April 2025 - TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

E-bikes
by Andy Ballentine 01 Dec '25

01 Dec '25

Hi -- How are bike co-ops dealing with e-bikes? We are all-volunteer at the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (Virginia). We have several very fine mechanics, but none of us is expert in the motors and batteries of e-bikes, and we don't know whether we should accept them as donations or sell them. I'd be interested in others' experience and policies. Thanks -- Andy Ballentine

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Last week´s Bike Bike meeting and invite to join in next Wednesday´s call / La reunión Bici Bici de la semana pasada e invitación a sumarse a la reunión del próximo miércoles
by Angie Libertad 22 Jul '25

22 Jul '25

Hi everyone, Last Wednesday we had an online meeting to discuss the next Bike Bike with attendance from folks in Mexico City, Texas, Arizona, California, Guadalajara, Argentina, Colombia and Canada . It is the first of several planned meetings to discuss how to better communicate and organize collectively the next Bike Bike gathering(s)in 2025 and as a wide network of bike collectives. The most up to date minutes from this last week´s meeting can be found here: https://pad.riseup.net/p/BIKEBIK32025-keep Also if you´d like to learn what B!B!E! has been up to since 2021, check out the bike collectives wiki: https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Meetings_and_minutes#November_2021 The next meeting will be next Wednesday November 13th at 5PM EST (Tijuana)/ 7PM CDMX-CST (Texas)/ 8PM EST (NYC). You can join the meeting using this link: https://i.meet.mayfirst.org/BB2025 . The plan is to share the meeting agenda a few days before next Wednesday here and on the rest of the channels. Thank you to everyone who participated in last Wednesday´s meeting and for your patience as we get over some humps and bring back the wide Bike Bike community together. We look forward to everybody joining in the call next week! ******* Hola a todes, El miércoles pasado tuvimos una reunión en línea para discutir el próximo Bici Bici con asistencia de personas de CDMX, Tejas, Arizona, California, Guadalajara, Argentina, Colombia e incluso Canadá. Es la primera de varias reuniones planeadas para discutir cómo comunicarnos mejor y organizarnos colectivamente la(s) próxima(s) reunión(es) de Bici Bici en 2025 y como una red amplia de bici colectivos. Las minutas más actualizadas de la reunión de la semana pasada se pueden encontrar aquí: https://pad.riseup.net/p/BIKEBIK32025-keep También si quieren saber lo que B!B!E! ha estado haciendo desde 2021, échale un vistazo a la wiki de colectivos de bicis: https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Meetings_and_minutes#November_2021 La próxima reunión será el próximo miércoles 13 de noviembre a 5PM EST (Tijuana)/ 7PM CDMX-CST (Tejas)/ 8PM EST (NYC). Puedes unirte a la reunión usando este enlace: https://i.meet.mayfirst.org/BB2025 . El plan es compartir la agenda de la reunión unos días antes del próximo miércoles aquí y en el resto de los canales. Gracias a todos los que participaron en la reunión del miércoles pasado y por su paciencia mientras pasamos los baches y volvemos a reunir a la comunidad amplia de Bici Bici. ¡Esperamos que todos se sumen a la llamada de la semana que viene!

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market research
by weogo＠liveedge.net 30 Apr '25

30 Apr '25

Hi Folks, One of our new bike co-op Board members asked if any market research has been done. The only research has been asking people what they do about fixing their bikes, or would having a bike shop get them riding(more), and having positive responses. Before opening, did any of you do any market research? How? Thanks and good health, Weogo

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management and decision making, living wage
by weogo＠liveedge.net 18 Apr '25

18 Apr '25

Hi Folks, For our new bike collective, I would like to see a more bottom-up approach than a top-down Board managing everything. Anybody here doing management as a Worker Self-Directed Nonprofit? https://www.theselc.org/worker_selfdirected_nonprofits Rather than majority or consensus decision making, how about Dynamic Governance / Sociocracy: https://communitydevelopment.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/What-i… While we are starting as an all-volunteer effort, I see much room for growth, and paid employees receiving a living wage. Does your shop make enough money to pay any employees? Thanks and good health, Weogo

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