August 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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Fwd: There's a Fediverse group now, hay un grupo de Fediverse ahora!
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 18 Oct '23

18 Oct '23

Forwarding this because it looks like there was a delivery issue and it didn't actually come through to the Think Tank: ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: angel york <bike(a)angelyork.com> Date: Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 8:39 PM Subject: There's a Fediverse group now, hay un grupo de Fediverse ahora! To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Cc: Bike!Bike! Everywhere! <bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com> Hi all, 1. You can now follow *https://climatejustice.global/@bbe* <https://climatejustice.global/@bbe> from anywhere on the Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) for news about B!B!E!. We will cross-post any big announcements to the Fediverse using this account. 2. Anyone can post to and/or follow the Guppe group *BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe <BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe>* from anywhere on the Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) for general bike collectives stuff. (Moderation is done by reporting things to your local instance.) 3. We will need a volunteer or volunteers to post announcements for the planning and tech teams and relay questions from the fediverse to the people not keeping up with the fediverse who can answer those questions. Bilingual en/es preferred. Thanks, Angel Traducido por deepl y yo: Hola a todos, 1. Ahora puedes seguir *https://climatejustice.global/@bbe* <https://climatejustice.global/@bbe> desde cualquier lugar de Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) para obtener noticias sobre B!B!E!. Publicaremos cualquier anuncio importante en esta cuenta. 2. Cualquiera puede publicar y/o seguir al grupo Guppe *BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe* <BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe> desde cualquier lugar del Fediverso (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) para asuntos generales de colectivos de ciclistas. (La moderación se hace reportando cosas a tu instancia local). 3. Necesitaremos uno o varios voluntarixs que publiquen anuncios para los equipos de planificación y tecnología y que transmitan las preguntas del fediverso a las personas que no están en el fediverso y que pueden responder a esas preguntas. Preferiblemente bilingües es/en. Gracias, Angel

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Question re community bike shops
by Emory Shaw 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

HI all, I'm just doing a bit of research and I figured this would be a good place to ask a question: does anyone know of a case where community bike shops have united together to form some kind of federation or coalition ? Many cities are dotted with such shops that tend to share a similar social mission: are there any examples of cities or regions where they have come together to better address shared challenges (re volunteers, suppliers, financing etc.)? It would be great to get some insight on this, as there are talks of doing this kind of thing in the city I'm in (Montreal). I'm curious to know if and how other places might have succeeded or not at achieving this. Any thoughts or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Emory

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Insurance
by Elmira Bikes 28 Aug '23

28 Aug '23

Hi y’all, Please send contacts for who insures your community shops. We had coverage from a local business that isn’t working out. Thanks a lot! Elmira Community Cycle

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Community Cycles in Boulder, CO is hiring a Production Manager
by Ann Haebig 08 Aug '23

08 Aug '23

Community Cycles in Boulder, CO is hiring a Production Manager! To apply send a resume and cover letter to sales(a)communitycycles.org. Job description and requirements below. I'm just the messenger here; to get a response please email sales(a)communitycycles.org. Thanks! -Ann Haebig ann(a)communitycycles.org The Production Manager is responsible for: - Fostering an engaging and effective team environment - Working with the Shop Director, setting pricing that is fair for both customers and the organization - Maintaining appropriate inventory levels of incoming donations, bikes to work on, bikes for sale, and tools for programs. - Leading the team of mechanics that produce safe, reliable refurbished bikes and parts in an efficient time frame for resale out of the retail shop of Community Cycles, Experience: The Production Manager must have extensive experience with bicycles and their resale value to determine their destination. A wide knowledge range of the intricacies of components and their compatibility is essential. Must be able to quickly recognize unsafe, cracked, and bent frames that should not be built up. Responsibilities: Refurbishing donated bikes that are for sale in our shop. Managing the most cost-effective route for refurbishment by using new or used parts. Overseeing the flow/systems of refurbished bikes and used parts, including: - Storage of all bikes; onsite and offsite (including sharing this space with the sales department when bulk purchases are necessary). - Maintaining clear and orderly separation of adult bikes and children’s bikes, both finished and not finished - Maintaining appropriate inventory levels of bikes for mechanics to work on. - Maintaining production tool inventory with appropriate levels to accomplish jobs for production - Oversee the incoming donations and develop plans for overflow - Evaluating the final destination for all bikes/parts (including recycling, refurbishing, parting out, or selling as-is) - Safety check/quality control of bikes built by other mechanics & volunteers to ensure they meet CC’s high standards for safety and performance. - Delegating specific projects to shop mechanics on a daily/weekly basis. - Overseeing and maintaining the areas used for production or general area during times it is used as production space - cleanliness & keeping tools in order, as well as maintaining an inventory of backstock parts - Frequently providing actionable positive and corrective feedback to direct reports, both informally and formally. - Timely and effectively dealing with low performers and being willing to make tough personnel decisions when needed. - Competent with emails, spreadsheets, and documentation, etc. - Coordinating with the other managers and Shop Director for needs regarding parts, tools, supplies, etc. - Responsible for the staffing of the production mechanic team by identifying and hiring strong talent for the team. The Production Manager should set a strong example for the other mechanics in terms of the quality of their builds and their professional demeanor. Other mechanics should be able to look to the Production Manager's work to learn the mechanical and aesthetic standards for the bikes that we sell at Community Cycles. In addition, fostering an engaging team environment through collaboration, sharing wins and successes, using an open-door approach, being eminently interruptible, and inspiring everyone to perform at their best by leading by example and with actions that best reflect the organization's best interests The Production Manager may be occasionally asked to oversee special events such as the Kids’ Holiday Bike Giveaway. The Production Manager will also be asked to occasionally attend meetings where policies and changes may be discussed. The Production Manager will be expected to maintain a valid driver's license with a clean record. Pay: $42k-48k based on hours/experience/performance ($21-25 hourly) Reports to: Shop Director on a regular basis. Works extensively with other managers.

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Bike collection day, what do you check
by Claude Ferron 07 Aug '23

07 Aug '23

Hello all, We are going to collect used bikes from the community and while receiving them we will inventory the one we will keep. While making the inventory (using a Google Form) we will check several things on the bike to assign it a "score". This will help us prioritize the repairs. Things we will look for would be loose crankset, rusty chains, brakes (pads and cables). My questions, what are those things you check when receiving bikes on your side? I want to make sure we don't forget anything. Thanks, Claude -- <http://www.lacyclerie.ca> Claude Ferron Co-coordonnateur La Cyclerie claude(a)lacyclerie.ca [image: FB_LaCyclerie] <https://www.facebook.com/LaCyclerie3R/> [image: Insta_LaCyclerie] <https://www.instagram.com/lacyclerie3r/>

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What would be your wish list?
by Andy Ballentine 02 Aug '23

02 Aug '23

Hello, all -- The Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (Virginia) is moving into expanded space in a couple of months, and we have the opportunity to apply for a substantial grant. We need a parts washer, and that's one idea of what to apply for. In your experience of running your co-ops, what else have you found to be helpful? Thanks! Andy Ballentine

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Sustainable wishlist
by DEL HOLLAND 02 Aug '23

02 Aug '23

My suggestion would be looking at energy usage; change to all LED lights, update or replace windows and doors, add insulation where every you can, plan to replace water heaters, HVAC systems with all electric and, of course, photovoltaic panels. Del Holland board member Iowa City Bike Library Sent from Del’s iPad

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