June 2013 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Webhosting/domains
by Bike City 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Well, I recently threw together some hand-written HTML and slapped it onto a free (and ad-less) webhost. This seemed great at first, regardless of the weird URL. But after lots of other publicity and potential traffic, I've seen it get hacked twice (by a radical Islamic group after the whole host, nothing personal), and lately it's either painfully slow to load or completely down. So, I haven't done this for about a decade and I'm out of the loop. I'm really not willing to suffer any ads, but since our budgeted is obcenely limited for such fluff, does anyone have recommendations? Are there any more reliable ad-free free hosts? (Probably not, for obvious reasons.) Otherwise, how do you guys handle web hosting? How much does it cost? What's a good balance between reliable and affordable? How much is domain registration nowadays? We don't have our 501(c)(3) status yet so we won't get a deal until later this year, by the way. Anyway, please help. It's rough to find time to FTP an update and find the site's down. Thanks, andrea Bike City Recyclery of Fayetteville, Arkansas http://bikecity.uuuq.com/ (hahaha)

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no boys allowed zine from bikebike?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 27 Sep '18

27 Sep '18

hey all, i'm looking to get in touch with the person who wrote/published the "no boys allowed" zine which was passed out at bikebike in san francisco. it was part of one of the oppression and gender identity issues workshops. we're looking to start a women's night here at community cycles, and i'd like to scan my copy as a pdf and email it to potential volunteers, as well as make some copies to have in the shop... if you're on the list, or if you know the person who wrote it (her name escapes me), please get in touch with me off list... thanks! josh. community cycles boulder

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Experience with Surly Cargo Trailers (Bill or Ted Trailer)?
by Andrew Magill 30 Jul '13

30 Jul '13

Has anyone used either of the Surly trailers? We are thinking about purchasing the Bill trailer to haul a "mobile shop" as well as several complete bicycles. We would also consider a Bikes at Work Trailer but we can't get a discount from them. Any thoughts or stories please share! Thanks, Andrew SPOKES Bike Walk Connect MInneapolis

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Cleaning bikes
by Jon Sher 26 Jun '13

26 Jun '13

I read that Simple Green is too alkaline for cleaning bikes. Does antone have a better suggestion? Jon Sher Worcester Earn A Bike www.worcesterearnabike.org https://www.facebook.com/Worcestereabike Sent from my iPad

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Bikes Not Bombs - Hiring International Programs Coordinator
by David Branigan 21 Jun '13

21 Jun '13

Hi Everyone, Bikes Not Bombs is now hiring for a new full-time position, the International Programs Coordinator. I'm contacting you to ask for your support in sharing this job ad with your extended network to help us find a pool of excellent candidates for the position. https://bikesnotbombs.org/news/hiring-international-programs-coordinator Here is a brief overview of the position: The International Programs Coordinator will work closely with the International Programs Director at our Boston office, and will be primarily responsible for coordinating technical assistance and support to Bikes Not Bombs international partners in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. This position includes extensive cross-cultural communication, relationship building, training and facilitation, management of project monitoring systems, container loading logistics organizing and some international travel. The application process is rolling, and we aim to hire by September 1st - October 15th. Please consider posting the link to this job ad on your social media and related email lists, and also sending it directly to people you know that may be interested to apply. Thank you so much for your support! Peace, -- David Branigan International Programs Director www.bikesnotbombs.org 617-522-0222 x103 **************************** Bikes Not Bombs promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction. For 28 years, BNB has been a nexus of bike recycling and community empowerment both in lower income neighborhoods of Boston and in the nations of the Global South. BNB's programs involve young people and adults in mutually respectful leadership development and environmental stewardship, while recycling 6,000 bicycles annually.

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Online Donations through Facebook
by Jimmy Hallyburton 20 Jun '13

20 Jun '13

Thought I would share a resource the Boise Bicycle Project has started using to get more online donations. A local Boise company called Social Good Network does a bunch of online donation services, but the one that has been a big hit with us is there Facebook Donation App. They don't charge anything to set it up. Just take the usual transaction fees that most services do. The cool thing is that you can feature a video/pictures/story kind of like Kick Starter. Thought I would share the tool, because to has worked out better than our donation services in the past http://www.socialgoodnetwork.com/ You can preview what it looks like without actually making a donation on the Boise Bicycle Project's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BoiseBicycleProject. The Button is next to where your photo albums button is. Keep up the good work everyone. -- Thanks, Jimmy Hallyburton Executive Director Boise Bicycle Project (208)-429-6520 1027 Lusk St Boise, ID 83702 www.boisebicycleproject.org .……………......…….__o .………………...…….>,\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~( · ) / ( · ) Join the Boise Bicycle Project's Free Spirit Newsletter list by going to www.boisebicycleproject.org/Newsletter

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Unsubscribe
by Anna Marie Williams 20 Jun '13

20 Jun '13

Sent from my iPhone

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City Support for Community Bike Shops
by Mary Lauran Hall 20 Jun '13

20 Jun '13

Hey everybody, What if more cities paid rent for community bike shops? There's huge potential for more cities to invest in the growth of local community bike shops. But first, we need to get a better sense of what cities are already doing - and where there's room to improve. The Alliance for Biking & Walking is teaming up with the League of American Bicyclists to find out more about how cities work with community bike shops around the U.S. and Canada. Please offer input on how your city helps -- or doesn't help -- your community bike shop. <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommBikeShop> Using feedback from this survey, we'll be better able to advise cities on how aid community bike shops and foster increased collaboration between cities and shops. The survey results will also help improve questions about support for community bike shops in future Bicycle Friendly Community surveys. The League's Bicycle Friendly Community Program (BFC) provides a roadmap to improve conditions for bicycling in communities and offers national recognition for cities that support bicycling. Asking about city support for community bike shops in a future survey could help encourage more cities to form beneficial partnerships with shops. But first, we need to get a sense of how community bike shops are currently working with cities. Could you offer input from your shop's perspective? http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommBikeShopTest<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommBikeShop> Thanks so much, and ride on! Best, Mary Lauran -- Mary Lauran Hall Communications Manager Alliance for Biking & Walking mlhall(a)peoplepoweredmovement.org (202) 642 - 6617 P.O. Box 65150 Washington, DC 20035 *We've got big plans for 2013. Join or renew<http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/membership/welcome/> with the Alliance today!*

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Re: [TheThinkTank] shop air quality
by Vernon Huffman 17 Jun '13

17 Jun '13

Our shop has plenty of air flow year round, so smell hasn't been an issue. Luckily it doesn't get that cold here. What is the source of the smell? Do you need to contain your degreaser more tightly or scale back the use of toxic chemicals and aerosols? Is it time to have a chat with some of the mechanics and volunteers about personal hygiene? Bicycles shouldn't smell bad. Commercial bike shops don't generally have an odor issue. What's different about your shop? From: Mark Rehder <mark(a)re-cycles.ca> Hi all, During the warmer months we have a few doors open so the stink in our shop is not so bad, but when all sealed up during our cold winters it's not ideal. We've thought about a large filter unit, and it has also been suggested to use a large exhaust fan, though that would also waste heat. How does your shop deal with this? Thanks, Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca

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What's in a Name?
by Matthew VanSlyke 17 Jun '13

17 Jun '13

Plans are progressing nicely here in the Empire State and if all goes well we'll be opening a new community bike shop here in Utica, NY very soon. As you all know, there are many, many details and decisions to be made. One of these early decisions is choosing the right name. We've bounced around several ideas and I'm trying to come up with something that jumps out at me but so far that hasn't happened. So I thought I'd put it out to this group and ask that you share some ideas about how you came to be "who" you are. Did you: Pick names from a hat? Throw darts at a wall? Take a vote? Go with your gut and use the first name that came to mind? And, do you now regret the name you chose for any reason? Did you end up changing the name? If so, why? I'd like to hear from you. Thanks a bunch. *Matt VanSlyke* *_______ Bike __________ * *Utica, NY*

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Please unsubscribe
by Kathy Tillotson 17 Jun '13

17 Jun '13

Please unsubscibe me from these emails. I have sent several emails to unsubscribe and am still getting emails. We no longer have a recycle bike business. Thank you, Kathy On Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 9:27 PM, Vernon Huffman <vernonhuffman(a)yahoo.com>wrote: > Our shop has plenty of air flow year round, so smell hasn't been an issue. > Luckily it doesn't get that cold here. > > What is the source of the smell? Do you need to contain your degreaser > more tightly or scale back the use of toxic chemicals and aerosols? Is it > time to have a chat with some of the mechanics and volunteers about > personal hygiene? > > Bicycles shouldn't smell bad. Commercial bike shops don't generally have > an odor issue. What's different about your shop? > > > From: Mark Rehder <mark(a)re-cycles.ca> > > Hi all, > > During the warmer months we have a few doors open so the stink in our shop > is not so bad, but when all sealed up during our cold winters it's not > ideal. We've thought about a large filter unit, and it has also been > suggested to use a large exhaust fan, though that would also waste heat. > > How does your shop deal with this? > > Thanks, > > Mark Rehder - Coordinator > re-Cycles Community Bike Shop > http://re-cycles.ca > > _______________________________________________ > 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.… > > -- *Kathy Tillotson* *Build Futures*, Executive Director www.BuildFutures.org C 714 907-7358 "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb

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Introducing myself, and shop signage query
by David Eyer Davis 17 Jun '13

17 Jun '13

Hey y'all! I'm Davey, I'm taking over for Mr. Jonathan Morrison here at the Bicycle Collective in Utah. I've been subscribed to the list for many-a-year and have enjoyed picking our collective brains here. I hope to meet many of you at Bike! Bike! this year and at Interbike as well. Does anyone know of a good resource that documents community bike shop interior signage? I personally recall seeing great signage at Bike Kitchen in San Francisco and at Community Cycle Center, but I'm sure we have a ton of good examples betwixt us. I'm specifically interested in upping our signage game in the following ways: 1. An immediate sign with graphics of the different bicycle types and what they're typically used for, with details about how to size a bike for yourself. The intent would be to get a customer armed with the basics of bike purchasing without immediately taking too much attention from a volunteer. 2. placemats beneath plexiglass on bench surfaces with standard mechanical repairs simplified. What mechanical tasks have you found to be aided by diagrams? which are useless to explain through pictures? 3. Basic parts identification, the difference between a freewheel and a casette, the difference between one-piece, cotter pins and square-tapered cranks, threaded vs. threaded headsets, etc. 4. other things that I haven't thought of but you have. I'd appreciate links to pictures, and would be happy to compile a page on the bike collectives wiki of our findings. Thanks, David Eyer Davis Executive Director Bicycle Collective c: 801-230-6308 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.

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shop air quality
by Mark Rehder 16 Jun '13

16 Jun '13

Hi all, During the warmer months we have a few doors open so the stink in our shop is not so bad, but when all sealed up during our cold winters it's not ideal. We've thought about a large filter unit, and it has also been suggested to use a large exhaust fan, though that would also waste heat. How does your shop deal with this? Thanks, Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca

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The Alliance is hiring
by Mary Lauran Hall 14 Jun '13

14 Jun '13

Hi all, I'm excited to announce that the Alliance is hiring a Member Services Coordinator! Yes, really! When we first found out that Mike Samuelson, our current Member Services guru, was going to grad school in August, we were like... And I was all... But we all recognize that it'll be a rad new adventure for him. Really, we're happy that he's heading off for an exciting new chapter. So now, we're on the lookout for somebody great. Someone who is excited to assist state and local leaders in making communities and states better and safer places to walk... ...and to bike. If this sounds like a great opportunity, ...then come work with us! Our office is pretty fun. View the full position description and instructions for applying here. <http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/memberservices/all…> Best, MaryLauran -- Mary Lauran Hall Communications Manager Alliance for Biking & Walking mlhall(a)peoplepoweredmovement.org (202) 642 - 6617 P.O. Box 65150 Washington, DC 20035 *We've got big plans for 2013. Join or renew<http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/membership/welcome/> with the Alliance today!*

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Focus on education or D.I.Y.?
by Paul Nagel 13 Jun '13

13 Jun '13

Forgive the long email, please! With respect to workshops where the public can repair their own bikes: Does your organization perceive and market your workshops as being more about A) learning bike maintenance (particularly basic skills, i.e. most people come to learn) or B) an opportunity to use tools and equipment to do it yourself and save money (it's "ok" (tolerable?) if you don't know much) I imagine many reading this will want to answer "both" or more probably "both and much more". My thinking about this until now has basically just been "both and much more". The answer must vary depending on location, demographics served, the size and proportion of bicycle users in your area, the nature of your local cycling culture, etc. Here in beautiful Orange County, our visitors are from diverse backgrounds but they almost all come with very little knowledge of how to repair their bikes and a strong majority want to learn more (I don't have survey statistics or anything, this is just based on talking with people at workshops). This has me realizing that my group might bring more people in and clarify our purpose if we were to emphasize the learning aspect. This can have significant impact in terms of the primary wording of our flyers, the staffing of our workshops, the descriptions of our workshops, even the visual styling of our materials. It might shift our focus in terms of our target audience. Off the bat, I think it implies we should continue to present ourselves as an organization with broad appeal and strive to improve in this regard. In other words, conceptualizing things more as "come learn how to integrate bikes into your life" and not so centrally "come work on your bike using shared tools and used parts with the help of volunteers because its cheap and more fun and the capitalist exchange economy is destructive, etc." I believe the latter statement is valid. I also recognize bike co-ops are often complex organizations that serve many purposes and have a variety of symbiotic elements. However, to return the focus specifically to do-it-together bike repair, I'm just getting a strong feeling that we should be presenting ourselves as "Learning with a repair side effect" rather than "Repair with a learning side effect". Some might object to putting one before the other, but, again, I've been feeling that the reality of what people are looking for when they come to us and other stuff like the task of describing what we do is sort of calling for a priority to be chosen. I believe that if "learning" is put completely front and center, then you are sending a very clear message that people with few skills are totally welcome. I guess this is the meat of what I'm getting at. It helps take away ALL anxieties people might have about not knowing stuff about bikes. It makes it very clear that no humiliation awaits you if you come to a workshop and need step-by-step assistance. It also makes it clearer to ourselves that we need plenty of able volunteers to facilitate learning. It might furthermore give the other volunteers a clearer picture of their purpose at workshops, and they might even find the teaching part more inspiring than merely repairing bikes. I think this connects with maintaining a more "mainstreamed" appeal if we see that we are serving people of all kinds and creeds, and being welcoming toward beginners rather than bring more of a clubhouse for the initiated. This doesn't involve a major shift or wholesale whitewashing, but perhaps points toward the importance of doing all we can to keep things clean, organized, attractive (while still feeling free to express diverse opinions and tastes). Perhaps this balance between maintaining an uncomplicated welcoming atmosphere yet not suppressing the free expression of a co-op's regulars, volunteers, and staff is another discussion. I'd really like to know people's thoughts and definitely experiences with the learning-beginner/D.I.Y-initiated dynamic. For example, has anyone shifted their marketing/mission/image one way or the other (or honed down this image) and noticed any changes? Did this shift in image occur as a response to changes in clientele, or an improvement in assessing their needs? Supplementary thoughts: one concern is presenting too much of an image of being "for beginners" and turning off people with more experience. Another concern is not clearly communicating that people can actually repair their bikes, not just learn about doing it. Also, these thoughts come in conjunction with our group getting more involved in bike advocacy and also doing more bike rides (potentially getting League Certified Instructors involved), so that we can be a bit of a "one stop shop" for people looking to improve and increase their bicycle use. I hope this wasn't too much thinking out loud, I'd really love to hear any experiences with this stuff, because we are making some significant changes and opening a shop in half a year or so and I'd like to have our energies properly focused. Thank you, Paul Nagel The Bicycle Tree P.O. Box 11293 Santa Ana, CA 92711 http://www.thebicycletree.org info(a)thebicycletree.org

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Community Cycles is Hiring a Sales & Service Manager
by director 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

https://docs.google.com/a/communitycycles.org/document/d/1PgPaWzIPA0p7YJ3vm… -- -- Rich Points http://communitycycles.org Executive Director (c)303-589-0597 (w)720-565-6019 Community Cycles is Boulder's only bike shop dedicated to bike commuting. Find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCycles

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Community Cycles is Hiring a Part Time Seasonal Bike Mechanic
by director 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

https://docs.google.com/a/communitycycles.org/document/d/1xYmWZcLLfQzVnSKIp… -- -- Rich Points http://communitycycles.org Executive Director (c)303-589-0597 (w)720-565-6019 Community Cycles is Boulder's only bike shop dedicated to bike commuting. Find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCycles

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Bicis Rotas: Cycling and Bike Re-Cycling as Mental Health/Drug Therapy?
by Affordable Bikes Re-Cyclery 09 Jun '13

09 Jun '13

Hi, someone just sent us the first link and I thought it was really interesting, as we've been getting a fair number of customers in various stages of recovery. Just wondering if anyone has had contact with this organization or and/or is doing similar work? The first link led me to the second one. http://www.fundacionmanantial.org/blog/bicis-rotas/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundacion_Manantiales

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Focus on education or D.I.Y.?
by Vernon Huffman 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

When we explain our incentives for doing work in our admittedly funky space, we say "because this is a learning shop, we need all kinds working here. If you know what you're doing, we want to watch. And if you're not sure, we want you to ask questions. Learning requires both roles." We stress the cycle of studying theory, watching another do the job, doing it yourself with assistance, and then teaching the process to somebody else. Shop managers keep an eye out for opportunities to repeat a lesson to everybody in the shop, but we also refer new students to the one who just learned that lesson. We accomplish a lot of repair while focusing on maintaining the learning environment.

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Theft, punishment, etc
by Tim Buckingham 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Here at Broke Spoke we have had an individual who has been stealing on a regular basis and who is more self-fulfilling than actually contributing to the mission of the space. It is to the point where we think we need to ask him to leave the shop and to not return. Anyone have any experience with situations like this? Any retaliation?

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Safe space policy
by Geoffrey Bercarich 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Can I ask all collectives to give their interpretation of a safe space and a method to maintain a safe or safer space.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Test for (volunteer) mechanics?
by Keren Gottfried 04 Jun '13

04 Jun '13

Hm, it sounds like yu are really hoping to get volunteers with a solid knowledge level to make sure you're helping a lot of people well. Is a written test your favourite method and do you think it is accessible to all? In my experience, written tests favour a very particular sort of learning style. What about something less academic/intimidating/formal, like a conversation or hands-on demonstration? We don't test people at Bike Pirates, we basically let anyone start (after they take an orientation) and learn "on the job". New and vet volunteers alike are encouraged to be open and honest with their knowledge levels with participants, to learn by "shadowing", and to ask questions vs. guess. We also explain to participants when they walk in (at least, we try to) that all our volunteers have varied knowledge levels and that we are a DIY work space. So we don't require people have a "base level" of knowledge. If you're just starting out but you've mastered flats, or brakes, or whatever, be the one to help with that issue as often as possible and shadow others on topics you know less about. It's an imperfect system but it allows for people to learn at their own pace, for our program to be welcome and accessible, while still being as efficient as possible. Background --> at Bike Pirates we have a (recently refined) volunteer training program that involves a couple hours on every Wednesday night for 3 weeks. The first week is a general orientation to the space and is the only mandatory week, followed by a mechanical orientation and the third is a walk trough and practice Bike Build night. - Keren, Bike Pirates. Toronto --- On Mon, 6/3/13, Paul Nagel <paul(a)thebicycletree.org> wrote: From: Paul Nagel <paul(a)thebicycletree.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Test for (volunteer) mechanics? To: "thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org" <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Received: Monday, June 3, 2013, 8:58 PM To start off, we've been seeing that nearly everyone (literally 49 out of 50 or even 99 out of 100) that comes to our workshops for do-it-together repair knows very little about bike maintenance (don't know a barrel adjuster from a limit screw). The process of learning is fundamental to these workshops, as it may be for most of the groups on this list. The notion of having a workspace where someone is vaguely supervising while people have at their bikes would not work for us at all. We pretty much need to be one on one with our visitors, we were 3 visitors to one volunteer the other day and it was far from optimal. In this light, it is important that our volunteer mechanics be at least decent mechanics as well as good teachers. We respect the importance of "hands off", but know that people come to our workshops not so much for the tools, but rather for the assistance of someone who knows what they are doing. So, I'm wondering if anyone uses a pretty simple written test (30 - 50 questions) in the process of bringing in new volunteer mechanics. We do not currently, though we do have new volunteers self-evaluate their level of knowledge on a one-page volunteer information form. I'm thinking a test could help quickly and objectively evaluate a person's skill level and help identify opportunities for growth. Any advice regarding problems and pitfalls would be appreciated. Of course any sample tests would be fantastic. This could be the same as an Earn-A-Bike test. Thank you, Paul Nagel The Bicycle Tree P.O. Box 11293 Santa Ana, CA 92711 http://www.thebicycletree.org info(a)thebicycletree.org -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ 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.…

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 82, Issue 6
by Jenna Yu 04 Jun '13

04 Jun '13

I use a bikes at work 6' trailer and a 6' surely trailer. I like them both. I built a wooden box on top of the Surly trailer. The hitch attachment is easier and faster with the bikes at work trailer. If you get a couple of their hitches, you can share the BAW trailer with a few different people and even make your own trailer with a simple pin attachment. The Surly trailer hitch requires more adjustments and tweaking in the hitch but if feels really strong. I share the surley trailer with a coordinator at Recycle-A-Bike and he bent the skewer attaching the trailer to the bike improperly in one of the first attempts to use it. They are both great!! On Jun 4, 2013, at 4:17 PM, thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Experience with Surly Cargo Trailers (Bill or Ted > Trailer)? (Samantha Herr) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 14:54:58 -0400 > From: Samantha Herr <samanthazherr(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Experience with Surly Cargo Trailers (Bill > or Ted Trailer)? > Message-ID: > <CA+u0Amhr3rD3T=ww8AYBRnPQjQgCA+b30MR6_aH20=Jhmcj_ng(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hey there, Andrew, > > Yep, I've used the Ted. Was built really well and had a great hitch system > through the back hub, but the Ted is a bit small. It also has some nice > featured built in for if you want to build the trailer up in any way. It's > pretty bare bones, but leaves lots of possibility. I think it's a great > trailer choice. > > Sam > > > On Tue, May 21, 2013 at 4:10 PM, Andrew Magill <andrew(a)spokesconnect.org>wrote: > >> Has anyone used either of the Surly trailers? We are thinking >> about purchasing the Bill trailer to haul a "mobile shop" as well as >> several complete bicycles. We would also consider a Bikes at Work Trailer >> but we can't get a discount from them. >> >> Any thoughts or stories please share! >> >> Thanks, >> >> Andrew >> >> SPOKES Bike Walk Connect >> >> MInneapolis >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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.… >

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Test for (volunteer) mechanics?
by Paul Nagel 03 Jun '13

03 Jun '13

To start off, we've been seeing that nearly everyone (literally 49 out of 50 or even 99 out of 100) that comes to our workshops for do-it-together repair knows very little about bike maintenance (don't know a barrel adjuster from a limit screw). The process of learning is fundamental to these workshops, as it may be for most of the groups on this list. The notion of having a workspace where someone is vaguely supervising while people have at their bikes would not work for us at all. We pretty much need to be one on one with our visitors, we were 3 visitors to one volunteer the other day and it was far from optimal. In this light, it is important that our volunteer mechanics be at least decent mechanics as well as good teachers. We respect the importance of "hands off", but know that people come to our workshops not so much for the tools, but rather for the assistance of someone who knows what they are doing. So, I'm wondering if anyone uses a pretty simple written test (30 - 50 questions) in the process of bringing in new volunteer mechanics. We do not currently, though we do have new volunteers self-evaluate their level of knowledge on a one-page volunteer information form. I'm thinking a test could help quickly and objectively evaluate a person's skill level and help identify opportunities for growth. Any advice regarding problems and pitfalls would be appreciated. Of course any sample tests would be fantastic. This could be the same as an Earn-A-Bike test. Thank you, Paul Nagel The Bicycle Tree P.O. Box 11293 Santa Ana, CA 92711 http://www.thebicycletree.org info(a)thebicycletree.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Experience with Surly Cargo Trailers (Bill or Ted Trailer)?
by christopher＠holisticcycles.com 03 Jun '13

03 Jun '13

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