January 2016 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Webhosting/domains
by Bike City 25 Mar '25

25 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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Reusable Repair Checklist Tag
by director 03 May '23

03 May '23

Hey All, We just spent some time and redid the tag we use to track repairs on a bike. I'm sure your shops are similar to ours in that many mechanics of varying skill levels will work on a single bike before it's distributed back to the world for use. This make it challenging to ensure a standard of quality on any given bike leaving the shop. As we fleshed out the tag we realized that it could function loosely as a curriculum. For most mechanics, especially students we suggest starting at the top and working down the list. I've come to realize that no two mechanics will do things in the exact same way, everyone has their own style. We've been suggesting that folks do the first two items in order and then address the rest of the repairs at their discretion. Of course we couldn't put everything on a half page so we had to make compromises. You'll notice as you get closer to the bottom of the tag the categories are a little more broad and don't get into the finer details. We're working on a final check list that will include finer details like checking bearing play, tire wear, fine tune derailleurs and brakes... The final checklist won't hang on the bike but it'll be around the shop and part of our training. Stay tuned for this. We print these double sided, cut them in half and laminate them. We hang them on the handlebars and fill them out with a Sharpie. When the bike is done and gone we clean the Sharpie off with 90% rubbing alcohol and a rag. This allows us to use one tag over and over and over. We've been using these tags for about 2 weeks now and it's been awesome. Communication between mechanics is much clearer and bikes are getting done faster. It's really helped orient Earn-A-Bike students to what needs to be done next on their bike. Anyway if you think it's a good idea feel free to adapt it to your shops needs. -- Ride On! 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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no boys allowed zine from bikebike?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 28 Sep '18

28 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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Instruction for Marginalized Communities: Women on Wheels and Multilingual Nights
by Lauren Warbeck 27 Feb '16

27 Feb '16

Oh HEYYYY again... It's a double email kinda day. 1) Multilingual Nights We're hosting our first ever multilingual nights YAYYYYY! We now have a posse of rad mechanics who are fluent in English, Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin and we are planning to hold a series of multilingual instruction nights. We're about to have our first sub-committee meeting about how we're going to go about the planning of these nights (ie: Do we have a strictly Spanish night, or a Spanish & French night? What is the role of Anglo mechanics in these nights? What are the underlying needs of these communities beyond language instruction?), but first I wanted to find out if any of you have feedback or resource materials about your own experiences hosting multilingual nights. What did you set out to do? Did it work? What did you learn? 2) Women on Wheels We're in the process of reconsidering the reach and name of our women's night, Women on Wheels. This name has been revisited several times by our collective, and again we're feeling the need for change. Those of you who commit energy to thinking about providing services across the gender/sexuality spectrum...I'm looking for your input. The key challenges for us, (and maybe all of us?) I think, are two-fold: First, it's about holding space for those who adhere to identity politics (tangible and named - Woman, Lesbian, Dyke, sometimes Transwoman etc) while also holding space for folks who exist all along the gender and sexuality spectrum (intangible and variably named - Queer, Tomboi, sometimes Transwoman, Genderqueer, etc ). As in, how do we hold safer space for butch grandmas and trans women and gender queer folks all at once? Is it feasible or possible to hold safer space strictly around gender variance? Or is it presumptuous as fuck to try to lump these diverse communities together? Or reductionist to assume gender experience is the key connecting factor between these individuals (and not race, or class, or ....)? Second, it's about negotiating the instances of inclusion and exclusion that emerge as a result of differing levels of awareness and knowledge around these varied philosophies and ways of identifying. This is the crux of why we've called it Women's Night for so long. While in practice our "women's night" is attended by trans-women, cis-women, femmes, masculine-identified genderqueers, tombois, etc etc, we have continued to call it women's night to make sure that people who aren't familiar with the world of post-modern gender identity know they are welcome, and cis-men know easily and clearly that it is not for them. I guess, to make it legible to mainstream communities, while still welcoming to non-mainstream communities. Meanwhile, we've also had interest from femme-identified cis-men and trans men in having services for masculine-presenting folks or folks who are presumed masculine (which again, is on a really broad spectrum). We're in convo with folks about their needs and wants, but it would also be great to have input from other shops. Where I'm really seeking is input about how your shops are drawing the lines around participation in nights for marginalized communities (including communities bonded around race, ethnicity, ability, etc) and/or how to meld diverse communities in appropriate and supportive ways. I know that Plan B has Ladies, Trans, and Sissies Night, and BICAS has Women, Trans, and Femme night. Where are folks at with their organizing process around this? What are other shops doing? You are all so great. Lauren

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Safe Routes to School experience with 2nd grade groups?
by Jim Sheehan 05 Feb '16

05 Feb '16

Folks, We have done some presentations and rodeos for 4th graders, but after the news that D.C. schools are teaching bike riding to all 2nd graders, our district is interested in reaching this younger cohort. While we have had a bit of experience with this age, any lessons learned from working with schools (especially in Phys Ed) would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim Sheehan Director, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op 1840 Columbus Rd Cleveland, Ohio 44113 216 830 2667 OhioCityCycles.org jim(a)ohiocitycycles.org

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Fwd: Call for Submissions to NITC Student Video Contest
by Angel York 30 Jan '16

30 Jan '16

I figure some of you might be qualified (student) and interested in this video contest. The prize is a little more than a chocolate bar ;) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Susan Peithman <peithman(a)pdx.edu> Date: Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 12:02 PM Subject: Call for Submissions to NITC Student Video Contest To: Angel York <aniola(a)gmail.com> Click here if you're having problems viewing this email <http://transportation.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=48ad8b7ea20d5f582ce67718ca693940…> <http://transportation.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=48ad8b7ea20d5f582ce67718ca693940…> NITC is hosting a student video competition to highlight the role of transportation in building livable communities. <http://transportation.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=48ad8b7ea20d5f582ce67718ca693940…> Submissions Due June 15, 2016 Grand Prize $4,000 + travel to Portland, Oregon for the Transportation and Communities Summit in September 2016 Create a video answering one of these questions: - Can you explain the connection between livability and transportation in a way that can reach, for example, traffic engineers, elected officials, local business owners, and a classroom of elementary school students and their parents? - What role can you and your peers play in creating transportation systems that support livable communities? - How would you convince youth why transportation and livable communities would be a great career? - If you were the Secretary of Transportation, how would you make the nation’s transportation system support livable communities? Click here for complete competition details and submission instructions <http://transportation.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=48ad8b7ea20d5f582ce67718ca693940…> Open to ALL full-time university students, individuals or teams If you have questions, contact Susan Peithman at peithman(a)pdx.edu. If you do not wish to receive notifications like this in the future, update your email preferences <http://transportation.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=48ad8b7ea20d5f582ce67718ca693940…> . TREC P.O. Box 751 Portland, OR 97207 United States Unsubscribe from our newsletter <http://transportation.acemlna.com/proc.php?nl=5&c=203&m=235&s=48ad8b7ea20d5…>

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Re: [TheThinkTank] 2016 February Wiki Contest (FREE CHOCOLATE OMG)
by Angel York 30 Jan '16

30 Jan '16

Get your typing fingers ready! http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=February_2016_Wiki_Cont… Editing the wiki page for your own community bike shop is totally ok. And for *anyone* who makes their first 3 edits during the month of February 2016, send me an email with your mailing address and I will mail you an old-fangled handwritten note in a thank you card with at least one doodle on it. On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 6:44 PM, Angel York <aniola(a)gmail.com> wrote: > I will send one fair trade chocolate bar each to two top editors of the > bike collectives wiki in the month of February. Anywhere in the world. > > I will be considering both the (subjective) quality and (objective) > quantity of edits made during the month of February. There is a chocolate > bar each for: > > - top editor of anywhere on the wiki found at > http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/ > - top editor of the > http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organ… > page > > Angel York >

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Anyone else get funding from Governor's Highway Safety Program?
by Mary-Catherine Graziano 30 Jan '16

30 Jan '16

I'm asking because NHTSA just issued a memo saying that funding for bike lights and helmets, etc would no longer be allowed (unless it is for personnel) under the grant funds that we receive for the Governor's Highway Safety Program. Allowed purchases for supplies must fall under the following categories (summarized): 1) awards for giving away at ceremonies 2) advertisements 3) safety gear for personnel only, or for loaning out and taking back (say, at a bike rodeo), or 4) written educational material (on CD, paper, thumb drive, etc). If you receive funding from NHTSA, and have encountered this memo--how do you support your bike light and helmet initiatives? Any information would be incredibly helpful! Thank you! Best, Mary Catherine Graziano Outreach and Education Manager Local Motion 1 Steele St., Burlington, VT 05401 phone: 802-861-2700 ext. 106 fax: 802-861-3096 www.localmotion.org We offer: Kids' Bike Skills Programs for schools, recreation programs and summer camps: www.kohlskidsbikesmart.org AND Bike Skills Programs for adults: http://www.localmotion.org/education/everydaybicyclingproject <http://www.facebook.com/localmotionvt> <http://www.twitter.com/localmotionvt> <http://www.instagram.com/localmotionvermont>

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Biking In Vegas
by Jen Roberton 28 Jan '16

28 Jan '16

Hello everyone, I'm currently trying to see what's going on in the Las Vegas Bike Collective Scene. All I seem to be able to find are facebook events for the Fremont Bike Clinic from 2014. Anyone have any insider info? Thanks, Jen -- Jen Roberton Master's Student M.A School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia

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Bike Collective Photos
by Godwin ! 25 Jan '16

25 Jan '16

Hey folks, I'm looking for some high quality photos of bike collectives to use on a redesign of bikecollectives.org. What I'm really looking for are some photos that accurately but positively represent what a bike collective is like, people working together with bikes. Some diversity, bikes, tools, and smiles would be nice. I'd like to put these images on the front page of the site so I need to know that the photographer, your organization, and the people in the photos consent to the images being displayed prominently. Knowing some info on the photographer and collective would be great so that I can give credit. Feel free to reply off-list to help reduce the amount coming into everyone's inboxes. Thanks!godwin PS: If you're curious about what's going on, I'm migrating our site from PHP to RoR and moving it to the same server as bikebike.org so that we can more easily translate bikecollectives.org and the two sites can share data (we can get the map working again!). Most of my time needs to be spent on bikebike for the next few months but afterwards I'd like to spend time getting the site translated and possibly adding new content and features. If you're interested in helping out with development, feel free to reach out to me and I'll do my best to help onboard you (keep in mind that I'm very bad at organizing a remote team).

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