to do outreach work at local schools to educate children in basic cycle maintenance. We have funding, a venue and a steady flow of interested people. Thanks in advance, Stewart Burgess community cycleworks. _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

2 1

Re: [TheThinkTank] Bicycle Donation Fee?
by summitcyclingcenter＠yahoo.com 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

Right on. Use; re-use; re-purpose; last resort, recycle. Sent from my HTC EVO Design™ 4G from Boost Mobile ----- Reply message ----- From: "Dylan Thies" <dylan.thies(a)lostorienteerer.net> To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Bicycle Donation Fee? Date: Tue, Oct 16, 2012 12:44 At Troy Bike Rescue we take what ever comes in. We stripp what we can reuse from the bikes and use the bikes as teaching tools for new volunteers and people looking to earn a bike. Then with scraps and trashed bikes we have a symbiotic relationship with some scrappers in the area, we give them scrap they give us bikes instead of scrapping them. On 16 October 2012 12:38, wormsign(a)gmail.com <wormsign(a)gmail.com> wrote: How about getting some business cards for a metal scrapper and handing it to the person giving the donation if it's not usable for you. Our shop kinda takes everything, some parts go to a local artist, some to a local freak bike gang, and the rest is picked up regularly by a guy with a truck who makes a living on scrap metal. Enzo Michael Young <michael(a)westtownbikes.org> wrote: >We talk to the person about the donation. If its scrap maybe there is >someone in your area that will recycle the metal. > >Michael Young >West Town Bikes >Chicago > >_______________________________________________ >Thethinktank mailing list >Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org >To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >To manage your subscription, plase visit: >http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… -- Dylan Thies Come on I dare you Derive me crazy Don't be charitable because you need to bebut because you want to be

2 1

Bicycle Donation Fee?
by Andrew Burnell 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

Hi All, We have been inundated with bicycle donations lately and looking for some guidance: Does your shop require/ask that a cash donation be made with each bicycle donation? We have never asked for cash donations on top of bike donations, but we’ve noticed that often times people are using us as a city dump instead of a shop. On another note, here are links to our volunteer blog and SlideShare account. I hope they are of assistance to your respected programs. Feel free to comment or make recommendations… http://communitybicyclecenter.blogspot.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/documents Andrew Andrew Burnell, Volunteer and Program Director Community Bicycle Center Shop: 284 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME 04005 Mail: P.O. Box 783, Biddeford, ME 04005 207-282-9700 (shop) <http://www.communitybike.net> www.communitybike.net

15 16

Re: [TheThinkTank] Bicycle Donation Fee?
by wormsign＠gmail.com 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

How about getting some business cards for a metal scrapper and handing it to the person giving the donation if it's not usable for you. Our shop kinda takes everything, some parts go to a local artist, some to a local freak bike gang, and the rest is picked up regularly by a guy with a truck who makes a living on scrap metal. Enzo Michael Young <michael(a)westtownbikes.org> wrote: >We talk to the person about the donation. If its scrap maybe there is >someone in your area that will recycle the metal. > >Michael Young >West Town Bikes >Chicago > >_______________________________________________ >Thethinktank mailing list >Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org >To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >To manage your subscription, plase visit: >http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

2 1