- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Bike-related calls for submissions
by Angel York 01 Nov '15

01 Nov '15

Thought this might interest some of y'all: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Eleanor Blue <eleanor.blue(a)gmail.com> Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2015 at 12:45 PM Subject: [mcp-community] Calls for Submissions and other Microcosm news To: "mcp-community(a)googlegroups.com" <mcp-community(a)googlegroups.com> Hi Microcosm creators, We've got a couple of calls for submissions open for upcoming anthologies that I want to let you all know about, and also a few ongoing opportunities I want to remind you about. Feel free to share any of this freely! 1. If you want to try your hand at writing science fiction (only two criteria are that it involve bicycles and not be sexist), the deadline for the 4th Bikes in Space collection <http://microcosmpublishing.com/blogifesto/2015/07/call-for-submissions-bike…> was today...but I'm granting extensions through December 1st as needed. Let me know if you're thinking about writing something or want to toss ideas around. 2. If you've got something to say about bicycles and money and class (or even something only very thinly about that topic), I'm looking for reporting, how-tos, personal essays, art, and even fiction for the 2nd annual Journal of Bicycle Feminism <http://microcosmpublishing.com/blogifesto/2015/10/call-for-submissions-jour…>. (The first is out now as Cycletherapy <http://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/6156/>) 3. We are always looking for Music Scene History Series <http://microcosmpublishing.com/blogifesto/2012/12/introducing-the-scene-emp…> proposals (like the 33 1/3 book series, but focused on time + place rather than on a specific album). 4. Our current public call list <http://microcosmpublishing.com/faq#submit-manuscripts> for book submissions is for sewing, cats, dogs, bees, and parenting. 5. We are distributing zines <http://microcosmpublishing.com/faq#will-you-carry-my-zine> again. All of this aside, though, if we've already worked with you we'd love to find a way to keep it going and do future projects together. Get in touch any time to talk over ideas for future work. Oh yeah, and not a call for submissions, but we are Kickstarting all of the books that come out under my Elly Blue Publishing imprint...and the latest one is live! It's our first go at YA fiction—Emily June Street's exciting steampunky sports novel, The Velocipede Races <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ellyblue/the-velocipede-races>. Check it out and please spread the word to anyone you know who likes this sort of reading. Thanks for doing what you do, Elly -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Microcosm Authors and Artists" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mcp-community+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to mcp-community(a)googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mcp-community/CAP%3De01YWgAcY-rWD_vwpAv5p… <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mcp-community/CAP%3De01YWgAcY-rWD_vwpAv5p…> . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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CAUTION: parts storage, safety edition.
by Angel York 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

>From the minutes at my old bike collective, where they had been using double-wide filing cabinets as parts storage: - Large parts filing cabinet fell suddenly and catastrophically, *no injuries, *single most dangerous thing to happen in shop history, we are very fortunate. - *We CANNOT use double-wide cabinets ever again, *they are too potentially dangerous the way we use them. Beware of storing parts in any kind of drawers that could be top-heavy. After years of working just fine, they could spontaneously come crashing to the floor.

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Community Bike Center at Sports Stadium?
by Jason Tanzman 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

Anyone have any experience with a community bike shop or bike center being developed as a part of, or connected to, a sports stadium? St. Paul recently approved - and provided property tax relief (but no direct subsudies) - the development of an 18,000 seat stadium in a mixed residential/commercial area of St. Paul. People are already talking about issues with parking and how to do bike/walk/transit promotion. I can't help but think that this would be a great opportunity to put in a bike center with retail, repair, and classes and programs. But I just haven't seen anything along these lines ever having been tried. Anyone know anything about it? Jason

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Please vote for cargo bicycles
by james bledsoe 26 Oct '15

26 Oct '15

A new project of the Bicycle Kitchen, Re: Ciclos is competing for a grant and the first round is an online voting deal. | | | | | | | | | | | Re:Ciclos a movement by bicycle. A new project of the Bi...Vote Yes, keep me updated on opportunities and news from Goldhirsh Foundation Tweet Copy + About Your Application Organization(s) name(s): Re:Ciclos and Bicycle Kit... | | | | View on myla2050live2015.mak... | Preview by Yahoo | | | | | please follow these links and vote for us thanks jim

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Posting to the Think Tank in English & Spanish // Publicar a Think Tank en Inglés y Español
by Lauren Warbeck 25 Oct '15

25 Oct '15

Hi Yall! An important thing that came up at Bike!Bike! Guadalajara is that it would be useful to post in more languages than English if you have the capacity to do so. Spanish for sure, but also....French? Portugese? ...? Not everyone who uses or wishes to use the Think Tank speaks English, but many Think Tank users speak English and Spanish and/or other languages. More languages = more inclusive! So please, translate your own posts if you can. And nothing is lost by trying your best, either. ----- [ Lo siento...Y pronto usted sabrá por qué ...] Hola a todos! El Bike!Bike! Guadalajara pasó una importante discusión. No todo el que quiere utilizar el Think Tank habla Inglés. Pero personas que utilizan el Think Tank hablan más idiomas aparte del Inglés. Si le es posible, traducir sus mensajes a otros idiomas. Todos podemos simplemente hacer todo lo posible. Más idiomas = más inclusivo! <3 <3 <3 Lauren

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Travel Equity for BikeBike
by erk magosh 17 Oct '15

17 Oct '15

Hey y'all, I have been throwing around ideas about travel equity after our trip to Mexico. For me a citizen of the US it was easy to get down there and was very affordable. I started thinking about why that was, and how it doesn't apply to everybody. Below is some suggestions that I have come up with. Most of these suggestions would really be up to the BikeBike hosts (Detroit in 2016), but the travel fund could be something we could start easily with donations. It is a rough draft and I'm looking for feedback (there has only been 5 minutes of feedback so far). Most of these ideas would take a bit of work, but I think it would be worth it to allow as many people to participate in BikeBike as possible. let me/us know what you think, erk BikeBike Travel Equity: Suggestions to Offset Inequitable Travel Cost and Barriers Summary: In an aim to make BikeBike more inclusive we should help address travel inequities. Travel can be much harder/more expensive depending on what side of some imaginary lines a person was born on or what system they have to live in. We should encourage those with privilege to help those with less. 1. Registration: registration fees should be very malleable. Folx that can pay more should be encouraged to support folx that cannot. a. For some participants the registration fee is very cheap for all the services provided, others it may be a large expense. 2. Travel funds should be created ahead of time to help folx with Visas/other travel expenses. a. Donations or excess registration fees could create these funds. b. Example of need: A Mexican Citizen needs to pay $300 USD just to apply for a visa to the USA. If they do not get approved they do not get the money back. For a US citizen with steady work this might not seem like a huge loss, but that works out to $5,100 MEX, which could be 3 or 4 times a person’s monthly housing cost. 3. 3 meals (and snacks) a day at BikeBike. a. Eatting out is by default expensive, but if you come from a country with an unfavorable currency exchange it is even more so. Even without that exchange, some people don’t have money to blow on a luxury like eating out. b. This creates a bit more work, visiting BikeBikers should be encouraged to help cook and take any other loads off the hosts. c. An alternative may be providing access to the kitchen when meals cannot be provided.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] What do you do with your dirty rags?
by Vernon Huffman 14 Oct '15

14 Oct '15

We take them to a laundromat, but what we want to do is build a rag washer. It starts with a hose from tap to roof, to the bottom of a solar batch water heater, made from an old water heater tank painted black and built into a triangular box with two sides and both ends insulated and reflective and the third side glass. From the top of the water heater an insulated hose runs to an old front loading clothes washer with the motor removed. It is driven by a stationary bike with a belt around the tireless wheel. The washer sits on a pallet over an old bathtub, into which it drains. The tub has been filled with sand topped with wood chips innoculated with oyster mushrooms, which will clean pollutants out of the water. A drip line runs from the drain hole to the nearby fruit and nut trees. That's the dream...

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Old Spokes Home in Burlington, VT is hiring! General Manager (full-time)
by Christine Hill 14 Oct '15

14 Oct '15

Come join us at The Old Spokes Home in Burlington, VT! We are seeking a General Manager for our mid-sized, full-service bike shop. In our 15 years of operation, we’ve become a unique and thriving retail sales and service business with a dedicated staff and community supporting it. Please read more about Old Spokes Home <http://www.oldspokeshome.com> to understand why this is an amazing opportunity for an entrepreneurial retail manager with a passion for bikes! Our ideal candidate possesses a Big Dummy load of bicycle industry know-how. They have experience in sales and service, in managing mechanic and sales staff, and in creating a retail customer experience nonpareil! This is a hands-on position with responsibility for sales, daily financial operations, scheduling, ordering and other requirements typical of a bike shop. We are also looking for someone who will ensure a healthy, cooperative, safe and equitable workplace for staff; maintain our solid reputation in the community; strategically operate the shop to facilitate long-term growth by improving services and growing the customer base while serving our existing clientele. Old Spokes Home is a socially-driven enterprise and gives back to the local community through its educational and social programs at sister shop Bike Recycle Vermont <http://bikerecyclevermont.org/>. While the Old Spokes Home General Manager needs to have a head for numbers and sales, it is equally important that they have a heart for everything that the bicycle represents. The General Manager will actively support the broader social mission and collaborate on these social programs. Be sure to check these programs out at bikerecyclevermont.or <http://www.bikerecyclevermont.org>g. *Requirements* · Knowledge of the bike industry including current advancements and trends · 3+ years in a managerial capacity at a retail and service business · Demonstrated leadership skills · Advanced mechanical abilities and knowledge *Desirable qualities and experience* - Experience with daily operations and the financial requirements of a sales and service retailer - Experience working in a socially responsible business or organization - Reverence for *all *bicycles, especially the recherché (used, vintage, antique, bike packing, fat bikes, etc.) *Hours / Schedule* This is a full time, year round position. However, as with most bike shops in our climate, OSH is very busy in spring/summer, slower in fall/winter. Busy times will most likely require weekend work and being at the store 6 days per week. Promotional events and attendance at trade shows will (very) occasionally require an out-of-town overnighter. *Learn more:* o “New Folks Buy Old Spokes,” Seven Days, Jan. 2015 <http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/new-folks-buy-old-spokes/Content?oid=250…> o “Shop Owner Believes Bikes Change Lives,” Burlington Free Press, Sept. 2014 <http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/money/2014/09/04/shop-owner-bikes-…> o “Glenn Eames’ Old Spokes Home,” Bici AK, June 2014 <http://biciak.blogspot.com/2014/06/glenn-eames-old-spokes-home-in.html> *Old Spokes Home is an equal opportunity employer.* *To apply: **send your resume, cover letter, and at least 3 references to * *christine(a)bikerecyclevt.org* <christine(a)bikerecyclevt.org>*. Applications start being reviewed 10/16 and will be accepted until the position is filled.*

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What do you do with your dirty rags?
by dontito＠videotron.ca 12 Oct '15

12 Oct '15

We’re looking into the disposal problem for oily and greasy rags generated in bike shops. 1. I’d like to get an idea of the amount of this waste generated in different shops as a function of shop activity. 2. Where do your dirty rags go? 3. Some shops use commercial services that supply clean rags and collect and clean them after they’ve been used. If you’re familiar with this kind of service do you know the cost? Do you know what sort of cleaning treatment they use and what happens to that effluent? 4. Anybody found creative ways to detoxify this shop waste? Thanks! Donnie SantroVélo, Montréal

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 109, Issue 6
by Tegan Moss 12 Oct '15

12 Oct '15

B!KE never pays for rags. If you make it known to your members/users that you accept donations of old clothing/bedding/towels/tooth brushes, thoughtful grateful folks bring them by frequently! Some even pre-rip the rags down to a usable size. Ripping rags is an easy task for even the most-unskilled volunteer (its also pretty satisfying). We throw them all away in weekly garbage pickups, so they end up in a landfill. This seems much more practical than washing them. We create about 1 75L garbage bag full of garbage per week, this includes rags, tubes, broken saddles, broken plastic mounts, etc. I have looked into rag services and they all seem exorbitant and unnecessary. Especially because I do believe that the landfill is a more ecological place for the rags and grease to end up than in our water. Best, Tegan On Sat, Oct 10, 2015 at 4:16 PM, < thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Slack channel > (Falls City Community BikeWorks Community BikeWorks) > 2. Re: What do you do with your dirty rags? (Michael Kirk) > 3. Re: What do you do with your dirty rags? (Jonathan Morrison) > 4. Re: What do you do with your dirty rags? (Angel York) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Falls City Community BikeWorks Community BikeWorks < > fccbikeworks(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 16:47:54 -0400 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Slack channel > > thank you. please add us! > On Oct 9, 2015 10:55 AM, "Andrew Shooner" <ashooner(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> I was getting email from several different shops to discuss software. I >> want to be able to bring other folks into that conversation when they want >> to, so I created a general slack team for bike collectives: >> >> bikecollectives.slack.com >> >> If you want to discuss specific stuff without spamming the email list, >> let me know and I'll add you. This isn't intended to replace the good >> discussion on the email list; it's more just for immediate collaboration, >> etc. >> >> -Andy >> Broke Spoke >> >> ____________________________________ >> >> The ThinkTank mailing List >> <a href=" >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe >> from this list</a> >> >> >> > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Michael Kirk <michael.john.kirk(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 14:14:44 -0700 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What do you do with your dirty rags? > Bicicocina in Los Angeles has been using Ameripride for our rag service > for years. It’s pretty convenient, but at about $35/wk (about $2000/year) > I’d say it’s more cash than it’s worth. The problem is the minimum orders. > We could easily do with once a month service, but they require us to have > once a week service. And frustratingly we were previously told they had a > $50/wk minimum and thus got some rugs, hand towels, and hand soap > delivered. Though more than half the time they “forget” the hand soap. > Somehow in our threatening to fire them, the lowered our minimum to > something like $35/wk and we no longer get the rugs. > > We approached one of our neighboring auto-shops to see if we could > piggy-back on their rag order but they thought it was a dumb idea and that > we should just buy our own. > > In response to this thread, I just looked into Cintas and they also have a > $35/wk minimum, and require at least weekly service. I’m not sure how many > rags that would be. > > My current preference would be to keep a small number of rags, use them > till their super dirty, then toss them. One idea for a rag source was to go > to a goodwill outlet and buy old t-shirt and towels by the pound. Of course > letting your clients know that you are a place that will accept their old > cloth donations could get you part of the way there. This would probably be > the most economical solution, but it does require some institutional energy > to stay on top of rag inventory, and make sure people are being mindful > about using new clean rags and throwing out old ones. > > M > > On Oct 9, 2015, at 12:16 PM, Tom Martin <thomas.martin6(a)pcc.edu> wrote: > > Our volume of repairs and fleet bikes does not make it necessary for a rag > service (which is very important- see previous threads on fires). > We use blue shop towels and put them in our non recyclable landfill bound > waste. > I am not aware of a method to reclaim or separate the grime, metal and > oils from disposable shop towels ( the cotton reinforced paper ones). > Towel or rag services do this I am assuming. What do they do with the > waste water? Do they treat the water? Glean the metal shavings that may be > suspended in the grime? Separate the oil from the dirt? Interesting things > to ponder but I wonder if it is something that is scalable down to a small > shop or household level. > > Tom Martin > ASPCC bike program coordinator > Cascade > Sent on the go. Please excuse brevity and typos. > > On Oct 9, 2015, at 12:10 PM, dontito(a)videotron.ca wrote: > > We’re looking into the disposal problem for oily and greasy rags generated > in bike shops. > 1. I’d like to get an idea of the amount of this waste generated in > different shops as a function of shop activity. > 2. Where do your dirty rags go? > 3. Some shops use commercial services that supply clean rags and > collect and clean them after they’ve been used. If you’re familiar with > this kind of service do you know the cost? Do you know what sort of > cleaning treatment they use and what happens to that effluent? > 4. Anybody found creative ways to detoxify this shop waste? > Thanks! > > Donnie > SantroVélo, Montréal > > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > <a href=" > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe > from this list</a> > > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > <a href=" > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe > from this list</a> > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Jonathan Morrison <jonathan(a)bicyclecollective.org> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 16:25:33 -0600 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What do you do with your dirty rags? > > It really depends on your area's environmental issues. You have to pick > your poison. > > If water pollution is the biggest concern, do not clean them or use a > service that cleans them. If air pollution is the biggest concern, do not > burn them or use a service that burns them. If soil pollution is the > biggest concern, do not throw them away. > > For salt lake city, Utah (a desert climate with inversion issues) I would > rank our importance in this order: > > 1) Air > 2) Water > 3) Soil/Earth > > So we throw them away and they sit at the local dump. If we wanted to go > the extra mile we would bring them to the hazardous waste facility at the > dump for special processing. But without really knowing what that entails > it could be worse. The time required to drive to the dump takes away time > from the activities defined by our mission statement. You also don't want > the fire hazard of a pile of oily rags sitting around. > On Oct 9, 2015 1:10 PM, <dontito(a)videotron.ca> wrote: > >> We’re looking into the disposal problem for oily and greasy rags >> generated in bike shops. >> >> 1. I’d like to get an idea of the amount of this waste generated in >> different shops as a function of shop activity. >> >> 2. Where do your dirty rags go? >> >> 3. Some shops use commercial services that supply clean rags and >> collect and clean them after they’ve been used. If you’re familiar >> with this kind of service do you know the cost? Do you know what sort of >> cleaning treatment they use and what happens to that effluent? >> >> 4. Anybody found creative ways to detoxify this shop waste? >> >> Thanks! >> >> >> >> Donnie >> >> SantroVélo, Montréal >> >> ____________________________________ >> >> The ThinkTank mailing List >> <a href=" >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe >> from this list</a> >> >> >> > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Angel York <aniola(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 17:04:23 -0700 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What do you do with your dirty rags? > I like that framework for thinking about how to deal with rags, Jonathan! > > If I understand what you're saying correctly, your collective may be > breaking a law: > > Exempt generators cannot dispose of their hazardous waste in storm drains, > landfills and dumpsters. Federal, state and local laws prohibit these > actions since it may cause environmental and public health problems. The > landfills in Salt Lake County are prohibited from accepting hazardous or > liquid waste. Violators of these laws can face both civil and criminal > penalties. > Fortunately, it looks like there's a program for you! > http://slcohealth.org/programs/waterQualHazWaste/solidHazWaste/householdHaz… > > On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 3:25 PM, Jonathan Morrison < > jonathan(a)bicyclecollective.org> wrote: > >> It really depends on your area's environmental issues. You have to pick >> your poison. >> >> If water pollution is the biggest concern, do not clean them or use a >> service that cleans them. If air pollution is the biggest concern, do not >> burn them or use a service that burns them. If soil pollution is the >> biggest concern, do not throw them away. >> >> For salt lake city, Utah (a desert climate with inversion issues) I would >> rank our importance in this order: >> >> 1) Air >> 2) Water >> 3) Soil/Earth >> >> So we throw them away and they sit at the local dump. If we wanted to go >> the extra mile we would bring them to the hazardous waste facility at the >> dump for special processing. But without really knowing what that entails >> it could be worse. The time required to drive to the dump takes away time >> from the activities defined by our mission statement. You also don't want >> the fire hazard of a pile of oily rags sitting around. >> On Oct 9, 2015 1:10 PM, <dontito(a)videotron.ca> wrote: >> >>> We’re looking into the disposal problem for oily and greasy rags >>> generated in bike shops. >>> >>> 1. I’d like to get an idea of the amount of this waste generated in >>> different shops as a function of shop activity. >>> >>> 2. Where do your dirty rags go? >>> >>> 3. Some shops use commercial services that supply clean rags and >>> collect and clean them after they’ve been used. If you’re familiar >>> with this kind of service do you know the cost? Do you know what sort of >>> cleaning treatment they use and what happens to that effluent? >>> >>> 4. Anybody found creative ways to detoxify this shop waste? >>> >>> Thanks! >>> >>> >>> >>> Donnie >>> >>> SantroVélo, Montréal >>> >>> ____________________________________ >>> >>> The ThinkTank mailing List >>> <a href=" >>> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe >>> from this list</a> >>> >>> >>> >> ____________________________________ >> >> The ThinkTank mailing List >> <a href=" >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…">Unsubscribe >> from this list</a> >> >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > -- -- B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 336 Rubidge St, Peterborough ON (705) 775-7227 communitybikeshop.org

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