January 2024 - 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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Group Ride protocols
by Mary-Catherine Graziano 25 Jan '24

25 Jan '24

Hi all, Does anyone have any group ride protocols that they use for their rides? Ex, methods for controlling intersections, etc? We're wanting to collaborate with another bike org on rides, and it's best if we have similar protocols on this, and I wanted to collect some examples to bring to the team Thank you!! Mary-Catherine Mary-Catherine Graziano Senior Education and Safety Manager Pronouns: she / her / hers Local Motion Inc. 1 Steele Street # 103, Burlington, VT 05401 www.localmotion.org Vermont Walk Bike Advocates Forum <https://groups.google.com/a/localmotion.org/g/walkbikevt> Office: (802) 861-2700 ext 106 <https://www.facebook.com/localmotionvt> <https://www.instagram.com/localmotionvermont/> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-motion-vt> <https://www.youtube.com/c/LocalMotionVT>

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Bicycle Retail story on community shops
by rkeener＠outsideinc.com 18 Jan '24

18 Jan '24

Hi I'm Ray Keener, Retail Editor of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News magazine, former President (2013-16) and current Industry Liaison with Community Cycles here in Boulder. I wrote a BRAIN story about community bike shops back in 2016. I'd be glad to share the story if there a way to attach a .pdf? It's time to do this story again. Last time, someone at bike!bike! provided us with with a list of community shops to which I sent the Survey Monkey. Seeings how this benefits you at bike!bike! and all community shops by providing information, and the industry overall by promoting understanding of what y'all do... Might you be willing to either provide the list, or send out a link to the survey to your list, please? I'm glad to hear back from anyone on here if you can point me in the right direction! Cheers and Happy New Year, Ray (303) 525-5489

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Tracking data
by Director Lincoln Bike Kitchen 17 Jan '24

17 Jan '24

The Lincoln Bike Kitchen, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, is growing and looking for a better way to track our programs. We have funders who want more accurate data and we want to make life easier for our volunteers. Currently, we have Cognito forms on our website for requests and a backend Microsoft Azure database that together meet some of our needs but are time-consuming and difficult to maintain. We would like to track bikes (coming in, repairs, who repaired, where the bike went, bike sales), as well as volunteers, donors, and bike requests all in one system that doesn't require specialized training to maintain. What technology are you using to track data? I couldn't find any recent posts on the list about this. I'll make sure to report back with a summary of the responses I receive. Thanks! Ingrid -- Ingrid Kirst Interim Executive Director Lincoln Bike Kitchen<http://lincolnbikekitchen.org/>

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Job Posting: Shop Lead in Manchester, New Hampshire
by Abby Easterly 16 Jan '24

16 Jan '24

Queen City Bicycle Collective - Shop Lead Our Shop Lead ensures that the bikes which are repaired, sold, and delivered by QC Bike are safe, functional, and reliable. The bikes donated to QC Bike all need work. The Shop Lead will bring the enthusiasm needed to fix these bikes, directly, and by supporting volunteers in the development of their skills and confidence as mechanics. With ample support and training, your day-to-day would include: + Building bicycles. You'll build and make repairs to bicycles that will be sold or otherwise delivered by QC Bike. You'll make use of our large supply of used parts to get bicycles up and running. You'll work with the Executive Director to prioritize building bicycles that will be sold to the public, as well as those that support our ongoing voucher programs. Your efforts will dovetail seamlessly with the work of other paid staff and our volunteer mechanics. + Performing safety checks. You'll ensure bicycles finished by others are in good working order and safe. This includes checking that components are adjusted correctly and are in good condition, checking shifting and limit screws, ensuring all bolts are tightened, checking for play in bearings, making sure the wheels are true, etc. You'll either be fixing these problems yourself, or will be cataloging and delegating the necessary repairs to volunteers to complete. + Helping to manage orders and inventory. You'll communicate with the Executive Director to ensure that all necessary parts and tools are available at the Collective. You'll assist with managing orders from QBP and J+B. + Orienting new volunteers and shop users. From the outset, you'll be able to make volunteers and members of the public feel welcome in the workshop, showing our bicycle repair workflow, where tools and consumables are kept, etc. + Leading Closed Shop sessions that empower volunteers to become better mechanics. You'll be ready and willing to pass on your skills and passion to our volunteer mechanics, to help us grow our Collective's capacity. With the shop closed to the public, you'll help provide increased production while also providing nurturing, hands-on educational experiences that develop and strengthen our mechanical volunteers. + Diagnosing and repairing bikes during Open Shop Hours. With time and training you'll be able to independently diagnose problems, and help lead community members in making appropriate repairs to their bikes. You will also provide support and oversight to volunteer mechanics in the space. About You + You love all bikes, not only high-end and modern bikes. Most of our donated bikes are 10-70 years old, ranging from bike-boom and department store bikes to middle-of-the-road 90's rigid-fork mountain bikes, with the rare higher-end bike mixed in + You have reason to think of yourself as a bike mechanic, and are willing to share what you do, and work on learning what you don't already know. Maybe you have a couple of years of bike shop experience, or maybe something equivalent. Either way, you're able to diagnose and fix many of the most common issues in bike repair. You're comfortable researching, trying out, and asking for help with what you don't know. + You are a good leader and teacher. You're someone volunteers and staff will look to for support, particularly when fixing bikes gets tricky. You're able to facilitate positive, supportive learning experiences, and will apply that to your work at QC Bike. + You're able to creatively solve problems. Sometimes we don't have the perfect substitution; you're able to cobble together a work-around that is almost as good as or better than the original. + You're an effective multitasker. During shop hours you'll be repairing bikes, while maintaining awareness of the whole shop - is someone stuck on a bottom bracket, frustrated setting up cantilever brakes, or does someone have a load of bikes to donate? You'll be able to step in to offer assistance. You also wouldn't mind being pulled away from your task to answer a question or provide a demonstration. + You want to help fill the world with bike mechanics and nurture everyone's love for bicycling. From your one-on-one interactions, to your part in helping us craft a safe and welcoming space for all of our community, you make sure that folks in the shop feel welcomed and empowered to learn the art of turning a wrench on a bike! We are looking for candidates who are passionate (about bikes, our Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Together ethos, community development, & education), and who have real enthusiasm for the hands-on skill building our work offers. We recognize that passion and enthusiasm are paramount to our success, and are, therefore, willing to provide the ideal candidate with ample training, in any and all areas necessary for them to succeed in this role. As such, potential applicants who have interest, passion, and enthusiasm, but who feel they may lack the technical know-how, are very much encouraged to apply. We are committed to building a welcoming work environment that treats everyone with fairness and respect. We do not discriminate in practices or employment opportunities on the basis of an individual's race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local regulations. Rate: $20 - $24 per hour Hours: 30 - 40 per week Modest but flexible benefit package included Please send an expression of interest to Tyler Glodt, Executive Director at tyler(a)qcbike.org. We plan to fill this position as soon as we find the right candidate. More about the Queen City Bicycle Collective Queen City Bicycle Collective (QC Bike), is a Manchester, New Hampshire-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to get - and keep - the Manchester community riding bicycles safely and affordably. Our vision is a Manchester full of bike riders who can depend on their bicycle for transportation, recreation, and exercise, because of the educational and affordable services we provide. We encourage you to visit our website www.qcbike.org [1] and our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21sRDyDMQ5zGFVdE4EHKKg/channels [2] and ask any questions you may have about QC Bike. Abby Easterly QC Bike Collective 35 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101 603.493.1720 - shop phone 603-315-2656 - Abby phone www.qcbike.org [1] Links: ------ [1] http://www.qcbike.org [2] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21sRDyDMQ5zGFVdE4EHKKg/channels

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Mozilla search plugin for the ThinkTank archives
by cyclista＠inventati.org 12 Jan '24

12 Jan '24

Hey all, I got tried of repeatedly needing to check the archive but then having to go and dig around in my browser or a search engine just to get there and do a search. I know BOOKMARKING ISN'T HARD, but even that doesn't make it as easy as, for instance, a search plugin. So I went over to the mycroft project and made one. Here is the link to the search plugin, tested working on Firefox. It may or may not work on other browsers: https://mycroftproject.com/install.html?id=120475&basename=bc_thinktank_arc… Hopefully this will simplify things for at least a good amount of folks! IMO, the ThinkTank archive ranks up there with Sheldon Brown as an amazing information resource for the bicycle community/cooperative/collective shop worlds. Get In The Street and Ride Safe, cyclistas! ~cyclista Nicholas

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Please help orient me
by DEL HOLLAND 11 Jan '24

11 Jan '24

It would be really helpful to me, and I would bet others, if we all took as a protocol to always list our shop affiliation and geographic location. Del Holland Board member, Iowa City Bike Library, Iowa City, Iowa

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Job Posting : Mechanic Educator
by apuri＠intercitytransit.com 11 Jan '24

11 Jan '24

Hello, this is a job for an educator with our transit agency based educational bike shop. Experience in a community bike shop is especially applicable to this position. Bicycle Mechanic Educator-Walk N Roll Program Representative Intercity Transit’s Walk N Roll education program improves transportation access, increases independence, and inspires a healthy lifestyle through activities that encourage Thurston County residents to walk, bike, roll and ride public transit for transportation. We are currently recruiting a Bicycle Mechanic Educator to serve as a Walk N Roll Program Representative. They will oversee the operations of the Walk N Roll educational bike shop, provide bike mechanic education, and oversee the repair and maintenance of bicycles that support Walk N Roll’s bike education programs. Do you have: • Ability to lead and educate others. • Ability to create a welcoming community space for people of all races, ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. • Basic skills in bicycle mechanics. (will provide training) • Proven ability to manage competing priorities effectively and work independently. • High level of personal accountability for the quality, safety, and impact of your work. • Proven ability to work in a collaborative environment and complete projects within a team. Learn more and apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/intercitytransit/

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Link to the 2016 CBO story in BRAIN
by rkeener＠outsideinc.com 09 Jan '24

09 Jan '24

Not sure if this will work... fingers crossed... file:///Users/raykeener/PeopleForBikes%20Dropbox/Ray%20Keener/for%20Ray/CBOs%20story%20for%20Ray.pdf

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Participants needed for research project!
by Aaron Shaw 07 Jan '24

07 Jan '24

Hello Bike Collectives Network! Some friends and I are entering a project design competition and we need as much feedback as we can get in the next week or so. The idea involves improving the financial sustainability of community bike projects. Would you be willing to take a few minutes to fill out this form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfB5Qc1YTiqsFZ-4aZ3YkFlwvGEQay9Mmi…> to help us with the project? Thank you! We also are looking to set up a few 20-30 min interviews to ask questions and understand the needs of your organization. Sign-up to give us an interview using the form. Thanks ya'll! Aaron

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