- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Re: [TheThinkTank] oddest part donation stories
by Vernon Huffman 19 Jul '13

19 Jul '13

The oddest parts we ever had donated just appeared in the shop in a bucket. Nobody knew where they came from. They were beautifully machined sealed bearing sets, gears, and universal joints that appeared to fit into each other. We couldn't figure out where they came from or what they could be used for, but we all agreed somebody had worked very hard at creating them. Over the years, we've had some odd donations. Homemade bikes tend to stand out. We've had: * a recumbent made from parts of full-suspension Huffys by a novice welder; * a chopper with a fork so long that it was difficult to push around, much less ride; * a functional tall bike with the rebar used to extend the steering tube exposed by the angle iron used to extend the head tube. We've also had some beautiful bikes made by our members, but they haven't donated them yet. ________________________________ From: "thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org" From: David Eyer Davis <davey(a)bicyclecollective.org> Hi All, The Bicycle Collective here in Salt Lake has been given the opportunity toexhibit a piece in the Leonardo Center's upcoming show <http://www.sites.si.edu/greenRevolution/> centered around resource conservation, it'll be a great PR/Exposure piece for collectives and is shaping up to be a lot of fun. Our concept for the show is to do is build up a badass/utilitarian 80's MTB intentionally from as many different sourced parts as possible. The finished bike is meticulous and considered from a functional and aesthetic perspective but is a total mongrel. The bike will hang in the exhibit on an old great Park Tool stand we've had donated recently. Behind the bike, we'll hang a full-size printout of the bike taken apart, all its parts exploded. Every part will be numbered, and correspond to a legend to the right of the picture. We're making up a narrative for the parts that typifies the Bike Collective experience: This fork came in on a crashed bike, this frame was from the police impound, this wheel from a local shop, derailers from a dusty box donated by an ex-racer, etc. We'd give the provence and era of the parts and anything significant info on them. What we'd love from you are the oddest part stories: Where did the strangest thing from your shop come from? Who donated it? why? did they make it themselves? If you could forward this around your organizations and have people send us their stories at info(a)bicyclecollective.org I'd appreciate it. Here're some previews of the project: http://instagram.com/p/b4B1RruA3f/ http://instagram.com/p/b7S90oOA-u/ Thanks, David Eyer Davis Executive Director Bicycle Collective c: 801-230-6308 www.bicyclecollective.org The mission of the Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households. ********************************************

1 0

Need Statement?
by Paul Nagel 18 Jul '13

18 Jul '13

Hello, I'm writing up a Need Statement for our group and am coming up short. Below is the current draft, I'm going to prepare an annotated version as well but that's it at the moment. I'm finding lots of research supporting the need for improved infrastructure, and for cycling safety courses. What I am not finding after poking around a bit is research indicating the need for teaching mechanical skills to riders. I know from experience that these skills are important to riding with regularity and making bikes a reliable transportation choice. I know from what I've seen and heard that flat tires, bad bikes, and other mechanical woes that can be relieved with basic mechanical knowledge are often a deterrent. But if, for example, you read the US DOT Case Study No. 1 - Reasons Why Bicycling and Walking Are Not Being Used More Extensively as Travel Modes, or the University of British Columbia's Cycling in Cities research, you don't see mechanical concerns anywhere in their studies. I suspect it was not a part of their surveys, and thus not accounted for. Has anyone prepared a need statement for their mechanical /do-it-together workshops, and found research to support what we have seen to have significant value? -Paul The Bicycle Tree P.O. Box 11293 Santa Ana, CA 92711 http://www.thebicycletree.org info(a)thebicycletree.org Need Statement: In the United States, less than half of all adults and only 35.8% of high school students get enough aerobic physical activity to improve their health. Less than 2% of Americans cycle daily, and 5.3% ride a bike in a given week, even though 40% of all trips are two miles or less. 71% of Americans say they would like to bicycle more than they do now, and a Rodale Press survey found that 40 percent of those surveyed said they would commute by bike if safe facilities were available. The impact on health of our transportation choices is further felt in clear ways. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and the leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year olds. Our transportation system consumes 70% of our crude oil, and is the second leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. The sum total of resources required for roadway, parking, and motor vehicle construction, production, and maintenance is immense. Changing our cities to move forward from older patterns requires community effort. A review of 139 studies concluded that substantial increases in bicycling require an integrated package of numerous interventions, including bike-specific infrastructure and pro-bicycle programs, as well as supportive land use planning. The Bicycle Tree exists to support bicyclists and create healthy bicycle-friendly communities through activities, advocacy and education. We take a variety of approaches, including engaging with decision-makers, involving the public in transportation planning, teaching bicycle safety and maintenance, and leading community bike rides, to bring about this much-needed change to the places where we live.

2 2

Recycle-A-Bike in Providence Rhode Island Hiring a Program Director
by Jenna Johns-Yu 18 Jul '13

18 Jul '13

Hiring Recycle-A-Bike Program Director News released on: July 17th, 2013 Job Opening: Recycle-A-Bike Program Director Commitment: Part-time 30 hours/week; 2 years minimum; flexible hours Compensation: Starting salary at $18,000/year; No Benefits Application Process: Rolling Start Date: August 15 - Sept 15, 2013 Overview: The Recycle-A-Bike Programs Director will work closely with the RAB staff (mechanics and teachers), and will be primarily responsible for coordinating technical assistance and support to Recycle-A-Bikes programs and local partners. This position includes extensive communication, relationship building, training and facilitation, management of project monitoring systems, bike collections and sales, fundraising, and grant writing. Recycle-A-Bike promotes the use of bicycles as a means of transportation. We're looking for someone committed to contributing to and building that project. We offer several community programs, including our Open Shop, Providence-Based Youth Programs, Build-A-Bike, and Bike Valet. Through our programs, we partner with organizations like the Met High School, Providence After School Alliance, The International Institute of Rhode Island, The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, and The City of Providence to share our vision of creating a more just, sustainable and peaceful community. Recycle-A-Bike provides our partners with bicycles, training in bicycle mechanics, safe riding training, and organizational management, as well as extensive technical support assisting our partners to achieve expanded impacts, organizational sustainability and increased self-determined development. Bicycles are a powerful tool for increasing peoples' access to critical resources such as health, jobs, and education, for reinforcing peoples' dignity, community empowerment and human rights, and for achieving social and economic development that reduces inequality. Visit www.recycleabike.org for more information on our programs. JOB DESCRIPTION Recycle-A-Bike Programs Director This position reports to and works collaboratively with the Board of Directors and Key Members. This staff position makes up the core staffing of RAB. The Program Director is an entry-level position that offers on-the-job experiential training and opportunities for ongoing professional development. Primary Responsibilities Include: 1. Manage communications with our local partners - Weekly phone calls; ongoing email contact, meetings 2. Coordinate technical support and training - Strategic Planning; Financial Management; Administrative and Operational Systems; Monitoring and Evaluation Systems; Media and Communications; Networking and Resource Development 3. Grant Writing - Wintertime grant writing for organization needs. 4. Monitor project development and progress - Track partner progress according to project plan; modify curriculum for each partner 5. Write project reports - Use monitoring data to write grant reports; Share project reports with partners for feedback 5. Organize logistics transporting bicycles to schools, parks, sales, etc. - 4-8 sales a year, 40 bikes each; Volunteer coordination and supervision 6. Supervise Skilled Interns - Improvements to the RAB shop space and pilot shops in Riverside Park, and The Met School; Project planning. 7. Travel to partners on site visits - Relationship building, critical assessments, documentation, train and hire educators 8. Participate fully in Recycle-A-Bike as a staff member - Attend board and member meetings; Support activities and events; build the capacity of the organization to increase staff time. Qualifications: · Commitment to cycling and using bicycles as a transportation vehicle · 2-3 years work experience in the bicycle world or non-profit world, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Movement Activism, or related field · Bachelors Degree or Graduate Degree (preferred) in related field · Computer literacy and excellent writing skills · Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills · Demonstrated commitment to leadership development and community empowerment · Experience with community organizing strategies · Project management skills - experience implementing projects from start to finish · Self-starting initiative and creativity in work plan design · Demonstrated skills in working as part of an active and dynamic team · Systems oriented: ability to engage existing systems and create new systems · Spanish language skills preferred · Bicycle mechanics skills a plus (including interest to learn bike mechanics) How to Apply: 1. Review the Recycle-A-Bike website to first ensure that your values align 2. Send a Cover Letter and Resume describing your interest in the position and any relevant experience to Jenna Yu, Program Director at jenna(a)recycleabike.org 3. You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application, and more information on next steps 4. If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Jenna Yu at 401-525-1822 5. This is a rolling application process, and we will continue to receive applications until we find the right candidate for the position Thank you, and we look forward to your application! Recycle-A-Bike is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse staff reflective of the communities it serves. -- Jenna Yu Recycle-A-Bike: Program Director 12 Library Court (Olneyville Square) Providence, RI 02909 p. 401.525.1822 c. 510.541.7753 www.recycleabike.org the RaB facebook<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/pages/Providence-RI/RECYCLE-A-BIKE/14…> Watch our new short film! <http://vimeo.com/53962219>

1 0

Recycle-a-bike program: seeking other models, successes, failures and suggestions!
by Jennifer Kay 18 Jul '13

18 Jul '13

Hi! I am with La Bikery in Moncton, New Brunswick. We are in the initial stages of starting up a small scale recycle - a - bike program (storage capacity = 12-15 bikes). I am sure there are plenty of success stories already out there, so I am hoping to draw on some of your expertise. If you have any functioning models to share (or examples of what NOT to do!), I would be grateful to hear from you. Thank you, Jennifer Recycle-a-bike Coordinator, La Bikery

1 0

BikeBike.org - Looking for some collaborators‏
by Godwin ! 17 Jul '13

17 Jul '13

Following up on Momoko's previous email, I'd like to stress that the current site, although working, is not in an ideal state. This has been due to several factors but not least of all that it was mainly built by a two person team but also limitations due to some of the tools chosen and our current hosting provider. We are going to start a rebuild using Rails and we are looking for anyone who can help out, mainly with development but also in the areas of site design, identity development, server administration (hosting recommendations if you've got any), user experience and just about anything else that may help us in these early stages. We will be reaching out eventually for testers and translators but for now this will be on hold. The current site will remain working and maintained until development catches up and we can make the move flawlessly but further (although much needed) enhancements are on hold until then. If you are, or know someone who might be interested in helping out, you can take a look at the project on github: github.com/bikebike/BikeBike. Let's keep extended discussion off the list, we will be starting weekly meetings this Sunday at 1pm eastern, 10pm pacific most likely on google hangouts (if you want to help out, we're not demanding you to attend every week). You can contact me or Momoko to get on that call or to simply get more information. Regards,godwin

1 0

Detroit's North End Community Bike Shop Fundraiser and Bike Drive
by Marshall Symons 17 Jul '13

17 Jul '13

- *We are the Red Planet Bicycle Collective. Our mission is to mobilize the Seven Mile and Woodward area by providing access to donated bikes, tools and parts while teaching bicycle repair. * * * *Through hands-on workshops the community will learn how to build and maintain a bicycle, safely navigate the road, and experience the freedom that transportation delivers. * - https://www.facebook.com/events/206048532885659/ - Come by to see some sweet bicycle/freedom/mobility related art pieces, donate your old bikes (or someone elses old bikes) and listen to the sweet tunes of Blood & Honey, Great Green Room, and DJ set by Psyence Tribes Mars Psyence<https://www.facebook.com/psymars?directed_target_id=0> . Help make our community a better place to be! - Paypal donations can be made to FIREWEEDUNIVERSECITY(a)gmail.com Red Planet Bike Coop is a part of the revitalizations efforts of FIREWEEDUNIVERSECITY.ORG Imagine a place, completely desolate and abandoned, devastated and burnt-out. Imagine a third-world-country, post-apocalyptic-feeling neighborhood, within Detroit City Limits, waiting for the right group of people to gather together to create lasting change and a positive impact that will forever change the way we live. Imagine working together to transcend limitations and lift that broken place into a community that is sustainable, in line with the highest good of all people and all beings, and that will provide not only all of life’s basic necessities, but will encourage people to reach their fullest human potential, so that together we may grow into a life of sustained abundance, prosperity, and conscious evolution. Together we have the power to manifest dreams into reality, to create Heaven on Earth, and to live harmoniously with each other and with our planet, so that our children and our children’s children may experience a life full of Bliss, Creativity, and Fullness. Imagine that ghetto within Detroit becoming an example to the rest of the world that real change is possible, that we as human beings are capable of being sovereign, beautiful creatures that can reclaim our divinity and our birth right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

1 0

Fwd: New Bikebike website and registration
by momoko saunders 17 Jul '13

17 Jul '13

Dear think tank Have you been to the Bikebike website yet? We're trying something new this year and I'd like to take a moment to explain some of the difference. In the past, every new host of Bikebike would rebuild the website from scratch, create their own special way of registering and communicating with the people attending. At the end of Bikebike, the website keys would be pass on, and all the work and data of the previous year would be lost. For this years Bikebike, we are attempting to create a permanent site, which can handle registration and workshops. We know there's been some issues with the site, and there are bound to be a few more bugs that pop up. We're sorry! Please be patient! In the very bike collective spirit, this is an all volunteer run project. This is a project that has largely been facilitated by two people, Godwin and myself. We're big data nerds and we have a dream of an accurate count of active bike collectives and the people who are involved in them. We dream of a website that holds the history of this amazing event. We dream big, and we may need some help achieving this... If you haven't registered on BikeBike<https://www.bikebike.org/user/register>, please take a moment to do so. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email us <analyst(a)bikebike.org>. If you have ideas about how this website should be or you want to help out with building it and making it wonderful, we welcome your input. Thanks for your time! -Momoko

1 0

Recycle-a-bike program: seeking other models, successes, failures, suggestions!
by Jennifer Kay 17 Jul '13

17 Jul '13

Hi! I am with La Bikery in Moncton, New Brunswick. We are in the initial stages of starting up a small scale recycle - a - bike program (storage capacity = 12-15 bikes). I am sure there are plenty of success stories already out there, so I am hoping to draw on some of your expertise. If you have any functioning models to share (or examples of what NOT to do!), I would be grateful to hear from you. Thank you, Jennifer Recycle-a-bike Coordinator, La Bikery

1 0

League Job Opening: Equity Initiative Manager
by Carolyn Szczepanski 16 Jul '13

16 Jul '13

Hey folks- The League has a new staff position opening: Equity Initiative Manager. Through its Equity Initiative<https://www.bikeleague.org/content/equity-initiative>, the League seeks to engage and be led by women, youth and leaders of color — and bridge the current gap between diverse communities and bicycle advocates. A new staff position, this experienced community organizer will work closely with the League’s Equity Advisory Council<https://www.bikeleague.org/content/equity-advisory-council-2>; cultivate effective local and national partnerships; partner internally to incorporate equity into the League’s operations and programming; and produce reports and resources to advance bicycle equity nationwide. Read the full description at the link below: https://www.bikeleague.org/content/league-seeks-equity-initiative-manager Thanks in advance for helping to circulate through your networks! *CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI*, *Director of Communications, Women Bike* CAROLYN(a)BIKELEAGUE.ORG | 202-621-5452 *THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS* WWW.BIKELEAGUE.ORG <http://www.bikeleague.org> TWITTER <https://twitter.com/BikeLeague> | FACEBOOK<http://www.facebook.com/leagueamericanbicyclists> | YOUTUBE <http://www.youtube.com/user/bikeleaguevideo> *May is National Bike Month; Learn more here!<http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/> *

1 0

Question about pricing
by Jeff DeQuattro 15 Jul '13

15 Jul '13

Hey there! This is my first email to The Think Tank and I've very much enjoyed learning about how all the community bike shops around the country operate. We had our Grand Opening of the Delta Bike Project in Mobile, Alabama last night. We have a motivated group of young and old volunteers that have been working over the past year to get this bicycle cooperative going. This is an experiment for us, although we've had significant help and input from Plan B in New Orleans and Bici Coop in Birmingham. Last night we had over 100 people stop by and celebrate with us. It seems that the pricing structure for parts is different among many co-ops. It would be very helpful if you all could share with us your pricing structure for parts - used and new. We are working over the weekend to price out our existing parts and plan for the ones we receive in the future. Thanks! Jeff DeQuattro Delta Bike Project Mobile, Alabama

4 5