- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Shop data management?
by Andrew Shooner 09 May '13

09 May '13

What kind of data do you record as part of your shop operations? Right now we use a somewhat abused set of spreadsheets to track our pertinent info, but I'm in the process of creating a more task-specific database (a web app) to handle it all better. Here is what we track now: - Volunteer hours (to add volunteer sweat equity credit to volunteers' records) - Sweat equity used (to subtract credit for purchase of bikes, parts, stand time) - Bike sales: Bike ID, how it was paid (cash/equity), how it will be used Our cash & credit sales are tracked independently on a POS/register. Right now that is all done on paper, then later entered into the spreadsheets. It's kind of a cumbersome process, but visitors are comfortable with a paper sign-in sheet, and volunteers are comfortable with a spreadsheet (vs. a database). We don't track overall number of shop visitors (although we do hang on to our paper sign-in sheets), or gross volume of stand time provided. While we have contact info for all visitors on a waiver they fill out the first time they come in the shop, we would probably have a difficult time if we needed to quickly find an emergency contact for someone, since they are all just on paper right now. I'd like to integrate that all together into the database. Since I'm writing this front desk app, I thought I'd ping the community to see if these are common needs, or if there are other common needs that I could consider as I develop it. I'd love for it to be useful enough to offer to the broader community at some point. -Andy Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop Lexington, KY

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Resources for starting a community bike shop
by Emrys Prussin 09 May '13

09 May '13

Hi There, We are starting a community bike shop in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and wondered if there were any resources out there with tips on starting up and things that others have learned in the process of starting their own community shops. We are in the process of putting together a first order for tools, to allow us to have at least three people working in the shop at once during community classes and for volunteers. Is anyone aware of a tool list that might give us some extra direction? any suggestions would be much appreciated, Oldtown Bike Works Yellowknife, NWT

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Question - Role of Community Bike Shops in Bike Advocacy
by james bledsoe 06 May '13

06 May '13

In Los Angeles, The los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition does the heavy lifting in this department. leaving us at the Bicycle Kitchen to focus on wrenching and empowering more regular folks to just ride their bicycles. This creates a larger pool of potential allies and advocates increasing the chances that the more politically minded among us will meet and the necessary magic will transpire. Like build it and they will come, wrench and they will roll!! jim --- On Sat, 5/4/13, Jason Tanzman <jason.tanzman(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Jason Tanzman <jason.tanzman(a)gmail.com> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Question - Role of Community Bike Shops in Bike Advocacy To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Saturday, May 4, 2013, 12:37 PM Hey all, I'd love to hear stories of community bike shops explicitly involved in bike advocacy. I interpret "bike advocacy" pretty broadly but am thinking along the lines of fighting for bike lanes, changing bike-negative laws, pushing for complete streets policies, etc. I'm spending some time thinking about the role of community bike shops in the bike advocacy movement. One theme I've been reflecting on - and I welcome people's thoughts, comments, push-back, etc - is this. The bicycle advocacy movement is limited in its potential in part because of the lack of diverse community leadership and participation from traditionally under-represented communities (we/they are a bunch of old white men). Community bike shops have an incredible diversity of experiences and connections to traditionally under-represented communities, but a lack of intentional engagement in policy work limits community bike shops' ability to have a broad-reaching and long-term impact. I'm trying to understand how really grassroots organizations can have a more broad-reaching impact - and where community bike shops have succeeded (or failed) in using our networks to involve people in influencing legislation or government investments. I welcome any stories that in any way touch on the relationship between community bike shops to advocacy initiatives! Jason Tanzman Cycles for Change -- Development and Outreach Director 612-232-2737 (cell) 651-222-2080 (shop) www.cyclesforchange.org The mission of Cycles for Change is to be an open, accessible space to educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community. Volunteer with us to help build a bicycling movement in the Twin Cities! -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Question - Role of Community Bike Shops in Bike Advocacy
by Rachel Morris 06 May '13

06 May '13

I totally agree that bike shops are a fantastic forum for bicycle advocacy. It's one of the best ways to reach a broad base of people directly affected by bike legislation and road conditions. You get to meet people, one-on-one, and talk about the issues. The Ventura Bike HUB (our shop) is becoming an important forum for the Ventura Bicycle Union (our advocacy arm). We plan to start holding our political meetings at the HUB, as soon as we nail down the location (we're still building hopping). Depending on how you did your paper-work, most 501(c)(3)s can put up to 20% of their resources into lobbying - as long as it's not partisan or supporting any particular candidate. "Assembly Bill AB1371 is going toward the governor for a third time." I would appreciate some specifics on the most strategic approach to respond to this bill. Is there a point person we should target? What is the status? Are there specific talking points. If there's a good link I can read-up on, that would be helpful. Rachel Morris VCCool Executive Director/ Ventura Bike HUB Director www.vccool.org

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Question - Role of Community Bike Shops in Bike Advocacy
by Jason Tanzman 04 May '13

04 May '13

Hey all, I'd love to hear stories of community bike shops explicitly involved in bike advocacy. I interpret "bike advocacy" pretty broadly but am thinking along the lines of fighting for bike lanes, changing bike-negative laws, pushing for complete streets policies, etc. I'm spending some time thinking about the role of community bike shops in the bike advocacy movement. One theme I've been reflecting on - and I welcome people's thoughts, comments, push-back, etc - is this. The bicycle advocacy movement is limited in its potential in part because of the lack of diverse community leadership and participation from traditionally under-represented communities (we/they are a bunch of old white men). Community bike shops have an incredible diversity of experiences and connections to traditionally under-represented communities, but a lack of intentional engagement in policy work limits community bike shops' ability to have a broad-reaching and long-term impact. I'm trying to understand how really grassroots organizations can have a more broad-reaching impact - and where community bike shops have succeeded (or failed) in using our networks to involve people in influencing legislation or government investments. I welcome any stories that in any way touch on the relationship between community bike shops to advocacy initiatives! Jason Tanzman Cycles for Change -- Development and Outreach Director 612-232-2737 (cell) 651-222-2080 (shop) www.cyclesforchange.org The mission of Cycles for Change is to be an open, accessible space to educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community. Volunteer with us to help build a bicycling movement in the Twin Cities!

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Fwd: What SPOKES is up to... Oakland Spokes Community Bike Lounge
by Brian Drayton 30 Apr '13

30 Apr '13

Help Support SPOKES Community Bike Lounge. 465 9th street Oakland Ca A movement and a space creating a social and community bike space collectively supported by Community Bike Organizations *(CBO)* ** . As a Pop up , our goal is to be a campaign headquarters to highlight the contributions of CBO's in our area. We are currently crowd funding however our development of the fundraising plan needs the seeds of your support. <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=JFMWCU…> SPOKES has been operating in Richmond, CA for four years and has had Great success unveiling the hidden bike culture in Richmond. SPOKES has been stimulating economy and green mobility in the heart of Richmond’s Downtown renaissance, and creating the resources and space for a city of 259,000 people with no bike shop. SPOKES customers not only buy bikes and repair and maintain their bikes, but also congregate and cultivate a movement of healthy living and mobility. During this time, SPOKES notoriety and work has been recognized and the SPOKES model requested by communities in San Pablo, EL Cerrito, Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro, Los Angeles, CA, Atlanta, GA, Minneapolis MI, and in Washington DC. ** *Unfortunately the Richmond SPOKESHOP Bike Shop & Lounge will not be able to renew it's lease after May 1, 2013 at Market square Mall. We are beginning a campaign to raise capitol to find another *permanent* home for spokes in Richmond, Ca. * *The Oakland SPOKES Community Bike Lounge is being established to be the * * campaign headquarters of SPOKES National and the focal point of a fund raising ** campaign to relocate and sustain the founding SPOKESHOP in Richmond, and to establish a fund ** for supporting SPOKES affiliated Community bike organizations nationally. * * * *We will be launching an IndieGogo crowd funder in about a week and need support in finishing touches and stock for the new place. It would be awesome to *receive* any amount from you as *colleagues* or from your networks in support. SOKES believes that united we can change the global fight to create peaceful productive mobile green Communities and *more so to* make bikes a reality for all our communities through supporting Community Bike Organizations. * * * *[image: Inline image 1]<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=JFMWCU…> * > Calling all community and community bike minded businesses and > organizations. > Oakland SPOKES is launching a hyper local/National Community Bike > Organization (CBO) Campaign and is setting up a community bike lounge in > partnership with Pop Up Hood Oakland to host “Bay Built Bikes” by East Bay > Area Community Bike Organizations (CBO) and, local mechanics/builders and > bike art vendors. > This Bike lounge will display and consign Bikes built by Bay Area > mechanics as part of the campaign Headquarters for SPOKES National’s > Community Bike Organization Project. Our goal is to collectively advocate > for earmarked City, State, and Federal Funding of our communities’ CBO > Projects. This lounge will have commuter accessories, and catered café > fixings from Awaken Cafe, Bicycle Coffee, Numi Tea, and Rock the Bike > smoothies in its cool Old > T > own Location > > 465 9th street Oakland > Ca > . We will be having daily opportunities for you as **members to reserve > space to do workshops, and host bike-related social events. > > Our soft opening will be held in conjunction with Oakland’s First Friday > on May 3rd 2013. Following that, our grand opening will take place in the > middle of the Bike to Work After Party and we will be hosting the official > Bike to work “After Party -After Party”. We plan to have DJ music by Abel > Dee and special guests and perhaps some Bike Flix to keep the pedals > turning. > > The lounge will have a map of the East Bay covering an entire wall as > focal accent. This map will have pushpins for all the CBO’s. Bike routes > will be marked out on the map in red and will begin from the SPOKES > Community Bike Org Hub on the map along routes to each site pinned on the > map. This map will serve as a visual guide to patrons of where all our > shops are located in reference to each other the hub and their lives. The > SPOKESHOP community bike lounge will also provide your organization with a > space for exposure in Downtown Oakland where you can showcase your bikes, > bike art, bike jewelry and swag for sale. > > Each member shop or org will need to contribute their high quality logo > and a “Bay Built Bike” or bike product(s) to be part of the for sale > consignment exhibit. We will highlight your logo, branding and location > on a string of *banners in the lounge. Your product or bike will be > mounted on the wall or rack with a short bio of your organization and name > of the builder or artist behind the product. All sales will be tracked as > consignment and you will have the opportunity to refresh your line of > products as it sells. Our goal is to help our businesses or organization > further penetrate the bike movement and bike industry and send business as > well as awareness to the customers in your community. Through crowd funding > and a capital campaign, we intend to raise funds to advocate for bikes as > part of community economic development. > > In order to participate, we require you to be a **member of the Community > Bike Collective. > https://sites.google.com/a/richmondspokes.org/about/programs-1/cbc > > This successful model will serve as a hub of resources for cyclists in > East Bay by providing them with maps and quick commuter tips. > Increase your sales and impact while celebrating green mobility today. > Join us now! > https://sites.google.com/a/richmondspokes.org/about/programs-1/cbc > *To have a banner in the Oakland SPOKESHOP Community Bike Lounge we do > require a $25 fee and consigned product subject to our approval for our > gallery consignment space. > **There is no Membership fee for this inaugural group, as SPOKES wants to > encourage our founding member organizations to jump on the bandwagon and > participate on collective bargaining for funding and resources. > Inaugural members will have links to their business or organization on our > website member page and a placard in the shop. <https://sites.google.com/a/richmondspokes.org/about/programs-1/cbc> We're in the 465 9th street Oakland Ca space... Need to connect to everyone on details of this fantastic collective community bike pop up. Meeting Wednesday May 1 2013 at 7:00. Please Rsvp. > *Swag > / > Bikes > / > Music > / > Food > / > Workshops > / > Rides* - Soft Opening This First Friday. - Grand Opening...... May 9, 2013! *Anyone putting a bike in the gallery should send me a pix of your bike to be consigned: and full bio on your shop , the mechanic that built the bike , make Model and components and estimated sale price.* Looking for art and swag. We will talk about the consignment and collectively create the consignment contract on Wednesday. Bikes: We have Soft confirmations on Roll Up Bikes , Cosmic Cycles , Oakland SPOKES, and Rock the Bike. WHo's next...? Food: We have Soft confirmations on Bicycle Coffee, Numi Tea, Awaken Cafe, and James and the Giant Cupcake as food. NEED Linden BEER ADAM Art: We have Soft confirmations on Red Bike and Green, Zapinc, and Oaklandish on ART. Need some more art dedicated for Last week of May. Music: We have Soft confirmations on Music from Ross Aebldee Robinson Need some resident DJ gear.. and more dj:s for thursday Friday and Saturday Evenings. Workshops: We have Soft confirmations on workshops from Oakland SPokes, Binx Garage, Roll Up We need: proposals for workshops: by Tuesday evening. Come on SPOKELAND, Waterside WOrkshops, Cosmic Cycles, Bikes For Life - Speedy flat repair - Basic lube and tune - Wheel Truing - Deterring Bike Thieves - WHO WANT TO DO BIKE CHURCH: Three workshops in one Sunday mornings. Brian Drayton 510) 545-2243 brian@ <brian(a)richmondspokes.org>O aklandspokes.org http://www. <http://www.richmondspokes.org/>o aklandspokes.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why re-invent the wheel ...when you can tighten the spokes? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >

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Rome, May 29th–May 31th 2013. Forum of bike recycling and community workshops
by Ciclofficine popolari Roma 30 Apr '13

30 Apr '13

FORUM OF BIKE RECYCLING AND COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS Three days of Bike Kitchen Forum (May 29th – 31st) in Rome We are glad to invite you to a Forum of bike recycling and community workshops which will take place in Rome, May 29th – May 31th 2013. Please confirm your participation at info(a)ciclofficinepopolari.it ------ After ten years of wrenches and ideas, we would like to reflect about the meaning and the evolution of today’s Bike Kitchens and Bike Communities, the sense of the reappropriation of the common spaces and the importance of the knowledge exchange. We feel the need to think about our bike riding direction and about the meaning of our mechanical skills. Starting from these questions we decided to share these thoughts with others Bike Kitchens which have similar experiences and horizons, even though belonging to dissimilar metropolitan environments. Places where, for example, biking is already part of the means of transport and it’s regulated by laws and standard normative, or places in which Bike Kitchens are sponsored by public or private entities, or can be organized as non-profit entities. For all these reasons we thought to create a gathering between the Bike Kitchens and Critical Mass which will take place the preceding week to the 10th Ciemmona (May 29th, 30th, 31st). Therefore we decided to host a Cyclocamp (from the 24th of May 'till the 3rd of June) and a Bike Kitchen Forum, not only for greasing ourselves from head to feet but also for sharing thoughts, ideas, practices and knowledge. We are convinced that putting together all these Bike Kitchens, in their similarities and mainly differences, we will be able to bring a renewed conscience in our global thinking and local acting. In order to promote this discussion we thought that could be useful to concentrate it in the three first days before the Ciemmona (29th , 30th, 31st of May) in which will take place the Forum. The following program is our proposal, is open to possible changes and rearrangements, and it has to be developed together Day 1 – Wed May 29th, 2pm-6pm. THE BIKE KITCHENS AND THEIR PRACTICES. Presentation of our experiences and different battle fields. Recycling, do-it-yourself, convivial technologies. Day 2 – Thu May 30th , 2pm-6pm. PROJECTS AND TERRITORY. Presentations of our differences: bottom-up /institutional initiatives, non-profit/ money-free approach. What do we do besides repair/invent/built up bicycles? Which objects and technologies are more people oriented? Welding, carpentering, sawing, etc. Day 3 – Fri May 31st 2pm-5pm. THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY. The Bike Kitchen reality was born starting from common needs and develops through sharing practices and ideas. Are there any other pathways to share? Does it make sense to organize a European Bike Kitchen Network? Which would be its use and goals? Could we think about a yearly international meeting of the Bike Kitchens? Could we do it during the Ciemmona or the Summer Cyclocamps? Should it be Itinerant? We would like to invite to present your experiences through an English presentation (powerpoint or similar, suggested format pdf) to be delivered to the other Bike Kitchens. Suggested Template for the presentation: Who are you (the speaker)? (1 slide) Which reality do you represent? (1 slide) Your organization: where is located, opening hours, how many activists, ect. Modus operandi and users Past and future projects These presentations, together with a small report of the three Forum days, will constitute a document that we would like to put together in a small publication. For all the participants, the garden of the CSOA eXSnia will be available for your camping tents, your skills, your ideas, etc. The camp site is totally free and you have to collaborate in its organization and management. We are strictly anti-fascist, anti-sexist and anti-racist. Please do not join us if you do not recognize yourself in these fundamental values. Roman people’s Bike Kitchen Network The Cyclocamp: http://ciclofficinepopolari.it/en/iniziative/2013/cyclocamp-roma/ , http://cyclocamp.org The Forum: http://ciclofficinepopolari.it/en/iniziative/2013/forum-delle-ciclofficine/ The 10th Interplanetary Critical Mass (Ciemmona): http://ciemmona.org/en The location: http://exsnia.it/ciclofficina Please confirm your participation and talk a little bit with us about the subject and the structure: info(a)ciclofficinepopolari.it Book a space for your tent sending an email to: accommodation(a)ciemmona.org Do you need a bike? We’ll do what we can! Write to: bikesharing(a)ciemmona.org

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Thoughts on new forum
by christopher＠holisticcycles.com 30 Apr '13

30 Apr '13

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501c3 filing
by greenbean246 Green 25 Apr '13

25 Apr '13

Hello Bike Co-Ops! The Lincoln Bike Kitchen is gathering corroborating information for our 501(c)3 filing. It would be most helpful to us if we could hear from other bike co-ops which have tax exempt status regarding what part of the IRS code you fall under. Being able to tell the IRS what kind of charity other bike co-ops have been designated will help them give us a designation more quickly. We appreciate any info any of you can give us. Thanks! B. J. GreenTreasurerLincoln Bike KitchenLincoln, NE

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Re: [TheThinkTank] 501c3 filing
by summitcyclingcenter＠yahoo.com 25 Apr '13

25 Apr '13

Wise move! We have encountered difficulty with our application. Proper language is key in your description. Sent from my HTC EVO Design™ 4G from Boost Mobile ----- Reply message ----- From: "greenbean246 Green" <greenbean246(a)hotmail.com> To: "Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org" <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] 501c3 filing Date: Thu, Apr 25, 2013 10:33 Hello Bike Co-Ops! The Lincoln Bike Kitchen is gathering corroborating information for our 501(c)3 filing. It would be most helpful to us if we could hear from other bike co-ops which have tax exempt status regarding what part of the IRS code you fall under. Being able to tell the IRS what kind of charity other bike co-ops have been designated will help them give us a designation more quickly. We appreciate any info any of you can give us. Thanks! B. J. GreenTreasurerLincoln Bike KitchenLincoln, NE

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