- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

repair basics illustrations for you!
by rachael spiewak 21 Jul '08

21 Jul '08

hi, everyone. just wanted to pass along a guide to basic repairs illustrated by one of our volunteers (it also includes a few pages about bike anatomy from the BICAS manual): http://sopobikes.org/static/basicsmanual.pdf enjoy! rachael -- Sopo Bicycle Cooperative 404-425-9989 www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues, Wed, & Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat & Sun 2 pm - 6 pm

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 23, Issue 13
by Tina Bechler 15 Jul '08

15 Jul '08

We would love to attend if we can find the time and the funds, please send registration to the contact information listed below....and thanks for organizing! Tina Bechler Program Director Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St. Seattle, WA. 98118 206-725-9408 www.bikeworks.org "Building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling." -----Original Message----- From: thethinktank-bounces(a)bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 8:51 AM To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org Subject: Thethinktank Digest, Vol 23, Issue 13 Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o rg or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner(a)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: bike!bike! mailings (dave bauer) 2. Re: bike!bike! 08 - ride from SF to LA? (joshua muir) 3. Re: bike!bike! mailings (Community Bicycle Shop Omaha) 4. Re: bike!bike! mailings (Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE) 5. Re: bike!bike! mailings - Is the wiki being updated with this info? (Rich Points) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:35:52 -0600 From: "dave bauer" <davebauer5(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] bike!bike! mailings To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Message-ID: <8abdd4af0807141335t62aa57c9j65c745830832340b(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Contact information for Recycle Bicycles is below. Thanks! -- dave bauer 7196 s. poplar st. centennial, co 80112 usa h/w: 303.788.0672 c: 303.748.3541 davebauer5(a)gmail.com recyclebicycles.net ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:59:00 -0700 From: "joshua muir" <muirjoshua(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] bike!bike! 08 - ride from SF to LA? To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org>, bluefews(a)gmail.com Message-ID: <8ab5b3a80807141659j3a46b019gc45563cb92f8a083(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" There's been talk of at least a big group ride SF to Santa Cruz. and that is also around the time of the yet unscheduled bike church bike tour (traditionally through Big Sur, which is still on fire). But LA. . . ? probably not headed that way personally. josh On Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 1:11 PM, allison karow <bike.saviours(a)gmail.com> wrote: > hi all- > is anyone interested in riding from SF to LA after bike!bike! ? or from LA > to phoenix? > respond or write to me at bluefews(a)gmail.com for details. > > -allison > bike saviours > tempe, az > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o rg > > -- Joshua Muir joshua(a)santacruzhub.org Frances Cycles -- francescycles.com Handbuilt cycling framesets Touring, Track, Road,Cross, and Cycletrucks for hauling any distance The Bicycle Church Collective Community Self-Service Cycle Repair 3pm to 7pm everyday except Sunday 703 Pacific Ave (enter on Spruce St) Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 425-2453

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bike!bike! 08 - ride from SF to LA?
by allison karow 14 Jul '08

14 Jul '08

hi all- is anyone interested in riding from SF to LA after bike!bike! ? or from LA to phoenix? respond or write to me at bluefews(a)gmail.com for details. -allison bike saviours tempe, az

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Re: [TheThinkTank] bike!bike! mailings
by dave bauer 14 Jul '08

14 Jul '08

Contact information for Recycle Bicycles is below. Thanks! -- dave bauer 7196 s. poplar st. centennial, co 80112 usa h/w: 303.788.0672 c: 303.748.3541 davebauer5(a)gmail.com recyclebicycles.net

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Recycle-a-bike ladies repair night video
by elizabeth press 12 Jul '08

12 Jul '08

I thought this video might interest some of you: Continuing with our NYC bike month <http://bikemonthnyc.org/index.php>coverage, last week I had the chance to shoot at Recycle-A-Bicycle<http://www.recycleabicycle.org/>in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Recycle-A-Bicycle takes donated bicycles, repairs them and reintroduces them to the community through earn-a-bike programs in schools and sales from their non-profit retail locations. Although their work mainly focuses on environmental education and job training programs for New York City youth, they also host repair classes for people of all ages. Every Tuesday evening after the shop closes, Susan Lindell teaches bike mechanics 101 to women. Check out this video on Ladies Repair Night. http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/rab-ladies-repair/ best, Elizabeth streetfilms.org

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Volunteer Coordination....is hard
by Rich Points 11 Jul '08

11 Jul '08

Wah That said we're trying to use our volunteers better at Community Cycles. Late last winter we put up a volunteer form on our website http://communitycycles.org/get-involved/volunteer.html Since then we've had 73 people fill it out, of those I'd say less than five of them have plugged in once or twice at the shop or anywhere else. I know things would go a lot smoother if we had a volunteer coordinator to help oversee this. We're still looking for this person so in the meantime the staff and a few volunteers do what they can to keep up. We've checked out this http://communitycycles.org/get-involved/volunteer.html which is great advice but making it happen is another thing. We're going to have a retreat soon to discuss volunteering at Community Cycles. I have some specific things I'd like to explore during this retreat but wanted to start here with the Think Tank first. * How do we improve the quality and experience of the EAB program? * How can we instill ownership/responsibility in our volunteers? * How do we engage new volunteers? * How do we plug people into specific time slots? * How can we use volunteers to relieve stress on staff? * How do we best develop and implement an effective volunteer handbook? I could go on but those are the kinds of things we're trying to figure out. So I ask the Think Tank what your experiences have been with volunteering and volunteers. Thanks Peace -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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New Space?
by Geoffrey B 11 Jul '08

11 Jul '08

Hello All Bike Pirates in Toronto has come across a problem. We are looking for a new space and was wondering if any organizations out there have any lists of things to look for in a new space for a volunteer cooperative DIY bike space. We have so many volunteers and no way to communicate out problem. We have always had storage issues. Our fine issue is with operating time, once we were restricted by our landlord to two days and now are free to open whenever. Every insight will help and thank you for all. Geoffrey Toronto, Canada www.bikepirates.com -- "Be the change you would like to see in the world." - Gandhi

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Come work with bikes in Kathmandu!
by Mario Bruzzone 10 Jul '08

10 Jul '08

Hello from Kathmandu! This email goes out to a wide variety of community bike programs and other community organizations working with marginalized and disempowered youth. Now firmly off the ground, Wrench Nepal is looking for new volunteers! Wrench Nepal <http://www.wrenchnepal.org> (www.wrenchnepal.org) teaches bike repair to some of the most disadvantaged kids in the Kathmandu Valley, by partnering with local, Nepali-run NGOs. Of our current partners, one NGO rehabilitates former child laborers, mostly from the carpet industry, and girls who are the victims of trafficking; the other provides schooling and opportunity for the children of the incarcerated, who (in true Dickensian fashion) would otherwise be in prison with their parents, despite committing no crime. For a variety of reasons, these kids are caught in a trap of poverty that we are trying to free them from. And you can be part, however large you choose to make it, of that change. You'll be arriving at a really exciting time for the program--a time when we embark on extending and expanding on the basic bike repair skills that the kids have learned in the trainings we've taught so far. This can be in the old, retail repair shop, might be making bike-machines a la Mayapedal, or something else--anything else--that you're excited about. Or even all three! We're hoping to get at least one person out here as soon as possible, and at least two within the next two months. In addition, anyone who comes before September can stay at my apartment until then for free--bed and all. Yeah, it's a bribe, but we're not above that. You should have: - Working knowledge of basic bike mechanics - Good communication and organizing skills - Willingness to live in a foreign environment and work with people from a very different culture Wrench Nepal continues as an all-volunteer program, but the cost of living is very low here, with rent in a comfortable place at times as little as $50 per month--my own rent is about $68, about $74 with utilities, and I didn't look very hard. Volunteers can also pursue part-time paid work to support themselves while here. We have an application available online at www.wrenchnepal.org/wrench_test2. If you prefer, you can also send a brief resume to me at mario(a)wrenchnepal.org. (No penalisation for either, of course!) Make sure to highlight your experience working with bicycles and working in community organizing positions. Thanks, and I hope to hear from you very soon! I encourage you to forward or re-post this message anywhere you feel is appropriate. Mario Bruzzone Wrench Nepal mario(a)wrenchnepal.org

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Cell phone use in the shop
by Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE 09 Jul '08

09 Jul '08

Does anyone have a firm policy or best practice regarding cell phone use in your shop space? To be honest, most of the time it is not a big deal, but it kinda sucks when a volunteer's time is being wasted waiting for someone to finsish a conversation or there are people waiting to use a stand. That and it adds to general confusion in the shop when you have a "cell phone wanderer" just meandering about. Wondering how you all handle it/don't handle it, Thanks, Brian -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington -a 501(c)3 non-profit bike shop- 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Hours: Thursday 6:30-9:00 Saturday 1:00-4:00 Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Non-collective Members opening the shop.
by Andrew Bushaw 09 Jul '08

09 Jul '08

Thanks for all the input! I certainly didn't mean to sound derogatory towards hipsters nor fixed gear bikes as I probably could qualify as either depending on what bike I choose to ride on any given day! I should put this question into context a little more. We are not currently open on saturdays and these folks have mentioned that is generally when they have time to wrench on their bikes. They aren't really interested in having the shop open because generally when we are open to the public, we are so swamped with EAB and folks stopping by for one-off repairs we there just aren't enough shop resources for them to get into completely overhauling their bikes at a leisurely pace. Basically they want to "rent" the shop on saturday's for their own use. I suppose that rent could be paid with volunteer hours during other open shifts or cash donations to the shop. Ideally some of these folks would come in and help out on other days and become collective members, wanting more responsibility. The other option I'm hearing from folks off list would be to make it an official open shift minus EAB or earning volunteer credit (Since those require a bit of admin/assistance) and just open for folks who are confident enough to work on their own bikes. -Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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