May 2023 - 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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Seeking examples of liability waivers
by Joshua H. 11 Jul '23

11 Jul '23

Hello all, We need a better liability waiver for our CBS. We need something that is easy to read/understand. I've tried searching through the archives of the thinktank but it isn't returning any results (getting a ht://Dig error). Anything you can send will be very helpful! Bicycle rider solidarity, Joshua Community Bike Shop at Barber Park

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Re: Rags & used parts management
by Gordon Hamachi 08 May '23

08 May '23

It is good that you are aware of the hazard of greasy rags catching fire. Shop quality greasy rag containers have a spring-loaded top that stays closed. It is worth having one of these, to protect your shop and its contents from a fire hazard. New ones all seem to cost $80-$120, so you or your insurance company need to decide if the real deal is worth it. I believe that there is a best practice of not storing anything flammable near such a container. The linked article suggests that for shops that produce only a small volume of rags, an airtight metal container such as a paint can can serve. To be extra safe, you could fill the container with a mixture of water and detergent. At home I have been storing greasy rags in a large metal cookie tin, but I see the value of a sturdy paint can with an airtight lid. Occasionally I hand wash my accumulated shop rags and air dry them for reuse. https://www.greatamericaninsurancegroup.com/content-hub/news-details/oily-r… .

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Used Carbon forks - how to assess?
by Laura Brooke 08 May '23

08 May '23

We had someone come by our shop this weekend. They had just bought a Specialized Allez from the early 2000s with a used carbon fork. They wanted to know if it the carbon fork was safe. None of us at the shop at the time have a ton of knowledge for what to look for... we suggested: 1. Email the fork manufacturer to ask if there were any recalls 2. Look for signs to see if the bike may have been in a crash and any clear signs that the fork may be damaged 3. Take the fork out to inspect the steerer tube and look at the races Any other advice, yall? Thanks for your assistance! -Laura (volunteer at Freeride Montpelier)

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Rags & used parts management
by Claude Ferron 07 May '23

07 May '23

Hello all! We are just starting our bike community workshop and we have not established yet how we plan to deal with rags. I was thinking about 3 cases / box (new, used, trash). How do you deal with thoses on your side? Are old t-shirts enough for you? Same kinds of questions for the used parts management... How do you deal with those on your side? Any pictures? It is always inspiring to see others work :) Thanks a million :) Claude Ferron, Co-Coordonator La Cyclerie, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada Bike Culture + Self-Repair Community workshop www.lacyclerie.ca

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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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