TheThinkTank September 2017

thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org

42 participants
22 discussions

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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Neighborhood Bike Works is hiring a Lead Mechanic in our Community Bike Shop
by Steve Maluk 26 Sep '17

26 Sep '17

Neighborhood Bike Works (in Philadelphia) is hiring for a Lead Mechanic position in our earned-revenue Community Bike Shop. Please help us spread the word. The job description is below, and also attached as a pdf... *Bike Shop Lead Mechanic – Neighborhood Bike Works* *Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW) *inspires youth and strengthens Philadelphia communities by providing equitable access to bicycling and bike repair through education, recreation, leadership, and career building opportunities. NBW offers after-school and summer programming to youth, runs adult bike repair programming, and operates a community bike shop as a source of earned revenue for our non-profit organization. *Position Summary: *Neighborhood Bike Works is seeking a part-time *Bike Shop Lead Mechanic* in our Community Bike Shop. This position is responsible for repairing and refurbishing used bicycles for sale in our earned-revenue bike shop, and assists members of the public in finding bikes, bike parts, and accessories sold in our shop. Additionally, this position will greet members of our community from various stakeholder groups, including youth, parents, volunteers, donors, and adult program participants. The Lead Mechanic works alongside volunteers to assist the public during NBW’s Bike Church hours. This position is expected to model NBW’s values of access, equity, and in creating and maintaining a safe space at NBW. *Reports to: *Shop Manager *Start Date & Work Schedule: * The preferred start date for this position is November 6, 2017. This part-time position will work 30 hours-per-week during our shop’s peak season (April 1 to September 30) and 20 hours-per-week during the off-season (October 1 to March 31). The position will include some evening and weekend work, and is based at our Community Bike Shop and headquarters at 3939 Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia. *Primary Responsibilities* · Repair and refurbish bicycles to a saleable quality, assess value of bicycles, and sell bicycles during our Community Shop time. · Deliver helpful customer service to a diverse base of customers and volunteers during Bike Church and the Community Bike Shop. · Assist patrons with bike repairs during Bike Church hours, ensuring the focus remains on learning and empowerment for Bike Church patrons. · Support daily shop operations including daily setup and closing of workshop areas and sales floor, organizing product for sale, answering phone, cleaning, and light facilities projects. · Support Donations Coordinator in keeping inventory organized and sorting bike donations. *Qualifications:* The ideal candidate will have 2+ years of experience as a bike mechanic, a year or more of work experience in a bike shop or another customer-focused retail environment, will exhibit excellent communication and customer service skills, and be skilled in the use of a wide range of bicycle tools and the repair of bicycles built from the 1970’s and later. Candidates with non-traditional work and education experience are encouraged – please tell us about those experiences that qualify you for this position. Additional Qualifications: · Driven by the mission and work of NBW. · Commitment to social justice and youth leadership. · Willingness to work as a team player with other staff, volunteers, and youth. · Reliable, self-motivated, and with a keen attention to detail. · Sense of humor, patience, and flexibility. NBW is a collaborative and fast-paced work environment. · Ability to lift up to 50 pounds. · License to drive a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania, preferred. · Successful passing of PA State Police Criminal Background Check, Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, and FBI Clearance required. *Compensation:* This is a part-time, non-exempt, hourly position. The starting pay range for this position will be $12.50 to $14.75 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. NBW offers a competitive benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans. Additionally, NBW offers the equivalent of two weeks of paid vacation (50 hours) for the employee in the first year of this position, as well as personal paid time off, and an employee purchase benefit on bicycles, parts, and accessories. *To apply for this position, please email a resume and cover letter* to jobs(a)neighborhoodbikeworks.org, with “Lead Mechanic Position” as the subject heading of your email. Applications received by October 11, 2017 will receive priority consideration. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seek staff who reflect the community we serve. Candidates of color are encouraged to apply. --- Steve Maluk He/Him/His Executive Director *Neighborhood Bike Works <http://neighborhoodbikeworks.org>* <215-386-0316%20x%20113>215-386-0316 x118 *Join NBW at** Youth Bike Summit* *2017* *----------------------------------------------* October 6-8, 2017 Arlington, VA + Washington, DC [image: ybs-2017-postcard-orange-reduced] <http://youthbikesummit.org>

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Used Bikes Available - Panhandle of Florida
by Kyle Wagenschutz 26 Sep '17

26 Sep '17

Hey folks, Recently, I received a request from a bike rental operator located in the panhandle of Florida looking for a new home each year for their used bicycle fleet. It was described to me that about 700 bikes are available for free on an annual basis - the owner only wants the bikes to be picked up from their location. As described to me, the bikes are in working condition and have about one season of rental wear and tear on them. Currently, the owner is taking the bikes to the scrapyard as they are replaced. If anyone has any interest, please feel free to send me a note and I’ll connect you directly with the owner of the bike tour company. Best, Kyle Wagenschutz Director of Local Innovation PeopleForBikes P.O. Box 2359 / Boulder, CO 80306 EMAIL: kyle(a)peopleforbikes.org <mailto:kyle@peopleforbikes.org> MOBILE: 303.886.8288 PeopleForBikes.org <http://peopleforbikes.org/>BigJumpProject.org <http://www.bigjumpproject.org/>

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Burning Man Bikes
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 20 Sep '17

20 Sep '17

Heads up, according to a friend of mine who just came back from Burning Man in Nevada, many, many bikes were left abandoned after the event. According to the event's webpage [1]: Love 'Em… and Please Don't Leave 'Em Leave no trace. A bike is a BIG trace. Somehow it's become a common myth (playa legend, perhaps?) that it's perfectly acceptable to leave your bike behind upon striking your camp. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you pack it in, pack it out! However, apparently, it is perfectly acceptable to leave bikes behind, so there may still be lot's of bikes for bike projects in the region of Black Rock, Nevada to gather up. Something definitely to look into if it hasn't already been. -Jonathan Links: ------ [1] https://burningman.org/event/preparation/getting-around/bikes/

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Choosing Leaders
by Josh Bisker 20 Sep '17

20 Sep '17

Hello compadres! So, we're trying to go from a create squads to handle different arenas of planning and activity -- like Shop Management, Communications, Programming, Volunteer Coordination, Partnerships, etc. Each squad will have a captain. *Here's the request for help: *We're looking for your insight and experience to help us figure out how to pick our captains, especially this first time. - How have you dealt with electing / selecting leaders? - What lessons have you learned about good ways to do this? - How about bad ways to do this? What should we be careful of? - How can we best inoculate ourselves against interpersonal conflicts muddying the process? - Are there anonymous voting systems, consensus systems, or other systems you recommend for this kind of thing? (FYI, our group is nascent enough that we don't yet have a strong consensus model in place for making big decisions.) For reference about captains in specific: - Captains are the squad’s points-of-contact, coordinators for its activities, and default squad spokespeople. They’re responsible for the squad’s workflow, and for communicating with the collective about the squad’s initiatives, progress, and needs -- also for structuring how volunteers can participate in the squad’s activities. - Captains’ stated mission also includes supporting and engaging with ideas from their squad members and from the larger collective too -- and calling for extra teamwork when the squad needs it. More about the squads model from me soon, but in the mean time some feedback here would be grrrrrreat! Kisses, 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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Free parts to share
by Rafaell Rozendo 18 Sep '17

18 Sep '17

Hi all, Raf here from Bici Centro in Santa Barbara. We have an excess of parts donated by Trek and would like to share them. A list of the items is below with approximate quantities. Unfortunately, we can't ship them for free :( I will calculate shipping of the items for you and can provide packing supplies. We have Paypal, but could also take credit/debit payments towards shipping cost. Shipping is around $20-$40 for US and US territories and around $60-$80 outside of US (estimate for medium size box). If anyone knows a way to save on shipping please share. If you are interested, send me your zip or city/state or province/country. If not, please ignore! -Raf List of items Item description Qty. Possible use Original price Clip-on handlebar flower >50 Gift for fundraiser, promo $10 Bike bell >50 Gift for fundraiser, promo $10 Valve caps, cute colorful ones! >50 Gift for fundraiser, promo $5 Grips, dotted ~30 Shop, sun resistant, long wearing $20 Grips, plain ~30 Shop, sun resistant, long wearing $20 Tire, Bontrager 29x2.2 MTB ~30 MTB event support $35 Cartridge, thread-on 20g >50 MTD or road ride support $4 Tube, Bontrager 27.5x3.5-4.0 PV >50 Winter fatbike ride or event $18

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Youth Bike Summit // National Youth Bike Ride
by Pasqualina Azzarello 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

Hi Everyone, We hope you'll join us at the 7th annual Youth Bike Summit, taking place *October 6-8, 2017* in Arlington, VA and hosted by Phoenix Bikes! We've got an exciting line-up of speakers, workshops, and activities <https://youthbikesummit.org/2017-event-schedule/>! And we're launching the first-ever National Youth Bike Ride <https://t.e2ma.net/click/iuhfu/ac6fm/2xhhpe>! Register to attend the Youth Bike Summit here <http://youthbikesummit2017.brownpapertickets.com/> - and if you're coming in from out of town, please book your lodging at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City <https://aws.passkey.com/event/49087660/owner/10336/home>, where the YBS will be held. Hyatt is offering a generous discount to all YBS attendees - simply book through the above link and rooms are $129/night for up to 4 people. Can't attend? Please consider sponsoring a local youth <https://youthbikesummit.org/support-ybs17/> to attend the three-day conference! Hope to see you all in October! Best, Pasqualina -- *Pasqualina Azzarello* Director, Youth Bike Summit Website <https://youthbikesummit.org/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/youthbikesummit/?fref=ts> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/youthbikesummit> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/youthbikesummit/> @youthbikesummit #YBS17 *JOIN US! * *Youth Bike Summit* Hosted by Phoenix Bikes in Arlington, VA October 6 - 8, 2017 // Arlington, VA / Washington, DC

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Chain tensioners anyone?
by Thomas Butler 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

This is a total shot in the dark, but if anyone has use for (up to) an entire box of these chain tensioners, please suggest a way for us to get them to you. Not spring loaded, but they are brand new. direct from NuVinci.

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Exchange Program Blueprinting Session this Sunday in Chicago
by Robert Grossman 13 Sep '17

13 Sep '17

Hello Friends and Allies We will be meeting at Working Bikes, in Chicago, this Sunday at 4:45pm to work on the Exchange Program blueprint. In this session we will be filling in ideas into a matrix. The categories we will be filling in are Touchpoints, People Involved, Systems, Policy, Fact/Observation, Metric/Data, Questions/Unknowns, Critical Moments, Ideas/Opportunities, and Phase Timeline. We have already broken the program down into its key steps. This session will simply be a brainstorm for each of those categories for each step. Please feel free to share your insights even if you can't make the session and I will plug them into the blueprint.

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TheThinkTank September 2017