November 2017 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Reusable Repair Checklist Tag
by director 02 May '23

02 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 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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Re: [TheThinkTank] Visual of What An Exchange Program Could look Like
by rob＠robertgrossmandesign.com 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

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bikes on display
by Edward Stewart 28 Nov '17

28 Nov '17

We at the Elyria (Ohio) Bicycle Education Center are pretty new to much of how to run a coop and shop. We appreciate the collective intelligence being shared here. We are looking for a good and inexpensive way to display bikes in our front 'sales room' without relying on kickstands to hold up the bikes (some have'em, some don't). Willing to build wood racks or whatever but have not seen anything reasonable yet. Any suggestions? -- Ed Stewart emsco514(a)gmail.com 440-365-6784 *I have an escape mechanism for stress: my bike.* <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Ideas for places to Stay During an Exchange
by rob＠robertgrossmandesign.com 28 Nov '17

28 Nov '17

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Sorting parts/bike storage/safer spaces
by Anna Weier 28 Nov '17

28 Nov '17

Hey folks, I have three questions that I’m hoping to get input on: 1. Do any of you have good resources with pictures and text about what to look for when you are sorting through old parts and trying to determine what to keep and what to scrap? I am looking for something that I can use to help train volunteers as a guide for them to follow when they are going through old parts bins. 2. I am looking to build the cheapest possible medium-term bike storage that allows me to use some vertical space. I was thinking essentially just a platform that would go against a wall and bikes would be stored underneath and on top. This is for bikes we are building up now to sell in the spring so we want to pack them in and likely will take off pedals and re-orient handlebars. If anyone had a simple plan to follow it would make my life easier. 3. I’m wondering if any folks have good policies, processes or training for ensuring that your spaces are safer spaces for women, people of colour, LGBT2Q*, people with disabilities, newcomers, refugees etc. I am especially wondering how to make sure that it is easy to bring volunteers on while ensuring there is some sort of training or code of conduct to ensure that they know how to help create a safer space. Thanks folks! Anna Anna Weier UMCycle Manager University of Manitoba Students' Union Winter Kiosk Hours: Monday and Thursday, 11am – 12:30pm Volunteer and Community Stand Hours in the Warehouse: Monday 2pm – 4pm (volunteers), Thursday 1:30pm – 4pm (Supported Community Stand – everyone welcome) Please feel free to make an appointment if those times don’t work for you. tel: 204.474.8484 @MyUMSU<https://www.instagram.com/myumsu/>

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Visual of What An Exchange Program Could look Like
by rob＠robertgrossmandesign.com 20 Nov '17

20 Nov '17

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Ideas for places to Stay During an Exchange
by rob＠robertgrossmandesign.com 19 Nov '17

19 Nov '17

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Phoenix Bikes (Arlington, VA) Hiring Education Program Manager
by Phoenix Bikes 19 Nov '17

19 Nov '17

Hi Everyone, Phoenix Bikes <http://www.phoenixbikes.org/>, located in Arlington, VA, is hiring for our Education Program Manager <https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/7f78f0ede83145cd9d740614cd2078a1-…> position. Deadline to apply is Dec. 8th and the start date is February 1st. Thanks in advance for helping spread the word! Take care and Happy Thanksgiving, Meg *Meg Rapelye, MSW* Executive Director, Phoenix Bikes 4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive <https://maps.google.com/?q=4200+S.+Four+Mile+Run+DriveArlington,+VA+22206&e…> Arlington, VA 22206 <https://maps.google.com/?q=4200+S.+Four+Mile+Run+DriveArlington,+VA+22206&e…> Bike Shop: 703-575-7762 <(703)%20575-7762> Cell: 703-350-3843 <(703)%20350-3843> Web: www.phoenixbikes.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoenixbikesVA/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhoenixBikes Instagram: phoenix_bikes <https://www.instagram.com/phoenix_bikes/>

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Input on Tasks for Drop-In Volunteers
by Josh Bisker 18 Nov '17

18 Nov '17

Hello Pals!!!!!!!! Systems are shaping up at the Mechanical Gardens in NYC, and we're looking to develop more structure for drop-in volunteers. This includes irregular volunteers and regulars too. *What are some of the ways **you'd recommend **to do this well?* And what resources can you share? - PDFs of handouts from your shops or snapshots of things like task boards would be super helpful, as would other advice! - We want a balance of "low barrier for entry" tasks and "guidance or skill required" tasks. - We would love to hear your insights on how to frame these things to be learning and empowerment experiences instead of just "hey do this thing bye" or "hey do this thing while I hover over you." ALSO ALSO PLEASE LOOKIE: We're posing this as a question to everyone, *but* would primarily love to hear from some women/trans/femme/gender non-conforming organizers, if anyone who identifies that way is inclined to jump into the thread. Partly this is because the ThinkTank is often very male-dominated, and partly it's because in our shop, at least, cismen are way more likely to jump into / blunder through participating without structures to invite them in or help them contribute in the best way possible. For this reason, insights from non-cismen organizers would be great here. xox to all of course though :) Josh Josh Bisker 914-500-9890 New York Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op <http://bikecoop.nyc/> 596 Acres <http://596acres.org/> Bindlestiff Family Cirkus <http://bindlestiff.org/>

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