- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

cheap lubrication
by Tom Emm 01 Apr '08

01 Apr '08

Cheap chain lube motor oil mixed with paint thinner fifty-fifty or adjust to taste. theory: paint thinner allows lube to creep into the tiniest cracks, it evaporates (in theory) leaving behind oily residue to lubricate your part. --------------------------------- You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost.

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Suntour Shop tools
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 01 Apr '08

01 Apr '08

The two or four pronged tools and BMX four pronged tools need to be held in place by either the Quick release or the axle nut. The tool only needs to be held tight for only the first 1/4 of a turn when you are loosening it. After that you can unscrew it with your bare hand. I have had my Suntour tools for 23 year and used them in four bike programs on a couple hundred bikes, I have only broken one. It broke into five pieces when three of us tried to break a stuck freewheel off a bike. Always use anti seize on your threads where two dissimilar metals come together, or grease if you do not know about better products. Suntour tools should never slip if they are used correctly. **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom0…)

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Re: [TheThinkTank] On Shop tools
by troy neiman 01 Apr '08

01 Apr '08

We come across the same problems also. We use the Park PC3 chain tools and have to replace the pins fairly regularly (and find that many people that say they know how to use them may not really know how...so watching for the first few seconds helps). You can also buy direct from Park Tools replacement parts which has been very helpful when you can replace just the chain tool handle or just the T shaped screw part. The parts are about half the price of a new tool and less waste. Same goes for any of Park Tools products such as crank arm extractors and bike repair stand arms, etc. You can get a parts catalog for free through QBP and I assume through Park but you don't need any account to order from Park directly. the pump? I am at a loss but the silca seems to hold up the best for Schroeder valve using the little brass screw type head. Troy BICASTucson AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mario Bruzzone" To: "The Think Tank" Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] On Shop tools Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:10:01 -0700 With the Park Tools, you can replace just the pins--it's usually much cheaper (and creates less waste!) than buying a whole new tool. But yes, those are things that break all the time for us as well. Cheers, Mario Bruzzone Bike Kitchen San Francisco On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 9:53 AM, Sherief <sgaber(a)gmail.com> wrote: Hello all, This is Sherief from the Austin Yellowbike, and I was hoping to pool the thinktank's experience with shop tools prone to breakage and the like. We're currently having huge issues keeping up with Chain Tools and Presta Valve pumps especially... it feels like not a week goes by without at least one of each of these tools breaking. W/r/t the chain tools, we recently switched from the nicer Park tools to the cheapest we could get out of the catalog, but with the way those break there's effectively no net savings and even when they are functioning the new cheap ones are no good. We try to make sure people know how to use the tools before they do, etc. But my question(s) today is: Do people have any similar experience out there with broken/breakable tools-- specifically good ways to prevent these breakages? Does anyone have any recommendations for good chain tools /PV pumps that can withstand a bit of overeager volunteerin g? Best, Sherief _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… -- Want an e-mail address like mine? Get a free e-mail account today at www.mail.com!

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Re: [TheThinkTank] ***DHSPAM*** Re: On Shop tools
by Velocipede Bike Project 01 Apr '08

01 Apr '08

as for pumps I've had good luck with topeak two sided pumps. They are pretty durable and it's easy to get new parts for them if they break or go missing(you can order a repair kit from QBP, or just seperate parts), and they make sense to people. (I've had good luck with the specialized pump as well, but it can be harder to get parts for them) We had afew silca headed pumps that were donated to us and all of them have parts missing because people don't know how to use them. It constantly blows my mind how many people out there have no idea how to pump up a tire!!!!! I've thought about attaching laminated cards to the pumps with instructions on proper use, but haven't gotten that together yet.... Still, no matter how well you care for a pump, the rubber fitting in the head will eventually wear out, so it's nice to know that you can easily find the replacement... On a slightly different note, how do you guys label your freewheel and bottom bracket tools? We've had more problems with those going missing and getting stripped than any other tool in the shop. Especially the very similar shimano splined FW tool, and the Falcon/atomic Splined FW tool. They look the same, but if you use the wrong one you strip the tool, plus, the only way to tell which one you need is to read the label on the free wheel itself..... also those Suntour two prong FW removers strip all the time if you don't use them right.....any ideas on this would be great!! -beth velocipede bike project baltimore, md > We come across the same problems also. We use the Park PC3 chain tools > and have to replace the pins fairly regularly (and find that many people > that say they know how to use them may not really know how...so watching > for the first few seconds helps). You can also buy direct from Park Tools > replacement parts which has been very helpful when you can replace just > the chain tool handle or just the T shaped screw part. The parts are > about half the price of a new tool and less waste. Same goes for any of > Park Tools products such as crank arm extractors and bike repair stand > arms, etc. You can get a parts catalog for free through QBP and I assume > through Park but you don't need any account to order from Park directly. > the pump? I am at a loss but the silca seems to hold up the best for > Schroeder valve using the little brass screw type head. Troy BICASTucson > AZ > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mario Bruzzone" > To: "The Think Tank" > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] On Shop tools > Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:10:01 -0700 > > With the Park Tools, you can replace just the pins--it's usually much > cheaper (and creates less waste!) than buying a whole new tool. > > But yes, those are things that break all the time for us as well. > > Cheers, > Mario Bruzzone > Bike Kitchen > San Francisco > > > On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 9:53 AM, Sherief <sgaber(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Hello all, > > This is Sherief from the Austin Yellowbike, and I was hoping to > pool the thinktank's experience with shop tools prone to breakage > and the like. We're currently having huge issues keeping up with > Chain Tools and Presta Valve pumps especially... it feels like > not a week goes by without at least one of each of these tools > breaking. W/r/t the chain tools, we recently switched from the > nicer Park tools to the cheapest we could get out of the catalog, > but with the way those break there's effectively no net savings > and even when they are functioning the new cheap ones are no > good. We try to make sure people know how to use the tools > before they do, etc. But my question(s) today is: Do people have > any similar experience out there with broken/breakable tools-- > specifically good ways to prevent these breakages? Does anyone > have any recommendations for good chain tools /PV pumps that can > withstand a bit of overeager volunteerin g? > > > Best, > Sherief > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > -- > Want an e-mail address like mine? > Get a free e-mail account today at www.mail.com! > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 19, Issue 34
by Tom Emm 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

Pat I have the advert re: big ride sat apr 12, i will tell don also. here's is something i thought interesting regaring shop tools \ it looks as though every body has similar problems. Tom thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org wrote: 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.… 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. On Shop tools (Sherief) 2. Re: On Shop tools (joshua muir) 3. Re: On Shop tools (Mark Rehder) 4. Re: On Shop tools (Mario Bruzzone) 5. Re: On Shop tools (Jonathan Morrison) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:53:05 -0500 From: Sherief Subject: [TheThinkTank] On Shop tools To: Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org Message-ID: <6f24d4530803310953n69ccb215h3f893d96c17ab91f(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello all, This is Sherief from the Austin Yellowbike, and I was hoping to pool the thinktank's experience with shop tools prone to breakage and the like. We're currently having huge issues keeping up with Chain Tools and Presta Valve pumps especially... it feels like not a week goes by without at least one of each of these tools breaking. W/r/t the chain tools, we recently switched from the nicer Park tools to the cheapest we could get out of the catalog, but with the way those break there's effectively no net savings and even when they are functioning the new cheap ones are no good. We try to make sure people know how to use the tools before they do, etc. But my question(s) today is: Do people have any similar experience out there with broken/breakable tools-- specifically good ways to prevent these breakages? Does anyone have any recommendations for good chain tools /PV pumps that can withstand a bit of overeager volunteering? Best, Sherief

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Valet Bike Parking details: contracts, equipment?
by Jim Sheehan 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Can we resurrect this topic with more detail about problems and solutions? A few of ours are: Getting event organizers to pay what the service is worth. We are writing a contract for this and will share it when finished -- does anyone have one we can model ours on? Parking large volumes. I loved the idea of playing card suites for parking areas. Some have mentioned a chronological (sequential, for numbered tickets) system, and color coding. We usually invite users in to help find their own bike, which is less than ideal. Racks. We have made some from rims and crib railings, and have a grant pending for a design contest, so if you have something good (sturdy, light, collapsible), let us know. If we get the grant, you could get $250. On Sun, Feb 10, 2008 at 1:04 PM, Jonathan Morrison < jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org> wrote: > Does anyone else do it? > http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Valet_Bike_Parking > Jim Sheehan Director, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op 1823 Columbus Rd Cleveland, Ohio 44113 216 830 2667 OhioCityCycles.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Women and Trans Night
by Kale 24 Mar '08

24 Mar '08

Just my two cents on this issue, which has already been discussed fairly thoroughly-- but it seems like the "and trans" is often tagged on the end. The discussion has been entirely about women, which is a discussion that needs to take place, but what about the transpeople? There are a whole other set of issues at work here- how masculinity gets defined in the shop, and who gets to define it- the cismen or the transmen. As a fairly iffeminate transman and amateur bike mechanic, I get a lot of hate from more masculine transmen, plus the standard, run of the mill sexism from cis-gendered men. Can transmen be included in a woman's only or women-identified space? We face some of the same issues of oppression by patriarchy and homophobia as cis women and queer peoples, but our issues are different in a lot of ways. -K

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Bike Works Seattle is Hiring: Lead Mechanic
by Melanie Lyons 23 Mar '08

23 Mar '08

POSITION OPENING: LEAD MECHANIC Please help spread the word! Bike Works is a nonprofit organization that has been working for kids, bikes, and community in Seattle since 1996. Our programs and services invest in young people and encourage bicycling as a clean and healthy transportation alternative. Our programs include Earn-a-Bike for youth, Summer Bike Camps, Neighborhood Rides and Street Burner bike club activities, Community Bike Shop, Annual Kids Bike Swap, domestic and international bicycle donations to charitable organizations, and more. Our Community Bike Shop serves Seattle residents from all walks of life with used bike sales and affordable repairs. Essential Job Functions: The Bike Shop Lead Mechanic assumes primary responsibility for managing all mechanical work in the Shop, which includes scheduling work, maintaining quality and timely services, performing repairs and overhauling bikes for resale, providing outstanding customer service and sales, supporting the overall operations of the shop, and serving as a resource to the community. Primary duties include: * Oversee mechanic services in the shop, ensuring quality, timely work * Perform bicycle repair, maintenance, and walk-in services on customer bicycles of all types and conditions * Recondition and overhaul used bicycles of all types and conditions for resale * Deliver professional, accessible, and helpful customer service to a diverse customer base * Support daily Bike Shop operations * Collaborate with Program Staff to support Youth Programs and Adult Volunteers * Represent Bike Works to the neighborhood & act as a resource for the community * Work in partnership with Executive Director, Board of Directors, other staff, and Key Stakeholders to participate in strategic planning process, to develop a long term mission driven strategic plan, and to create annual operational plans Desired Qualifications: * Strong commitment to youth leadership, sustainable communities and bicycle transportation; * Strong customer service skills, attention to detail, ability to work independently are key aspects of this job; * Excellent mechanical skills required (minimum 3 years hands-on, professional experience working on a wide variety of bicycles, wheel building is a plus!); * Previous experience in retail management and sales preferred; bike shop experience essential; * Ability to work with youth and adults of diverse cultural backgrounds; * Self-directed, energetic, flexible and personable & be able to work independently and as part of a team; * Excellent organizational skills: systems oriented with high attention to detail; * Ability to work competently with computers and word processing, spreadsheet, and database software, Basic PC skills, working knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Office applications; * Strong interpersonal skills & a friendly outgoing attitude with a desire to work with the public; * Ability to mentor youth ages 9-17 in engaging and empowering apprenticeship relationship; * Ability to multi-task in a fast paced, ever-changing environment; * Respect for and a commitment to diversity, teamwork, and progressive social values; How to Apply: Send your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to development(a)bikeworks.org Pay Rate & Benefits: Regular, full-time, salaried position with benefits. Monetary compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience. Bike Works is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation Melanie Lyons Assistant Director Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St. Seattle, WA 98118 206-725-9408 HYPERLINK "http://www.bikeworks.org"http://www.bikeworks.org "Building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling." No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.8/1339 - Release Date: 3/22/2008 4:43 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.8/1339 - Release Date: 3/22/2008 4:43 PM

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Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops.
by Jonathan Morrison 23 Mar '08

23 Mar '08

Distributors ( http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Distributors) are just the middle men separating manufacturers from retailers. Just like food cooperatives that buy in bulk and disseminate food at bulk rates, we could do that with bike parts. For those of us that buy using distributors it would save an roughly 25% off of wholesale, and for those community bike shops that aren't established enough to get a distributor account -- we would be providing an option that is 75% off of MSRP. Ideally we would get accounts with tool manufacturers like park tool, pedros, hozan, etc.,... as well as wearable items like grease, bearing, chain lube, patch manufacturers, and then lower-end (but quality) parts manufacturers for things that we don't get enough of donated, or that aren't worth re-using. This will be different for each shop, but as an example in SLC we don't re-use bearings, spokes, cables or housing -- they get recycled and we put new ones on bikes. We also buy new road tires (27" & 700c) because we don't have enough decent ones donated, either they are too worn or dried out. I can think of 2 conclusions: 1) It isn't worth doing. The 25% cut a distributor gets is worth paying given the hassle and it is just another random thought that might result in spending $5 to save $3. 2) It is worth doing. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Women and Trans Night
by dragonfly＠mac.hush.com 22 Mar '08

22 Mar '08

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi, Colin. Back Alley bikes in Detroit has had wonderful Women and Trans nights for over a year. The amazing B got the idea from the people at Plan B. She and C ran it. It was great. The shop was so quiet. Everyone asked politely for tools and shared and helped, we usually had homemade food we'd made to feed each other, so it became a potluck. There were often babies (and no one shouted at the little ones), and usually a fantastic dog called Ruby. We played music and you could actually hear it. The whole energy of the shop was more gentle and mellow. For most women, it was our favorite night. Lots of women came out, so it was often just as busy as a usual night, but the shop seemed larger and cleaner and better organized on Women and Trans night. It was peaceful and fun. A whole other crowd came out-- Detroit is a homophobic place, and transgendered people have a tough time in this town. There are not many spaces respectful of them. It was such a fantastic thing to have happy, relaxed transgendered people just fixing their bikes. Women who don't usually come to the shop came; other women who are usually nervous and quiet all of a sudden emerged as strong and raunchy and funny and really good at things. More older women came; one said that the regular shop nights had too much background noise for her to hear anything, as she is partly deaf. Many women seemed to learn twice as fast as they usually do. B and C were the only two people who were really great mechanics. The rest of us know our own bikes pretty well, or else we know how to make some repairs and not others. We were pretty good at helping each other, and many of us felt confident to try to teach or assist for the first time on these nights, but B and C really, really worked hard. It is too bad that one of your members is upset by Women and Trans night. There is a lot of terrible violence and injustice in the society as a whole, and a lot of women and particularly transgendered people have some real safety concerns and scars. Despite everyone's best efforts, our ordinary shop nights are NOT always safe or cool. We have a collective member and a couple of regulars that have to be spoken to with alarming regularity. Many of us can speak for ourselves, but there is only so much BS you really want to deal with on your off hours, and some people are a little fragile. I nearly lost it one night when some f**kwad started lecturing me about how to pump up my tires on a day when I was taking things slow because I'd had chemo that morning. He made some comment about not having to pump up my breasts but wanting to squeeze them, and I was just freaking done. Lucky for me other men in the shop are stellar human beings who hustled him out of there so fast his feet left the ground. The exclusivity of Women and Trans night is a decent band- aid solution for now. Maybe you could tell your upset person that if he would take on the task of totally policing your regular shop hours and making the place feel really secure, and if he'd do the outreach in the local women's and transgendered communities to recruit female and transgendered mechanics, and if he could address the concerns of the conservative Muslim women who won't be given permission by their fathers and husbands to come to the shop if it is a mixed gender space-- good luck changing THAT one over night, buddy-- the special nights could be phased out. In Detroit, no one has complained about the exculsivity of Women and Trans night. Every one who comes to the shop is cool with it. We've had a different problem, though. We have one collective member who has been really disrespectful of the authority that B and C demonstrate. He treats them really badly, some times even pretending that he does not hear their voices, or telling someone to stop working on something that either B or C asked them to do. On ordinary shop nights, there are little blow- ups that get hustled off into corners and smoothed down by other (male) collective members. B and C are the main women of Back Alley, and this guy does not do this to male collective members, but he does get pissy with them if they stick up for B and C. All the shop regulars and volunteers have noticed this. B and C are sick of it, and may be leaving the shop for a while or permanently, until the people who are squeamish about directly addressing this man's behavior (he is one of the original collective members) are willing to do so. No one wants B and C to go, but the situation is pretty unbearable. What should everyone do about THAT situation? The women and transgendered people who have created a safe and happy space for each other at our Women's only nights might lose that space because a disfunctional silverback has been allowed to run amuck. This man has lots of good points, and he is a founding member, but everyone is troubled by his conduct. I love Women's night, but agree with your guy who is upset about it that there is something disappointing about it, too. It would be great if the shop as a whole was so totally free of ugliness at all times that special arrangements did not have to be made. It's hard to fix a bike wearing a chador, though, and so totally cool to have chador-wearing women becoming bike mechanics along side transgendered people that pretty much whatever you have to do to keep that happening should be done. Incidentally, we do run kid's only programs, and no one gets upset. We have mechanics classes that are closed to people who just want to fix their own bikes and not take the class. We are trying to figure out how to set up a sessions for the homeless men so they don't have to choose between fixing their bikes and a bed for the night. Treating everyone in exactly the same way all the time does not always lead to a just society. Seeing people's real lives and responding to their real needs gets you closer to a beloved community than a one-size-fits-all approach. What do you all make of this one? -- There are some people who have floated the idea of having shop hours that would only be attended by black men. Some black male shop users have indicated that they would like to have a black male space once a month. Totally needed conversations and forms of community building might happen on those nights that would make our neighbourhood as a whole a better place to live, in the same way that those special women's conversations happen when we have the shop to ourselves. One man wanted it to be about fathers and sons. A lot of the dads in this community are non-custodial parents who look for good things to do when they have their visitation rights, and if fewer numbers of people were in line to use the shop, the dads and their kids might have more quality bike repair time with each other, as opposed to sitting-outside-in-the- sun-waiting time, which isn't much fun. (There are ants.) If those kids had a better time with their fathers, wouldn't that serve all of us, even if we had to wait a couple days to true our front wheels? There isn't enough demand for this yet to make it real, and no one who has said they want it has come forward to agree to organize and lead it, but given where our shop is and who it serves, if people want such a night, if they see that it would serve a good community building, family strengthening, purpose, why shouldn't it go forward? I'd be really, really uncomfortable with a whites-only night, but things like a Spanish language or Manderin and Cantonese shop night, or this black father-and-son thing, all seem fine to me. What do other people think? Good luck to you with your Woman and Trans nights, Colin. Sasha On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:52:48 -0400 freeridemp(a)riseup.net wrote: >Hey Bike Shops, >Does anyone else hold a Women and Trans night or Ladies' night? I >know >Plan B does. We had a weekly one last summer and will be having >another >this summer. The women who have held the shift have found it >effective to >keep the shift exclusive, closed to male-bodied masculine- >identifying >people. We have had a backlash from one of our members, who >accuses us of >sexism, discrimination, and injustice. We have gotten some >incomplete and >bad press. > >Please let me know if you hold a shift like this one, exclusive or >not, >and what you have done about any complaints your membership or >community >has had. > >Thanks, >Colin Gunn >Freeride Montpelier >Montpelier, VT >www.freeridemontpelier.org > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Thethinktank mailing list >Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com/verify Charset: UTF8 Version: Hush 3.0 wkYEARECAAYFAkflRI8ACgkQ5O7ahKJmrRmCAACfeJYAYaAWQEcKi4Pk4Lt7wKZs9hsA n0F5+indXn2UDNNfDhmRs4bGzxA7 =q4gZ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Women and Trans Night
by freeridemp＠riseup.net 22 Mar '08

22 Mar '08

Hey Bike Shops, Does anyone else hold a Women and Trans night or Ladies' night? I know Plan B does. We had a weekly one last summer and will be having another this summer. The women who have held the shift have found it effective to keep the shift exclusive, closed to male-bodied masculine-identifying people. We have had a backlash from one of our members, who accuses us of sexism, discrimination, and injustice. We have gotten some incomplete and bad press. Please let me know if you hold a shift like this one, exclusive or not, and what you have done about any complaints your membership or community has had. Thanks, Colin Gunn Freeride Montpelier Montpelier, VT www.freeridemontpelier.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Women and Trans Night
by Velocipede Bike Project 22 Mar '08

22 Mar '08

Sasha- Why don't you look into third party mediation for you situation. In Baltimore we have afew wonderful medations centers that perform the service for cheap or free. I'm not sure if detroit has anything like this, but if not you could work on finding an impartial person from outside the collective(and with out a personal stake in the results) that both parties can agree on to mediate...Of course this means that the parties involved would first have to acknowledge the problem exists. If B and C are threatening to leave because of this person, then it seems out in the open enough to suggest bringing in an impartial third party...Sometimes having a safe forum to air these kinds of concerns in a respectful manner can help with these sticky personal problems...and a trained mediator can help the different sides to communicate their concerns and come up with tangible solutions with out allowing emotions and tempers to take over. As for Trans/lady's night--I decided it was time to start one in baltimore when I looked around one night and realized that I was the only woman in the shop. I also would observe women being talked down to and "helped" alittle too eagerly by some of our male volunteers. Since we started "lady's night" I've noticed the genders balancing off a good deal on regular nights. I think the best way to deal with backlash is to get testimonials from women who have been intimidated by or in regular shop, and to talk about who is coming to your shop now. Do you have an even amount of men/women volunteers? how many of the women identified people are mechanics? Have you seen situations personally where a woman was made to feel uncomfortable? When we started lady's night we had acouple negative responses, but overall we had support. I suggest dealing with the dissenters without judgment or anger and giving strong reasons why it is important to have a exclusive night for women and genderqueer people. here is one response i gave to a particularly nasty email reaction...maybe some of these arguments will be helpful... sorry this is so long-hope it is helpful -beth velocipede bike project. -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Velocipede Bike Project" <info(a)velocipedebikeproject.org> > A- > I'm sorry we have offended you, I hope I can explain why we at Velocipede, > think this night is necessary. > > Have you been to open shop, or one of our events lately? I don't remember > your name, but we have been pretty busy lately, and I've gotten pretty bad > with names. Anyway, the reason I ask, is because if you had been to a > shop lately I was wondering if you noticed the demographics of the people > at the shop. > > I personally notice this regularly because I am often the only woman, or > only one of two women during an open shop night. This is not incedental. > Many women have expressed to me that they have felt overwhelmed or > intimidated during open shop and left. Also, many women have expressed > that they often find it hard to ask questions of men, or when they do ask > feel patronized. > > Of the few women that have begun to come regularly, a vast majority of > them came in at first with a male friend or spouse and have told me that > they were scared to come alone. This was what led us at Velocipede to > decide that a woman's only night was important. > > I undertand how it may seem counter intuitive that by occasionally > excluding people we are actually being inclusive. However, there are > subtle ways to make people feel excluded that happen every day and we > seldom realize it is happening until we look around and see that only a > specific group of poeple seem to be there. This is a way to change that > trend, by making people feel safe in a realm that all too often has been > male dominated. Women are often discouraged to be mechanical, and it is > hard to understand how much courage it can take to get over that barrier. > > As a woman who has spent alot of time in trades that are traditionally, > and still very much male dominated, I could go on and on about this, but > will leave you with this. The community groups that I am in contact with > are very excited about this night, and so far, your response has been the > only negative response I've heard. Gender, and gender roles, span many > communties and reach into issues that are hard to talk about but are > important to deal with. > > I hope that I have helped you to understand our reasons why we feel it is > so important to have these nights, and I hope that you will continue to > help us in what ever way you choose, to make bicycles assessable to > everyone. > > Sincerely- > Beth > > > Hello there back, > > > > I don't know why you need a special night for anyone. Working and riding a > > bicycle is a pretty transcendent experience. Your announcement is chockful > > of the most expressively typical politically corrent sentiments. When will > > you have the special night for the gender un-queer individuals? Or the > > special night for the Albino Hermaphrodites? You may think this is an > > extreme example but I think it points out the idiocy in your statement. > > It's so fitting that your purpose is to make gender queer individuals > > "comfortable". Let's not let them be forced to mingle with anyone other > > than themselves. Let's coccoon them away for a night so they can feel > > comfortable. Afterall, riding a bike is such a straight, male, > > untransgenered sport. How they must suffer. You have reduced the care and > > nurturing of bicycles to fit a political, sexual agenda. At first, I > > thought the Velocipede Bike Project was a great community thing. You had > > my support. Now, I see that you're just more lame thought police f > > or the "disenfranchised." So when will you have a night for all the other > > minorities so they too can feel comfortable riding and caring for their > > bikes? You may envision that you're "embracing" and "supporting," but in > > fact you're being limited and trendy. I've said my say, and now I'll leave > > you alone to your ridiculously polite and ever-so-inclusive language. > > "Bike Night for Trans Women. ONLY". Gee, the only thing you didn't add was > > calling it a "Celebration". > > > > Your small-minded thinking, in the guise of openness is sad. > > > > A L > > Ex-Velocipede Supporter > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > From: Velocipede Bike Project > > > >> Hello Veloci-lovers- > >> > >> In order to empower women and gender queer individuals to feel > >> comfortable > >> learning about, working on and riding bicycles, and to generally raise > >> the > >> estrogen levels in the veloci-community, we will begin hosting a women > >> and > >> trans only shop night every other tuesday. > >> > >> Our first woman/trans night will begin this tuesday, May 15th from > >> 6-10pm > >> and continue every other tuesday. check out our website calendar for the > >> next shop nights, and for other special events!!!!! > >> > >> > >> Also, this monday night, may 14th form 7-9pm we will be holding the next > >> in our series of clinics- Headsets-the steering system of the bicycle. > >> We > >> will go over the different kinds of headsets, talk some about choosing a > >> headset when building a bike, learn to diagnose common problems you may > >> encounter with your headset, and then we will disassemble and rebuild a > >> headset. > >> > >> Come steer your way to Velocipede where the fun never stops!!! > >> (for directions hours and more info check out > >> www.velocipedebikeproject.org) > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Velocipede Bike Project > >> 4 W Lanvale St, Baltimore > >> http://velocipedebikeproject.org > >> info(a)velocipedebikeproject.org > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > > Hi, Colin. > > Back Alley bikes in Detroit has had wonderful Women and > Trans nights for over a year. The amazing B got the idea from the people at Plan B. She and C ran it. > > It was great. The shop was so quiet. Everyone asked > politely for tools%

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops.
by dragonfly＠mac.hush.com 20 Mar '08

20 Mar '08

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hello, Everyone. Stuart, I really like your idea about approaching QBP. My new seed catalogues have lovely icons telling me which seeds are heirloom varieties, which are organic, etc. They even have a pretty little snowflake to help people up in Northern Ontario pick seeds that can tolerate their conditions. It would be great if QBP's catalogue had icons for union/ fairtrade/ local/ etc. Asking existing suppliers/distributers if they could offer discounts makes more sense to me than creating an inefficient version of their infrastructure. While there are many super well organized people who work or play at Community Bike Shops, the idea of a warehouse and distrubition network run by the likes of us seems like a bad idea. Have you ever been at a meeting where people spend almost an hour discussing the way we should spell women/wimmin/wymyn? Our shops perform magical feats of bicycle relclamation and we contribute to improving neighbourhoods and to helping people feel competant and connected. Sometimes I feel as if my local CBS is saving the world one spiffed up junker at a time. I love us. But somehow I don't see us running a continental just-in-time delivery system for bike parts. Working together online to craft a proposal to pitch to QBP and any other suppliers or distributers seems doable. So does creating national or international (or perhaps just several regional) organization(s) of community bike shops for the purposes of getting good deals from suppliers, etc. Does anyone feel knowlegable enough about how it could work to draft something to circulate? Having a nice tangible thing or plan to discuss at this year's bikebike would be good. Sasha On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:55:25 -0400 Stuart O Anderson <soa(a)ri.cmu.edu> wrote: >At Free Ride we have a purchasing policy that directs us to buy >local, >union, and sustainable products when they are available. If there >were a distributor that could source parts the best complied with >this >policy I think we'd definitely be interested. > >Of course, this would be a huge undertaking for the person(s) that >wanted to do it. I imagine one has to order in very large >quantities >from manufacturers to be able to offer wholesale prices comparable >to >other distributors, and that the amount of cash tied up in stock >at >any given time is rather signficant. Having to rent or maintain a >warehouse on top of that means that there's a minimum rate of >consumption a distributor would need to maintain to avoid losing >money. That rate is going to depend on the size of the niche >market >for community bike shops, and the assumption that other >distributors >wont alter their own policies to capture that market - it's not >clear >to me that there is enough demand, even combining all the major >community bike shops into a single bloc, to solely support a >single >distribution operation. But that's just a guess and a real answer >would require market research on the part of interested parties. > >It seems to me that QBP supplies most of the CBS's right now. >Maybe >someone should approach them about identifying and stocking >products >that conform to our purchasing policies (i.e. green/fair trade/us >made/union made/etc icons in the catalog) and ask about discounts >for >non-profits promiting bicycle use? I'd think the best way for >that to >happen would be for several shops to work together to create a >request >that could be delivered on all our behalfs. Does this interest >anyone >- I'd be willing to help with such a project. > >Stuart >_______________________________________________ >Thethinktank mailing list >Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com/verify Charset: UTF8 Version: Hush 3.0 wkYEARECAAYFAkfZWyIACgkQ5O7ahKJmrRn6QwCgjEY8Yv9jCrTEuwN0AFmD8T8INdcA oKcYs3vpIhcQt4z7JnTJbYFdQIzs =6pQq -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Bike Bike 2008
by Maggie Fehling 19 Mar '08

19 Mar '08

Anymore info out there on this year's Bike Bike? -Maggie

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plan you route
by Tom Emm 19 Mar '08

19 Mar '08

Have fun with this google toy. www.bikely.org --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Surveys for volunteer retention
by Anibal Davila 19 Mar '08

19 Mar '08

hey all, to gain some insight into the universal problem of getting and keeping volunteers, im currently working on a survey. I suspect people hesitate to tell me in person that they think the place is dirty, the volunteers are rude and that i should shave more often, but people love giving that kind of input anonymously. I want to find out the differences between regular clients and casual volunteers. I also want to find out what keeps casual volunteers from becoming regular volunteers. I imagine disseminating it through all of our electronic outlets (list serve, facebook group, Flickr group) as well using printed out forms in the shop. Has anyone done this before? i would love to see other peoples surveys/polls. Did you get useful data from it? problems in collection? thanks! Anibal, Bikepirate

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unsubscribe me please
by sparkltingting＠aol.com 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

?hey guys, please unsubscribe me. thanks, hannae ( from bethlehem pa who moved to portland oregon.)

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Atlanta tornado
by tom m. 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

Are the folks in Atlanta, Georgia okay? A big tornado swept right through the downtown area.> From: thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org> Subject: Thethinktank Digest, Vol 19, Issue 21> To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:59:04 -0700> > 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.…> > 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: sexist bs - is finished. (Jonathan Morrison)> 2. Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature? (Rich Points)> 3. Re: Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature? (Macho Philipovich)> 4. Re: Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature? (Rich Points)> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > Message: 1> Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:03:11 -0600> From: "Jonathan Morrison" <jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org>> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] sexist bs - is finished.> To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org>> Message-ID:> <4dd29fd10803170803u2d773638w83b7b11bf0d19f0f(a)mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > If you feel the compelling desire to further this thread, please reply to> the individuals instead of the whole list. Otherwise there will be no need> to unsubscribe, it will be done automatically.> > -- > Sincerely,> > Jonathan Morrison> Executive Director> Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective> 2312 S. West Temple> Salt Lake City, UT 84115> w: 801-328-2453> c: 801-688-0183> f: 801-466-3856> www.slcbikecollective.org> > Get Addicted to Crank!> http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/> > On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 7:43 AM, CLINTON BIGGS <letlovein2(a)msn.com> wrote:> > > Please, in all seriousness, do not throw the word "retard" around like> > its nothing. YOU do not get to decide whether its offensive or not. As the> > father of a child with autism (yes I have seen Rainman, thanks) I can say> > that it is a stigmatizing word. Sorry to go back on my promise never to post> > again, but I had not unsubscribed yet and now wish I had. But yes, please be> > careful with your choice of words, if for no other reason than the> > possibility it could save your nose from being flattened by some one who is> > at the end of their patience. And yes I remember fun, but its been a while> > mr. john rotten. Art> >> >> >> > ------------------------------> > Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:18:20 -0400> > From: davidhazardous(a)gmail.com> > To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org.> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] sexist bs [WAS: RE: Surveys for volunteer> > retention]> >> >> > #1 nobody was being sexist. reading all the thinktank posts tells us that> > the one who doesn't shave enough is in fact a man, and as a man, i also do> > not shave enough. i've considered waxing my face. thus, the response to> > shaving being the suggestion to waxing is just a thoughtful timesaving> > maneuver.> >> > #2 before bikes were used to spread the gospel of a political system that> > doesn't work except for idealist college kids, they were the toys of rich> > people. as in, the common man (proletariat, bolshevik, etc) couldn't have> > one! who knew?> >> > #3 before cars were stigmatized, bikes were. bikers were "hotdoggers"> > terrorizing horses and pedestrians.> >> > #4 ever hear of bikes? responsible for paved roads.> >> > #5 guess what? people drive more than ride. but more jackasses ride than> > drive. i just don't happen to be a hippie or vegan. but i suffer just as> > much for their political views.> >> > #6 this is hella fun for me, and i'm a good person to boot> >> > #7 looks like you contributed to this jackass thread.> >> > #8 undercovercop, hells yes to drinking whiskey but don't you think that> > "retarded bike games" is offensive to retards? (that's a joke, like the> > original "offensive" comment)> >> > <3 dhx> >> > i am offically gone from thinktank as fast as i came> >> > ...unless...people act like stupids again.> >> > p.s. have fun being white and having dreadlocks. maybe we can all drink> > some yerba mate at the sierra club meeting. oops, too conservative.> > monkeywrench gang reprazent!> >> > On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 7:34 PM, Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> wrote:> >> > What a jack ass. Threads like these make me not want to contribute.> >> > Thinking that the bike is not a political tool for change is deluding,> > selling your self short. British 19 century commies used the bike to get> > out to factors where the roads have not linked to spread the word of labour> > rights a liberties.> >> > Cars have been extremely stigmatized. They are a political force, they are> > killing everything. Dont kid your self about that. Ever heard of the AAA.> > Responsible for most of the expressways in America.> >> > Dont freak out over being called a hippe vegan. Guess what, vegans and> > hippies drive more then bike. Its not about sexist comments, its keeping a> > positive outlook on cycling. Dont degrade your fellow cyclists, use your> > energy to portray a respectful attitude that motorists lack.> >> > Its not political , its called being a good person. I have fun being a> > good person, dont you. Being a sexist tyrant creates fun on another's> > expense.> >> > Canada,> > Geoff> >> >> >> > On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 10:28 PM, David Hazardous <> > davidhazardous(a)gmail.com> wrote:> >> > hey jackasses...> >> > it's threads like these that make the public not take cycling seriously.> > bikes are not a bandwagon for political agendas. bikes are a mode of> > transportation. they help people get to work, the store, and yes, the bar.> > and people eat meat and make sexist remarks just as much on a bike. i am so> > sick of being labeled "vegan" or "hippie" or "liberal" because i ride a bike> > and don't own a car. hey fringe culture: stop co-opting a yet-unstigmatized> > vehicle to turn it into a political soapbox. NOT ALL BIKERS ARE IDEALIST> > TEETOTALERS. bikes aren't going to save the world, they're just going to> > give a few people reliable transportation. and fun. remember that? fun?> >> > flame me all you want,> > dhx> >> >> > On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 7:11 PM, <undercovercop(a)riseup.net> wrote:> >> > wow, michael, i'm sure you meant this in jest, but making cracks about a> > woman having to wax to impress is pretty horribly sexist and leaves a> > real bad taste in my mouth.> >> > and perhaps you have an understanding with anibal that this kind of> > joking around is okay. i have lots of friends i know i can safely tease> > in all sorts of offensive ways. however, this is a public list with> > lots of folks who don't know one another. especially since you say you> > don't know annibal, it's really tempting to read your joke as> > straight-up sexist bullshit.> >> > given how much really good thought and discussion i've seen this> > community put into identifying and rooting out sexist bullshit, i gotta> > say i think you're out of line.> >> > hope you don't take offense,> > benB> > chicago community bike project> >> > --> > 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist> > the black flag, and begin slitting throats.'> > -h.l. mencken> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > Thethinktank mailing list> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> >> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> >> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > Thethinktank mailing list> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> >> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> >> >> >> >> > --> > "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells> > _______________________________________________> > Thethinktank mailing list> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> >> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> >> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > Thethinktank mailing list> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> >> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> >> >> -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/pipermail/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org… > > ------------------------------> > Message: 2> Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:17:50 -0600> From: Rich Points <rich(a)richpoints.com>> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature?> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org>> Message-ID: <47DEB5CE.7050308(a)richpoints.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed> > Hey All,> I'd like to hand out a one page, illustrated instruction sheet on how to> fix a flat. I've searched around but haven't found anything.> > Does anyone know of such a resource?> > Thanks> > -- > Rich Points> Community Cycles Director> http://CommunityCycles.org> Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org> 720-565-6019> > > > > ------------------------------> > Message: 3> Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:27:26 -0500> From: Macho Philipovich <macho(a)resist.ca>> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature?> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org>> Message-ID: <47DEB80E.7090007(a)resist.ca>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed> > There is probably better stuff out there, but here's the Bike Dump's one > page (if you'll allow two sided printing) workshop sheet on tires and > tubes, which is basically on flat fixing. Feel free to critique so it > can be improved.> > http://bike-dump.ca/workshops/01_tubes_tires.pdf> > macho> > Rich Points wrote:> > Hey All,> > I'd like to hand out a one page, illustrated instruction sheet on how to> > fix a flat. I've searched around but haven't found anything.> >> > Does anyone know of such a resource?> >> > Thanks> >> > > > > > ------------------------------> > Message: 4> Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:20:48 -0600> From: Rich Points <rich(a)richpoints.com>> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature?> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org>> Message-ID: <47DEC490.2090909(a)richpoints.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > Not bad, it's the closest thing I've found so far.> > Let me say more about what I'm doing this for. We recently had a bunch > of heavy duty lunch box type things donated to Community Cycles. We're > going to give them to participants in the youth Earn-A-Bike program. > The boxes will then function as a tool box. Kids are welcome to take > the class as many times as they like, each time they will get more tools > for their box. > > The boxes are close to 8.5' X 11'. My idea was to have the illustrated > fix a flat info on the inside of the box. This would be more of a > reminder than a full blown description. Now that I think of it it would > probably look like a comic strip.> > I think the value of this goes beyond the toolbox idea, I think > something like this would be great on our shop wall somewhere.> > Anybody out there have the skills to draw up something like this?> > Peace> Rich> > Macho Philipovich wrote:> > There is probably better stuff out there, but here's the Bike Dump's one > > page (if you'll allow two sided printing) workshop sheet on tires and > > tubes, which is basically on flat fixing. Feel free to critique so it > > can be improved.> >> > http://bike-dump.ca/workshops/01_tubes_tires.pdf> >> > macho> >> > Rich Points wrote:> > > >> Hey All,> >> I'd like to hand out a one page, illustrated instruction sheet on how to> >> fix a flat. I've searched around but haven't found anything.> >>> >> Does anyone know of such a resource?> >>> >> Thanks> >>> >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________> > Thethinktank mailing list> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> >> > > > -- > Rich Points> Community Cycles Director> http://CommunityCycles.org> Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org> 720-565-6019> > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/pipermail/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org… > > ------------------------------> > _______________________________________________> Thethinktank mailing list> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…> > > End of Thethinktank Digest, Vol 19, Issue 21> ******************************************** _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser! http://biggestloser.msn.com/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike rack art contest
by dragonfly＠mac.hush.com 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hello, Everyone. The Tecumseh BIA in Tecumseh, Ontario is having a Bike Rack Sculpture competition as part of their Gallery Without Walls. They would like submissions of functional sculptures, bike racks that are also art. The application deadline is April 30th, and they'd like drawings and a maquette; the other critera for submissions are on their website. The winners will be chosen by May 15th, and they'd like the racks completed by August 15th. There is $2000(Cdn)"and further details" for each of the winners. "Open to all artists", is what they say, but if you're not Canadian you'll have to figure out if you can do this. Their contest is modelled on the one from Louisville Kentucky, and the sculptures from that place look great. Even if this contest is not feasible for you, setting up something similar in your city might be. Sending them a note supporting the idea might also help Tecumseh's bike boosters. Check out: www.tecumsehbia.com Sasha On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:29:15 -0400 tom emm <tom48236(a)gmail.com> wrote: >Also...www.bikely.org > >On 3/18/08, Ann Altstatt <annaltstatt(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> Hi All, >> This was forwarded to me. . . just passing it on to spread the >word about a >> petition to get Google Maps to add a "Bike There" button to the >top level of >> their mapping interface. It would provide bike specific routing, >not sure >> about travel time estimates though... >> >> http://googlemapsbikethere.org/about/ >> >> For those of you with the power to publish (web site, blog, >print) maybe you >> could put something out there? >> Apologies if this has been posted already and I missed it! >> >> Ann >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org >> >> >_______________________________________________ >Thethinktank mailing list >Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com/verify Charset: UTF8 Version: Hush 3.0 wkYEARECAAYFAkfgAvAACgkQ5O7ahKJmrRkTMACgoeuxx3NlwbHyrB+/AOc0wUUs+psA oJ4GuvnDu0goZLEvx51BXmWdtj5e =Uwxt -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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bike directions on google maps
by Ann Altstatt 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

Hi All, This was forwarded to me. . . just passing it on to spread the word about a petition to get Google Maps to add a "Bike There" button to the top level of their mapping interface. It would provide bike specific routing, not sure about travel time estimates though... http://googlemapsbikethere.org/about/ For those of you with the power to publish (web site, blog, print) maybe you could put something out there? Apologies if this has been posted already and I missed it! Ann

3 2

Illustrated Fix a Flat Literature?
by Rich Points 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

Hey All, I'd like to hand out a one page, illustrated instruction sheet on how to fix a flat. I've searched around but haven't found anything. Does anyone know of such a resource? Thanks -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Re: [TheThinkTank] sexist bs - is finished.
by Jonathan Morrison 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

If you feel the compelling desire to further this thread, please reply to the individuals instead of the whole list. Otherwise there will be no need to unsubscribe, it will be done automatically. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/ On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 7:43 AM, CLINTON BIGGS <letlovein2(a)msn.com> wrote: > Please, in all seriousness, do not throw the word "retard" around like > its nothing. YOU do not get to decide whether its offensive or not. As the > father of a child with autism (yes I have seen Rainman, thanks) I can say > that it is a stigmatizing word. Sorry to go back on my promise never to post > again, but I had not unsubscribed yet and now wish I had. But yes, please be > careful with your choice of words, if for no other reason than the > possibility it could save your nose from being flattened by some one who is > at the end of their patience. And yes I remember fun, but its been a while > mr. john rotten. Art > > > > ------------------------------ > Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:18:20 -0400 > From: davidhazardous(a)gmail.com > To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org. > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] sexist bs [WAS: RE: Surveys for volunteer > retention] > > > #1 nobody was being sexist. reading all the thinktank posts tells us that > the one who doesn't shave enough is in fact a man, and as a man, i also do > not shave enough. i've considered waxing my face. thus, the response to > shaving being the suggestion to waxing is just a thoughtful timesaving > maneuver. > > #2 before bikes were used to spread the gospel of a political system that > doesn't work except for idealist college kids, they were the toys of rich > people. as in, the common man (proletariat, bolshevik, etc) couldn't have > one! who knew? > > #3 before cars were stigmatized, bikes were. bikers were "hotdoggers" > terrorizing horses and pedestrians. > > #4 ever hear of bikes? responsible for paved roads. > > #5 guess what? people drive more than ride. but more jackasses ride than > drive. i just don't happen to be a hippie or vegan. but i suffer just as > much for their political views. > > #6 this is hella fun for me, and i'm a good person to boot > > #7 looks like you contributed to this jackass thread. > > #8 undercovercop, hells yes to drinking whiskey but don't you think that > "retarded bike games" is offensive to retards? (that's a joke, like the > original "offensive" comment) > > <3 dhx > > i am offically gone from thinktank as fast as i came > > ...unless...people act like stupids again. > > p.s. have fun being white and having dreadlocks. maybe we can all drink > some yerba mate at the sierra club meeting. oops, too conservative. > monkeywrench gang reprazent! > > On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 7:34 PM, Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > What a jack ass. Threads like these make me not want to contribute. > > Thinking that the bike is not a political tool for change is deluding, > selling your self short. British 19 century commies used the bike to get > out to factors where the roads have not linked to spread the word of labour > rights a liberties. > > Cars have been extremely stigmatized. They are a political force, they are > killing everything. Dont kid your self about that. Ever heard of the AAA. > Responsible for most of the expressways in America. > > Dont freak out over being called a hippe vegan. Guess what, vegans and > hippies drive more then bike. Its not about sexist comments, its keeping a > positive outlook on cycling. Dont degrade your fellow cyclists, use your > energy to portray a respectful attitude that motorists lack. > > Its not political , its called being a good person. I have fun being a > good person, dont you. Being a sexist tyrant creates fun on another's > expense. > > Canada, > Geoff > > > > On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 10:28 PM, David Hazardous < > davidhazardous(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > hey jackasses... > > it's threads like these that make the public not take cycling seriously. > bikes are not a bandwagon for political agendas. bikes are a mode of > transportation. they help people get to work, the store, and yes, the bar. > and people eat meat and make sexist remarks just as much on a bike. i am so > sick of being labeled "vegan" or "hippie" or "liberal" because i ride a bike > and don't own a car. hey fringe culture: stop co-opting a yet-unstigmatized > vehicle to turn it into a political soapbox. NOT ALL BIKERS ARE IDEALIST > TEETOTALERS. bikes aren't going to save the world, they're just going to > give a few people reliable transportation. and fun. remember that? fun? > > flame me all you want, > dhx > > > On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 7:11 PM, <undercovercop(a)riseup.net> wrote: > > wow, michael, i'm sure you meant this in jest, but making cracks about a > woman having to wax to impress is pretty horribly sexist and leaves a > real bad taste in my mouth. > > and perhaps you have an understanding with anibal that this kind of > joking around is okay. i have lots of friends i know i can safely tease > in all sorts of offensive ways. however, this is a public list with > lots of folks who don't know one another. especially since you say you > don't know annibal, it's really tempting to read your joke as > straight-up sexist bullshit. > > given how much really good thought and discussion i've seen this > community put into identifying and rooting out sexist bullshit, i gotta > say i think you're out of line. > > hope you don't take offense, > benB > chicago community bike project > > -- > 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist > the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' > -h.l. mencken > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > -- > "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > >

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sexist bs [WAS: RE: Surveys for volunteer retention]
by undercovercop＠riseup.net 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

wow, michael, i'm sure you meant this in jest, but making cracks about a woman having to wax to impress is pretty horribly sexist and leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. and perhaps you have an understanding with anibal that this kind of joking around is okay. i have lots of friends i know i can safely tease in all sorts of offensive ways. however, this is a public list with lots of folks who don't know one another. especially since you say you don't know annibal, it's really tempting to read your joke as straight-up sexist bullshit. given how much really good thought and discussion i've seen this community put into identifying and rooting out sexist bullshit, i gotta say i think you're out of line. hope you don't take offense, benB chicago community bike project -- 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' -h.l. mencken

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Re: [TheThinkTank] sexist bs [WAS: RE: Surveys for volunteer retention]
by dragonfly＠mac.hush.com 16 Mar '08

16 Mar '08

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi, All. I can't believe this thread is still ongoing. My first thought when I read the initial comment was: "I think Anibal is a man. I wonder if the other guy knows that." My second thought was that if the guy thought Anibal was a girl, the post was a bit cheeky. Definitely sexist, but compared to the daily grind of BS you get as a woman, it was pretty mild. As the replies to the post came in, I thought "Whoa." I was suprised that there was such immediate condemnation, such a strong, clear line taken against anything that might be percieved as sexist. I liked that people were anxious to ensure that this community remained a space where sexist or racist attitudes were not tolerated. We all strive to make our shops friendly; sometimes this is tricky, as we serve diverse communities with different expectations and standards. It was nice to see the attempt to create a safe space made here, too. I noted with interest that the people involved in both sides of this seemed to be male. Women have been working out all this feminist shit for decades; as a woman, I'd have rolled my eyes at a shaving comment and let it be, saving my worry and attention for something that seemed worth the effort. For example, a "bitch"/"cunt"/"whore" type of thing, or for the kind of shop politics where women end up doing all the cleaning, or the situation where an older male who other guys defer to is rude or mean to female collective members, driving them first to tears and then out. I also care about adequate lighting, and safe buddied up rides home when need be, and child-friendly shops, and women and trans night, and taking the need for more female mechanics seriously. So, in my opinion, the shaving comment, was, as I said, cheeky, and if the write thought Anibal was annibelle, maybe sort of rude, but not worth writing home about. The fact that men were trying to figure out how to create a safe space for women, that was awesome. Thanks. Thanks to all of you, no matter what you wrote, for fretting and stressing and starting to snipe at each other about that issue. It was sort of oddly healing to watch a group of guys working to figure out what is cool and what is not cool. Being called out for sexism or racism or classism or whatever can be embarassing and hurtful and it can seem unfair. The natural tendency is to get defensive, and that happened here. Thanks for writing back anyway. All sorts of things started to get tied into this-- things about hairstyles and politics and beverage choices, considerations of whether what we are doing is social or political, and if either, how... it was a little irritating to read, but also interesting, as people were obviously trying to figure out how all these things fit together. One of the things I love about my community bike shop is the crazy diversity of people who come there. I love our homeless men. I love our two Mormons and our Buhddist monk. I love our fixed gear obsessives, our bike couriers, our single mothers, our homosexual chefs, our senior citizens, and everyone else. I love that while certain similarities exist, we all have really different perspectives, and the weird random conversations about politics or art or whatever that we get into while waiting our turn could go anywhere. (I do think we have a totally disproportionate number of people who believe space aliens intervene in Earth's politics, but maybe that's just me.) That diversity no doubt leads some people to freak out a little. We are always sharing cramped spaces with people who make us a little uncomfortable. Out of that non-politics, comes a politics-- one of diversity, multiplicity, small scales, local things, building and fixing instead of throwing away to buy new, being out in the elements, using our bodies, trusting that our own bodies can do the work, waving to fellow cyclists, assuming that everyone (including the old or children, uneducated people, and people of all genders, etc.) can learn and can teach, sharing tools instead of everyone having to buy their own-- we're plenty political, and even pretty radical, but for my money ***better when we are not assuming a shared ideological outlook or proposing a narrow dogma as our ideal***. Many of the people who come to our shop would hate to have their bike riding connected to Godless Communism; others describe themselves as Maoists, for heaven's sake. I think both those groups are slightly nuts, but whatever. One of the primary reasons I ride my bike is because it gives me pleasure. I feel sexy and strong and good about life when I ride my bike; I'm guessing you all do, too. Knowing about the complicity of the early twentienth century cycling manufacturers in the rubber wars in Congo and Latin America doesn't change my sense that this mode of transportation is the cheapest, most elegant, most liberating, most fun, and just best way of getting around going. Sometimes, that pleasure feels political-- I feel so good, it makes me feel like an outlaw. Thanks for all the earnest angst, folks. It was neat to see you trying to figure some stuff out. If you ended up stressed by each other, I hope you got a chance to ride your bikes to get the kinks out. Sasha P.S. About volunteer surveys-- surveys can be useful, but they are also annoying, and people are complicated. Polls and surveys often get the response that their writers sort of wrote them to get. Just talking to people does actually work, too. I know that I'm underutilized at my shop; everyone knows what I do for a living, and people have a sense of my skill set, and they even talk about needing that kind of help, and I've flat out offered a bunch of times. There are lots of people who come to our shop who have the special skills needed to make it better-- small business people, artists, teachers, computer wizards, etc. But people get their little fiefdoms-- the person who did the fundraiser last year may not want anyone to "take away" her role, or the guy who's been doing the books for two years feels somehow slighted by the thought that buddy-the-accountant (who offers every time he hears whinging about money troubles) might take a look at them. People want help, but sometimes the whole organization seems to live inside the head of a couple of people, and broadening that network seems to be a larger task than just continuing to do things yourselves. There are also touchy issues of people's feelings. This kind of thing goes on in all organizations, and I'm not sure how helpful surveys are when it comes to addressing these things. On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:18:20 -0400 David Hazardous <davidhazardous(a)gmail.com> wrote: >#1 nobody was being sexist. reading all the thinktank posts tells >us that >the one who doesn't shave enough is in fact a man, and as a man, i >also do >not shave enough. i've considered waxing my face. thus, the >response to >shaving being the suggestion to waxing is just a thoughtful >timesaving >maneuver. > >#2 before bikes were used to spread the gospel of a political >system that >doesn't work except for idealist college kids, they were the toys >of rich >people. as in, the common man (proletariat, bolshevik, etc) >couldn't have >one! who knew? > >#3 before cars were stigmatized, bikes were. bikers were >"hotdoggers" >terrorizing horses and pedestrians. > >#4 ever hear of bikes? responsible for paved roads. > >#5 guess what? people drive more than ride. but more jackasses >ride than >drive. i just don't happen to be a hippie or vegan. but i suffer >just as >much for their political views. > >#6 this is hella fun for me, and i'm a good person to boot > >#7 looks like you contributed to this jackass thread. > >#8 undercovercop, hells yes to drinking whiskey but don't you >think that >"retarded bike games" is offensive to retards? (that's a joke, >like the >original "offensive" comment) > ><3 dhx > >i am offically gone from thinktank as fast as i came > >...unless...people act like stupids again. > >p.s. have fun being white and having dreadlocks. maybe we can all >drink some >yerba mate at the sierra club meeting. oops, too conservative. >monkeywrench >gang reprazent! > >On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 7:34 PM, Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> >wrote: > >> What a jack ass. Threads like these make me not want to >contribute. >> >> Thinking that the bike is not a political tool for change is >deluding, >> selling your self short. British 19 century commies used the >bike to get >> out to factors where the roads have not linked to spread the >word of labour >> rights a liberties. >> >> Cars have been extremely stigmatized. They are a political >force, they are >> killing everything. Dont kid your self about that. Ever heard of >the AAA. >> Responsible for most of the expressways in America. >> >> Dont freak out over being called a hippe vegan. Guess what, >vegans and >> hippies drive more then bike. Its not about sexist comments, >its keeping a >> positive outlook on cycling. Dont degrade your fellow cyclists, >use your >> energy to portray a respectful attitude that motorists lack. >> >> Its not political , its called being a good person. I have fun >being a >> good person, dont you. Being a sexist tyrant creates fun on >another's >> expense. >> >> Canada, >> Geoff >> >> >> >> On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 10:28 PM, David Hazardous < >> davidhazardous(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> > hey jackasses... >> > >> > it's threads like these that make the public not take cycling >seriously. >> > bikes are not a bandwagon for political agendas. bikes are a >mode of >> > transportation. they help people get to work, the store, and >yes, the bar. >> > and people eat meat and make sexist remarks just as much on a >bike. i am so >> > sick of being labeled "vegan" or "hippie" or "liberal" because >i ride a bike >> > and don't own a car. hey fringe culture: stop co-opting a yet- >unstigmatized >> > vehicle to turn it into a political soapbox. NOT ALL BIKERS >ARE IDEALIST >> > TEETOTALERS. bikes aren't going to save the world, they're >just going to >> > give a few people reliable transportation. and fun. remember >that? fun? >> > >> > flame me all you want, >> > dhx >> > >> > >> > On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 7:11 PM, <undercovercop(a)riseup.net> >wrote: >> > >> > > wow, michael, i'm sure you meant this in jest, but making >cracks about >> > > a >> > > woman having to wax to impress is pretty horribly sexist and >leaves a >> > > real bad taste in my mouth. >> > > >> > > and perhaps you have an understanding with anibal that this >kind of >> > > joking around is okay. i have lots of friends i know i can >safely >> > > tease >> > > in all sorts of offensive ways. however, this is a public >list with >> > > lots of folks who don't know one another. especially since >you say you >> > > don't know annibal, it's really tempting to read your joke >as >> > > straight-up sexist bullshit. >> > > >> > > given how much really good thought and discussion i've seen >this >> > > community put into identifying and rooting out sexist >bullshit, i >> > > gotta >> > > say i think you're out of line. >> > > >> > > hope you don't take offense, >> > > benB >> > > chicago community bike project >> > > >> > > -- >> > > 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his >hands, >> > > hoist >> > > the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' >> > > -h.l. mencken >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > Thethinktank mailing list >> > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> > > >> > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org >> > > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Thethinktank mailing list >> > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> > >> > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org >> > >> > >> >> >> -- >> "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org >> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com/verify Charset: UTF8 Version: Hush 3.0 wkYEARECAAYFAkfd3ZMACgkQ5O7ahKJmrRlPZwCgnzf8gkFYUbyeXCJEJm1MC3RnSjEA n0UoJbvnHIbsYRTaqgke9EVNpSPh =LauN -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Buying Bulk
by Bob Giordano 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

The easiest for Free Cycles is to place an order about once every 2 months with one of our local retail shops. One shop gives us their bulk rate, the other bulk plus 10%. They call us when the order comes in and we write them a check. I like it because we do not have to worry about being at the shop when the order comes in and we support the local shops (or rather they get to support us). We usually order some tools, patches, lube and grease. The only 'part' we order new is cables and housing. The one other part we are usually short on is 27" tires. Lots of people go and buy new ones. I'm interested in the ideas floating on this list though... -Bob g. free cycles missoula.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] patch kits
by Bob Giordano 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

Free cycles keeps one 8oz can of rema glue at the flat tire repair station, and one tucked away in a cabinet. We keep the public can about 1/5 full- never much more. This way people use less glue, and if the top is left off we do not lose much glue. troy neiman wrote: > Large 8 oz can of Rema glue with built in brush on applicator, retail > about $10-$12 (this is by far the best value if you remember to screw the > cap on every night. can do thousands of patches.) -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula

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good comments on bad idea to create a distribution center for co-op new goods
by Andrew Stepnick 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org wrote: 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.… 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. using the bicycle kitchen's POS system? was :Electronic Tracking (andrewsawtelle(a)riseup.net) 2. Re: Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops. (veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com) 3. Re: Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops. (Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc.) 4. Re: Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops. (Stuart O Anderson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:03:53 -0400 (EDT) From: andrewsawtelle(a)riseup.net Subject: [TheThinkTank] using the bicycle kitchen's POS system? was :Electronic Tracking To: "The Think Tank" Cc: kitchen(a)bicyclekitchen.com Message-ID: <1386.127.0.0.1.1205384633.squirrel(a)tern.riseup.net> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Yeah, at bikebike in Pittsburgh back in August Josh Moody from the LA Bike Kitchen was talking about their whole POS system and how they could probably make it available to people who want to use it. I've CCed their main contact email so maybe they'll let us know. Andrew Recycle-A-Bike, Providence RI http://www.recycleabike.org Velocipede Bike Project wrote: > This is convenient because we at velocipede are at the same point. I know > that the bike kitchen said they would send out they're software at bike > bike, but I haven't heard back from them....is anyone from the bike > kitchen(in LA) on this list? > > -beth > velocipede bike project > Baltimore, MD > >> I know that this has been discussed before but I didn't see what I was >> specifically looking for in the archives. We are growing faster than >> our paperwork can keep up and are in need of a better system for >> tracking both inventory/bikes-in/bikes-out/donations type stuff as >> well as Work-Trade volunteer hours. I know that there is mention of >> developing a "community bike software suite", does anyone know where >> at in development that is? From what I saw in the archives, some >> places do have databases set up for tracking this stuff, is there any >> chance that could be shared as a template with the wider community? >> Thanks, Andrew >> FM Community Bicycle Workshop >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:53:10 -0600 From: veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Random Thought: Creating a bicycle parts/tools distributor for Community Bike Shops. To: "The Think Tank" Message-ID: <53e5a1720803130653r7a38184awd6e60449603919df(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" i love the idea. what about creating some sort of blanket national/international organization/club/something that community bike shops could belong to, and then creating accounts for that group, the members of which would then reap the benefits? i dunno how chain stores--rei, performance, etc--get their accounts set up, but surely every brick and mortar store that is a part of a chain doesn't have to go thru the hassle of getting an account set up? i also love that jonathan called grease "wearable." it certainly is at community cycles... there was some talk of this at bikebike! in 07, perhaps we should get a discussion group going, and have a workshop about it in 08? On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 9:41 PM, Vyki Englert wrote: > Love the idea, if there is a shop willing to set themselves up as a > distributor, I'm sure the kickstand would be interested in being on the > distribution list. > We are still so very new, I doubt we could set ourselves up for that > position. Though down the road, I'm sure we would be able to help alot > more. > -vyki > > > On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 9:59 PM, 1304bikes <1304bikes(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > I really like this idea as well, mainly because we here at 1304bikes > > fall into the not established enough to get a distributor account. This > > means we usually have to pay retail prices for anything we happen to need. > > A lot of the local bike shops to give us a nice discount, but we still pay > > some markup on wholesale. > > > > I agree with option 2, that it is worth doing. I'm just not sure how > > one would go about doing so; but i certainly love the idea. > > > > -Doug > > 1304bikes > > Raleigh, NC > > > > On 3/12/08, Jonathan Morrison wrote: > > > > > Distributors ( > > > http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Distributors) are > > > just the middle men separating manufacturers from retailers. Just like food > > > cooperatives that buy in bulk and disseminate food at bulk rates, we could > > > do that with bike parts. For those of us that buy using distributors it > > > would save an roughly 25% off of wholesale, and for those community bike > > > shops that aren't established enough to get a distributor account -- we > > > would be providing an option that is 75% off of MSRP. > > > > > > Ideally we would get accounts with tool manufacturers like park tool, > > > pedros, hozan, etc.,... as well as wearable items like grease, bearing, > > > chain lube, patch manufacturers, and then lower-end (but quality) parts > > > manufacturers for things that we don't get enough of donated, or that aren't > > > worth re-using. This will be different for each shop, but as an example in > > > SLC we don't re-use bearings, spokes, cables or housing -- they get recycled > > > and we put new ones on bikes. We also buy new road tires (27" & 700c) > > > because we don't have enough decent ones donated, either they are too worn > > > or dried out. > > > > > > I can think of 2 conclusions: > > > > > > 1) It isn't worth doing. The 25% cut a distributor gets is worth > > > paying given the hassle and it is just another random thought that might > > > result in spending $5 to save $3. > > > 2) It is worth doing. > > > > > > -- > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Jonathan Morrison > > > Executive Director > > > Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective > > > 2312 S. West Temple > > > Salt Lake City, UT 84115 > > > w: 801-328-2453 > > > c: 801-688-0183 > > > f: 801-466-3856 > > > www.slcbikecollective.org > > > > > > Get Addicted to Crank! > > > http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/ > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > 1304bikes > > 2419 Mayview Rd. > > Raleigh, NC > > 1304bikes.org > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > -- > Vyki Englert > "sprocket" acting Director of operations > Member Board of Directors > Gainesville Community Bicycle Project, Inc "the Kickstand" > 722 South Main Street Gainesville Fl 32601 > www.thekickstand.org > vyki.englert(a)thekickstand.org > 850.819.8808 > > 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist > the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' --h.l. mencken > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > >

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Reminder! Open House Saturday
by Community Bicycle Shop Omaha 13 Mar '08

13 Mar '08

Please come out to see us this Saturday during our open house from 5 - 7 pm at 525 N 33rd! We look forward to sharing with you all of our accomplishments and what's in store for the shop in 2008. We also welcome you to bring your ideas for what you would like to see happen at the shop – just as we welcome your friends who would like to learn more. See you soon! Your friends at the Community Bike Shop

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bike storage ideas
by Mark Rehder 13 Mar '08

13 Mar '08

Hi all, I'm sure talk about storing excess bikes has come up, but I haven't been able find any messages of such using the search function, and there strangely doesn't seem to be anything on the wiki. We're about to move our shop into a new space, and with its high ceiling there's room to build a perimeter mezzanine level for storing extra bikes and other stuff. Some of us are a bit nervous about having one built of wood (resuming building code allows), and are instead thinking of buying a custom steel set-up(expensive!), or keeping the bikes on the floor (taking away room for other things) or outside in a container (not doable at the new location). I'm still into the mezzanine idea, as is one of the other members. I'm wondering what other shops have done for their storage needs. Cheers, Mark Rehder - Director http://re-cycles.ca

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Re: [TheThinkTank] patch kits
by troy neiman 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

I agree that if you can you should definitely get your own account with a distributor if you can but if you are at all running your shop "underground" you may just talk to your local bike shop which hopefully can give you a good price but even at retail the price is worth buying in bulk I highly recommend getting the Rema patches rather that the cheaper generic products as they are cheaper for a reason and usually don't work well at all. here are some prices and products through QBP which is a very common distributor for shops to have. 25mm Rema patches, Box of 100. retail for approx. $14-$18. (the smaller 16mm patches are less useful and for some reason more expensive by $5) 5 gram tube of Rema glue, retail for about $2.50-$3each Large 8 oz can of Rema glue with built in brush on applicator, retail about $10-$12 (this is by far the best value if you remember to screw the cap on every night. can do thousands of patches.) hope that helps Troy Bicas, Tucson, AZ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "yellow bike" <austinyellowbike(a)gmail.com> > To: info(a)re-cycles.ca, "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] patch kits > Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:55:06 -0500 > > > I recommend that everyone running a community bike shop should set up a > wholesale account with one of the suppliers around the country and do their > ordering that way. You can buy bulk patches and glue, plus all your other > supplies (tools, grease, tubers, parts, etc.) for much cheaper this way. > > We have an account with Seattle Bike Supply. I didn't set it up, but I > don't think it's that big a deal to do. Other suppliers like Quality and > J&B have higher end stuff which most community bike shops don't necessarily > need, but may be worth checking into as well. > > Good luck - > > Jennifer Schaffer > Austin Yellow Bike Project > > On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 3:26 PM, info(a)re-cycles.ca <info(a)re-cycles.ca> > wrote: > > > I have ordered bulk patches from various (Canadian) distributors before > > (be careful though as they are often the large round ones, i.e. about > > 1.5" in diameter). The glue I buy in jars from hardware stores. > > > > Chris > > > > --- "Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc." > > <urbanbikeproject(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Where do you guys/gals purchase patches and tube glue? The only > > > thing > > > readily available to us is individual patch kits. There is always > > > more glue > > > left over than there are patches (waste) and there are always patches > > > that > > > are unnecessarily huge. Are there bulk kits available and what do > > > you all > > > use? > > > > > > Thanks for your help, > > > Brian > > > > > > -- > > > Urban Bike Project of Wilmington > > > 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the > > > building) > > > Wilmington, DE 19801 > > > > > > Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org > > > > > > > > Chris Wells > > (Head Mechanic & Email Handler) > > > > re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op > > 112 Nelson St. Ottawa > > > > Open 6pm-9pm Tuesdays & Thursdays > > > > info(a)re-cycles.ca > > http://www.re-cycles.ca/ > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > -- > Web Servant > Austin's Yellow Bike | www.austinyellowbike.org > > "Be the change you would like to see in the world." - Gandhi > "Keep Cycling: it is Undoubtedly the Best form of Activism there is." > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > -- Want an e-mail address like mine? Get a free e-mail account today at www.mail.com!

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patch kits
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

Where do you guys/gals purchase patches and tube glue? The only thing readily available to us is individual patch kits. There is always more glue left over than there are patches (waste) and there are always patches that are unnecessarily huge. Are there bulk kits available and what do you all use? Thanks for your help, Brian -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Electronic Tracking.
by plan_9＠riseup.net 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

I know that this has been discussed before but I didn't see what I was specifically looking for in the archives. We are growing faster than our paperwork can keep up and are in need of a better system for tracking both inventory/bikes-in/bikes-out/donations type stuff as well as Work-Trade volunteer hours. I know that there is mention of developing a "community bike software suite", does anyone know where at in development that is? From what I saw in the archives, some places do have databases set up for tracking this stuff, is there any chance that could be shared as a template with the wider community? Thanks, Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 19, Issue 7
by mike eng 09 Mar '08

09 Mar '08

Derek, I may be stating the obvious, but a good organization to start with would be Plan B: http://www.bikeproject.org/ On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 9:50 PM, <thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org> wrote: > 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.… > > 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. NOLA and back (Derek Dunham) > 2. suicide brake levers into diy tire levers...need pics and/or > plans... (veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com) > 3. Re: suicide brake levers into diy tire levers...need pics > and/or plans... (Julian Beldotti) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 02:08:42 -0500 > From: "Derek Dunham" <dsdunham82(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [TheThinkTank] NOLA and back > To: "Derek Dunham" <dsdunham82(a)gmail.com> > Message-ID: > <92c1e0310803032308o1c0f155dp7e10fe467cd69b53(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hello All > > My name is Derek Dunham and I am both an activist and a cyclist. My > birthday > falls on August 29th, the day hurricane katrina touched down in New > Orleans. > Ever since then I have felt a drive to get down there and help, but I had > not been able to yet. > > Skybus has tickets from Greensboro, NC to New Orleans, LA for only 40 > dollars. I want to fly, and then either ship a bike to myself, or acquire > one while I am there, possibly through a collective. There are a couple in > the city. Ideal situation would be to have one waiting for me so I could > have transportation while I am there, but I am seeking a touring bike, > because when I leave, I want to pedal back. > > I don't yet know exactly how I am going to help, or what organization, if > any, I will work through. I would love to get involved with Brad Pitt's > project, but I don't even know if that would be possible. I also really > want > to look into getting my ride back sponsored somehow. I would like to be > able > to make money for the causes I work with as well as help them while I'm > there. If anyone has any suggestions or advice as to how I might be able > to > pull this off, I'd really appreciate it. > > -- > Derek Dunham >

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suicide brake levers into diy tire levers...need pics and/or plans...
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 08 Mar '08

08 Mar '08

i don't remember where i heard about this idea, but someone told me about them, and i'd love to make some. basically, one removes "suicide" or flat brake levers from a (lower end) road bike/ten speed, and somehow grinds/cuts/bends them into the correct shape/etc to be used as tire levers. anyone know where there are pics of these, or directions or plans for these? thanks! josh.

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[Fwd: Looking for volunteer bike mechanics to work with kids in Nepal]
by Macho Philipovich 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Maybe someone is interested? And thanks everyone for your replies to my question about formalizing shop use, they are appreciated. macho

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Fwd: [yben] FW: Looking for volunteer bike mechanics to work with kids in Nepal
by Jonathan Morrison 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

-----Original Message----- From: Tom Martin [mailto:tom@wrenchnepal.org] Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:26 AM To: Tom Martin Subject: Looking for volunteer bike mechanics to work with kids in Nepal Hello, from Kathmandu! This email is going out to many of the bicycle programs and community contacts I've come across in the last few years. You may have heard from me when we were initially organizing this project, looking for advice. Now that we're off the ground, Wrench Nepal is looking for volunteers. Wrench Nepal (www.WrenchNepal.org) runs a small bike shop here in Kathmandu, Nepal, that is operated by bike mechanic 'interns'-- Nepali teenagers who, for any reason, are in danger of entering adulthood without marketable job skills, or are otherwise at a disadvantage. There are over 400 homes in Kathmandu alone for children who have been orphaned or abandoned by their families. At the moment, we work with kids from a drop-in shelter and a group that supports the families of those in prison, with a seemingly endless supply of possible new interns: teenagers eager to learn a useful skill, to practice their English, and to become self-sufficient. With only one person training them, however, the shop cannot work with more than 2-3 people at a time. That's where you come in. We're looking for two people at a time to act as bike mechanic instructors and program organizers. Two positions are available to be filled immediately; the second shift will be open in May, when the current instructor's visa expires. The requirements are: - 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 Bike shop or co-op experience is a major advantage, as is experience in business administration or community activism. Grant writing skills will be helpful. Each position is for approximately 4 months and requires that you live in Kathmandu. As this is an all-volunteer program, there will be no pay, and any profit that the shop raises will be distributed among the Nepali interns for things that they need as future bike mechanics. Cost of living is very low, rent in a comfortable place can be as little as $50 per month. Volunteers can also pursue part-time paid work to support themselves while in Nepal. We encourage those of you who are presently enrolled in universities to consider this as a possible independent study abroad opportunity. We will work with the administration at your school to determine if this can be a for-credit internship for you. If you do not have mechanic skills, we may still be interested in your participation as an organizer. If interested, please send a brief resume of your relevant experience and a short cover letter to tom(a)wrenchnepal.org. Make sure to highlight your experience working with bicycles and working in community organizing positions. Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon. I encourage you to forward or re-post this message anywhere you feel is appropriate. Tom Martin Wrench Nepal tom(a)wrenchnepal.org _______________________________________________ YBEN mailing list Post: YBEN(a)lists.mayfirst.org List info: https://lists.mayfirst.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/yben To Unsubscribe Send email to: YBEN-unsubscribe(a)lists.mayfirst.org Or visit: https://lists.mayfirst.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/yben/info%40slcbikecolle… You are subscribed as: info(a)slcbikecollective.org

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formalizing shop use
by Macho Philipovich 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

hey folks. for our first 2.5 years, we've set up our open hours very informally. you show up, you can rip through used parts on your own, pick out a bike to fix up on your own, fix it up on your own, or ask for help fixing your bike if you like, too. this has been great, because it's offered a lot of people access to the shop without feeling overly regimented, but toward the end of each summer (peak season), the shop has gotten really chaotic, and some volunteers have started feeling pretty anxious, with all repair stands in use, more people all over the floor with their bikes turned upside down, kids running around all over the place, people asking for help every 30 seconds when you're already helping someone else, and it just being tricky to keep an eye on everything that's going on in the shop. so, we're looking to move toward a setup where people all have to sign in with a greeter and get assigned to a volunteer to work with, and if there are no free volunteers/stands, you have to wait. i'm sure most other shops are already doing this, so i thought i'd ask for your experiences/strategies/advice. some specific questions: - do you have separate sign-up sheets for quick repairs vs. say building a bike up from scratch? - do you offer a comfy area to wait for those who need to? - do you let people work on bikes without a volunteer? - if so, do you make them "prove" that they know how to use the tools properly or respect the shop? - do you have one volunteer set up at a "flat fixing" station? - how well does all of this stuff work? but feel free to discuss things that those questions don't touch on. thanks everybody, this list is such an amazing resource, macho of the bike dump

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who's got membership?
by Jessica McPherson 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Hello everyone, I am wondering who out there has tried having membership requirements, and how that has worked. Has it resulted in greater volunteer committment? How has it affected the demographics of the people that use the shop? Has anyone tried a set-up kind of like a food cooperative, where you have to volunteer hours at the shop in order to be able to use it? thanks, Jessica (Free Ride, Pittsburgh) -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Re: [TheThinkTank] formalizing shop use
by Bob Giordano 04 Mar '08

04 Mar '08

it comes in cycles... simple clean shop with 5-12 happy people working at stands with 2-3 vols helping as needed... then boom, shop is over full, 3 hands reach for one chain tool, small kids want help now! so... a year ago we formalized a 'bikewell' program. if you want to build a bike from the 'well' (our sideyard stocked with everything) we ask that you take a class and volunteer 2 hours. 5 different vols teach the classes that are offered 3 times a week. 3 vols run the vol. night. the class covers basic bike laws, basic maintenance, and a _shop orientation_. this one change in our program has brought just enough 'order.' we do have a nice sitting/conversing area too. like austin, we have about 12 stands, and some share tool boards. a solution we would like to see someday: open many more hours, like 10am-7pm daily. but we are all-volunteer like many others. i'm off at city meetings all the time advocating for a connected bicycle infrastruture. but it does work- we trust about 20 people with keys to the shop, and they get it done. sure we lose a tool now and then, and maybe someone that did not take the class gets a sweet bike. we bend 'rules' a lot, and try to stay fair to all. each person that comes thru the door is a relationship not a customer. our donation jar brings in about $600 a month- just enough to cover $500 rent and $100 utilities. tools are always being donated, or bought with extra shop funds and small neighborhood grants. other: -average 30 visitors per 4 hours open shop session -average 3-5 vols running each 4 hour shift (4 shifts per week) -inside space 2,000 sq ft., outside 1,000 -given away 4,000 bikes since '96 -50 green loaner bikes in circulation ($10 deposit, comes with lock, light, basket, fenders) (in process of getting them all sponsored by local businesses- for $100 a year business gets a small logo on basket, or they can decorate the bike) -one section of the shop is 'Pedal Technology' for trailer building, etc. -'people's projects' get tagged (name, date, phone) and can stay at shop for 2 weeks, then it can go back into the 'well'. -we have an annual 'festival of cycles' that is like one huge open shop session- we bring all stuff to a park, invite mechanics and musicians, and we all help each other build bikes that people ride away. (4/19/08) -we have 4 'log books' at the front of the shop: guest book, checkout log, bikewell log, financial log -i can send more info or e-docs of anything in this email... -bob giordano free cycles missoula

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direct-pull brake levers v. everything else
by Erik Stockmeier 04 Mar '08

04 Mar '08

sheldon brown (r.i.p.) went on at length all over his website about not mixing direct-pull ("V" brake, noodle brake) brake levers with any other type of brakes & vice versa. here is one quote, from http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html : Direct-pull cantilevers have double the mechanical advantage compared with traditional brakes, so they require special brake levers. Direct-pull brake levers pull the cable twice as far, half as hard. The lower mechanical advantage of the lever compensates for the higher M.A. of the cantilever. It is not generally safe to mix and match levers/cables between direct pull and other types for this reason. * Conventional brake levers used with direct-pull cantilevers will usually not pull enough cable to stop in wet conditions without bottoming out against the handlebars. In dry conditions, they either won't work, or will grab too suddenly. * Direct-pull brake levers used with any other type of brakes will feel nice and solid when you squeeze them, but due to their lower mechanical advantage you'll need to squeeze twice as hard to stop as you should, so unless you are a lightweight rider with gorilla-like paws, this combination isn't safe either. ...end quote so my question is this... do i need to go through my personal collection of brake levers and somehow identify/separate DP levers from the rest? is there any simple way to do this? it seems like a problem i've seen many people run in to--the brakes seem fine on the stand, nonexistant when the bike goes out for a test ride. so this is probably something we should be on the lookout for, right? ok, thanks erik of course there is this huge and boring page as well: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html#mechanical

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NOLA and back
by Derek Dunham 04 Mar '08

04 Mar '08

Hello All My name is Derek Dunham and I am both an activist and a cyclist. My birthday falls on August 29th, the day hurricane katrina touched down in New Orleans. Ever since then I have felt a drive to get down there and help, but I had not been able to yet. Skybus has tickets from Greensboro, NC to New Orleans, LA for only 40 dollars. I want to fly, and then either ship a bike to myself, or acquire one while I am there, possibly through a collective. There are a couple in the city. Ideal situation would be to have one waiting for me so I could have transportation while I am there, but I am seeking a touring bike, because when I leave, I want to pedal back. I don't yet know exactly how I am going to help, or what organization, if any, I will work through. I would love to get involved with Brad Pitt's project, but I don't even know if that would be possible. I also really want to look into getting my ride back sponsored somehow. I would like to be able to make money for the causes I work with as well as help them while I'm there. If anyone has any suggestions or advice as to how I might be able to pull this off, I'd really appreciate it. -- Derek Dunham

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First Aid in your shop
by Rich Points 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Collectives, At Community Cycles we have a couple of first aid kits that we keep on the peg boards with the tools. Some people know they're there others don't. The kits get used, mostly band aids and aspirin. We don't have a formal way of replenishing things from the kit as they are used. How does your shop handle first aid and keep the supplies stocked? -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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bike racks
by Liza Mattana 02 Mar '08

02 Mar '08

Hey, is there a group on this list, or does someone know of group, that is working to put more bike racks in place? a friend of mine is working with our city for more bike facilities, and i mentioned that there are bike groups around that work to put racks out there for folks. did i imagine this, or do those groups really exist? please let me know if you do this kind of work, and if you do, what kind of racks are you building and/or using. or maybe you know of someone and send me a link. thanks, liza -- Liza Mattana www.pedals2people.org Spokane, WA

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Shop Competition
by troy neiman 29 Feb '08

29 Feb '08

I would like to agree with Jonathan and add to his points of establishing communication with your LBS. Keep in mind that the more people on bikes is better for everyone and especially bike shop business in general. I have found that in the case of anyone that is buying/fixing a bike at our community shop will inevitably need a retail store to buy parts/labor from at some point, and might I add that many folks who come to BICAS are just getting in to the idea of riding a bike for transportation and will many times upgrade once they get to enjoy that idea. Also, a bike rider that can fix their own flat tire, lube the chain and diagnose the problems is a happy rider and far less likely to become frustrated and stop riding all together. At BICAS we do stock some necessary new parts such as cables, some tubes and tires, chains, and simple locks/lights (priced the same as LBS as not to undercut) which we order directly from QBP or J&B importers. We do not advertise the new parts but make known the availability of these items when needed. These are also the distributors we use to get our tools. I myself work part time at BICAS and part at the LBS and can say first hand that this is an essential and benificial relationship for both. We send many folks to the LBS for newer and specific parts that we may not have and they send folks down for older, used or obsolete parts that they don't have and it works great for both. I have also noticed that when I tell someone about BICAS when I am working at the LBS they are thrilled to know about the resource and usually impressed at the honesty and collaboration between the two, which equals loyal customers. Truth is some people are Community bike people and some are bike shop people and if we can work together that means more people on bikes and more business for everyone so lets get people on bikes people! Troy Neiman BICAS Tucson, AZ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "the816bikecollective Kansascity" <the816bike(a)gmail.com> > To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Shop Competition > Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:22:44 -0500 > > > Hey, I'm Sean with the not yet operational 816 Bicycle Collective in Kansas > City, MO. We've raised money already by holding a benefit event. We had > bands, food, and fun, and we charged a five dollar suggested donation. In > order to help us, we had some really kick ass bands. As far as spare parts > go, we've been posting all over the board asking for old parts for the last > 10 months. This actually created an excess of parts. In order to try to > avoid competition with the LBSs, we presented them (at their request) with > information about who we are and what we're doing. > > There is one LBS in our area that has helped us getting tools at cost, but > they're an owner operated company that has long wondered where the > collective was in KC. We're lucky. Basically, money and parts are free, they > just take a lot of organized effort. We have a cap of something like $80 for > all bike sales. We only sell bikes to raise funds, so basically we don't > sell bikes out of the shop. If there's a nice bike we come into and we need > money, we'll try to get it to someone via craigslist or word of mouth. > > One more thing, I personally work as a mechanic at an LBS (not the owner > operated one) and rather than an interview from my current employer, I was > basically interrogated as to how my being employed by him and being a > volunteer at the collective was not a conflict of interest. > > Again, we're not yet operational, so take this advice as you will. Also feel > free to check out our myspace page, > http://www.myspace.com/the816bicyclecollective. Look at our blog and you'll > find some specifics about our soon to be operation. Best of luck!!! > > -Sean in the 816 > > On 2/27/08, Stuart O Anderson <soa(a)ri.cmu.edu> wrote: > > > > I'm familiar with Devil Gear, and they have some unique features that > > make this difficult. Unlike most the LBS's we have in Pittsburgh, > > Devils Gear sells repaired used bikes in the 100-150 dollar range. > > That puts them in competition for both resources and market segments > > with a volunteer based community shop that's fixing up bikes for sale. > > Last time I was in New Haven they were charging about double what we > > would have priced bikes for at Free Ride, but had a somewhat higher > > median quality of bike. They also stock a fair selection of new > > bikes. > > > > I'd suggest that the New Haven collective try to avoid competition for > > now by focusing on educational program rather than bike sales. I.E. > > offering a 3 week, 6 session class in bike mechanics for adults or > > offering a build-a-bike program to local youth organizations, or > > having a sponsored tune-up-day event at one of the local universities. > > These sorts of programs take a little more effort to set up, but > > could be quite profitable. > > > > We get our parts through QBP (Quality Bike Parts) - you'll need to > > have liability insurance to get an account with them. > > > > Stuart > > > > On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 7:01 PM, Jonathan Morrison > > <jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org> wrote: > > > Most of the problems I have seen in other cities are due to poor > > > communication and misunderstandings. This is my pitch, it works in salt > > > lake city -- feel free to use, modify, and/or ignore it. > > > > > > Community Bike Shops don't compete with Local Bike Shops (LBS), instead > > they > > > form a tight symbiotic relationship. Why? > > > > > > First, we serve different demographics. We serve the people that can't > > > afford or are scared of the LBS. Someone can buy a bike from a thrift > > store > > > for $25, a bike from Walmart for $100 or a low end bike from a LBS for > > $350. > > > We sell bikes anywhere from $50 to $150, so if anything we compete with > > > Walmart, but they don't seem to care. If someone can't afford a bike at > > > your LBS, send them to us! If someone is looking for a nicer bike and > > has > > > money to spend we will send them to you! > > > > > > Second, we create business for the LBS! While we have our own > > distributor > > > accounts, they are reserved for our most dedicated volunteers, everyone > > else > > > we redirect to the LBS. Our shop is open from 5-9pm so we tell them if > > they > > > can make it make it to the LBS before it closes (7PM), they could make > > it > > > back in time to install the part. > > > > > > Third, we are a tax writeoff! Get rid of used, new, old stock and make > > room > > > for things that can sell! Give it to us, and not only can you go to > > sleep > > > knowing it went into good hands -- you can get a much needed tax > > writeoff. > > > We will also publicize the fact you help your community by doing so. > > > > > > Fourth, we are your source for future mechanics. Not sure who to hire? > > > While our volunteers don't always deal with the high-end bikes, we can > > > recommend potential employees based on the more important things like > > their > > > ability to learn, reliability, ability to take direction, and their > > level of > > > customer service and passion for cycling. We train them to the point > > where > > > they could be molded into the perfect employee. > > > > > > -- > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Jonathan Morrison > > > Executive Director > > > Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective > > > 2312 S. West Temple > > > Salt Lake City, UT 84115 > > > w: 801-328-2453 > > > c: 801-688-0183 > > > f: 801-466-3856 > > > www.slcbikecollective.org > > > > > > Get Addicted to Crank! > > > http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/ > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 4:05 PM, Cris Shirley <cgshirley(a)gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hey! > > > > So we are starting a bike collective in New Haven, and had the support > > > > of our local bike shop Devil's Gear Bikes where the owner said that he > > > > would provide parts at cost and help us out on stuff. Well, now he is > > > > feeling treaten because he thinks we might start moving in a direction > > > > that may in competition with him (right now we need some start up > > > > money so we are going to fix up and sell some of the bikes we have.) > > > > Note that we have not given one bike away yet. So, I was wondering if > > > > anyone had any experiences of this sort and how they were managed? > > > > How do y'all get parts for bikes like cables and tubes and tires, and > > > chains? > > > > Thanks > > > > cris > > > > > > > > On 2/25/08, Edward France <edfrance(a)bicicentro.org> wrote: > > > > > Bike Peeps - Thought about taking a weekend out in Santa Barbara? > > > > > This is the perfect time, and we'll do our best to find hosting for > > > > > cooks, clerks, wrenches, and other forms of shop creatures that > > travel > > > > > out to celebrate with us. > > > > > > > > > > Save the Date- > > > > > Dia de Bici Cultura- the Grand Opening of Bici > > > > > Centro's new retail/educational/shop space in Santa Barbara. April > > 5th > > > > > will mark the event with Bike Art, Bike People and Bike Fun, BBQ, > > > > > evening reception with dinner, and a night ride. > > > > > > > > > > After a year of once monthly repair days, months of once weekly > > shop, > > > > > and infinite hours of shuffling around our stuff to serve in a > > modular > > > > > manner, Bici Centro finds its own 1,200 sq ft. space. We've got our > > > > > youth Earn-a-bike churning out bikes and biking kids, community > > > > > support, and a solid core of 15 volunteers working to get SB cycling > > > > > in style. > > > > > > > > > > A more detailed invite to be sent out this week. > > > > > > > > > > <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/xrudolfx/2285845544/' > > > > > title='Bicicentroopening by xRUDOLFx, on Flickr'><img > > > > > src=' > > http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2285845544_744700953e_b.jpg' > > > > > width='1024' height='775' alt='Bicicentroopening' /></a> > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > > > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > -- Want an e-mail address like mine? Get a free e-mail account today at www.mail.com!

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further thought on bike shop competition
by AndaLaLucha 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Hello, Another positive symbiotic aspect of the LBS/Recycled Bike Collective relationship that wasn't mentioned yet is that of the repair. Countless people buy used bikes from Free Ride in some state of disrepair and then bring them to a Local Bike Shop to be repaired. This is because we only teach people how to do repairs, and don't actually repair the bikes for them. Many people have limited time, energy etc. and it is easier for them to bring their bike in to another shop for reapir. So even if people are getting the bikes in working condition from a recycled bike shop, they may later bring the bikes in to a LBS for repairs. Also, I have seen many people get their first bike at Free Ride! and then when they get really into biking, upgrade and get a nicer bike at a Local Bike Shop. Additionally, a local bike retail shop, Gatto's, that was down the street from us, loved our proximity because they could send all the people with shitty Huffy's etc. to us for repair help, instead of them having to tell the people that the repairs would cost more than the bike itself. Bike on, Andalusia

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Bike Shop Competition
by Cris Shirley 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Hey! So we are starting a bike collective in New Haven, and had the support of our local bike shop Devil's Gear Bikes where the owner said that he would provide parts at cost and help us out on stuff. Well, now he is feeling treaten because he thinks we might start moving in a direction that may in competition with him (right now we need some start up money so we are going to fix up and sell some of the bikes we have.) Note that we have not given one bike away yet. So, I was wondering if anyone had any experiences of this sort and how they were managed? How do y'all get parts for bikes like cables and tubes and tires, and chains? Thanks cris On 2/25/08, Edward France <edfrance(a)bicicentro.org> wrote: > Bike Peeps - Thought about taking a weekend out in Santa Barbara? > This is the perfect time, and we'll do our best to find hosting for > cooks, clerks, wrenches, and other forms of shop creatures that travel > out to celebrate with us. > > Save the Date- > Dia de Bici Cultura- the Grand Opening of Bici > Centro's new retail/educational/shop space in Santa Barbara. April 5th > will mark the event with Bike Art, Bike People and Bike Fun, BBQ, > evening reception with dinner, and a night ride. > > After a year of once monthly repair days, months of once weekly shop, > and infinite hours of shuffling around our stuff to serve in a modular > manner, Bici Centro finds its own 1,200 sq ft. space. We've got our > youth Earn-a-bike churning out bikes and biking kids, community > support, and a solid core of 15 volunteers working to get SB cycling > in style. > > A more detailed invite to be sent out this week. > > <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/xrudolfx/2285845544/' > title='Bicicentroopening by xRUDOLFx, on Flickr'><img > src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2285845544_744700953e_b.jpg' > width='1024' height='775' alt='Bicicentroopening' /></a> > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > >

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Calling out Cali Especially - Grand Opening of Bici Centro in Santa Barbara -Dia de BiciCultura
by Edward France 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Bike Peeps - Thought about taking a weekend out in Santa Barbara? This is the perfect time, and we'll do our best to find hosting for cooks, clerks, wrenches, and other forms of shop creatures that travel out to celebrate with us. Save the Date- Dia de Bici Cultura- the Grand Opening of Bici Centro's new retail/educational/shop space in Santa Barbara. April 5th will mark the event with Bike Art, Bike People and Bike Fun, BBQ, evening reception with dinner, and a night ride. After a year of once monthly repair days, months of once weekly shop, and infinite hours of shuffling around our stuff to serve in a modular manner, Bici Centro finds its own 1,200 sq ft. space. We've got our youth Earn-a-bike churning out bikes and biking kids, community support, and a solid core of 15 volunteers working to get SB cycling in style. A more detailed invite to be sent out this week. <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/xrudolfx/2285845544/' title='Bicicentroopening by xRUDOLFx, on Flickr'><img src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2285845544_744700953e_b.jpg' width='1024' height='775' alt='Bicicentroopening' /></a>

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Need help with outdoor bike racks
by Jonathan Morrison 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

We are starting to get businesses interested in bike racks. I started a wiki page for it, but I was hoping those with greater experience could help add to it... http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Outdoor_Bicycle_Racks -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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501c3 application
by Liza Mattana 24 Feb '08

24 Feb '08

hey guys, we're starting the 501c3 process, and i was looking at the 1023 forms on the wiki. our lawyer mentioned the june 2006 revised form and wants us to be sure that when looking at examples, they are using this revised form. bicycle kitchen folks, it looks like you're using the revised form, but it's a "draft." does this mean the IRS may still ask for revisions? are there other groups that have used the new 1023 form and have a finalized one we could use? thanks in advance, liza -- Liza Mattana www.pedals2people.org Spokane, WA

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Successful Yellow Bike Programs?
by Jonathan Morrison 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Do they exist? I haven't heard of one that lasted. I am curious because I was reading about the Blue Bike Program http://www.railtrails.org/whatwedo/partnerships/corporate/DasaniBlueBikes.h… -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Bike Valet Parking
by Edward France 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Bike Peeps, So we're thinking of doing Bike Valet-ing for Earth Day, but the organizers are concerned about Liability and all that good logistical stuff. Based on those of you whose shops have done this, some questions; -Do you think this is a good way to get the word out? -do you think this is a good way to raise money for the shop (tip jars)? -what did you have to do for logistics/ liabillity and planning ahead? All the best and big thanks, Ed Santa Barbara Bici Centro -Where creativity and mobility meet BiciCentro.org

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Obtaining a Bike-Share Bike
by Lance Ayer 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

Hey All, Our organization has recently been asked to participate in a Sustainability Open House at the University of Calgary. The purpose is to bring together key players both within the university and the city in order to address topics of sustainability in all its glory. We will appropriately be representing the pedal power aspect of sustainability. Now, a large scale bike-share program of the kind found in most European cities is a completely foreign concept to Calgary and this we would like to change. My question to the group is this: does anyone know of anyway to acquire a bicycle that would be typical of bike-share programs. I am referring to one piece, fully adjustable, custom made bikes that are used in these programs. Any leads would be appreciated. Regards, Lance Ayer Campus Bike Initiative, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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old inner tubes
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

There was a discussion on bikejournal about reusing old tubes...I know many of us have found uses but another option is sending them to Splaff, a company that makes sandals from recycled materials. I'll add the information to the wiki here<http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Splaff%2C_Inc.>linked from the shop recycling page<http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shop_Recycling> . Brian Urban Bike Project of Wilmington "We would love to use any old tubes that you are willing to send to us. Please ensure that all old tubes sent to us meet the following criteria: - No rust on the outside of the tubes - No fluid inside the tubes - We do not accept the bike tires, only the bike tubes. Please ship all tubes to us at: US Mail: Splaff Inc. PO Box 7604 San Diego, CA 92167 UPS: Splaff Inc 4950 Del Mar Ave San Diego, CA 92107 Thank you again and please feel free to call us at (619) 221 9199 if you have any questions or concerns. Keep onn Floppin' Max Wescoe Splaff Inc 619-221-9199" -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Oil awareness to pre-teens Lesson Plans
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 20 Feb '08

20 Feb '08

This is a starter for teachers, it can be expanded into Language arts, PE, Health, Government, Ethics, Business, History, and for all age groups K-12-adult. It just requires a little thought. Ask students if the know the following: For Math The weight of a gallon of gas? How many gallons fit in the family car? How many times a week does the car get filled up? What is the cost of the fuel for a year at current prices? What will fuel for a year cost at $4 a gallon? $5? $6 or $10 How much weight in (Carbon or CO2) fuel did your family put into the air in one year? Advanced thoughts: Where does carbon based gas come from? Where does it go to? For science: The carbon cycle is simple, Carbon in the air CO2 gets absorbed by a green plant, chlorophyll bonds the carbon with water from the ground and creates sugar and oxygen, the sugar is consumed in many numbers of ways bonding with oxygen to form the gas CO2 What major three elements are all plant life made of? C, H, O, Where does a tree absorb its H2O from the ground? or the air? Where does a tree absorb its (CO2) carbon from? What does the photosynthesis processes in the leaf create with the water and the carbon dioxide? CHO+O2 Water from the root system is bonded inside the leaf with to carbon dioxide from the air. This photosynthesis process creates sugar and oxygen. (For younger kids I only use the words Sugar or Sugar compounds and Oxygen I do not get into formulas) 11H20+12CO2 = C12 H22 O11 + 6O2 The carbon cycle is simple, Carbon in the air gets absorbed by a green plant, chlorophyll bonds the carbon with water from the ground and creates sugar and oxygen, the sugar is consumed in many numbers of ways bonding with oxygen to form the gas CO2 Most of the Carbon weight of a tree comes from the air not the soil. After you cut a tree down and dry out the logs almost all the weight of the log is carbon compounds that came from the air. Carbon can be a heavy gas in the air and become a solid through photosynthesis, We can rot or burn the wood and release the carbon as a gas back into the air. All surface animals eat carbon based foods, and release Co2 as they digest or as they rot back into the air. NOW the complex part: Carbon that was trapped in the ground as coal or petroleum is not part of the balanced carbon cycle. We dig it up, bond it with oxygen (Burn it) to create CO2. and we do not trap the CO2 and put it back into the earth from where we dug it up. We are also reducing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere by bonding it with buried carbon. If a tree weighs 2 tons after it is cut down and dried out: How many trees would we have to grow each year to trap the equal weight of carbon that we dig out of the ground and put into the air? How would we put all that solid carbon or trees back into the ground where it came from? Good carbon cycle: Carbon in the air gets absorbed by a green plant, chlorophyll bonds the carbon with water from the ground and creates sugar and oxygen, the sugar is consumed by human and made into energy on a bicycle, carbon is expelled as a gas CO2. The carbon cycle is in balance. The air is cleaner you are healthier. The question here is How do you make cycling fun? How do you get to school, events, date, work, get groceries, take tools or computers to work, how do you dress professionally for work and ride a bike. How do you stay clean, dry, warm, cool on a bike? Are there bikes that have protection from rain, snow, wind? Do they have windshield wipers, turn signals, great lights, comfortable seats? (Look up Velomobile's) What is there to learn in the bicycle world that I do not know? What are the costs for a car? Insurance, fuel, maintenance (Oil, Tires), repairs, tolls, licence, Plates, city stickers, loan/lease/purchase, customization? Health benefits? How much will fuel cost change in the next ten years? 15 years? 20 years? When will you not be able to afford fuel? What are the costs for the bicycle? maintenance (Oil, Tires), repairs, purchase, customization ? Health benefits? For both you have food cost, after sitting in a car for a few years you will need to add gym membership cost to the car costs. With the money you save riding a bike can you afford to live a better life? Eat nicer foods, have money for nicer trips, or what ever you like to do with some bucks in your pocket? Or will you always be broke paying for expensive personal transportation? Have kids write down ideas on how they would spend money now, when they are in college, when they are in their twenties, or thirties? How much money would they save by the time they were 40? **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-du… 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)

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Oil awareness to pre-teens
by Geoffrey B 20 Feb '08

20 Feb '08

Does anyone have any good ideas to teach kids about the evils of oil. I am helping teach a workshop on oil to kids and need some help. Its part of a renewable energy tour of the city and so the kids will take part in a daycare workshop while their parents tour around town. I'm thinking games, fun stuff and the sort, they are ten to thirteen years old. -- "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Oil awareness to pre-teens
by Jessica McPherson 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

We did a similar exercise with a kids' class this year, totally on the cheap. The message isn't specifically about oil, it's a broader demonstration of the environmental impact of different transportation modes. I got some plastic lids for large tupperwares (about 1'x2'), and laid some dry-ish dirt down. I propped up one side of the lids so they laid slightly tilted, not flat. I collected a bunch of leaves and flowers, and gave them to the kids. I told them to make a forest in their dirt with the plants. Then we made it rain, using spray bottles. The dirt and plants absorbed all the water (especially because it was dry to start), very little flowed out into the drainage channel. I had also made a stack of "roads," "houses," "apartments," and "parking lots" out of duct tape folded over on itself + sharpie drawings. So then I told the kids they had to build a village, and had to knock down part of their forest to do it. Once they had made the village we added "pollution" from cars and other sources - a sprinkling of turmeric over everything. Then we made it "rain" again - and this time the water ran right off the impervious duct tape (helped that the dirt was now saturated too), and yellow water pooled in the drainage channels. It demonstrated the impact of development on the natural environment, impact of increased impervious surface on water drainage, and how pollution on land makes it into our waterways. You could also make skinny little tape strips that were bike paths, and show the difference in the amount of pavement needed for car transport vs. other means. Could also vary the amount of pollution depending on transport means. Maybe different kids could be assigned to build bike villages and car villages, then the results could be compared. Maybe one group of kids could be assigned to build the Nigerian delta or Ecuadorian rainforest village- then when you build the car village, you have to knock down houses and farm fields in the other villages and dump oil all over everything - illustrating the costs of oil extraction. Lots of things you could do. The attached picture illustrates how it's put together. -Jessica (Free Ride, Pittsburgh) ----- Original Message ---- From: Vyki Englert <vyki.englert(a)thekickstand.org> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 1:03:44 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Oil awareness to pre-teens In Gainesville, FL, we have this great group WAV (watershed action volunteers) that sets up a small display with cars and ponds and little spray bottles, to show how oil from cars affects the watershed and destroys local watersheds. I can't seem to find pictures of the awesome interactive display they set up for little kids, but there site has some good information: http://www.alachuacounty.us/government/depts/epd/waterquality/ -vy -- Vyki Englert "sprocket" acting Director of operations Member Board of Directors Gainesville Community Bicycle Project, Inc "the Kickstand" 722 South Main Street Gainesville Fl 32601 www.thekickstand.org vyki.englert(a)thekickstand.org 850.819.8808 'everynormal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist theblack flag, and begin slitting throats.' --h.l. mencken On Feb 19, 2008 12:39 PM, <veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com> wrote: break it down into terms they can relate to. figure out the cost of a car over a year. someone has this number, altho i can't remember who/what it is right now...compare that to a bike. then see what they could buy in a year with the difference, in terms of stuff they're into. games, soda, candy, etc... maybe make up some visual aids like the total cereal commercial, where you photoshop a pile of candy bars, or playstations, or something, to show what you could buy with the money saved by riding a bike... On Feb 19, 2008 10:31 AM, Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> wrote: Does anyone have any good ideas to teach kids about the evils of oil. I am helping teach a workshop on oil to kids and need some help. Its part of a renewable energy tour of the city and so the kids will take part in a daycare workshop while their parents tour around town. I'm thinking games, fun stuff and the sort, they are ten to thirteen years old. -- "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… -- Vyki Englert "sprocket" acting Director of operations Member Board of Directors Gainesville Community Bicycle Project, Inc "the Kickstand" 722 South Main Street Gainesville Fl 32601 www.thekickstand.org vyki.englert(a)thekickstand.org 850.819.8808 'every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' --h.l. mencken -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Social effects of motorized transport - Ivan Illich
by Rich Points 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~ira/illich/facts/social_effects.html <http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/%7Eira/illich/facts/social_effects.html> Social effects of motorized transport ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan Illich gives a set of very interesting facts and figures when he discusses his concept of convivial transport: * *The United States puts between 25 and 45 per cent of its total energy* (depending upon how one calculates this) *into vehicles*: to make them, run them, and clear a right of way for them when they roll, when they fly, and when they park. For the sole purpose of transporting people, 250 million Americans allocate more fuel than is used by 1.3 billion Chinese and Indians for all purposes. * The model American male devotes more than 1,600 hours a year to his car. He sits in it while it goes and while it stands idling. He parks it and searches for it. He earns the money to put down on it and to meet the monthly installments. He works to pay for gasoline, tolls, insurance, taxes, and tickets. He spends four of his sixteen waking hours on the road or gathering his resources for it. And this figure does not take into account the time consumed by other activities dictated by transport: time spent in hospitals, traffic courts, and garages; time spent watching automobile commercials or attending consumer education meetings to improve the quality of the next buy. * The model American puts in 1,600 hours to get 7,500 miles: *less than five miles per hour*. In countries deprived of a transportation industry, people manage to do the same, walking wherever they want to go, and they allocate only 3 to 8 per cent of their society's time budget to traffic instead of 28 per cent. What distinguishes the traffic in rich countries from the traffic in poor countries is not more mileage per hour of life-time for the majority, but more hours of compulsory consumption of high doses of energy, packaged and unequally distributed by the transportation industry. * Man, unaided by any tool, gets around quite efficiently. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer in ten minutes by expending 0.75 calories. Man on his feet is thermodynamically more efficient than any motorized vehicle and most animals. For his weight, he performs more work in locomotion than rats or oxen, less than horses or sturgeon. At this rate of efficiency man settled the world and made its history. At this rate peasant societies spend less than 5 per cent and nomads less than 8 per cent of their respective social time budgets outside the home or the encampment. * Man on a *bicycle *can go three or four times faster than the pedestrian, but uses five times less energy in the process. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer of flat road at an expense of only 0.15 calories. The bicycle is the perfect transducer to match man's metabolic energy to the impedance of locomotion. *Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well.* * Bicycles are not only thermodynamically efficient, they are also cheap. With his much lower salary, the Chinese acquires his durable bicycle in a fraction of the working hours an American devotes to the purchase of his obsolescent car. The cost of public utilities needed to facilitate bicycle traffic versus the price of an infrastructure tailored to high speeds is proportionately even less than the price differential of the vehicles used in the two systems. In the bicycle system, engineered roads are necessary only at certain points of dense traffic, and people who live far from the surfaced path are not thereby automatically isolated as they would be if they depended on cars or trains. The bicycle has extended man's radius without shunting him onto roads he cannot walk. Where he cannot ride his bike, he can usually push it. * The bicycle also uses little space. Eighteen bikes can be parked in the place of one car, thirty of them can move along in the space devoured by a single automobile. It takes three lanes of a given size to move 40,000 people across a bridge in one hour by using automated trains, four to move them on buses, twelve to move them in their cars, and only two lanes for them to pedal across on bicycles. Of all these vehicles, only the bicycle really allows people to go from door to door without walking. The cyclist can reach new destinations of his choice without his tool creating new locations from which he is barred. * Bicycles let people move with greater speed without taking up significant amounts of scarce space, energy, or time. They can spend fewer hours on each mile and still travel more miles in a year. They can get the benefit of technological breakthroughs without putting undue claims on the schedules, energy, or space of others. They become masters of their own movements without blocking those of their fellows. Their new tool creates only those demands which it can also satisfy. Every increase in motorized speed creates new demands on space and time. The use of the bicycle is self-limiting. It allows people to create a new relationship between their life-space and their life-time, between their territory and the pulse of their being, without destroying their inherited balance. The advantages of modern self-powered traffic are obvious, and ignored. That better traffic runs faster is asserted, but never proved. Before they ask people to pay for it, those who propose acceleration should try to display the evidence for their claim. [from: Energy and Equity <http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/%7Eira/illich/texts/energy_and_equity/>. In Ivan Illich: /Toward a History of Needs/. New York: Pantheon, 1978.] -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Mentor needed for an academic paper on Bikes and Poverity
by dragonfly＠mac.hush.com 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hello, Cris and Geoffery and everyone else. My nane is Sasha, and I'm from Torotno, too. I'm from Torotno, but I've spent the past three years plus a little bit in the Detroit area. I lived in downtown Detroit until recently, when I moved back across the border to Windsor; I'm pregnant and I want my kid to be born in Canada. I don't drive, and when I moved to Detroit, I knew it was going to be a struggle to manage Motor City without a car. There are all sorts of issues. Downtown Detroit, (like many other poor neighbourhoods in the USA), is a food desert. That means that there are no grocery stores, or that the grocery stores that are here do not sell healthy food. When I first arrived, I was shocked at the number of diabetic amputatees I saw wheeling themselves around; many of them seemed to be homeless. The best vegetables come from the weekly farmer's market, and there are also good vegetables miles and miles away from my old neighbourhood, in Southwest Detroit, which is a very Hispanic neighbourhood. Transit sucks. Getting food is hard. The stores that do exist often close early, as the store owners fear the ghetto at night. They leave for their homes in suburbs like Dearborn, MI. You get out of school or work and have no where to shop; many families try to live off the terrible food you can get at gas station conveinience stores. Sometimes there are sections of scary no-go zone neighbourhoods inbetween you and the vegetables; the route can be fine or too dangerous at different times of day. This can change with the weather, too. Winter roads are unplowed; summer heat makes people antsy. If you are female, the level of sexual harrassment and threatened or actual sexual violence is profound. A bike is essential in a neighbourhood such as this. You are safer on your bike than you would be walking. The bike extends the available daylight in an amazing way, as you can run errands or meet friends at twilight and even at night, once you know your way around. My bike saved my female soul, I swear. It made me feel safe and powerful, and kept me from becoming stir crazy and too angry to function. It let me breeze past the men screaming obcenities or threatening me. Bringing groceries home from a long way away would be horrible without a bike and a knapsack. In winter, it still sometimes seemed too hard to even try. A bike can make all the difference, but it isn't enough to fix the problems. Until recently, people could not use their food stamps at farmer's markets, so even if they had had a bike, they wouldn't have been able to use it to get vegetables. The time question-- that the vegetables are only available one day a week, or during hours when the woman of the family is working at her job-- is a huge problem. Sometimes also people don't want to cross over an invisible neighbourhood boundery; there is gang activity, there are unwritten rules. A bike can help you go around a whole section of the city is would be better if you didn't try to go through, letting you access needed services or supplies. I don't know how anyone copes without a bike. If you are looking for a mentor, Chris, you might want to get in touch with some of the people who work at or run Back Alley Bikes in Detroit. Some of the best people to talk to are not actually at Back Alley these days-- after six years, some people have decidedto take a break, or to move on to try to start their own shops, or to start community shops in other neighbourhoods. I'll leave my e-mail, and you can contact me for some names. Back Alley was the most important place in Detroit for me. If your bike breaks down in a neighbourhood with no bike shops, you are screwed. I remember going on weird journeys out to suburbs I'd never been to just to get a new tire; the transit was so confusing. The psychological barrier to making that trip might be higher for a born and bred denizen of the Cass Corridor than it was for me, even though I was a disabled foreigner. I'm white, and I'm used to travelling to places I've never been, and I don't have any of the local angst about Eight Mile that xometimes seems like the only thing that city dwellers and suburbanites share. Back Alley is an amazing place. It is one of the most racially and economically integrated places in Detroit. It has the tools and supplies and helpers that you need to fix your bike. If you are thinking or writing about bike cultures in poor place, please always think about supply lines. Think about how you are going to acquire the basic things you need. It gets complicated. So much of you time is spent puzzling out how to get a tube or a patch kit or tire levers (and you need patches and new tubes at a crazy rate, due to all the broken glass all over the streets, and constantly torn up roads.) Sometimes, you are crippled without your bike for want of some simple, simple thing. You need to make friends with other people who ride bikes. You need to be a part of that informal network of reciprocal aid that allows you to survive. The way that people teach at Back Alley is gentle, and I've watched people who never had a good experience of school or of any other learning environment so amazed to discover their own capacities it made me want to cry. Learning how to care for your bike can heal some suprisingly deep wounds. I suprised myself, too. Now I can fix pretty much anything that goes wrong on my bike all by myself; I love the self sufficiency that Detroit and Back Alley inspired in me. As I rode around town, people would shout "Hey, Back Alley Bikes!" at me (now that I've moved, people still do this when I'm back in Detroit; being part of the bike culture make me local; in immigrant recieving areas, that is an important thing to know); it made me feel so much safer to know that I was known to all these people in my neighbourhood; it made me feel watched out for. It was great to start recogizing the bikes of everyone I knew when I saw them locked up around town. In a place where lots of people have no phones, you'd be amazed how easy it is to locate someone because someone else just saw their bike locked up outside someone's house or out in front of the coffee shop. I know that other people felt safer because of me, too. Many women friends or acquaintences would ask me if I'd ride with them when they were trying to claim for themselves some part of the city they'd been too scared to go on their own before they had a bike. Back Alley was the centre of bike culture in Detroit for a while; now that bike culture has more than one centre. There are problems at the shop these days. Back Alley deals with complex issues. Providing safe spaces for girls and women is a huge one. Also, women work hours that make getting to the shop difficult. (Bec brought in a Women and Trans night, like the one inovated by people at Plan B in New Orleans, but we still need more women mechanics who can volunteer, and there are other issues.) It is hard to Earn a Bike for yourself and your two sons when you are a working single mother with no transport who lives in the Cass Coridor. Some sort of better system has to be developed to meet the needs of these women. When my friend had her bike and the bikes of her sons all stolen she was totally devastated. She'd worked hard all winter to acquire them and to fix them up, and her heart was broken. Back Alley serves a large male homeless population, too. The shop is so busy on summer evenings that you have to come hours in advance and sit outside waiting to get a good spot on the waiting list so you can go in. This makes it very hard for men who also need to go and sit and wait to get a meal or a bed for the night. We need some sort of mobile shop to go to the shelters, or some daytime hours or hours especially designed for these men. It is interesting that people mentioned theft. That is a problem in Detroit. Back Alley sees a lot of stolen bikes; people try to sell them to the shop. Often, the owner of the bike will be known to the shop, and the bike will be taken from the theif and returned. Compared to Toronto, I thought people in Detroit were lax about locking up their bikes-- often, you'd see bikes left outside stores not locked up at all, which amazed me. On the other hand, last summer's rash of bike thefts at gunpoint was something new to me. The city policy of scrapping bikes for metal as opposed to taking them to some place like Back Alley provides a market for the thefts. A change in the law and local custom is needed. Bikes are stolen to get drug money, and to use to get away from the scenes of other crimes. Cyclists need to register their bikes and report the crimes to the police, who will laugh at you and not do anything, but who need to be educated about bikes and about how tracking bike crimes could help them deal with other, bigger crimes. I feel odd suggesting the police, but based on all the conversations I've had with people, it seems right to involve them. Perhaps to the bike shop would be a good idea. A map could be set up and the events plotted. Theft at gun point is a serious thing. Eventually, someone is going to be killed, and if caught, the stupid kids responsible are going to have awful experiences in prison. Sorry about the rambling early morning notes about bike culture in a poor neighbourhood. There is a lot more to share, of course. Detroit's bike cultures include fantastic art bikes, and the bike as a means of personal expression in my old neighbourhood would be a great paper for someone. (Some of us are collecting pictures for a book we may manage to create.)Detroit has a great Alley Cats race scene, and gleaner's rides, and many other bike rides. Detroit has Rock Dove Couriers (their T-shirts are coveted, and to possess one is some sort of badge of something.) Detroit has fixed gear scenesters, and old ladies with large bottoms who ride bikes decorated with plastic flowers (I see my future self in them), like any other place. If you bring your bike to the Blessing of the Low Riders in Southwest Detroit this spring, a priest will sprinkle it with holy water. We probably all know lots about the kind of community that bikes can foster, (including the relationship that seems to exist between bike people and community gardeners, which is a super important one in a place dealing with intense food security issues and problems), and I'm sure others share many of these issues and problems. Cris, please consider looking to Detroit for your mentor. On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:34:36 -0500 Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> wrote: >I am from Toronto, Canada, not much use for you > >I have done some research in this field. I have used Stat Can to >show >ridership in the suburbs. The social economic requirements of >riders is >evident. Its ten percent all around my city of Toronto, not >faulting or >fluctuating. The suburban populous ride their bikes not because >they want >to, but because they need to. Transit is three bucks a ride. >People are >forced to ride their bikes without bicycle infrastructure. It >becomes >evident with bike on car casualties in the suburbs and poor and >migrant >people riding their bikes in winter. > >Toronto has a huge migrant population, they know bikes better then >anyone, >they speak the universal language of bike. We work with them, they >help us >with bikes and we help them with English skills. > > One reason that boost bike theft is the level of impoverished >ridership, >the demand for used bikes on the part of the impoverished class >boost bike >theft. Our recycle bike groups try to under price stolen bikes >for sale. > >We give poor people money to volunteer in our shop, we give bikes >to >shelters and employment resource centers. We try to understand the >poor >commuter and work to meet their needs. They can teach us allot >about how the >city works. Relying on public transit us madness. > >Give me shout if i can help you more. Im with the >www.communitybicyclenetwork.org. I worked with BIKESHARE, the >yellow bike >program that lends bikes out to people in need. We scrapped the >program just >to focus on recycling used bikes and mechanical skill sharing. We >also give >out free cooked food cause people think and ride better on a full >tank. >Hehe. > >Geoffrey Bercarich >York Environmental Studies >vous.je(a)gmail.com > >On Feb 17, 2008 9:24 PM, Cris Shirley <cgshirley(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Hey! >> So I'm taking a class at Yale on Inequality and American >Democracy, and >> the writing component of the class requires that I find well >established >> community member to work with in developing an academic paper >(about 20 >> pages long) about how bikes help combat poverty in America. If >you would be >> interested in working on this with me please email me back. >Your role would >> be an adviser that would push me to create a paper that would be >beneficial >> to both bike collective community as a whole and to the New >Haven Bike >> Collective by meeting with me on the phone making suggestions >and >> recommending any research that you are familiar with. (Need a >response >> soon!) >> Thanks! >> Cris >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- >bikecollectives.org >> >> > > >-- >"Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com/verify Charset: UTF8 Version: Hush 2.5 wkYEARECAAYFAke6nIUACgkQ5O7ahKJmrRlJZwCeJ7xstESXEc+TFqXOkadLkzApgokA nRay6Xjx//PN6j/NnAZYMlhX33q6 =+4e5 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Bike Bike Meeting East Bay 2/24 (Woo hoo!)
by Ivan Denker 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

hiya folks ivan, emilyn and quentin here. At the last bike bike meeting (bike church, santa cruz, 1/18) we decided to have the next meeting at our house in the east bay. We live at 3090 King St<http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3090+King+St,+Berkeley,+CA+94703,+USA&sa=X&oi…>. at Prince St. in south Berkeley. That's two blocks south of Ashby and three blocks west of MLK. We are about three minute's walk from the Ashby BART. Discussed meeting time was noon on sunday, february 24th. If you have a really, really big issue with that time, please email the group so we can see if we need to figure something else out, otherwise, I think that's the plan. Ok? Ok. any emergencies, please call Emilyn at (831) 421 1942 (i.e., if you're lost, if you get part of your bike stuck in the BART door and need us to send a rescue squad, if you're dying for want of an odwalla bar just a few blocks away, we'll be there.) Loving Bicycles from your Invasive, Non-Native Bike Church Transplants in the East Bay

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Mentor needed for an academic paper on Bikes and Poverity
by Cris Shirley 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

Hey! So I'm taking a class at Yale on Inequality and American Democracy, and the writing component of the class requires that I find well established community member to work with in developing an academic paper (about 20 pages long) about how bikes help combat poverty in America. If you would be interested in working on this with me please email me back. Your role would be an adviser that would push me to create a paper that would be beneficial to both bike collective community as a whole and to the New Haven Bike Collective by meeting with me on the phone making suggestions and recommending any research that you are familiar with. (Need a response soon!) Thanks! Cris

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Earn-A-Biker wants BMX
by Rich Points 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

Collectives, We work with the Boulder County Jail's work release program where inmates begin the program at our shop and Earn-A-Bike. This past weekend we did a bunch of work in our storage where we keep kids bikes. Three of the work release guys, in their late twenties and early thirties, found BMX bikes they wanted to keep as their Earn-A-Bike. Our response was to discourage this as we generally try to set people up with commuter style bikes. I especially tried to discourage the six foot two guy from choosing a BMX. We're aware that /some /people are more than happy to commute by BMX but believe that won't work for most people. So the question is should we allow the work release guys to choose any bike they want regardless of the practicality? Are we being elitist bike snobs to make this decision for them? Should we just be happy we got them back on a bike? Feedback is appreciated. -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Lance Armstrong unveils his new commuting bike shop
by Rich Points 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

Maybe there is hope. http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/stories/2008/02/0214… -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Keeping track of bike/part sales...
by Jonathan Morrison 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

For those of you that do it, how do you do it? What information do you or don't you record? -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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BCN: International Map of Shops now working
by Jonathan Morrison 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

http://www.bikecollectives.org/component/option,com_sobi2/sobi2Task,search/… In a nut shell you have to enter your lattitude and longitude into your directory entry. If you don't know it, just enter and save your address and visit this link to automatically calculate and set it: http://www.bikecollectives.org/component/option,com_sobi2test/ Note: If you entered a "poorly formated" address, it may have trouble calculating it. Try looking your address up in google maps first, and using the way they format it. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Bike music festival
by Taylor 14 Feb '08

14 Feb '08

Yea gabe! I met him in san fran after a crit mass ride! Keep the list updated if its happening again!

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Bicycle Music Festival?
by Jonathan Morrison 13 Feb '08

13 Feb '08

http://www.bicyclemusicfestival.com/ -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time
by Andrew Bushaw 13 Feb '08

13 Feb '08

Kyle, I will stand in solidarity with everything you just said. It's refreshing to hear someone frame the idea of white and class privilege in such an elegant but accessible way. Mainly I just wanted to voice my support because this is a tough discussion to have but an important one. To Bruce's comment about women and bike shops, I'd have to say that you are using a symptom of patriarchy (few women not in bike shops) to justify that outcome. For an analogy: if there was no bike rack or pole or anything to lock your bike up to outside of a new Thai restaurant, should the owner of the shop assume that you not eating there because it "you as a cyclist innately don't like Thai food" or because there is barrier to entry, not having a place to put your ride? If he assumes it's because cyclists don't like Thai food, he'll never put a bike rack out front and you'll never eat there. Maybe that's a goofy analogy but maybe it's still relevant. We actually had this discussion with a couple of women that frequently patronize the shop when we asked them if they would be interested in a womens only night. Their response was pretty interesting. They said that it would be nice so that new women patrons could become comfortable in a new setting with other women but then once they felt confident in the basics they wouldn't have any problem going to regular shop hours because the wouldn't feel like they were relying on men volunteers for everything. I think that makes a lot of sense. As to the folks that get uncomfortable about this and feel they are being accused of "being a racist" this examination of privilege isn't about personal prejudice but rather about institutional racism, the systems that have permeated American society from it's inception. Wage and wealth inequities based on race, access to services based on race, gentrification, unfair employment practices, structures of the economy, allocation of democratic rights, these are all part of institutional racism that is at the core of white privilege. Really it's about admitting that it exists, owning it and trying to find ways to use it to a mutual benefit of everyone involved (organizing a community bike shop and empowering those communities without white male privilege) and that is light years more progressive and effective than than going on about how your not a racist and your oppressed too (not saying anyone here has done that but it's a common response from liberal folks). I think paying wage is a great way to enable marginalize peoples to participate in Com. Bike shops and I'm sure there are many more, we need to find those too! Keep the ideas coming! Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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Re: [TheThinkTank] bio cleaner, and bike blue book....
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Beth you are Crazy! and I hope you stay that way sane people are so boring. Blue book bicycle pricing is the same as pricing a house. A bike in one market will bring a different price in a different market. A three bedroom Victorian house in the middle of a corn field will bring a different price in down town Chicago, Boston, San Francisco. Some markets have fads they go though. The west coast has a mini fad of old TT super bikes from the 1980's ( does anyone remember the 24" front 700c or 28" rear wheeled bikes? I have two of them. Fast and painful to the neck. New and used cars are kept at superficial price by nation wide dealer networks, New bikes are under the same control from the manufactures, Used bikes are not sold buy most shops so they are priced at what the local market will bare. A car is also priced by mileage, All car have odometers All bikes do not. Hard to tell how many miles are on the bike. Hard to swap out drive train in a car, easy to replace derailleurs, chain, cogs, chain rings, wheels. Cars that are modified are discounted at the dealers and sell better on the open market. Bikes that are upgraded are no big deal because all used bike are sold on the open market. I say go for it, There were blue books in the past for bicycles and you can do anything you put your mind to. It is also a big project with no end and constant updating. The BIO cleaner is a ball of wax, it is good to use Bio solvents (citrus oils or Detergents like Simple Green, Dawn) then filter the water and put a oil filters in a enzyme bath that will eat up the oil. I have not seen enzymes that work fast enough to clean a chain in 10 minutes. I do know enzymes will chew up oil over time in a barrel out back. **************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

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Fwd: FYI: Lance Camisasca Receives BRAINy Individual Advocacy Award
by Jonathan Morrison 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

FYI ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chip Smith <csmith(a)soarcomm.com> Date: Feb 11, 2008 1:24 PM Subject: FYI: Lance Camisasca Receives BRAINy Individual Advocacy Award To: info(a)bikecollectives.org *Dear Jonathan,* FYI. In conjunction with the Bicycle Leadership Conference held in San Diego last month, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News presented Lance Camisasca, former Interbike show director, with the BRAINy award for Individual Advocacy. The award honored the advocacy alliances he built and sustained during his tenure with Interbike and beyond. The complete news release is below. Sincerely, Chip Smith, for Interbike and Lifeboat Solutions SOAR Communications 801.523.3730 csmith(a)soarcomm.com ========================= *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *Lance Camisasca Receives Individual Advocacy BRAINy Award from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News* *Interbike consultant and former show director honored for sustaining and creating new advocacy alliances and increasing Interbike's investment in advocacy fundraising* *LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - Feb. 11, 2008 -* Lifeboat Solutions founder and Interbike industry consultant, Lance Camisasca, was recently named Individual Advocate of the Year by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. The award was presented at a dinner and reception held in conjunction with the Bicycle Leadership Conference, January 18-20, 2008. Now in its eighth year, the BRAINy Individual Advocacy Award recognizes individuals within the cycling industry who have been an effective agent of change and a positive mouthpiece for the industry. "As a committed cyclist and bike commuter, Lance appreciates the important role bike advocacy groups play in making our streets safer for cyclists," said Megan Tompkins, editor of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. "Moreover, he understands just how critical advocacy efforts are to the growth of the bike business. In his role as Interbike show director, he has supported numerous national bike advocacy groups over the years, providing them visibility, promotional and fundraising opportunities at the show." According to industry members, Camisasca has been a consistent supporter of all the national bike advocacy groups and has created a variety of successful fundraising projects in support of groups like Bikes Belong, the League of American Bicyclists and IMBA. He also recently helped broker a new 10-year alliance between Nielsen Business Media and Bikes Belong that will substantially increase Interbike's investment in important advocacy programs such as Safe Routes to School and Bike Friendly Communities. Independent from the retailer BRAINy awards, the Individual Advocacy award is based on industry nominations with the final decision being made by BRAIN and Bikes Belong staff members. Past honorees include Ariadne Scott of Specialized, Bill Fry of Bell Sports and Gary Sjoquist of QBP. "I am proud to have been a part of increasing Interbike's monetary and in-kind advocacy efforts over the years, even when budgeting was tough," said Camisasca. "Looking back, I am grateful to various show owners who listened to and respected my advocacy efforts and team members like Mike Greeham, who patiently taught me 'Advocacy 101'." While Camisasca is no longer the show director for Interbike, he is still very involved in the high-level strategy and management of the expo as an industry consultant. With the creation of his new event management, sales and marketing firm, Lifeboat Solutions, Camisasca also helps individual manufacturers identify and develop cost effective tradeshow strategies, and provides logistical support such as identifying vendor partners, service form submission, on-site coordination and post show follow-up. For more information about Lifeboat Solutions, please visit www.lifeboatsolutions.com<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015ONwy4Ws-2meF52RmT1ubihyGDD5hMlt59KJIOSgBNgesB6k…>or contact Lance Camisasca at lance(a)lifeboatsolutions.com. *About Lifeboat Solutions *Founded in 2008 by Lance Camisasca, Lifeboat Solutions is an event management, sales and marketing firm that provides consulting services to companies within the recreational sporting goods industry, such as Interbike, Health+Fitness Business, and Bikes Belong. For more information about Lifeboat Solutions, please visit www.lifeboatsolutions.com<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015ONwy4Ws-2meF52RmT1ubihyGDD5hMlt59KJIOSgBNgesB6k…> . # # # *MEDIA CONTACTS: *Chip Smith, SOAR Communications, 801.523.3730(wk) / 801.597.7515(cell), csmith(a)soarcomm.com or Lance Camisasca, Lifeboat Solutions, 949.444.8805, lance(a)lifeboatsolutions.com Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101387134951&ea=info%40bikecol…> <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001fCFdTiS7mDQCQB3mNdsHuGTDUaAgc…> This email was sent to info(a)bikecollectives.org, by csmith(a)soarcomm.com Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001fCFdTiS7mDQCQB3mNdsHuGTDUaAgc…>| Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001fCFdTiS7mDQCQB3mNdsHuGTDUaAgc…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. Email Marketing<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_BusLet_003>by <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_BusLet_003> SOAR Communications | 392 E. 12300 S. | Suite J | Draper | UT | 84020

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Valet Bike Parking
by Jonathan Morrison 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Does anyone else do it? http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Valet_Bike_Parking -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Valet Bike Parking
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Chicago Bicycle Federation works with banks to pay for Valet Parking at many down town events through the summer. night time movie nights, food, cultural events, triathlons, and the end of family bike ride. Simple snow fencing, for the outside barrier, three staff, metal racks for 500 bikes, and paper claim tickets for the patrons and their bikes, a repair stand if you want to get fancy **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030000… 48)

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Parts washers/gmail
by Tom Emm 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Pat, scroll down a little and click on link that say parts washers, after "Kelly bluebook" also, a few letters in the gmail should be looked at. Tom 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.… 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: bio cleaner, and bike blue book.... (Jonathan Morrison) 2. Valet Bike Parking (Jonathan Morrison) 3. Re: Valet Bike Parking (ronald ferrucci) 4. Re: Valet Bike Parking (keri conrad) 5. Re: Valet Bike Parking (Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc.) 6. Re: Valet Bike Parking (Chris Carlsson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:30:46 -0700 From: "Jonathan Morrison" Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] bio cleaner, and bike blue book.... To: "The Think Tank" Message-ID: <4dd29fd10802100930v77acfcc3t858adfcb5718e8df(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" 1) The Kelley Blue Book for cars is also affected by region too. We have a unique issue because to keep our shop from getting too full we sell the bikes for next to nothing, or give them away to people who have a letter from a good will agency, just so they don't start stacking up. Working Bikes in Chicago is a great example of an organization who makes their margins in quantity. 2) http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Parts_Washers -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/ On Feb 10, 2008 12:17 AM, Angelo Coletta wrote: > While there is no comprehensive pricing book for cycles, there are ones > that have been done for those who collect "classic American bikes(1930 to > 1960)" > > I have used a halfing method for appraisal. $200 was the new selling > price; 1yr old $100; 2yr $50.00 and so forth. That is a base line. Then > comes the art and the subjective: condition, desirability, rarity. Any > up-fitting done? Frame type and size. Component quality. Accessories. > All factors that affect value. Also there is the wholesale price and the > retail price. That would reflect any labor invested in making the unit > saleable. > > Hope this helps. > > Angelo > > *Velocipede Bike Project * wrote: > > So here are two hare brain ideas that have been thrown out here in > baltimore and i wanted to get y'alls take on them... > > 1. a bicycle blue book...we were talking about pricing bikes and how > arbitrary it often seems,(often two members will claim wildly different > prices with equal authority and citing the same number of sources) and > someone mentioned that in this time of the growing bicycle > collective/community shop projects there may be enough of a market to be > able to approach a publisher about creating a blue book that would price > for instance, a 1982 murray...I know this sounds crazy, but I was > wondering how crazy was it really.... > > 2. Someone approached us recently about a bio friendly parts cleaner. > Apparently it has enzymes that eat oil so less bad stuff going into the > environment/less exposure to toxic chemicals ourselves. He said he may be > able to get us a machine for free, but it would cost around a grand to > fill it up. does anyone have any experience with this kind of machine or > technology? Is it worth our time and fundraising? I've been thinking alot > lately about ways to make our shop more green friendly by doing things > like cutting down on plastic use and using vinegar and baking soda as > cleaners instead of bleach and such... > > http://www.biocircle.com/portal/page?_pageid=73,394253&_dad=portal&_schema=… > > what do y'all think? am I crazy? > -beth > velocipede bike project > baltmore, md(hey, try to remember to include your city and shop in posts) > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > >

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Sheldon Brown passed away...
by Jonathan Morrison 09 Feb '08

09 Feb '08

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Volunteering time
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 09 Feb '08

09 Feb '08

Being white gives us privileges that might make it easier to 'donate' a lot of time to a project you love. Nice racist statement. Other communities donate time to things they cherish. All races and earning levels donate time to the religious practice of their choice. That is universal. Bikes, sadly, are not cherished universally by all communities. Owning a house is focused more in some communities and the car is just a tool to get to work. Owning a fancier car has a greater focus in some communities and owning property is less of a focus. Of course this is a generalization and there are always exceptions. In either rich or poor a community where there is more focus on the car as a status symbol; the bike is less likely to be Cherished. How many Yuppies or true upper crust volunteers do you have? Any Trumps?, Hiltons?, Pritzkers? They all have the money to stop working and volunteer at your bike program. But sadly they do not cherish the bicycle. So for a communities that do not cherish the bicycle, you need to invite the local community members into you bike shop if you want diversity. The bike program should offer adult training and have OBIOUS ways for the adults to volunteer to work on bikes, teach youth, sell bikes, teach other adults, work on inventory, work on web sites, spread the message to the community, help with business contacts, help with volunteers and what ever you need to be successful. I have had special classes for women taught by women that liked my classes. Not all women want the first classes to be with men. They what to do it "on there own" and want to have a like minded teacher, not a person who does a project for them. They want self sufficiency and to feel supported. We need to support the needs of a diverse community, if we want them to come and be part of our shops. If they do not love the bike now, you will have to teach them LOVE OF DA BIKE! and give them oppertunity. Christopher Wallace Chicago **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030000… 48)

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Key woes and solutions!
by Jonathan Morrison 08 Feb '08

08 Feb '08

I don't know if your organization has issues with volunteers, "lost" or M.I.A. keys, or just not knowing who left the shop a mess after hours. We did, but after looking into all the options ( http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Keyless_Entry) we were able to get a smart card (RFID) reader donated for our shop door. This has worked out really well so far. * A log is kept of who uses the shop and when for accountabilities sake. * Smart cards (http://www.hidcorp.com/technology.php?tech_cat=1&subcat_id=9) can be purchased at any locksmith for the same cost of getting a traditional key cut, but they don't work until they are "registered" with software that controls the door. * Smart cards cannot be copied. * If a card is lost or there is a problem with a volunteer that can't be resolved in a civil manner -- the card can be denied future access. Luckily we haven't had that anything besides "lost" keys. * Access to the shop can be limited to the hour, so if we wanted to we could incubate a volunteer by only giving them access to the shop at certain times. * A magnetic contact on the door gives us a count of roughly how many people use our shop. We realize that some people hold the door for others and some go in and out more than once -- while those might cancel each other out, it is a rough estimate. * We installed the smart card reader at "butt" level. So if it is in your wallet you can open the door without taking your hands off a bike with the "butt swipe." * No personal information is stored on the smart (RFID) card, there is just a pre-programmed number that has to be an inch away for a card reader to detect. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time
by Jessica McPherson 07 Feb '08

07 Feb '08

Also, can I point out that there is a big difference between characterizing a statement or action as racist, and calling a person a racist? I think it's really important to be able to talk frankly about racism, and that is hard when bringing up the word at all is automatically interpreted as calling people racists. We all do or say racist things sometimes. It doesn't mean we're evil, horrible people. It means there's a situation when people could benefit from honest discussion and an opportunity to learn from others' perspectives. So can we try to be open to that without being offensive/taking offense? And make an extra effort to be clear when this loaded word does get put out there? Race, gender, and class all definitely fit into this issue of accessibility, so it's great we're talking about it those terms. And it's complicated; we can probably all learn something from other peoples' experience. -Jessica ----- Original Message ---- From: Erik Ryberg <ryberg(a)seanet.com> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2008 2:29:22 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time When I went to college I was a poor white kid from rural Oregon on a scholarship to a fancy East Coast private university. Everybody I met there had more money than I did. During the summers they all went off to unpaid internships in NY or LA. I had similar offers, but there was just no way I could afford to do that, move to NYC for three months with no pay. When my friends graduated they got jobs at these places and I ended up working at a bakery. That's what Kyle was talking about. And as an aside he made the leap, perhaps disputed by some here, that people who are not white are more often among those who don't have a lot of money. Maybe you don't agree, but all he was saying is that if you pay people, then you will be more likely to find class and probably race diversity on your staffs. True? False? Maybe? I don't know, but it makes logical sense, and it seems possible to agree with him or disagree with him without being a racist. Erik Ryberg ien wrote: > I see Kyle's point as tunnel vision. Look at other areas reliant on > volunteers and you will see many females, in some cases overwhelmingly. > Case in point: the local chapter of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters > organization reported their volunteers by gender composition is 75% > female, 25% male. That should shoot the theory of white boys being > privileged and in positions to volunteer. It is the bike business in > general that attracts males to the sport. Don't believe me then take a > look at the staff at any bike shop for your random sample. Females are a > breath of fresh air to the sport of cycling and bike riding in general. > But look also to the junior ranks of any state cycling organization and > you will find many more males than females. Credit to those that > volunteer and here is wishing more would join us, especially females. > bikedad > > */Andy Dyson <andy(a)neighborhoodbikeworks.org>/* wrote: > > BovineOaks(a)aol.com wrote: > > Being white gives us privileges that might make it easier to > 'donate' a > > lot of time to a project you love. Nice racist statement. > > > > Some great points in your post, Christopher, but it's the first line I > have a problem with. I think that if you're going to call someone a > racist you should do so in a more direct and clear way, for all of our > benefit. > > Perhaps I'm just not smart, but sarcasm like the above leaves me > wondering exactly what about Kyle's post you thought was racist and > why. > There are various interpretations I could think of, but why people in > our community are calling each other racists is not an area where I > want > to jump to any conclusions. I do actually want to know what you think, > because I don't think that Kyle was denying that people of all > backgrounds volunteer, rather that privilege exists and it makes things > easier for young, white males. > > I think that the whole point of Kyle's post is to draw attention to the > existence of privilege, something that, in my experience, is not > obvious > to all of us. > > Peace, > > Andy > > -- > Andrew C. Dyson > Executive Director Neighborhood Bike Works > Increasing opportunities for youth through bicycling > > > Check our Web Site: > http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org > > > Neighborhood Bike Works > 3916 Locust Walk, > Philadelphia, PA 19104 > > > Office: (215) 386-0316 > Cell: (215) 873-6695 > FAX: (215) 386-7288 > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… -- Erik B. Ryberg Attorney at Law 445 West Simpson Street Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 622-3333 _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Cheap Helmets!
by AndaLaLucha 05 Feb '08

05 Feb '08

Hello Think Tankers, I was wondering where people get their kids bike helmets from. Has anyone had sucess getting some donated? Are their websites/companies people can recommend. So far we have found www.prorider.com $3 for basic kinda crappy helmets www.*helmets*rus.net/*nonprofit*/ $5 and $6 for nicer helmet with modern adjusting features that are much safer Any other ideas? Andalusia P.S R.I.P. Sheldon Brown : ( PPS If i get a chance I may also try later to explain how free ride's volunteer/comission/contracting staff system works.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] [SLC Bike Collective] Sheldon Brown passed away...
by Bacus, Tom (KLC) 05 Feb '08

05 Feb '08

Sad news indeed. I never met him, but he helped me set up my first single speed via phone calls and email. The bike community has lost one of the great ones. -------------------------- Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld ----- Original Message ----- From: community-bounces(a)slcbikecollective.org <community-bounces(a)slcbikecollective.org> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org>; SLC Bicycle Collective <community(a)slcbikecollective.org>; SLC Critical Mass <community(a)slccriticalmass.org> Sent: Mon Feb 04 13:17:03 2008 Subject: [SLC Bike Collective] Sheldon Brown passed away... http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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alternative payment/stipend structures
by Erik Stockmeier 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Hello, comrades, At BB last year I heard a number of different takes on the issue of payment to core/committed/etc members of the shop. This is obviously something that many of us have struggled with--a small stipend can enable someone to spend much more time in the shop and increase productivity, etc, but it also can have pitfalls: shifting emphasis toward making money & away from service/community/etc goals. Not to be nosey, but I'm wondering how different shops have approached this, both through payrolls and alternate routes. I'm also wondering what kind of decision-making and account-taking goes on in regards to taking care of each others' needs so that neither individuals nor the organisation as an organism is exploited. There are also questions of seasonable labor, the threat of a paid, empowered elite vs the volunteer masses... I'm just thinking out loud. Sorry this question is so broad and filled with etc's. If any kind of discussion comes out of it I will be happy to elaborate on my own experiences (can't speak for all of The Recyclery) but for now I'm curious about what else is out there and how well it has worked. I'm interested to hear from all-volunteer groups as well, of course. Thanks- Erik Stockmeier The Recyclery www.therecyclery.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Collective members/ordering from QBP
by Jessica McPherson 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Something to add is that we require people to give 24 hours volunteer time every three months in order to join the collective council. The qbp privilege is a bonus for that commitment. And, it is consistent with QBP's policy, in that the people who can make personal orders are essentially the "employees" of the shop. -Jessica ----- Original Message ---- From: Stuart O Anderson <soa(a)ri.cmu.edu> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 4:17:43 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Collective members/ordering from QBP I can't find the policy on the QBP dealer site, you might want to call your account rep to check. I believe the deal is that it's OK for shop employees to make personal orders for personal use, possibly with some total dollar cap on how much can be ordered for this use in a year? We let collective members add items to our orders for personal use with the understanding that the stuff they order isn't going to be given away/resold. If someone wants more than $500 worth of stuff it goes through collective review. Stuart On Jan 30, 2008 2:14 PM, <plan_9(a)riseup.net> wrote: > I was wondering if anyone has any policy in place that allows or > dis-allows collective members from ordering new parts, frame/forks, or > even complete bikes from QBP. Shops that do allow ordering, what > restrictions from QBP apply? > Thanks, Andrew > FMCBW > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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Forums for Website
by Sarah 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Hey, y'all! Anyone have an amazing free forum program you run on your website? Or, what have folks used on BikeBike websites in the past? Are there free forums you suggest, or some you don't like at all? Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks, ~ Sarahtops thebestsarah(a)gmail.com Madison, Wisconsin FreeWheel Community Bike Shop - www.freewheelbikes.org Neverwood Collective - www.pnc2rnc.org

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Collective members/ordering from QBP
by plan_9＠riseup.net 31 Jan '08

31 Jan '08

I was wondering if anyone has any policy in place that allows or dis-allows collective members from ordering new parts, frame/forks, or even complete bikes from QBP. Shops that do allow ordering, what restrictions from QBP apply? Thanks, Andrew FMCBW

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Grant Seeking and Collective Foundation Center Subscription?
by rachael spiewak 29 Jan '08

29 Jan '08

Hi, everyone! People have been asking us lately about how we do our grant seeking. We're not experts (at bike maintenance either), but we've scored a little bit of support in the last few months. What helps the most is the Foundation Center, and we're lucky enough to have a physical location in Atlanta. However, there are tons of free resources on their website, and I just learned about a bunch at a workshop there recently. They also publish books, and I'm thinking about getting their Guides to Proposal Writing<http://foundationcenter.org/marketplace/catalog/product_monograph.jhtml?id=…> . *The FAQ has tons of technical info, and links pretty heavily to samples of things. I used the Letter of Inquiry<http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/letter.html>entry recently, and it was massively helpful. I put a sample letter that I wrote on the BCN Wiki<http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Grant_Writing>(but I can't figure out the formatting). *There are free online tutorials<http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/learnabout/foundations.html>at the bottom of this page. *As for process.. *I would like to suggest that we buy a collective subscription<https://fcsecure.fdncenter.org/fdo_signup_prof/register.php?setplan=start>so everyone can access the database regardless of location. When you access a record in the database, it returns critical info, like areas of interest, contact info, initial contact method, etc.. all the things you need to know so you can zero in on the foundations that are likely to help you and start building a relationship with them. What we're going for are as non-corporate as possible Atlanta-specific foundations that provide operational support to community development organizations. Most of these are interested in education and/or the environment, so we fit right in. It gets that specific. *To get started on thinking through what your organization does, what you need money for, and whom to ask: **Create a logic model<http://www.managementhelp.org/np_progs/np_mod/org_frm.htm>. This helps you name and quantify measurable things. *Create a budget. We have a spreadsheet broken down by month, things quantified by quarter, and a projected annual budget. I did this in Open Office spreadsheet, but maybe some folks have found more user friendly software. Anyway, included are major developments so we can relate those things with changes in income and expenses. It's easy then to prove how shop activity and income generated increased when we expanded shop hours. And that makes it easy to describe how operational support for a Shop Manager salary will provide the necessary means to support said explosion in shop awesomeness. *Create a companion timeline. *Have a compelling and concise argument, and make sure everything relates back to your mission statement. *Start early. Grant seeking is not just filling out an application and turning it in on the deadline. It's a process of getting to know people. *Realize that Operation Support can include personnel. You may be organizing a community bike shop that could benefit from having some paid staff. *For folks wondering how we're pitching ourselves: *Sopo is a community development organization. We use bicycle repair education as a way to empower people while we work together to create affordable transportation. Our core program is the Shop. The Shop is open to the public four days a week, and it is accessed by 100 people per week, including drop in visitors, volunteers, donors, community leaders, kids, etc. All participants access the shop in order to share resources and knowledge. The organization has paid director, and our next staffing goal is to hire a project manager for our core program (Shop Manager). If you need more info on the community development piece: Creating affordable housing and food security is considered community development activity. Like housing and food, transportation is a major household expense (see: the Census), and taken together we've got our big three producers of pollution and consumers of energy. Transportation is the neglected component when it comes to organizations creating affordable access (A lack of vocabulary indicates social invisibility [I think of gender expression and pronouns here]. How many organizations are addressing rampant "transportationlessness" in our communities?). Community bike shops not only address an economic gap. We also address the social and environmental components (which means we're doing sustainable development work). I have a diagram that goes along with this. And a flowchart. Nerd alert. Anyway, I hope this helps. : ) -- Rachael Spiewak, MSW Executive Director Sopo Bicycle Cooperative www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues/Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat/Sun 2 pm - 5 pm Important Dates: Monday, January 28, 6 pm - Volunteer Orientation at Sopo Wednesday, January 30, 7 pm - Craft Night at 858-C DeKalb Ave

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GrassRoutes [Bicycle] Caravan August!
by Sarah 26 Jan '08

26 Jan '08

Hey, bike enthusiasts! I wanted to give y'all a heads-up about a bicycle caravan taking place in August 2008. The Neverwood Collective in Madison, Wisconsin is organizing a bike ride to St. Paul, Minnesota, arriving a few days ahead of the Republican National Convention protests! We're calling the ride the GrassRoutes Caravan, as we'll be hooking up with various grassroots organizations along our route, doing volunteer work and learning about regional struggles. Madison is holding a counter-convention to the Republican and Democrat National Conventions. It's called the People's Networking Convention (PNC), and it's going down August 15-17th. The GrassRoutes Caravan will link the PNC to the RNC. Check out more about the PNC and the Caravan at: www.infopnc.org -- People's Networking Convention www.pnc2rnc.org -- GrassRoutes Caravan We're super-excited about the GrassRoutes Caravan! It's sort of a mix between the Democracy Uprising DNC2RNC march in 2004, work done by the SuperHeroes collective, cycle circuses everywhere, a mobile version of Burning Man, and everything in-between! We just published a zine about our vision -- find it to download online. We welcome any input, advice, or bike travel hints you may have. I invite y'all, and yer bikes, to the Midwest this August for our mobile village of resistance! I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, ~ Sarahtops of the Neverwood Collective Madison, Wisconsin PS: Many thanks if you spread this message far and wide!

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selling bikes
by Liza Mattana 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

if this has been answered before, can you link me to the archive thread? my questions is how does your org price used bikes? we've come across some nice older bikes (bridgestone CB-0 and an old stumpjumper), and we're trying to figure out a way to price them, kind of a way to standardize the process. we'll be turning them into commuter bikes with fenders and racks and making them safe and rideable, but we're not doing complete overhauls. i know this is a tricky question, but any advice you have will be helpful! thanks, liza -- Liza Mattana www.pedals2people.org Spokane, WA

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mailing list
by Tom Christopher 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Please put me on your mailing list. Thanks, Tom

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Collective Board of Directors
by Andrew Bushaw 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

This is what I have proposed to our collective in regard to forming a Board of Directors. If anyone is familiar with Participatory Economics, this is sort of modeled after that system of Producer/Consumer and Worker Councils. FM Community Bicycle Workshop Organizational Structure General Collective Membership is defined by: Working regular, accountable shifts of 4 hours in length, once a week for the duration of at least one month. After that one month, working regular, accountable shifts is still expected but is flexible depending on circumstances. Attending and actively participating in at least three consecutive General Collective, Board, or Worker Council meetings. If a General Collective Member is inactive for the duration of one month without a prior notice, their membership is terminated with the option to rejoin the collective through by meeting the same criteria as a new prospective collective member. The General Collective will meet once a Month at a regularly scheduled time to discuss the day to day operation of the shop, update schedules, make suggestions and in general report news to the collective from their respective worker councils. Worker Councils (WC) consist of members from the general collective who wish to have an increased level of participation. There are six WC: Finance/Legal, Advertising/Hardcopy, Physical Donations, Shop/Tools/Ordering, Education, and Community Outreach. Each WC chooses a representative within to represent their interests on the Board of Directors. These representatives are easily recallable by the WC or the General Collective as a whole. These representatives along with co-representatives, if appointed, would be the collectives primary key-holders. The six WC representatives are also members of the Board of directors, and taken as a whole, make up the producers council. Worker councils will meet as needed. Collective members would generally only officially participate in one WC, two if necessary. The Board of Directors -- Members-At-Large would represent the interests of the groups that the FMCBW explicitly intends to serve. In other words, they would collectively make up the consumers council. These Board members-at-large would be chosen by the General Collective at the annual meeting and would serve a one year term. Board Mechanics: Six Collective members representing their respective WC and 6-8 Members-At-Large to represent the communities we intend to serve. The Board of Directors will meet quarterly and are open to general collective member attendance. Two weeks notice will be given before the quarterly meetings and one week notice will be given for special circumstances. Voting by proxy is allowed but consent must be given in a written form and it must be on a specified proposal and not a general power. Voting by email is valid and legitimate but if any board member feels that there needs to be more discussion the vote can be vetoed and a meeting called in it's place. Quorum for Board of Directors meetings will be 50%+1. The board of directors will determine what specific democratic decision making process suits but with an emphasis on consensus decision making when possible. The board will have a Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. In the case of vacancies, the General Collective will be charged with finding a suitable replacement, taking into consideration input and suggestions from the Board Members-At-Large. I think the overall effect of this would be to allow outside input and give us community perspective, tap external resources, organize more effectively in our WC, increase general collective membership thus "throwing more people" at the issue of staffing the shop when open, Allow individual participation to determine level of involvement in decisionmaking, allow a broader number of people to lead in their areas of interest, as well as being "legal" in terms of US regulations. Andrew ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Collectives and board of Directors
by plan_9＠riseup.net 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Thus far the FM Community Bicycle Workshop has been operating as a 501c3 through a fiscal agency agreement with a local non-profit. The agreement is for a limited time period so I have been working on our Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Tax forms. The crossroads were at with it though, is that we are set up to operate as a traditional collective (consensus, democratic decision making, non-authoritarian structure) with elements of Participatory Economics (we have worker councils set up). This doesn't seem to reconcile very cleanly with how the US wants non-profits to be structured with a traditional Board of Directors, Chair, Co-chair, Secretary, Treasurer, etc. So what I'm wondering is this: How do other groups that have a non-heirarchical organizational structure set up their bylaws and articles to reflect their values, yet be accepted as a legitimate by the state? I have been told by a few more non-standard organizations that they just set it up like "it's supposed to be" and then disregard it. I really don't want to do that since if it's on the books, we can be held accountable to it. These seem to be the logical options so far: 1. Collective as the Board of Directors. In this scenario we basically form the board using the collective members as board members and build our bylaws around our the rules and procedures that are outlined in our volunteer handbook. To get outside folks involved in this we could set up an advisory board that would give input but not make decisions that would meet something like once a quarter. 2. An Outside Board In this scenario we would form a board that would consist completely of outside individuals who are understanding of our mission and would represent the populations that we serve. The collective would serve the role of the executive director(s). In this situation we would be tasked with the day to day decisions of the FMCBW and have input into the Board of Directors but macro decisions such as funding, long term planning, would ultimately be decided by the Board of Directors. (This idea has already met with much opposition from the group so this is probably out) 3. A Mixed Board In this scenario we would form a board that would consist of some collective members and some outside community members. There could be checks and balances put into place to make sure that the collective continues to have real tangible input into the board of directors decision making. This would take some extra mechanics in our bylaws and is slightly non-standard in the non-profit world, (but is somewhat more standard in the business world) but in the end might be the best of both worlds if done correctly. For Example: We have a board of 9 people, four of which were collective members and five of which were outside community members that would represent the populations that we serve. We could run the board conservatively (as in more resistance to change, not politically of course) where we would put into our bylaws that we there must be Consensus U-3 to make binding decisions. This would enable the collective to block any proposals, given that they have solidarity on the issue, that the board may make that might be against the interest or the intent of the collectives mission. This method would also stand for electing new outside board members, ensuring that the integrity and intent of the organization would stay in line with the collectives mission. The numbers and methods are up in the air, of course, I was just using this as an example. These all have pros and cons to them. The collective as the board we would continue to have autonomous control over what we do and how we operate and would allow us to make decisions "light and fast" but at the loss of credibility, resources and the ever important perspective of the community. Having an outside board would make it easier to propose "self-serving" ideas, such as paying us wages, funding outside training, going to conferences, spending shop money to renumerate the collective. Plus it spreads the risk, it allows input from veterans in the non-profit world as well as access to their resources without begging. It would give us an air of credibility to some institutions that might take us "not so seriously". It also allows us to focus on building bikes, teaching bike maintenance, and developing our programs. The risk is that we don't have control over the board at all and are totally at their whims. We can put a good board in place that understands our values and mission but they are responsible for voting in new board members, and if their judgment isn't the same as ours, there is the potential that a few years down the road there could be a group of people directing us in a way we might not agree with at all, and could possibly disband the collective and appoint a director. The Mixed Board has potential to have the best of both worlds if executed correctly. If executed incorrectly it could possible result in some of the negative possibilities of both the the others. It would probably also take a little longer to make decisions, but since we are already operating fairly well we probably are done making rapid decisions. Sorry for the ridiculously long post, I decided not to chop it down in case this info is useful for the seemingly many new bike collectives that are in the works right now. Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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Re: [TheThinkTank] low cost lights
by troy neiman 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Here in Tucson, it is fairly common for folks to get a generic mini maglight from the ace hardware or a sporting good store. these come with a few to many LED bulbs for the cost of 5-15 $ generally the more you spend the better quality the light. Then pick yourself up a couple of hose clamps and put one around the light and loop the second through the first and around the handle bar or stem. this creates a good adjustable, theft resistant bracket as good or better than that plastic crap on the market. This has been a great solution for many people. you get about 10-15 hours out of most of the lights and the cost is a relatively low 10-20 dollars for and aluminum body led light as opposed to a plastic one for the same price. Bike lights that are supposedly built for "bike riding" are probably one of the most frustrating things about the industry, i personally think they are all crap or overkill. > ----- Originale ----- > From: "1304bikes" <1304bikes(a)gmail.com> > To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Piles of freewheels? > Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:31:41 -0500 > > > Christopher, While the points you raise are valid and very good advice, I'm > afraid it doesn' help our shop out very much. We deal with a lot of > homeless and working class poeple who can not or would rather not spend $30 > on a bike light. Likewise, our organization doesn't have the funds to > provide every EAB paticipant with a full set of lights, even though we want > to. > > That being said, I'm still open to hearing what other shops have come > up with for inexpensive solutions to the light issue. I still feel that any > light is better than no light. > > -Doug > 1304bikes, Raleigh > > > > There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As we > > humans get older our cornea become harder and do not open and close as > > quickly as in our youth. This leaves us blind to all but the brightest > > lights after we are hit in the face by car headlamps. I witnessed a cyclist > > disappear when he was backlit by car headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 > > front flashers, a reflective vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he > > was back lit by a car all those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless > > to his safety > > > > If you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when back lit > > and in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if you are to be > > traffic at night time you need to act like traffic. If you can get the Cat > > Eye 520 at cost, it is about $30 and well worth it. 1200 candle power is > > close to the brightness of a car head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA > > batteries. When in traffic, act like traffic. If they are well lit, you > > should be equally lit to be seen. A flash light is not enough. > > > > > > I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like an > > alien space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I also have a > > serious head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of myself out on the road > > at night. Have fun and think about safety. > > > > Christopher Wallace > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in > > shape<http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489>in the new > > year. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > -- > 1304bikes > 2419 Mayview Rd. > Raleigh, NC > 1304bikes.org > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > y -- Want an e-mail address like mine? Get a free e-mail account today at www.mail.com!

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Bicycle Physics Curriculum
by AndaLaLucha 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

Hello, Free Ride has this exciting partnership with City High School in Pittsburgh in which we teach bicycle repair in a "How Things Work" Physics class. We had some lessons with tire pneumatics and Boyle's law and also a gear ratio lesson. I was wondering if people had other science related curricula planned? If so can you e-mail me or put it on the wiki? Also, I don't know if people know already but the Youth Bicycled Education Network has some useful curricula posted-- http://www.yben.org/category/resource-guide/curricula-and-lesson-plans/ Thanks, Andalusia P.S. I'm not sure if people know what Ghost bikes are- but they are pretty powerful memorials for cyclists who have died. There was a memorial ride in NYC last week to honor the 23+ cyclists who died last year and I did a radio report about it and wrote an article for those interested Article: http://www.indypendent.org/2008/01/12/a-silent-roadside-reminder/ Shorter Radio: http://www.fsrn.org/content/new-york-city%2526%2523039%3Bs-ghost-bikes-hono… Longer Radio: https://wiki.indypgh.org/cgi-bin/twiki/viewfile/Radio/Shows/2008x01x14?rev=…

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Lights
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

I always behave like i'm invisible to cars no matter how much illumination I have. Brian UBP If I taped ten thousand lightning bugs to my body I still would not put out much light, Barely a dim glow if I was lucky. It is not the number of lights that make you seen or not seen it is the brightness of the lights that matters. If you put on Aircraft landing lights on the front of your bike and shot a beam a half mile down the road I am sure you could not say "I always behave like i'm invisible to cars no matter how much illumination I have." If you said "I have a bunch of low lumen flash lights on my bike and I can not be seen by cars that have lots of lumens coming out of their headlamps, then I would have to say DUH! Car drivers are looking for traffic to have high lumen lights out on the road, if you wish to be treated like traffic, act like traffic! What would you think if a car had two little battery powered flash lights or little bicycle blinkers where its head lamps were supposed to be? Would you see the car if other brightly lit cars were around it or would it be near invisible? Brian you should behave like you are invisible when you have low lumen lights on your bike, because you are. You can either whine about it or change your choice of lights. I am asking you to Think, We are the Bicycle education leaders of our communities. Christopher Wallace **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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The Build-A-Bike Team Building Workshop
by Jonathan Morrison 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

www.build-a-bike.com You know we are doing good when the for-profit takes the idea mainstream. It looks like these folks have a registered trademark on the "Build-A-Bike" name. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Lights
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 15 Jan '08

15 Jan '08

Brian I agree with you and never assuming you can be seen. I too have a 12 volt system and I ride I bike I know I can not be seen by cars coming on to the road way from a drive or an alleyway. I ride a low racing recumbent. I am below window level and I know that drivers can not see through sheet metal. I also know I can see their lights as they approach the roadway. I have found they can see my light also. I slow down and they stop when they see the pavement lit up by my lights. When a driver is Pavlovian trained to stop when they see the cross pavement lit by head lights. I have witnessed every driver stop, that I have approached from the side at night with my 12 volt system. In the world of dim low lumen bike lights, cars could not see you. Few people can afford 12 volt high lumen lights. Now there is a much more cost effective high lumen lamps out there. My 12 volt system cost $360 now led lights with similar Lumen output are $60 retail, $30 cost. My 12 volt system would last up to 3 hours on a huge battery, now led lights with similar Lumen output last 300 hours on 4 AA batteries. My points are simple: Great lights are affordable by the masses now. Point two: Most people do not know about the brighter lamps and choose lights that keep them invisible to traffic because of the lack of education from bike shops to their customers. I like that lights are so much less money for the amount of light they put out. I have a handle bar in the shop with 6 different lamps on it. I have a customer go to the far side of the room and I turn on each light and let them look at difference between older flash lights or blinking lights, and the new more powerful advanced LED lights. Sale made. NO BS, Compare/ contrast and sell. I also took photographs of all the lights aimed at a white wall 40 feet away. I printed the photos and use that as a sales tool also. This is what the light really looks like and how wide a beam it puts out at the brightness level compared to the other lights I sell. There will always be people that choose the $12 dollar lights, Given a choice people will choose the brighter lights also. **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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spoke cards for categorizing
by Erik Stockmeier 15 Jan '08

15 Jan '08

Hi all- Erik D S from The Recyclery (Chicago/Evanston) here. We're working on making up some laminated spoke cards for our wheel room this winter... the idea being to have an easy, reusable (dry erase marker) id system for wheels that can tell any major features, defects, etc. so that people don't have to go traipsing back and forth to the wheel room to find something that both fits a fork AND spins. some ideas i've had are: diameter ideal tire width range (c/o chart by sheldon brown) hub/locknut-locknut width # of cogs (for rear wheels) other notes (things that need tightening, loosening, truing, rounding, overhauling, missing spokes, oddsized axles, rare alloys, whatever) have any other shops done this? if so, what information have you found relevant to put on the cards? i'd like to keep it simple enough to make a volunteer/work trade task without superfluous options of information--a nice volunteer/work trade task. Thats all! thanks, erik

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Lights and being broke
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 14 Jan '08

14 Jan '08

In a message dated 1/14/2008 9:52:45 P.M. Central Standard Time, BovineOaks(a)aol.com writes: In a message dated 1/14/2008 7:33:01 A.M. Central Standard Time, 1304bikes(a)gmail.com writes: I still feel that any light is better than no light. This is true any light is better than dressing in all black and riding at night. I do (easily) sell the lights for $60 to walk in customers and sell them for cost $30 students and volunteers. My customers are the same low income folks you sell to. I have sold great lights to inner city low income folks in St louis, Indianapolis, Champaign- Urbana, Chicago's south and west side. I sell education and give people a choice to make them safer at night time. Many people who own 15 dollar bikes and will balk at a $20 dollar repair have spent $60 on a lamp. If you teach safety, biology, act like traffic, you can sell good product to "newly educated" people. Broke ass folks like me still spend money wisely when we know the "WHY" a product is needed. I can not afford to drive a car around but I can afford a great light. I can not afford to spend time in a hospital because someone did not see me, but I can afford a great light. I can not afford a box to be buried in but I can afford a great light. If a homeless person wanted to work for a lamp, I would give him a job worth $30. If they do not want to work I do not have time for them. No one give me bikes for free, they make sure I am working to make the world a better place before they donate a bike to me. I work hard, and I believe you do too. I have a recumbent I built out of recycled materials for $20 and it has $50 bucks of rear and front lights. Being broke ass does not mean you can not spend money to make life better, beer, shoes, lights, and a news paper once in a while. If you know how to sell safety (helmets, act like traffic, reflectors, tires, brake pads,) you can also sell good lights. Safety is not just for rich folk, it is for all peoples of our world. if a person had no brake pads and rotted tires would you just say ride on the rims, go slower and use your foot for the brake? Or would you sell (talk and encourage them to buy) product for themselves because they need it to be safe on the road? Or are they too poor to be safe? **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Piles of freewheels?
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 14 Jan '08

14 Jan '08

In a message dated 1/14/2008 7:33:01 A.M. Central Standard Time, 1304bikes(a)gmail.com writes: I still feel that any light is better than no light. This is true any light is better than dressing in all black and riding at night. I do (easily) sell the lights for $60 to walk in customers and sell them for cost $30 students and volunteers. My customers are the same low income folks you sell to. I have sold great lights to inner city low income folks in St louis, Indianapolis, Champaign- Urbana, Chicago's south and west side. I sell education and give people a choice to make them safer at night time. Many people who own 15 dollar bikes and will balk at a $20 dollar repair have spent $60 on a lamp. If you teach safety, biology, act like traffic, you can sell good product to "newly educated" people. Broke ass folks like me still spend money wisely when we know the "WHY" a product is needed. I can not afford to drive a car around but I can afford a great light. I can not afford to spend time in a hospital because someone did not see me, but I can afford a great light. I can not afford a box to be buried in but I can afford a great light. If a homeless person wanted to work for a lamp, I would give him a job worth $30. If they do not want to work I do not have time for them. No one give me bikes for free, they make sure I am working to make the world a better place before they donate a bike to me. I work hard, and I believe you do too. I have a recumbent I built out of recycled materials for $20 and it has $50 bucks of rear and front lights. Being broke ass does not mean you can not spend money to make life better, beer, shoes, lights, and a news paper once in a while. If you know how to sell safety (helmets, act like traffic, reflectors, tires, brake pads,) you can also sell good lights. Safety is not just for rich folk, it is for all peoples of our world. if a person had no brake pads and rotted tires would you just say ride on the rims, go slower and use your foot for the brake? Or would you sell (talk and encourage them to buy) product for themselves because they need it to be safe on the road? Or are they too poor to be safe? **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Piles of freewheels?
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 14 Jan '08

14 Jan '08

-Effective (i.e., non-destructive) Cottered Crank removal (and re-usage) -ways to prevent cold weather pawl freeze up in cassette hubs -Cheap lights for bikes (I've heard tell of some creative holiday string-light setups) -ideas for rust proofing/rust prevention concerning steel frames, spokes, hub bodies, etc... the stuff that typically looks drippy and nasty. There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As we humans get older our cornea become harder and do not open and close as quickly as in our youth. This leaves us blind to all but the brightest lights after we are hit in the face by car headlamps. I witnessed a cyclist disappear when he was backlit by car headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 front flashers, a reflective vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he was back lit by a car all those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless to his safety If you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when back lit and in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if you are to be traffic at night time you need to act like traffic. If you can get the Cat Eye 520 at cost, it is about $30 and well worth it. 1200 candle power is close to the brightness of a car head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA batteries. When in traffic, act like traffic. If they are well lit, you should be equally lit to be seen. A flash light is not enough. I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like an alien space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I also have a serious head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of myself out on the road at night. Have fun and think about safety. Christopher Wallace **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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Piles of freewheels?
by plan_9＠riseup.net 14 Jan '08

14 Jan '08

Hey, I thought that having piles of old freewheels might be a problem common to bike collectives and wanted to see what folks did with them, or any other non-standard uses for bike parts. We have just "discovered" that you can pull apart a freewheel with two chain whips, one on the outer cog and the other on the third (the second is sometimes also threaded like the outermost) and apply opposite force. This usually involves two people lots of grunting and yelling, then the outer most ring will thread off (sometimes the second and third are also threaded) then the rest just slide off. The lowest three cogs are between 14-20 tooth which is perfect single speed range. So... we have built up a couple bikes using a single chainring in front and a 14t and a 18 or 20t threaded back onto the freewheel to make what I believe are called "dinglespeeds" which is basically a singlespeed setup with the option of loosening the rear axle, moving the chain over to the other cog and re-tensioning the chain in the dropouts (have to be horizontal). This allows us to build up really basic, low maintenance bikes that have both a "winter gear" and a "summer gear" (since we are in the brutal north) or I suppose if we actually had hills or trails, "on-road gear" and an "off-road gear". I know the concept of a dinglespeed has been kicked around a bit in the SS world, but usually it's done with respacing a cassette w/ two cogs, which are a rare commodity in our shop. Have other folks experimented with this setup? Good results? We have only built up a few, and thus far it has worked out pretty well on the bikes we are testing it on. Also, what kinds of other projects have folks done with either re purposing bike parts in a creative way or modifying them to breath new life into shop excess? Thanks, Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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Bike Computer Geeks of the World Unite!
by Edward France 10 Jan '08

10 Jan '08

Bike Rockstars, Following up on discussion from BikeBike 07, our shop would love to share bike collective open source-ish software for tracking volunteer and user hours (Nathan from Austin Yellow Bike), tracking inventory and interfacing with website (Rich from Boulder), and bad-ass register check-out software (joshua from LA). Our Bici Centro shop is potentially moving into a new (and bigger!) space and is ready to set up books and go paperless for tracking stuff. Who knew but we also happen to have some genius computer software peeps working in the crew and they have interest to spend time synthesizing most applicable elements of these different programs and putting that program back out to the group again. My question is, where did we end off on this discussion? Is there an ongoing small group discussion that we could join in on? Since I've lost individual emails, could Rich, Nathan, and Josua possibly try to get back to me? Many thanks folks for the amazing work you all do, and that us santa barbarians do our best to emulate. -Ed France BiciCentro.org

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We are hiring!
by Bicycle Collective Jobs 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

The Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective (www.slcbikecollective.org) is looking for a full-time volunteer coordinator. The ideal candidate would be a well organized and social person that needs meaning in what they do -- and wants to be community builder. The mission of the Salt Lake City 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 Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households. The Volunteer Coordinator will be in charge of meeting and expanding our network of volunteers to staff four key programs: The Community Bike Shop, Valet Bicycle Parking, Youth Earn-a-Bike classes and special events such as the International Bicycle Film Festival. The benefits package includes health and educational funds. If you are interested in fighting the good fight, send an email to jobs(a)slcbikecollective.org including your resume and personal mission statement.

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P3 Grant for Students (money for campus-based bike shops!)
by rachael spiewak 07 Jan '08

07 Jan '08

I just learned about the EPA's P3 program <http://es.epa.gov/ncer/p3/> from someone who's been awarded a grant to create a community bike shop at Appalachian State University. Just wanted to pass the word along to folks doing campus-based work. -- Rachael Spiewak, MSW Executive Director Sopo Bicycle Cooperative www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues/Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat/Sun 2 pm - 5 pm

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Community Cycling Project Research
by Jessica Goldberg 07 Jan '08

07 Jan '08

Hi All, I'm a senior sociology major at Hamilton College, and I'm doing my senior thesis on why community bike organizations advocate cycling as a vehicle for social change. I think what your organizations do is extremely important on community, personal, environmental, and political levels. I believe that there should be a greater emphasis on the value of these organizations, so my project will help publicize and advocate them to a broader public. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to discuss your organization and why it is imperative to creating needed social change. We could chat via phone, e-mail, IM, gchat, or in person if we're close enough. If you would like to chat, you could either reply to this post and we'll get in touch, or e-mail me at the address below. I look forward to talking to some of you. Jess jess.b.goldberg(a)gmail.com

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Weed & Seed retry
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 03 Jan '08

03 Jan '08

3rd try...I guess there were too many quoted messages and it was too big for the mail server. Sorry if anyone gets this twice. Last post from me, Just wanted to let everybody know what's going on with the W & S program. Thanks for everybody who weighed in on the topic. Basically the program is way scaled back from what we had thought it was at first. Corporal Witte will be collecting bikes from the impound and using our shop space to fix them up. He will purchase a standard bike tool kit and stand as well as all of his own parts. We will keep a separate area for bikes that he is working on (maybe 10-15 at a time) until he can give them out to kids on his beat. We all expressed concern that the kids really should be learning something and not just getting a handout but this is the program as it stands now. What we get out of the deal: Equal time-share rent (we estimated) for how long he uses the space vs. us. Really good press. Adult bikes from the police impound. An "in" and knowledge for possibly receiving a much larger W & S grant in the future. This could be used to hire a coordinator for an Earn-A-Bike or or other program. An "in" with Job Corps participants who need community service hours. If there is something we need moved or done we got a lotta hands that can help. Time to set up shop without feeling pressured to run a program we really don't know about or have a solid grasp on. I feel the most important points are the first and last. We need rent and to pay for liability insurance. This is basically free money. All we do is share the space we already have. We also have plenty of time to develop a curriculum and procedures for an earn-a-bike (so the kids can actually learn) and write a solid grant proposal for funding. Brian signing off from fabulous Wilmington, DE. Happy New Year everyone! -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone - 302-654-5304 Visit online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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question about starting a bike co-op
by Kale 02 Jan '08

02 Jan '08

Hi, My name is Kale and I am involved in starting a bike collective in New Haven, CT. The group was wondering how other collectives have navigated the issues of liability and non-profit status. How many people have opted for 501c3 or c4 status, and what has been your experience? If you haven't opted for this, why? Also, how have people addressed the issue of safety in the shop, as far as insurance or legal risk for people injuring themselves in the shop or on bikes made or repaired in the shop? Any advice will be much appreciated! Thanks, Kale

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Re: [TheThinkTank] question about starting a bike co-op
by Taylor 02 Jan '08

02 Jan '08

Greetings Kale, The shop that I helped start (www.thebikecave.org) is in its infancy and is aiming to maybe start the paperwork to become a non profit in the next year. Right now it is a "community service" under auxiliary services at Texas State University, but we are far from exclusive to students with our open arms community view. Let me know if you come up with good advice on this subject, and I echo the call for experiences as well. To get away from liability, we talked with the campus lawyer and they recommended that we SELL bikes, parts, etc. outright to people thus stripping the university of liability. That is one solution, and the only we have tried yet. Just like a for profit bike shop - if someone buys a bike, gets hurt, you cant sue the local bike shop that sold it to them! Or at least I hope not! Taylor the bike cave San Marcos, Texas www.thebikecave.org

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Looking for someone in Chicago...
by Jonathan Morrison 23 Dec '07

23 Dec '07

I am trying to get ahold of someone in the Chicago Area named Evan Farrar. He is the programmer behind OpenSprints and we are trying to get that set up for a fundraiser in January. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org Get Addicted to Crank! http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/

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Alley Cats
by Jonathan Morrison 21 Dec '07

21 Dec '07

Some guy named Morgan in San Fran runs this site, he said there was a way to auto-sync the two mediawiki sites, so that the Bike Collective Network wiki would have the listing too. If anyone knows how I can get ahold of Morgan, let me know. http://www.alleycatracing.com/ On Dec 19, 2007 5:57 PM, rachael spiewak <rachael(a)sopobikes.org> wrote: > on a similar note.. i try to rotate other co-ops through our myspace top > friends list. here we are if you'd like to add us: > http://www.myspace.com/sopobikecoop > > and on a sort of related note, can we get a calendar of fundraisers and > alley cats going (ahem.. urban velo)? > > -rachael > > > On Dec 19, 2007 7:52 PM, Rich Points < rich(a)richpoints.com> wrote: > > > Hey All, > > I envision in 10 years bike collectives will be the equivalent to the > > salvation army, i.e. the first place you, (average America), think of is > > a bike collective when it comes to donate a bike. > > > > Here in Boulder we have many transient people with the university and > > all. I know we often talk about other shops around the country and the > > world. People from other shops have stopped by to say hi and some of > > our members have said hi to other groups. > > > > What I'm getting at is let's really do what we can to pose this as a > > movement with people all over the country working towards getting people > > > > on bikes. One way we can do this is to link to each other from our > > websites. > > > > Johnathan has done a great job of putting together a directory on the > > bike collective wiki. Now if we all ad those links on our individual > > sites we can really boost our collective web presence while promoting > > the "bike collective" movement. > > > > We've put all the links we could find on our site, let us know if we > > missed one http://communitycycles.org/splash/?page_id=6 > > > > I encourage you to copy and past the code into your links page. > > > > Collectivley > > > > -- > > Rich Points > > Community Cycles Director > > http://CommunityCycles.org <http://communitycycles.org/> > > Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org > > 720-565-6019 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > -- > Rachael Spiewak, MSW > Executive Director > Sopo Bicycle Cooperative > www.sopobikes.org > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Hours of operation: > Tues/Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm > Sat/Sun 2 pm - 5 pm > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > >

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Let's Promote Each Other on the Web
by Rich Points 21 Dec '07

21 Dec '07

Hey All, I envision in 10 years bike collectives will be the equivalent to the salvation army, i.e. the first place you, (average America), think of is a bike collective when it comes to donate a bike. Here in Boulder we have many transient people with the university and all. I know we often talk about other shops around the country and the world. People from other shops have stopped by to say hi and some of our members have said hi to other groups. What I'm getting at is let's really do what we can to pose this as a movement with people all over the country working towards getting people on bikes. One way we can do this is to link to each other from our websites. Johnathan has done a great job of putting together a directory on the bike collective wiki. Now if we all ad those links on our individual sites we can really boost our collective web presence while promoting the "bike collective" movement. We've put all the links we could find on our site, let us know if we missed one http://communitycycles.org/splash/?page_id=6 I encourage you to copy and past the code into your links page. Collectivley -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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pro walk/pro bike conference?
by rachael spiewak 21 Dec '07

21 Dec '07

Hi, everyone. Anyone been to the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference<http://www.bikewalk.org/2008conference/index.html>before? Is it relevant to our work? What did you get out of it? A community member wants to send me and maybe some other folks because he thinks it would be an investment in bike advocacy in Atlanta on the whole, which sounds very nice. Just wondering what I'm getting myself into! Too bad the dates aren't lined up with BikeBike. That would be too convenient. : ) Thanks! -- Rachael Spiewak, MSW Executive Director Sopo Bicycle Cooperative www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues/Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat/Sun 2 pm - 5 pm

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Formation of Two Wheeled Foundation: Call for Ideas
by Two Wheeled Foundation Inc. 20 Dec '07

20 Dec '07

Greetings, The newly formed non-profit organization Two Wheeled Foundation, Inc. will be supporting activities for the global reallocation of bicycles. We are currently operating in North America and Africa. This e-mail is a call for project ideas to be funded by the foundation. One of the initial projects being considered for North America is a Bicycle Gadget Design Competition. The designs guidelines would be "for use by rural African agricultural and health care workers". There would be a $5,000 prize and a free trip to visit Africa which would include a safari. We were hoping to get feedback on this idea, and see if individuals out there would be interested in competing. Sincerely, The Two Wheeled Foundation Team

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Re: [TheThinkTank] anyone have a similar situation?
by Andrew Bushaw 18 Dec '07

18 Dec '07

In addition to what macho brought up, what happens when the police money for the program dries up and you can't afford to fund it anymore? If you keep it, you are doing the police a service without compensation, and if you end the program, people will point the finger at your shop for pulling the program rather than the funding source. 3,500 seems like a pretty meager amount of funding for what they want, especially since what they want seems pretty vaguely defined. Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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The question of selling Bikes
by Edward France 18 Dec '07

18 Dec '07

Good People, So Bici Centro of Santa Barbara is finally legit- we obtained fiscal sponsorship from our local bicycle coalition on December 4th, and are hoping all the hurdles to getting bank accounts, vendors number, liability insurance, financial 'books' and all that good stuff. Of course this means that we don't do any under the tabley stuff and cover our butt's. So here's a big question we are trying to deal with properly: How do we legitimately sell bikes? In other words- do we have people sign a release similar to if they build the bike themselves? do we have a special insurance for selling bikes? can the price be a donation, or is it a taxable payment? is there any advice you all could send our way on the question of being a non-profit selling bikes. All the best from fair Santa Barbara, Ed France BiciCentro.org

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Very specific job that is somewhat vaguely available
by Andy Dyson 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

Greetings all. Here's an offer of paid work that will probably--but not definitely--pan out in the next few months into an intense and rewarding creative experience. We need someone to help move our Earn-a-Bike curriculum and our manual that teaches people how to teach EaB to the next level. This is part of the Bicycle Education Enhancement program with the School District of Philadelphia, The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and NBW. We have the basic material, which we have developed over the years with gracious input from many people and agencies--you know who you are. What we need now is someone who has experience writing curricula for school districts in the past. I know most of you have done this kind of thing at your agencies, as have we. This isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about being employed by a school district to write for them, preferably writing something that has been published in a binding. We need help with adapting our current materials into a more professional form. Part of what we are doing here is creating materials for teachers who are not initially bicycle experts, so the best person to help us may well be someone who is not a techie, though it wouldn't hurt as long as you are someone who has a good appreciation of how technical manuals can be improved by limiting jargon. What is essential is that you are someone who has done this kind of thing to a greater level of professionalism than we have. The person we choose for this will likely be a current or former teacher or other professional educator. This job would involve visiting Philadelphia for at least some of the time that we were working on the project, which I would estimate to be a few months. Specific tasks would include reviewing NBW's current Earn-a-Bike teacher's materials and Earn-a-Bike curriculum, working with NBW staff to improve and streamline these items, creating a look that unifies the Earn-a-Bike curriculum with the other materials for our project (bike rodeo, etc.) and possibly with the materials of other programs. If you are interested in helping us <b>and</b> have 1 Written curricula for a school district 2 Have created curriculum materials in a publishable form including graphics and layout. please contact us with details of your experience and/or any questions. Many thanks, Andy -- Andrew C. Dyson Executive Director Neighborhood Bike Works Increasing opportunities for youth through bicycling Check our Web Site: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org Neighborhood Bike Works 3916 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Office: (215) 386-0316 Cell: (215) 873-6695 FAX: (215) 386-7288

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any coops in holland or rome?
by david cicero bevacqua 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

hi all, i'll be in holland and rome for a few weeks and want to visit as many bike coops as i can to learn about how things are done there and hopefully take some knowledge home to neighborhood bike works in philly. does anyone know how to get in touch with any cooperative/ collective/community bike shops/programs in holland (amsterdam, rotterdam, the hague...) or rome, italy? thanks, -dcb

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Re: [TheThinkTank] anyone have a similar situation?
by plan_9＠riseup.net 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

I don't really see a problem keeping this on the list, personally, since this isn't really just about "police good/bad" and ties into the larger picture of ethical donations/funding, etc. I would still question how long the funding was going to be there. It seems like you have done pretty solid economic analysis, but that is only for one year, as far as I can tell. If they sponsor this for one year, they use it as a "look what we did for the community" as long as it's effective, then when the initial PR is over, they drop the funding (maybe they won't). The community isn't going to point the finger at the police, they are going to think that it was you who pulled the plug. Either that or you will keep the programming going at your own expense. Unless you have a mission and programming that is very different than most, I don't really see how this program they are proposing is any different than what you already do, except you will be open more hours. My gut reaction is that they are going to throw 3500 at you and then feel free to drop off "troubled" kids there whenever they feel like. I think that if this was a need in our community it would be better off being supported by the people it's serving rather than the police. Also, If the police are serious about this being about you making the shop more accessible to at-risk youth, then maybe you could work out a grant that would be used to extend your hours during the summer months with no strings attached. Not trying to be confrontational or paint police with an "all bad" brush (we recently were donated 200 bikes from the police so....) Andy FMCBW

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anyone have a similar situation?
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

We just moved into our new space a month ago and have been approached by a police officer about running a program in our shop. From his explanation this is what I understand of the program: He is a "community" police officer (beat cop) who walks the streets and talks with members of the community on a daily basis. When he encounters youth that need something to do and may need a bike he would tell them to come to us. We would outfit the kids with a bike and work with them to have a better mechanical awareness. There would be no charge for these services. Job Corp has offered 20-30 hours per week of community service "man hours" in the shop. He has met with some Weed And Seed folks who tentatively approved $3,500 to finance the program next year. The money would be used to buy a complete tool kit from a LBS as well as "parts". The bicycles themselves would be obtained via donations and the police impound although I believe the majority of those are adult bikes. He has asked us how much money he needs to set aside in the grant for "us" and for "what". I flat out said I have no idea.... We've never done anything like this before and neither has he so it's a little bit of the blind leading the blind...Here are some of my concerns, hoping you guys could shed some light on the situation for us: 1. We were not planning to open the shop for more than a couple nights a week and 5-10 hours on weekends. He would like the program to be "ongoing" throughout the week. Any time the shop is open kids could stop in as opposed to a designated "kid's bike day" or something. 2. The core members of our group all have day jobs and are not available to supervise the shop until at the very earliest 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, perfect for after school but in the summertime, problematic. 3. Though Job Corp has offered help, it would be untrained help. We would be required to train the individuals to basically become bike mechanics if they were to be able to work independently. There is a serious lack of time for this in terms of us teaching. 4. This would also require giving key access to the shop to people that we have no prior experience in dealing with. Yes, I am inclined to trust a police officer but he will not be physically in the building for much of the time. 5. Even if we were to swing all these things at once, past experience has taught me that children require a significant amount of attention and supervision. My concern is we will often be operating the shop with only 1 or 2 volunteers and if 2 kids come in, no one else will be able to get any assistance. 6. How do we determine the costs of this program? Once the $3,500 grant is used up there will be no more money to operate the program other than what we have saved from regular shop customers. 7. How do we ask for money in the grant to assist with rent, electric, purchase of new tools etc? The program would require substantially more volunteer hours and the shop being open much longer hours that we had planned at this time. I won't ask any more of you guys though I could go on and on. We have to sit down with him and work out the details so if anyone has suggestions, comments or comparisons to programs you have run or witnessed please share them with us and the rest of the bike collective community! Brian -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone - 302-654-5304 Visit online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Recall: commercial/non-commercial hybrids
by Caroline Samponaro 17 Dec '07

17 Dec '07

Caroline Samponaro would like to recall the message, "[TheThinkTank] commercial/non-commercial hybrids".

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Bike tools for collective in France
by Cascadian Fox 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

Hello All, I just joined the list and was wondering where I could buy some bike tools before I head back to France (where they are super expensive). The two sites I have found so far are: likebike.com and www.biketoolsetc.com However neither of them had every tool i needed in stock (either the 30/32 mm headset wrenches or a 15mm crank bolt wrench). So I would like to check out a few other places. I am a bit pressed for time cause I am leaving in a little over a week. I already purchased a park tool kit, the one for about 250. But I still want to get some things that I'll need that were missing, like some headset wrenches and certain freewheel tools. The bicycle collective here houses a free bike workshop in a squatted garage in Lyon France. It has been operational since jan 07. All used parts and workshop time are free. We serve not only the activist/squatter community but the entire community at large. We really only deal with older bikes as everything that we get is recycled or donated bikes. So there are a lot of wierd free wheels and things of that nature (those cotter pins things on the pedals). We also specialize in making cargo trikes, bike carts , and tall bikes as we have a welder. So yea, if anyone has any leads on some good online tool retailers please let me know. go bikes, Fox ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Potential Bike Co-op in Nepal - ! ?
by bike against 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Julian Beldotti <badassbeldotti(a)gmail.com> Date: Dec 11, 2007 6:19 PM Subject: Maybe we can fundraise? To: coordinator(a)fcbikecoop.org * Good morning, from Kathmandu! I know this is sort of a bizarre request, but I'm looking for any help I can get. My name is Tom Martin, I'm an American living in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. I moved out here after college to see what the wide world had to offer, and as you can imagine, the differences in culture are nothing short of overwhelming. Nepal is the ninth poorest nation in the world, owing largely to the fact that there is a very small skilled workforce. That's why I'm contacting you today; I'm starting the process of investigating options for opening a volunteer bike cooperative here. I worked at two separate co-ops in the US, one in New Brunswick, NJ (http://www.nbbikelibrary.org) and one in New Orleans (http://www.rubarbike.org), where I gained a few years of experience as a mechanic and non-profit organizer. I've also worked professionally as a mechanic, and I hope to be one of the volunteer mechanics when we get Bikes for Nepal off the ground. I need help with bikes, tools, volunteers, anything. I know you are not in the position to throw resources around, but maybe you could help me come up with ideas. I'm writing to every co-op I've been to, and hopefully we'll come up with some way to raise money or collect parts/bikes/tools for a co-op out here, which will train Nepali people for life-long careers and ensure many people have affordable transportation. Additionally, an English-speaking workshop allows those who choose to participate in invaluable training in the world's largest business language. This is an excellent opportunity for grant writers and students looking to study abroad as well, I should add. I will be seeking NGO status here, another project with which I could use help. However, this would mean that any donations are potentially tax-deductible. Contact me for more specific details, or if you can give advice for organizing NGO/iNGOs. Of course, my qualifications and references are available before making any sort of commitment. Feel free to circulate this email widely. Get back to me if you have any ideas. Thanks! Tom Martin +977 980 349 3788

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Wal-Mart Introduces Full Service Bicycle Department
by Jonathan Morrison 13 Dec '07

13 Dec '07

http://www.theroadbike.com/2007/11/08/wal-mart-introduces-full-service-bicy… -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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I own the building Time's Up has been operating from in NYC for the last 4 years
by Steve Stollman 09 Dec '07

09 Dec '07

Now that it has been sold, I want to keep helping nurture engaged environmental activism by buying not expensive properties and offering options to buy them from me, in a couple of years, to bike stores and community bike operations that want to locate there. This is what I have been putting out on my website www.LightWheels.com and distributed at BikeBike in Pittsburgh. I only have about three months to find these properties and make the other arrangements, which is not a real long time. I am looking for feedback on this . Also take a look at www.LocalExpression.com at the UpsideDowntown News, which I wrote and assembled about a year ago, as well. Here is some material relating to the community bike movement followed by a proposal relating to finding good hq's. Sharing Bikes etc. Handlebars and pedals make bikes into three-dimensional objects. If these protrusions can be flattened to the body of the bike when not in use, the vehicle is about 6” wide and much easier to both store and transport in the close company of other people. Current technology permits this modification to be performed safely and conveniently. To minimize space needed, there could be a large number of somewhat-identical bikes using variations of this simple design, with adjustable seat heights, to keep initial costs low while providing for the fastest and widest proliferation. At most times, these sturdy bikes will be fine. Buying a shipload will reduce their cost to such a low figure that a few months of advertisements, removable after all costs are covered, could finance the entire exercise. Ads for one month a year or less could finance ongoing top-level maintenance. If properly designed they can be free to use and possibly not need to be locked at special locations as current systems usually demand. http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com. Permanent sidewalk or vehicle defacement by ads touting the same corporate culture of over-consumption that got us in this mess is not necessary. We cannot afford to allow the bottom-line calculus of Clear Channel and the other billboard-industry giants, to decide for us how we share our bikes. Across this country, before this massive invasion of profit-driven, probably sub-standard systems take hold, Community-based bike collectives and other people-friendly individuals and organizations, including some local bike businesses, must begin to assume these responsibilities. This will not destroy the existing bike business, because shops can help create, maintain and upgrade the fleet continuously. Many people will want their own machine regardless, and far more people will be riding all the time. When seas rise so do boats. Paris today is a good example. A second system needs to be established, designed and built, which is comprised of unconventional vehicles, multi-passenger, weather-protected, electric-motor assisted, art-inspired and plain fun. Access to this fleet would need to be restricted and require credit-card id, GPS location devices, special maintenance and a fee-system to help pay for it. Some support should come from the government since it will provide many benefits to the public as a whole, the way other publicly-accessible transit systems ordinarily do. Self-support is ideal and achievable. This could enable a much more creative and adventurous effort than one sponsored by a corporation or government. It is also being suggested that all this be done in tandem with a local-neighborhood based, ambitious and creative system, for sharing rides and vehicles of all kinds. This facility can also accept tax-deductible contributions, some as valuable as cars etc., and generate income from the small fees earned for expediting these much needed various transportation-related companion efforts to reduce traffic. Anchored by a robust and growing community bike effort, a strong framework for positive change can be constructed. If a substantial decrease in the number of cars on the road is achieved this will also help in the improvement of roadway safety for cyclists and others. The soonest path to the safest, highest quality, most diverse, appropriate and convenient system, with the least expensive continuous operating costs, that also rocks, is the goal. The proliferation of these new forms of transport will also require the taming of our highways back into the streets that they were intended to be. We must demand civility and respect from large and dangerous Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)-Age vehicles, and the complete eradication of any lingering people-unfriendly behavior. The reward for this change will be an historic flowering of enjoyable, human-scale, responsible and healthful transportation in our cities and towns. Bikes and Property I want to invest my profit from selling a property in Manhattan to help enable 10 bike shops to establish themselves in their own spaces. Each will each be given an option to buy the space they are renting after a few years, to enable them to grow more rapidly and to own and benefit directly from the improvements they make to their properties and businesses. In some cases this would involve buying existing locations, in others it would mean finding a great local building for sale at a good price in a good location. (As each group is able to purchase its building, the money paid is made available to another group in another state so that they may be able to purchase a building etc.. If this property investment methodology helps in bringing forth better means for bike store owners to control their own futures and expand their businesses, others may decide to invest this way as well. As mortgage credit tightens, the strength of this industry, in the face of $3+ gas and frightening obesity and diabetes rates, could entitle it to an alternate form of investment capital. There are many people today on every stratum of society who are starting to come to terms with the damage being done to a seemingly robust, but actually dangerously fragile, ecosystem. The central role of inappropriate transportation is conspicuous in that picture. They want their kids to be healthy, have a future and love them and they want to have a cleaner conscience. At the same time they want their investments to be sound financially. A program such as this could satisfy all of their needs, while giving bike stores some valuable additional leverage against overly-aggressive landlords, and a better shot at economic justice and self-determination. It is also my intention to use this opportunity to help gain more visibility through these stores for hybrid human-powered/electric-assisted vehicles, including safe, road-worthy and weather-protected wheelchairs. In an aging population, many stores may find this to be one of the most high-growth elements of their businesses and one of the most gratifying. Meanwhile re-defining cycling as basic transportation, not just a pleasurable, recreational activity, will help drive the infrastructure improvements that we so badly need. These upgrades, a flood of new and more utilitarian machines, and the dramatic increases in bicycle and other lightweight vehicle use that they will trigger, will finally begin to bring this vital activity its due respect.

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bicycle project in rwanda .. need your input
by rachael spiewak 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

hi, everyone. thanks so much for your input on the last thread.. i got a lot out of it. this time i've got questions about doing projects in africa. i've been asked to come along as a consultant on a project designed to train five local people to be HIV case workers in a place near Kigali, Rwanda ( www.jcause.org). the folks there say that in order to do their work, they need bicycles. that's where i come in. my job is to get bicycles while we're over there, help fix them up, teach bike repair, etc. i also have to get messenger bags or backpacks so they can haul around meds and paper work, patch kits, multitools, and other on-the-road repair items. it would also be good if there was a repair shop, or at least a set of basic tools. i know that working bikes, david peckham/village bicycle project, and others do big bike distribution projects in places around africa, so i intend to make those connections. but i thought i would check to see if there's any other knowledge among the collective that y'all could share with me... especially contacts with companies who might part with a relatively small in kind donation, things i ought to bring, and tales of adventure. thanks! -- Rachael Spiewak, MSW Executive Director Sopo Bicycle Cooperative www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues/Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat/Sun 2 pm - 5 pm

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One Street Spotlights Ethics to Increase Bicycling
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 04 Dec '07

04 Dec '07

Hi All, Wanted to let you know about a new organization to promote/support bike orgs..."One Street" was founded by Sue Knaup, former ED of the Thunderhead Alliance, details are in the press release below. Those of you involved in the "someone's in charge" vs. "err'body pulls their own weight (we hope)" debate might find some interesting ideas in the Ethics and Management sections on the left portion of their website<http://www.onestreet.org/resources_increase_bike.html> . Brian UBP ** * One Street Spotlights Ethics to Increase Bicycling* * * Prescott, Arizona* – *December 3, 2007 – Embracing ethics as the means for increasing bicycling around the world, a new international organization is cultivating novel ground for the bicycle advocacy movement. Each of One Street's founders has seen organizations of all types hobbled by unethical behavior. They formed One Street on the principle that if organizations working to increase bicycling can break the suction of this tendency, the bicycle advocacy movement will finally leap ahead into the mainstream. Through One Street's on-call support and web site, leaders learn how to present bicycling as a top solution for climate change, health crises, oil wars and deadly street designs that threaten people around the world. Ethical management is blended with coaching and resources for campaign planning and communications. These basic services are free to any leader of any organization working to increase bicycling – non-profit, for-profit, government, local, state, national and international. One Street's web site www.onestreet.org offers free resources on ethics and management as well as common bicycling issues. One Street's unique angle is already attracting attention as leaders of organizations large and small contact Sue Knaup, One Street's Executive Director. "My favorite part of the job is helping leaders through the often confusing maze we all encounter as we strive to increase bicycling," Knaup said. "Personality clashes and power struggles hit devoted leaders hard and distract them from their mission. At One Street, our quirky claim to fame is that we understand these tendencies and how to overcome them." While One Street's basic services are free, they rely on donations from their Supporters to keep the doors open and phone lines paid. Supporters can then tap into One Street's higher level programs that include an international listserv, forums on specialized subjects and other networking opportunities for connecting with leaders around the world who are increasing bicycling. Supporters also receive prominent recognition on One Street's web site and other promotional materials. And Supporters can create their own special projects with One Street for increasing bicycling. One Street's name suggests that all streets are connected and thus our actions affect and can help others around the world. This kindness and responsibility are inherent in all of One Street's generous Supporter organizations including: Fuji Bicycles, ADFC of Germany, Arizona Internet Marketing, Ironclad Bicycles, as well as individuals. *For more information, please contact Sue Knaup, Executive Director: 928-541-9841, sue(a)onestreet.org * # # # -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone - 302-654-5304 Visit online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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1023 form "description of narrative activities"
by allison karow 01 Dec '07

01 Dec '07

hi all! this is allison from tempe arizona.. it is taking me a while to fill out my 1023 non-profit IRS paperwork (as expected) and i was wondering if anyone has a copy of their attachments to the form. especially the first one where you have to describe your past, present and future activities. i'm just not sure how in-depth to go. on the other hand, if no one has a copy i will certainly post mine after it gets accepted (or rejected!) thanks! al

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 15, Issue 17
by Tom Emm 01 Dec '07

01 Dec '07

Pat, look at this liability form you might like it. Tom thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org wrote: 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.… 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: Waivers of Liability (Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:10:43 -0500 From: "Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc." Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Waivers of Liability To: "The Think Tank" Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" I have uploaded our 2 forms, for adults and minors. You will need to fill in your information. The files are Microsoft Word Documents but can be edited using OpenOffice which is free. http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Release_of_Liability_Fo… Brian On Nov 29, 2007 1:07 PM, Jonathan Morrison wrote: > > http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Release_of_Liability_Fo… > > On Nov 27, 2007 11:42 AM, maintenence collective > wrote: > > > > > Wondering if you ever got those copies of the waiver up? We're opening > > our shop here in portland this saturday and want to have one for members to > > sign. Also, wondering how many shops have liability insurance? We were told > > that sometimes its more dangerous to have, because you'll be more likely to > > be sued if you have assetts to sue for. With no insurance, we have no money > > to give... > > comments? > > -A @Bikefarm > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone - 302-654-5304 Visit online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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Waivers of Liability
by plan_9＠riseup.net 30 Nov '07

30 Nov '07

Hey, We just had our first news story done and we are swamped with donated bikes, before we are even done doing the shop fit-up. In addition to this, our local police dept. has donated 200 bikes that they want picked up this weekend. In order to process this many bikes to fit in our smallish space, we need to break most of them down, recycle the junk, and get organized fast. We will be asking the community as a whole to come help us tear these bikes down over the weekend and need to make sure we are covered legally from anything happening in the shop. In addition to getting our insurance squared away, we would like to have a liability waiver to sign, maybe in conjunction with our work-trade sheets that every volunteer fills out to account for hours. Does anyone have a good liability waiver that they wouldn't mind posting to the wiki or emailing me a copy of? We don't really have time to find a lawyer before we need the waiver. Thanks, Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop

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Coaster Brake Hub Overhaul
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 27 Nov '07

27 Nov '07

The coaster brake hub has the following parts from the drive side to the brake arm side for Suntour and Bendix hubs. When you are trying to put the hub back together this is the order you will need to follow. Axle, Axle nut Washer Lock nut (Thin) Adjusting cone 1" ball bearing retainer with 1/4 inch balls Driver with retaining ring, cog and some have dust caps 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer with 1/4 inch balls Hub shell Clutch ( Usually made of three parts, one being a spring) Brake pads (Some have clutch pads and brake pads) Stationary expander 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer with 1/4 inch balls Dust cap Brake arm Keyed (With chain stay clamp, nut and bolt) Washer Lock nut (Thick) Washer Axle nut Tools needed: Bench Vice, Can be a small 3' Jaw, clamp on vice, or a full size bolted to the table vice. Two cone wrenches to fit the lock nut and adjusting cone, (15 MM and 9/16" or 17 MM are normal) Magnet, Rod or Pen style is nice. Grease (you get to choose the quality you like) Shop rags to remove old grease. Disassembly Procedure The order parts go into the hub shell and the orientation they go into the hub shell are important. Flipping brake pads, bearing retainers, brake arm, hub shell, or adjusting cone can be a really bad thing. As you take parts off the axle, Lift them straight up, and over to a rag, place them in the order you take them off and in the orientation they were on the axle. Do not flip them over in your hand as you put them down on the shop rag. Place a shop rag beside a bench vice. Take off both sets of axle nuts and washers and put them on a rag. One set (nut/washer) in one corner of the rag and one set (nut/washer) on the other corner at the top of the shop rag. Hold the hub so the axle is pointed towards the ceiling and the floor with the brake arm on the bottom side of the hub shell Place the lock nut next to the brake arm in the jaws of the vice, (DO NOT put the axle threads in the jaws) Put the correct cone wrenches on the Lock Nut and the Adjusting Cone. Hold the Adjusting Cone still as you loosen the Lock Nut. put your cone wrenches down. Use your fingers to unscrew the Lock Nut and place it beside the washer on the rag. Use your fingers to unscrew the Adjusting Cone and place it beside the Lock Nut on the rag, Orientation is important. Use the magnetic pen to remove the 1" ball bearing retainer and place it beside the Adjusting Cone on the rag. Orientation is important. Use your fingers to twist the Driver out of the hub shell, place it beside the Ball Bearing Retainer on the rag. It may fall on its side. Use the magnetic pen to remove the 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer and place it beside the Driver on the rag. Orientation is important. In the next step the brake pads will fall out the bottom of the hub shell. If you wrap one finger and a thumb below the bottom flange of the hub shell to catch the brake pads as they fall out. Grasp the hub shell and lift it off the axle. Place it on the rag beside the 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer. Orientation is important. Pick the brake pad off the floor and place them on the rag beside the hub shell. ( I knew you would drop them the first time, you will get better at catching them) Remove the Clutch and place it on the rag beside the Brake Pads. Orientation is important, and the Suntour Clutch likes to fall over. If you have a digital camera take a photo of the parts and their orientation before you clean. This is all that you need to remove to rebuild a hub. If you want to disassemble the rest do the next list, if not skip and go to Cleaning Grasp the Brake Arm and twist it counter clock wise. Loosen the bench vice jaws from the lock nut. Use your fingers to remove the lock nut, place it on the rag next to the second set of axle (nut/washer) Remove the Brake arm and place it on the rag beside the Lock Nut. Orientation is important. Remove Dust Cap from Stationary Expander, and place it beside Brake Arm, Orientation is important. Using your fingers unscrew the Stationary Expander Push on both sides of the 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer to pop it off the Stationary Expander. Place the Stationary Expander beside the Dust Cap, Orientation is important. Place the 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer beside the Stationary Expander. Orientation is important. If you have a digital camera take a photo of the parts and their orientation before you clean. Cleaning I prefer to use a rag and no cleaners. If you use a green color bio degreaser it will work a little better if it is warmed up to 120 F. If you use a Yellow citrus degreaser, use gloves and ventilation. The green stuff is a strong detergent and the yellow is an aromatic citrus acid. If I do not use a solvent then I do not have to remove the solvent from the part with a second compound. Detergents remover the citrus and water removes the detergents from your parts. I like to push out all the bearings out of the retainers and replace them with new grade 300 balls. Grade 25 Campagnolo quality bearings would be overkill. I wipe all the grease I can get off the bearing cups/ cones and the threads of the clutch/ driver. There are also new parts washers that use warm detergent if you like to use big tools. Wash with water after to remove the detergent. Place all the parts back on the shop rag in the correct order and orientation. Reassembly If you did not remove the brake arm from the axle then skip the next nine lines. In the correct orientation place the 1 1/4" ball bearing retainer on the Stationary Expander In the correct orientation screw the Stationary Expander about 1 1/2" onto the Axle In the correct orientation place the Dust Cap on the Stationary Expander In the correct orientation place the Brake Arm on the Stationary Expander Place the Washer against the Brake Arm Screw the Lock Nut on the axle up to the washer, Keep the assembly loose so you can adjust it. I use the 1" Ball Bearing Retainer as a measuring tool to determine where the lock nut is supposed to be. I hold the assembly in one hand and twist the Axle in or out of the rest of the loose assembly until one inch is sticking out from the Lock Nut. Check that the Stationary expander is snug against the lock nut. Place the Lock nut into the jaws of the bench vice. Grasp the Brake arm and tighten it clockwise as hard as you hand will allow. No hammering needed. In the correct orientation place the Clutch on the Axle and onto the Stationary Expander, Twist the clutch until it locks into the Stationary Expander. Look at the inside of the brake pads, Bendix pads will have one end smooth and one end with dents in the surface finish. The smooth sides of the brake pads push against the stationary expanders smooth ramps. on the other end of the brake pad will be little dent marks from the rough edges of the Clutch ramps. Grease up the inside of the Hub Shell and the bearing race cups at the end of the Hub Shell. The more the merrier The following is a strange skill I learned form a good teacher. Place the brake pads between the ears of the Stationary Expander. Pinch the pads as far to the bottom of them as you can. Slide the Hub Shell down over the pads. Do not release your fingers and push the shell down, Let the Hub Shell push your fingers out of the way as you slowly push it down. Twist the Hub Shell to make sure it is seated correctly over the lower bearings. No bearing should be visible from the outside. Install the Upper 1 1/4 bearing retainer, Orientation is important. Grease the Driver cup and cone surfaces. Install the Driver into the Hub Shell, twist it into the Clutch. Install the 1" Ball Bearing Retainer into the Driver. Install the Cone, Orientation is important. Install the Lock Nut Using the appropriate Cone Wrenches adjust the cone and lock it into place. Check the hub adjustment to see if it is too tight or too loose. We have been holding races with our students to Disassemble, name all the parts, and reassemble a coaster brake hub. These were hubs cleaned of all their grease and just for such races. The top time so far is 2:36 Two minutes thirty six seconds. Pinching the brake pads is a real trick. Christopher Wallace BicycleEducation(a)aol.com **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

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coaster brakes
by Macho Philipovich 27 Nov '07

27 Nov '07

any shops have coaster brake materials they'd like to share? thanks, macho

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full-timers/directors/project coordinators: how's the job treating you?
by rachael spiewak 27 Nov '07

27 Nov '07

since taking on directing sopo full time, i've come to find that this job is all kinds of intense. wonderful, but exhausting. i'm wondering.. how much if it is me and how much of it is this job? is it unique to community bike shops, or is it like this for other kinds of organizations? or is it more about the organization being a start-up? for the folks in a similar position: what's your day like? hanging in there? thanks! rachael

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tool order
by tom m. 27 Nov '07

27 Nov '07

tips please on how to order tools, I know... go to parktools.com but more detail, exactly what do you do there? _________________________________________________________________ You keep typing, we keep giving. Download Messenger and join the i’m Initiative now. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGLM

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Re: [TheThinkTank] full-timers/directors/project coordinators: how's the job treating you?
by omar 26 Nov '07

26 Nov '07

it seems the "get organized" vs. "more leftist than thou" dynamic plays out at all levels of many community bike projects. when our ed left in 2001, the 4 full time staff members stepped up to manage our organization collectively. by 2005, 3 of the 4 had left because, bottom line, they couldn't work together, and projects had dropped to the point that we'd atrophied to a single community bike shop. now, realizing that shit flows downhill and if someone's going to clean it up they should be recognized for it, we've developed a hierarchy, people have assumed managerial and coordinator roles, and we're once again getting a lot done. there are still folks who complain that there's too much structure and want to make things more egalitarian - funnily enough though, they're also the ones who rarely step up, have a hard time showing up to work their shifts and don't seem to get much done. i love my job. its crazy and stressful some days, constantly challenging, infinitely rewarding and a hell of a lot of fun. -- omar bhimji project manager pedal bike depot p. 604.708.4992

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Bicycle Co-Ops & Zoning?
by Jake Liefer 26 Nov '07

26 Nov '07

Hello, I operate a small bike Co-op in a small, run down town called Beaver Falls, PA. We're looking into purchasing a location and think we've found the perfect spot. It's a former business / house with a three car garage and a large glass storefront area. The only problem is that it's zoned residential even though it used to be a business many years ago. The street is pretty run down, with three of the four 'neighbors' being vacant housing, so I'm not too worried about neighbors complaining about it. I'd like to paint our logo on the garage but I'm afraid that it my draw too much attention from the zoning people. Do any of your co-ops operate in non-commercialy zoned space? Have you had any problems arise because of it? Thanks, Jake

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Tethering Tools - How?
by Rich Points 19 Nov '07

19 Nov '07

We're working with a school who would like to tether a tire pump near the bike parking, We've also thought about tethering tools outside our shop to be used during closed hours. Does anyone have experience with tying tools to cables and this kind of service? Even tethered I'm sure things still get ripped off. If you've done this kind of thing what has been your experience? Peace -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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attempting to rouse enthusiasm...
by Previc, Stephanie T 19 Nov '07

19 Nov '07

hello bicycle lovers, I am attempting to organize a "bike day" here in Gainesville this sunday to get the idea circulating about forming a community bicycle project. earlier attempts have failed--the last, our beloved "kickstand", it seems, because everyone involved was a student, and therefore too transient to commit to the project. I am hoping that this event will capture the attention of people who are a little mroe settled, and who will be able to keep the project running smoothly, even during the times when gainesville dies--winter break and summer vacation. i am hoping that i can get some ideas from you folks for how to introduce this project, as it is currently just a concept for free bike repair (and community building!) rather than an actual thing. i'm not really sure where to start, but i am hoping to draw a crowd and get them excited about the sort of things that inspired me when i attended bike!bike! this year. i would love to hear how you introduced you vision of a community bicycle shop to the people in your city, how you drew volunteers, and what kind of model i can follow now that i am starting completely from scratch and attempting to rebuild this collective. also!! i wanted to put together a take-home zine for everyone who attends, maybe including some vignettes about bicycles, some repair tips, and information on other bicycle projects around the country. if you guys could send a paragraph or two on why your collective is awesome (or if you want to contribute something else to put in this booklet) i think it might shed some light on how incredibly vast and varied this free bicycle repair movement is. thanks so much, stephanie (The Kickstand, Gainesville, Florida)

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incorporation into an existing 501c3?
by andrewsawtelle＠riseup.net 16 Nov '07

16 Nov '07

We here at Recycle-A-Bike (www.recycleabike.org) in Providence, RI have been using space at The Steel Yard (www.thesteelyard.org) for a couple seasons now. They're doing some major renovations and site remediations (they're located on an old metalworking site and there's lots of nasty things in the ground and in the air), so we're moving out of the old space and looking for a new one. The Steel Yard seems really excited about the idea of incorporating us as a full department, along with Ceramics + Glass, Metalworking, Foundry, Jewelry, and some other programs. There's also a site on the space where we could build a standalone shop and storage space from shipping containers. They could be a really good fit for our program, and it would save us a lot of dealing with becoming our own legal entity. I didn't hear any situation that was similar to ours in discussions at Bike!Bike! in August. Most people seem to rent space and just do things on the fly, incorporate as their own 501c3, not-for-profit, or collective, be a startup working under the auspices of an existing organization, or have a fiscal sponsor that's hands off. I think we're different because we've been running for 6 years on our own in various spaces, with pretty much no legal status, and we're thinking about joining up with an existing 501c3. I'd like to know if anyone has some advice for us on things to watch out for, or at least make sure we take into account as we think about whether to incorporate ourselves into The Steel Yard. A couple questions I can think of immediately. 1) Jim Bledsoe of the Bicycle Kitchen mentioned that if you become a 501c3, your assets can't ever be transferred to any other legal entity other than another 501c3. This means that if we decided to become part of the Steel Yard, then split in a few years for some reason, we'd have to become our own 501c3. 2) What does it mean to have a loosely organized collective operating within a 501c3 with an established board/staff structure? Since we're not a legal entity on our own, can we write something into an agreement with them that at least recognizes the collective's existence? None of the Steel Yard's other departments started like ours would; they grew out of people coming to them to start classes and other programs. peace, andrew recycle-a-bike providence, ri

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Liability Insurance
by maintenence collective 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

Hi all, (bikefarm here) I feel like this was brought up before, but we've recently realised that the QBP application requires Liabiliy Insurance... and it'd be a good thing to own... does anyone know where to get it and how much it costs? thanks... Ariel

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so you want to throw a benefit...
by Cuper 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

A growing number of people are offering to do benefits for us. And by "offering to do," I mean a person approaches us with an idea, does all the work and most of the promotion, and turns over share of the glory at the end. I really want to encourage this trend. Every once and a while, we run into a conflict of interest, and have to say "no, thank you." (Alleycats may be fun, but many of our friends object to seeing "Run red lights!" and "Support Neighborhood Bike Works!" on the same flier.) I don't much like turning people down, and want written guidelines I can share with would-be organizers. Sometimes it seems like the goal is to use our name to help promote an event, rather than to have an event which helps us. This is okay, up to a point. It's not a benefit for us, though, if it doesn't raise money /for us/. I'd like to request a minimum donation -- either percent of proceeds, or flat amount of cash -- in order for an organizer to use our name, logo, or otherwise suggest it's a benefit for us. That said, I have no idea what would be appropriate. Ten percent? Fifty percent? A hundred dollars? Does anyone have policies or feedback about these sorts of things? Can you share 'em? jimmie -- -- Neighborhood Bike Works tel: 215.386.0316 3916 Locust Walk fax: 215.386.7288 Philadelphia, PA 19104 www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org Providing opportunities to youth through bicycling. NBw has a listserv! To stay in touch, subscribe to nbw(a)list.purple.com via www.purple.com/list.html.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Parking racks from frames
by Bob Giordano 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

we are making bicycle parking racks from frames. very easy and effective. strip down frame, insert stem into seat tube, turn upside down and slide stem onto a 1" piece of round tubing. space them at about 30". a 90" piece of round steel tubing works great: this allows an inverted bike frame on each end, with a frame at 30" and one at 60". this allows 8 bikes to be parked easily. the round tubing should be about 10" off the ground: this is accomplished either with a bmx frame on each end attached via stem in seat tube, or even simpler- bmx handlebars and a stem (similar to the bike stand set up that free ride pittsburgh has a picture of on their web). i'll let the list know when we have a picture. we have 6 of these racks, and we loan them out and/or take them to events (by bike trailer because they are so light). i'd imagine we could have them 'for hire.' we a couple of these in front of our shop too. these racks are a use for frames that have been hit by a car, or low-end bikes. you could also leave some parts on the bike, like the bottom bracket- that way, as energy gets more expensive, the parking racks could possibly serve as a part depo. community gardens are a good outlet for these racks too. if security is an issue, a quick weld or grind can make them more secure. -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, 541.7284 3PM-7PM Mon,Tues,Thurs & 11AM-3PM Sat Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406-880-6834

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How To Make A Bike Blender
by Joseph 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has plans on how to make a bike blender. I am having hard time finding this stuff on the internet and figured someone must have a simple design. I plan on building it with youth from our programs over the course of a day and hopefully get to share a milkshake at the end of it all. Any resources you have or could point me to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks -Joe Joseph Parietti Program Coordinator Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St, Seattle, WA 98118 (206) 725-9408, ext. 2 www.bikeworks.org

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shop bike racks, locking tools
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 14 Nov '07

14 Nov '07

Hi All, UBP just moved into our new space! Currently all the bikes are leaning against each other (pedals off, handlebars turned) with no easy way to get ones in the middle out. We have a fairly open floor space and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for building racks that would hold bikes more upright and separate from each other. The channel systems used by bike shops would be great, but of course we'd rather build something with existing resources and without spending a lot of cash. We don't have much room for hanging bikes, but will be putting up some kind of cable system like Free Ride has for wheels. Another quick question. We are in a shared space situation and are trying to figure out what tools to secure and how. We have been thinking about putting latches on an old fridge and using that to keep valuables. In your experience what type of stuff would walk out of your shop if it wasn't bolted down or locked up? Looking for any and all ideas... Thanks! Brian -- Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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sopo wins grant from fund for southern communities
by rachael spiewak 14 Nov '07

14 Nov '07

hi, friends. just wanted to share the fabulous news that we scored a grant from the fund for southern communities <http://www.fundforsouth.org>. we appear to be in good company <http://fundforsouth.org/new/grants/grants2007_2008.htm>. i'm going to upload our application to the wiki later so folks can make use of it. hooray for community bike shops! -rachael

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design specs for steel cable wheel rack?
by Durham Bike Co-op 09 Nov '07

09 Nov '07

Hey Free Ride + anyone else who has done something like this: we're also thinking about installing a cable (+ hooks + spacers) kinda thing for wheel storage, as on the "shop organization" part of the wiki. So: I was wondering if there were any suggestions out there about what type of wire is appropriate; what hardware (ends, anchors, assemblies etc.) to use and how to use them. We'll be going into either brick or wood joists to anchor it, depending on how we lay it out. Thanks. peace, Colin. -- Durham Bike Co-op 723 N. Mangum St. Durham, NC 27701 www.durhambikecoop.org

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BICAS Hiring Community Mechanic / Collective Member
by Ellie Kaszniak 08 Nov '07

08 Nov '07

BICAS, a collectively run non-profit BICYCLE recycling and education center is seeking a part time Staff Collective Member, $7.85/hr. Job Description: assist customers, help with classes, build bikes, coordinate volunteers, etc. Personable and comfortable greeting customers, strong mechanical skills encouraged, bilingual a plus, interest or experience in teaching classes or grant writing/organizational work a plus. Diversity of age, gender, ethnicity encouraged. Accepting applications until November 23rd. Contact bicasunderground(a)yahoo.com or 44 W. 6th St (drop in or mail) for resumes, #628-7950 or e-mail for questions. www.bicas.org. TUCSON, ARIZONA P.S. I tried posting this directly on the bike collectives website but was not able to submit the form... same thing happened a few months ago and someone helped us get it on there. If anyone is able to do that again, it would be hugely appreciated, or just pass this on to anyone that might have interest. Thanks _________________________________________________________________ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmail…

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Bike Intake Sheet
by Austin Amos 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

I have my first bike donation pickups scheduled for this weekend. I posted an ad in a local weekly trader paper for junk bike pickup service. I plan to repair / service the bikes and off them to the community to test the waters on the bike collective concept. Other members have advised me to get a signature / driver's licence number from the person making the donation of the bike(s). Does anyone have a template form available in Word .doc or .PDF format that I can use as a Bike Intake Sheet. I would almost like something with some legal verbage on it. I plan to provide a copy to my city police for them to research the serial numbers for theft. Additionally I feel that once I achieve 503 C non-profit status I can contact the past groups of donors about their donation values. I also appreciate any additional tips you can provide. Thanks again, Austin Amos

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Craigslist Postings - tires (The Bike Cave - San Marcos, Texas)
by Taylor 31 Oct '07

31 Oct '07

>> recycled as metal scrap (and now that our local MEC store takes our >> dead tires for recycling our garbage now is mainly old seats and >> other plastic bits). >> > > that's a question for you guys... what do you do with your old dry rotted tires? We can't find anyone that will take them in baltimore. I found one place that would charge a dollar a pound to recycle them, obviously not an option for us....... Any ideas about who to talk to and what to do with them if not? The only reuse idea I've had is to make potts out of them which would be time consuming, and only use afew...... Beth Velocipede Bike Project Baltimore, MD RE"CYCLING" , etc. Hello Beth and others, Our ethos at our shop is to recycle EVERYTHING! So besides the usuals, glass, cans, paper and cardboard we make an effort to separate and recycle aluminum (unusable walmart frames) and steel (most bolts, etc.) and patch all our tubes (gives mundane but fun work for those volunteers who dont know much about fixing bikes but want to help the shop, we also have the occasional "tubular tuesday" were we all sit down with a beer and patch tubes like crazy) and give them away for free. I also started to make wind chimes out of used, unusable chainrings, short cables, stems and bent handlebars (aluminum = better sound). They aren't the best sounding windchimes, but they are damn cool and use 100% recycled parts. Try it out and send me a picture if it works! Tires: An idea I had to use the extra tires we discard is to keep them, shred them (something like a wood chipper) then make them into floor mats. I would like to think a good glaze glue would do the trick, but I HAVE NOT tried this out yet (we are super busy, just like every other community bike shop). Its not much help, but its an idea! I will test this theory out and try it soon, if someone beats me to it, let me know! Taylor taylorpow(a)gmail.com www.thebikecave.org

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do you have an internship program? details please!
by rachael spiewak 31 Oct '07

31 Oct '07

Hi, friends. Sopo just got its first intern, an 11th grader with an anti-authoritarian outlook who's ready to learn how to alter power structures (his words, I swear!). We're all kinds of thrilled about creating a radical internship program for him, and we want him to get the most out of the experience. I'm working on the structure end of things. His school didn't supply us with any parameters (the idea is to spend time at some nonprofit of your choice and write a few review papers). I'm wondering: - if you offer internships at your shop, what kind of structure do you use? - if you have experience with radical internships, can you share a little bit about that with us? Thanks! rachael

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Youth EAB program documentation
by Edward France 31 Oct '07

31 Oct '07

Hey Friends, We in Santa Barbara are already in over our head with our youth program, which is part 'trips for kids' style and part youth Earn-A-Bike. We're trying to write out a program guideline for our instructors (and funders?) and would super duper appreciate any program materials (like word docs or pdf's) from you' alls programs. I know there has already been a lot of good discussion on the think tank, and more documentation -especially formal documents- will help even more. One example of what we're looking for is the SLCBC EAB application : http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=SLCBC_Earn-a-Bike_Grant… Any others for us to contrast, compare, and cannibalize? best, Ed France BiciCentro.org

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Craigslist Postings
by Rich Points 30 Oct '07

30 Oct '07

Hey All, Craigs has been a great way to clear the showroom when it's overstocked or you need to raise some quick cash. I just posted a couple of our bikes on Craigslist and thought I'd share it with you. Please have a look at it and respond with your comments. How is your collective using Craigs? http://denver.craigslist.org/bik/459346784.html -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Fwd: Bike Collective Resources and Association: Free Ride on satellite tv
by Jonathan Morrison 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

FYI ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Z Wetmore <john(a)pedestrians.org> Date: Oct 27, 2007 1:10 AM Subject: Bike Collective Resources and Association: Free Ride on satellite tv To: jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org This is an enquiry e-mail via http://www.bikecollectives.org from: John Z Wetmore <john(a)pedestrians.org> Tuesday, October 30, The Universityhouse Channel will show Episode 134 of "Perils For Pedestrians". Contents of Episode 134 (2007): --We talk with the head of Bike Pittsburgh; --We learn about Friends of the Riverfront; --Free Ride recycles abandoned bicycles; --The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission looks at transportation issues; --A study at Carnegie Mellon University examines the history of pedestrian crashes. DISH Network Channel 9411 -- The Universityhouse Channel Tuesday -- 9:30 PM Eastern, 6:30 Pacific Episode 134 is also available on Google Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4134265547136887723 Note: Public access cable channels are showing different episodes than DISH Network. Thank you. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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getting and keeping kids in the shop
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

at Community Cycles in boulder, we're trying to nail down a formula for the kid's program(s) that works well with our facilitators, as well as our kids. we want to be flexible enough to address different learning styles, experience levels, languages, etc. we're getting better at this, as we gain experience with planning, execution, etc. one issue we were facing a while ago is that kids would join the Earn-a-bike program just for the bike. they had no interest in helping around the shop, contributing to the community of the place, etc. once they got their bike, and finished their hourwise commitment to the program, they were gone. we'd never see them again. there were some kids who we felt really got it, with regards to the bike culture/attitude we were trying to foster in our shop, our neighborhood, etc. those kids we miss the most, since they have so much potential to keep on giving, teaching other kids, staying on a bike when all the other kids are starting to drive, etc... anyway, we seem to have done something right. now we have kids who are done with their hours at the EAB program, and want to hang out in the shop. we're loathe to send them away, but what to do with them? some have brought some friends, so we've tried getting them to mentor their friend, and strip bikes, etc...we'd like to do more, and are struggling to come up with things for the more experienced/motivated kids to do while we focus on those not so experienced. the time we have set aside for kids night is kids and parents only, so it's not like we have to take time away from grownups--who, strangely, often have less patience when their question won't be answered until the kids' issue is sorted out. We'd still like to give the kids what they want, and keep our sanity. any ideas? anyone else facing similar problems? what did/do you do? i heard someone from our shop say they talked to a bunch of people at bikebike! and no one else had a model close to ours, so i'm not sure if we're the only ones dealing with this or not... thanks, and have a great weekend everyone! josh.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Craigslist Postings
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

In a message dated 10/26/2007 1:06:11 P.M. Central Daylight Time, youractionsdefineyou(a)gmail.com writes: speculators would descend on our project and buy up all the decent stuff Now how could speculators buy parts you do not put on Craigs list. If you only list basic and medium quality stuff, you can stave off the speculators. Or you could price nice stuff appropriately! People who volunteer can earn the nicer stuff or work and pay a lessor rate for nice stuff. Win win win ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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Re: [TheThinkTank] wanted: good schrader head for floor pumps
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

Which two sided head are you using. I have been using the Topeak at many shops around the country. The nice thing is that you can order parts for it if you do break off the Schrader depressor you can fix it. They have one kit that contains multiple parts for all the pumps they manufacture. If you have a great pump Topeak makes a hose kit that has seven adaptors for pump bases. I am not impressed with their smart head but the two sided head has be great. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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IRS Workshop
by Jonathan Morrison 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

http://www.irsworkshops.eventsdesigner.com/ I will be attending the one in Salt Lake City, I will try to take good notes and post what I learned on the wiki. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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Wanted: Park Tool HCW-11
by Jonathan Morrison 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

We are looking for this tool if anyone knows where we can find one... http://biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=8061721832&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Bottom-… -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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Bike Collective Demographics
by Austin Amos 25 Oct '07

25 Oct '07

Is there such a thing as a listing of Demographics available for Bike Collectives. I am trying to start one in a small city / rural area in West Virginia. I am trying to understand what characteristics I should focus my research on to tell if my are will support a bike collective. I look forward to reading your reply. Thanks again, Austin Amos

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Re: [TheThinkTank] HELP! non-profit/insurance questions
by Jessica McPherson 24 Oct '07

24 Oct '07

There are a lot of good reasons for getting 501c3 status. However, I think that there is a general assumption that it is the only possible option, and some healthy questioning of that might be a good thing. At a minimum I think people should make sure they fully understand what it will mean, and what other possibilities exist. The "giving things" point is a good one. If you have no legal identity, some people will feel uncomfortable giving you stuff or money, because the only thing stopping that stuff from going directly into the pockets of the people involved is the idea that a group exists (no laws, no requirement for standard accounting practices intended to keep everyone on the level, etc.). And if you are in the market for grants, many granting agencies won't give you anything if you don't have a legal identity of some sort. Some only give to 501c3 also. That said - there are other ways to gain a legal identity than 501c3 status. And you can get insurance with any of them, which takes care of the "protection from being sued" issue. You can be a not for profit business, or a straight up business corporation (there are a couple of ways to do that, I don't know much about it). In some states it is also possible to incorporate as a collective. These do not have the tax advantages of 501c3 status gives your group and people that give to it. They do not have as many restrictions on your activity or quite as close scrutiny of your accounting (but it would be mistaken to believe you can entirely avoid accounting work by being a business rather than a non-profit, many of the standards are the same). Pittsburgh's radical bookstore decided to go one of these routes, even though they are non-profit and all volunteer. (www.bigideapgh.org) The main point that I learned at Bike!Bike! is that once you put assets in the name of a non-profit, they can't be taken out. They can only be given to other non-profits. If at some point in the future you want to do something that doesn't fully fit with what's allowed for non-profits, you can't use the money (or building, or other assets) you made as a non-profit to help you. So - I don't fully know what non-profits are and aren't allowed to do. There are restrictions on political activity and commercial activity. I'd find that out, and make sure that what you want to do with your group can fit within those restrictions. A half-way step you can take is to get a fiscal sponsorship relationship with an existing non-profit. You don't have to do as much paperwork, they help you figure out what's going on, but you have the tax and legal advantages of 501c3 status. However, as far as your assets are concerned you are still putting them in the name of a 501c3 entity, so if you leave, you can only keep them if you become your own 501c3. Anyway, that's what I know, which I feel is not enough. -Jessica ----- Original Message ---- From: Jonathan Morrison <jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 12:31:04 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] HELP! non-profit/insurance questions 1) At Bike!Bike! I was shocked by how many organizations didn't have their 501(c)(3) status yet. Plenty of organizations do not get it right away. However, I would say that as much as dealing with the IRS can suck (it actually isn't that bad) becoming an official non-profit is worth it because it makes it easy and quick for everyone to give you things -- money, bikes, tools, compressors, space, grants, you name it. In Salt Lake we were a 501(c)(3) on paper before we touched a single bike or tool. Thinking back, non getting that status would have been like trying to ride a bike cross-country sans the tires. Sure you could do it, but why would you want to? It was nice that we could just enjoy the ride, instead of worrying about every little pebble. 2) I would agree with Mario, just because you don't hear about it, doesn't mean that settlements aren't going on all the time. Besides, Murphy's Law clearly states that you will get sued right after you make a conscience decision to decline insurance. In that case, the individuals behind your organization could be stripped of anything of value and the organization will no longer exist. -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org On 10/23/07, Mario Bruzzone <mario.bruzzone(a)gmail.com > wrote:Danny, as far as #2 for legitimate shops, yes, and it has happened with fair regularity. The most prominent example I can think of is the (failed) lawsuit against Walmart a year or two ago--even though the bikes in Walmart are often critically defective. Off the top of my head, there was also a rider who sued a shop in Santa Fe for a quick-release issue. Mostly, though, these lawsuits never make the news because they don't make it to trial. Best, Mario Bruzzone Bike Kitchen San Francisco On 10/23/07, danny wood rocknroll lazer <abortone(a)graffiti.net> wrote: i am a collective member of Krank It Up! in tallahassee, florida, and we're negotiating some possibly big (and possibly very rash and uninformed) changes. i have some questions for the listserve- 1) are there any other collective/community bike shops that have ever decided against going official nonprofit 501c3, or decided to put it off? 2) have there EVER been ANY community bike shops that have ever been sued by an injured cyclist or their family/insurance company, perhaps for allowing people to build janky bikes? has anyone ever heard of any bike shop at all (even traditional, for-profit ones) being sued for a customer getting hurt while out riding? my guess is that the answer to 2 is no; my hope is that the answer to 1 is yes. thanks! -danny = $60 Off at Overstock.com Get your free Overstock discounts only at CouponShare. http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=f27beb132a3d1ffc4b6dd33… -- Powered By Outblaze _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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HELP! non-profit/insurance questions
by danny wood rocknroll lazer 24 Oct '07

24 Oct '07

i am a collective member of Krank It Up! in tallahassee, florida, and we're negotiating some possibly big (and possibly very rash and uninformed) changes. i have some questions for the listserve- 1) are there any other collective/community bike shops that have ever decided against going official nonprofit 501c3, or decided to put it off? 2) have there EVER been ANY community bike shops that have ever been sued by an injured cyclist or their family/insurance company, perhaps for allowing people to build janky bikes? has anyone ever heard of any bike shop at all (even traditional, for-profit ones) being sued for a customer getting hurt while out riding? my guess is that the answer to 2 is no; my hope is that the answer to 1 is yes. thanks! -danny = $60 Off at Overstock.com Get your free Overstock discounts only at CouponShare. http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=f27beb132a3d1ffc4b6dd33… -- Powered By Outblaze

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grant proposals
by lance ayer 23 Oct '07

23 Oct '07

Greetings all, We are in the midst of starting up a new bike coop here in Calgary. So far it is going very well, but the next task of putting together a business proposal is proving to be quite a task given our short deadline for funding and other grants. Could someone point me in the direction of some resources which could help us out in this regard? Or if any coops have copies of their own proposals available I would be most greatful if they could be sent my way. Cheers, Lance Ayer Campus Bike Initiative, Calgary

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Online Donations
by Jay Varner 22 Oct '07

22 Oct '07

For all you 501(c)3's who use PayPal for online donations, you should look at Google Checkout http://checkout.google.com/seller/npo/ It's free for a while (like till '09) and their current rates are less than PayPal's. Enjoy, Jay

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confusion about fees
by maintenence collective 22 Oct '07

22 Oct '07

Yo, so on the bike collective wiki it says this: There is one time *$500* fee when applying and applications can take up to five months before getting a response. The IRS seems to find something wrong with everyone's application, so don't be offended. After submiting your corrections/explanations you will receive your Employee Identification Number (EIN)<http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Employee_Identification…>number. and then it says this: Estimated revenue of $10,000 or more per year, the fee to file te forms to the IRS is $750 any less and the fee is *$300. * *Are we expected to pay $500 or $300?* *the forms say nothing about a $500 fee, and my lawyer seems not to want to tell me which it is... any insight? thanks, we've finally finished our forms and are filing this week. * *:-)*

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Re: [TheThinkTank] collectives in Fl?
by danny wood rocknroll lazer 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

there are bike collectives in tallahassee (here), gainesville, and sarasota, at least. but florida is a big fucking state, and all of those are really really far away from miami. > > > hi there, > Wondering if there's a bike collective in Miami, or Ft Lauderdale Fl... i > know its hot and muggy, but I'll be there next month... > thanks, > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > = Steel and Aluminum Gutters in 70 Colors RDCA provides commercial steel, aluminum and copper Gutters (5-10" wide), downspouts up to 50 feet long, and elbows. In addition, RDCA sells gutter and roof panel machines. http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=2ded1b85a9db4f06d40aa34… -- Powered By Outblaze

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where in the world are the co-ops?
by rachael spiewak 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

for anyone trying to locate a co-op, check the bicycle organization organization project <http://www.bikecollectives.org/content/view/13/27/>and its companion google map <http://sopobikes.org/community/>. both sites indicate where to send updated contact info if you are listed incorrectly. -rachael

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while we're at it...
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

anything happening in vegas? i'll be there in a week, and would love to check out another operation... thanks!

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collectives in Fl?
by Ariel raymon 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

hi there, Wondering if there's a bike collective in Miami, or Ft Lauderdale Fl... i know its hot and muggy, but I'll be there next month... thanks,

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Indianapolis, Indiana - Bike Collectives?
by Austin Amos 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

I will be visiting Indianapolis, Indiana next month. I would like to know if there are any bike collectives. Please reply. Austin Amos General Manager www.conveyweigh.com Office: 304-201-2354 Mobile: 304-545-6505 Fax: 304-755-3883

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foundation site visit .. protocol and communication?
by rachael spiewak 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

hi, friends. things at sopo have been on the massive up and up since bikebike!, so thanks to y'all for making us take off our training wheels (haha?). anyhow, we've made it to the site visit round in the grant application process for the fund for southern communities <http://www.fundforsouth.org/>. i pitched sopo this way: we're a group of young people, students, and low income folks harmed by an environmental/transportation injustice, and we're organizing to create institutional change by building a community and constituency of people who are making alt. transportation accessible to ourselves and beyond by operating a community bicycle repair shop... which leads into changing material culture and affecting landuse policy. got all that? so the idea is to have a really high turn out during the visit (which is happening during regularly scheduled shop hours), including all of our young folks, and hopefully one of our politician friends. what i'd like to know is.. is there anything special we should do to prepare? am i allowed to post on our email list or on myspace that this is happening? is this the kind of thing you write a press release about? how do i handle communication about it? how do we get the word out in a professional kind of way? thanks! rachael

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Re: [TheThinkTank] selling bikes
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 18 Oct '07

18 Oct '07

Pricing bikes is like pricing anything, If you had a worn out, rusty, hand made Italian bike, or a shiny paint Huffy. As you price you have to know your history of the quality of the frames and the parts, you have to evaluate parts wear, and sadly shiny paint sells for more money than dull or rust. Most consumers are not cycling gurus, they want something that looks good. Give the bike a fair price and stick with that price if you have to repair the bike. Your time is worth is fi you are working on a bike or writing a grant, your time is worth money ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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Bike Bike 2008 Meeting
by wind＠riseup.net 18 Oct '07

18 Oct '07

Hey folks, thanks for responding to the initial email about Bike Bike 2008 organizing! So we are just a year away which gives us enough time to plan an amazing conference/ skillshare/ festival! Thank you to all of you who responded with the best times to meet. We will be meeting on: Sunday October 21 Potluck lunch at 1:00 pm Meeting at 2:00 - 6:00 pm Location TBA I am considering a number of meeting locations in San Francisco right now, the SFBC said we might be able to use their conference room (15th floor!). Station 40 has also tentatively offered a space. There is a show at the Bike Kitchen that night you are all welcome to stay for. Anyone travelling from out of town is welcome to stay at my house the night before and after (Bus Stop House 2332 Fulton St. at Stanyan). Meeting agenda (so far...) What is Bike Bike? Check-ins from this year's conference Where to hold Bike Bike 2008 , town and venue Conference dates Scope of next years conference Who should we recruit to get involved? Other interested community groups Workshops Skillshares What different organizations can bring to this conference Anything else you want to add... I'll email you all when I know the meeting location, call me with any questions or if you have any ideas where to meet. 415 850 1584 or 415 752 0647 Thanx, Justin Valone

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Clear Channel Bike "Share"
by Bikes Not Bombs 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Hello folks, here's just a heads up that Clear Channel, mega- advertising giant, may soon have Boston city contracts and be running a large scale "bike-sharing" fleet with stations, including of course, advertising on all surfaces. These Clear Channel negotiations are very new and are underway in hundreds of cities, maybe yours. (check out http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/) Mayor Bloomberg of NYC went to Paris and checked out their new city- wide bike-rental systems and wants the same in NYC. Hooray to more people using bikes! Hooray to greater interest in addressing the ills of automobile choked cities and environmental foolishness and overconsumption! Boo to "permanent sidewalk or vehicle defacement by ads touting the same corporate culture of over- consumption that got us in this mess" in the first place! (ie: Clear Channel advertising. The quote is taken from Steve Stollman, full text below.) Have you heard about this? Also bike activist Steve Stollman is selling a building in NYC, and wants to reinvest this money in real estate to buy buildings for community bike orgs, maybe yours! (ideally outside of the high- priced cities of NYC and Boston). He would then work to sell these buildings to the bike orgs over an extended period of time so that they eventually own their spaces. I've pasted some text about that in further below. If you're interested you should check in with Steve at SteveStollman(a)LightWHEELS.com -Arik Bikes Not Bombs **************************************************** From www.lightspeed.com, Steve Stollman, NYC **************************************************** Bike-sharing Handlebars and pedals make bikes into three-dimensional objects. If these protrusions can be flattened to the body of the bike when not in use, the vehicle is about 6” wide and much easier to both store and transport in the close company of other people. Current technology permits this modification to be performed safely and conveniently. There would need to be a large number of somewhat-identical bikes using variations of this simple design, with adjustable seat heights, to keep initial costs low while providing for the fastest and widest proliferation. At most times, these sturdy bikes will be fine. Buying a shipload will reduce their cost to such a low figure that a few months of advertisements, removable after all costs are covered, could finance the entire exercise. Ads for one month a year or less could finance ongoing top-level maintenance. If properly designed they can be free to use and possibly not need to be locked at special locations as current systems usually demand. http://bike- sharing.blogspot.com Permanent sidewalk or vehicle defacement by ads touting the same corporate culture of over-consumption that got us in this mess is not necessary. We can not afford to allow the bottom-line calculus of Clear Channel and the other billboard-industry giants, to decide for us how we share our bikes. Across this country, before this massive invasion of profit-driven, probably sub-standard systems take hold, Community-based bike collectives and other people-friendly individuals and organizations, including some local bike businesses, must begin to assume these responsibilities. This will not destroy the existing bike business, because shops can help create, maintain and upgrade the fleet continuously. Many people will want their own machine regardless, and far more people will be riding all the time. When seas rise so do boats. Paris today is a good example. A second system needs to be established, designed and built, which is comprised of unconventional vehicles, multi-passenger, weather- protected, electric-motor assisted, art-inspired and plain fun. Access to this fleet would need to be restricted and require credit- card id, GPS location devices, special maintenance and a fee-system to help pay for it. Some support should come from the government since it will provide many benefits to the public as a whole, the way other publicly-accessible transit systems ordinarily do. Self-support is ideal and achievable. This could enable a much more creative and adventurous effort than one sponsored by a corporation or government. It is also being suggested that all this be done in tandem with a local-neighborhood based, ambitious and creative system, for sharing rides and vehicles of all kinds. This facility can also accept tax- deductible contributions, some as valuable as cars etc., and generate income from the small fees earned for expediting these much needed various transportation-related companion efforts to reduce traffic. Anchored by a robust and growing community bike effort, a strong framework for positive change can be constructed. If a substantial decrease in the number of cars on the road is achieved this will also help in the improvement of roadway safety for cyclists and others. The soonest path to the safest and most appropriate and convenient system with the least expensive continuous operating costs, that also rocks, is the goal. The proliferation of these new forms of transport will also require the taming of our highways back into the streets that they were intended to be. We must demand civility and respect from large and dangerous Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)-Age vehicles, and the complete eradication of their people-unfriendly behavior. The reward for this change will be an historic flowering of enjoyable, human-scale, responsible and healthful transportation in our cities and towns. SteveStollman(a)LightWHEELS.com | 212 431 0600 | 49 East Houston Street NYC 10012 ********* Bikes and Property I want to invest my profit from selling a property in Manhattan to help enable 10 bike shops to establish themselves in their own spaces. Each will each be given an option to buy the space they are renting after a few years, to enable them to grow more rapidly and to own and benefit directly from the improvements they make to their properties and businesses. In some cases this would involve buying existing locations, in others it would mean finding a great local building for sale at a good price in a good location. (As each group is able to purchase its building, the money paid is made available to another group in another state so that they may be able to purchase a building etc... If this property investment methodology helps in bringing forth better means for bike store owners to control their own futures and expand their businesses, others may decide to invest this way as well. As mortgage credit tightens, the strength of this industry, in the face of $3+ gas and frightening obesity and diabetes rates, could entitle it to an alternate form of investment capital. There are many people today on every stratum of society who are starting to come to terms with the damage being done to a seemingly robust, but actually dangerously fragile, ecosystem. The central role of inappropriate transportation is conspicuous in that picture. They want their kids to be healthy, have a future and love them and they want to have a cleaner conscience. At the same time they want their investments to be sound financially. A program such as this could satisfy all of their needs, while giving bike stores some valuable additional leverage against overly-aggressive landlords, and a better shot at economic justice and self-determination. It is also my intention to use this opportunity to help gain more visibility through these stores for hybrid human-powered/electric- assisted vehicles, including safe, road-worthy and weather-protected wheelchairs. In an aging population, many stores may find this to be one of the most high-growth elements of their businesses and one of the most gratifying. Meanwhile re-defining cycling as basic transportation, not just a pleasurable, recreational activity, will help drive the infrastructure improvements that we so badly need. These upgrades, a flood of new and more utilitarian machines, and the dramatic increases in bicycle and other lightweight vehicle use that they will trigger, will finally begin to bring this vital activity its due respect.

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remove/unsubscribe
by Tom Emm 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

remove/ unsubscribe --------------------------------- Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

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meeting ettiquite
by Ariel raymon 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Hey all, wondering if anyone has had to deal with drinking casually at collective meetings, and has a good policy for how to set limits without ostrasizing people and looking like a tightass. Let us know, thanks, Ariel @ bikefarm

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needed: Movies about your shop.
by Andalusia Knoll 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Hello bike lovers, So this is a little last minute but Times-Up in NYC is having an event/movie night about bike bike! and the bike collective network. It would be great to show all the little news blips, mini documentaries, arty bike shop movies that have been made about your shop. Kinda like what we did the friday night at bike bike under that wonderful bridge. The only problem is that this whole event is really last minute and is taking place on Thursday. Perhaps people have these videos on youtube or some other online viewable format and can send me the links and then we can show them. Thanks, Andalusia

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sexual harassment policy?
by Jessica McPherson 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Hey folks, Does anyone have a sexual harassment policy in place at their organization? Or a section of overall shop policy that addresses that topic? We here at Free Ride! (pittsburgh) are looking to get one in place, and we'd love to see examples others have already developed. thanks, Jessica ____________________________________________________________________________________ Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=monopolyherenow

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Help!! Community Cycles has a Wheel Problem
by Rich Points 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Collectives, Community Cycles in Boulder has a wheel problem, I'm guessing your bike collective does too. Do you have too many wheels? How do you manage them? We're about to recycle a bunch of good wheels that we don't have room for. How can we put them to use? Help -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Switching to daily digest mode on this list.
by Jonathan Morrison 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

If the email traffic is getting a little too much for you on this list, you can go to 'daily digest' mode. Which will only send you one email per day containing all the emails of that day. To do so, the easiest way (fewest steps) is to unsubscribe and the re-subscribe using this form: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… When you re-subscribe make sure you say "Yes" to "Would you like to receive list mail batched in a daily digest?" -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Wheel Holding
by Bob Giordano 15 Oct '07

15 Oct '07

no pics yet, but i'll describe: we hold wheels 3 ways: 1- a trapezoid made of 2x4's, that has a hundred or so brake arms nailed to it, that holds wheels nicely; 2- drop handle bars inserted into a chain link fence that holds 2 wheels to the bar (no fasteners needed!); 3- brake arms (the long arms only) holding wheels from the ceiling (i'd like to move away from #3 because of murphy's law and an eventual wheel coming down on someone). > Boulder has a wheel problem, I'm guessing your bike> collective does too. > Do you have too many wheels? How do you manage> them? We're about to > recycle a bunch of good wheels that we don't have> room for. How can we > put them to use?>> Help>> -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula

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directory of co-ops
by Paul Park 15 Oct '07

15 Oct '07

Hi all, Last year's bikebike site had a handy listing of bike co-ops around the country that had attended the conference, and if they had a website, the listing was an active link. Is there such a directory this year? At the bicycle collective network site, it seems not all the co-ops are represented, not even close. Can bikebike make another such directory of websites and co-ops. Alternatively, how does one get listed in the BCN website? -- PJ Park http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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Re: [TheThinkTank] directory of co-ops
by Jay Varner 15 Oct '07

15 Oct '07

did you create a login? i'm actually curious how this works. i didn't set it up. i think that if you were logged in when you added the entry, it should allow you to edit it. if it not, let me know and i'll see if i can make the association for you. On 10/15/07, Paul Park <pauljosephpark(a)gmail.com> wrote: > okay, now that I have added my entry (Mount Rainier Bike Co-op) how do I > edit it? > > I would like to add the longitude and latitude among other things > > PJ > > > On 10/15/07, Jay Varner <jay(a)sopobikes.org> wrote: > > > > It is up to each shop/collective to add themselves to the BCN. If you > > follow the link to the directory in the main menu or from along the > > top, you should see a link in the main content section for "Add > > Entry". If you want it to show up on the map, you have to add the > > latitude and longitude. > > > > As far as your other questions, not sure. > > > > On 10/15/07, Paul Park <pauljosephpark(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > > > > Last year's bikebike site had a handy listing of bike co-ops around the > > > country that had attended the conference, and if they had a website, the > > > listing was an active link. Is there such a directory this year? At > the > > > bicycle collective network site, it seems not all the co-ops are > > > represented, not even close. Can bikebike make another such directory > of > > > websites and co-ops. Alternatively, how does one get listed in the BCN > > > website? > > > > > > -- > > > PJ Park > > > http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com > > > http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > -- > > PJ Park > http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com > http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark > http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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San Francisco
by ronald ferrucci 14 Oct '07

14 Oct '07

Greetings. I need to fly to San Francisco in the next week weeks (hoping for next week, maybe the week after; wed to friday) to apply for a vis with the Italian consulate of San Francisco (I am moving there in January). I was wondering whether anyone on this list that lives in San Francisco had a couch I could surf for 2 nights (or knows someone). It would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Ronald Ferrucci Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective

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spam on the wiki...
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 14 Oct '07

14 Oct '07

hey everyone, i just dropped by the wiki on bikecollectives.org, to check out what's new, and it seems there's quite a bit of spam that's been added to some articles. i dunno enough about editing, or changing articles, but if you do, and you have some time to fix that, it'd be greatly appreciated. also, if someone who can code some sort of spam filter/captcha interface into the editing login thing, that'd be swell, as well. thanks. josh. community cycles, boulder, co

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Content Management Systems
by Andrew Bushaw 12 Oct '07

12 Oct '07

Wow, Thank you for all the replies. I had no idea there were so many nerds (myself included, I work public library IT) involved in the bike collective scene. I think that as much as I would love drupal I think it might be a little too inclusive for some of the folks that are involved. There are four of us that are now testing the waters with "crabgrass" from the riseup group, (we already have the shop email set up there) and so far I've been pretty impressed. It isn't quite as flexible as some of the other CMS but for organizing it seems very streamlined. I think it will be pretty easy to use for the non-nerds amongst us. I will update how it's going after I introduce it to the group. Thanks, Andrew

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How to pretend your organization is big and uses a professional email server...
by Jonathan Morrison 12 Oct '07

12 Oct '07

This is what we do... http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Email -- Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Project Coordinator Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Wheel Dome - Help!! Community Cycles has a Wheel Problem
by Bill Wright 12 Oct '07

12 Oct '07

56 wheels and 26 tubes cut into thirds, and you can make a farmers market dome shelter. It is light and strong. Bill Librarybikes.org ---------------------------------------> Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:42:19 -0600> From: rich(a)richpoints.com> To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Help!! Community Cycles has a Wheel Problem>> Collectives,> Community Cycles in Boulder has a wheel problem, I'm guessing your bike> collective does too. Do you have too many wheels? How do you manage> them? We're about to recycle a bunch of good wheels that we don't have> room for. How can we put them to use?>> Help>> --> Rich Points> Community Cycles Director> http://CommunityCycles.org> Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org> 720-565-6019>> _______________________________________________> Thethinktank mailing list> Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… _________________________________________________________________ Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Café. Stop by today. http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctW…

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Content Management Systems
by Andrew Bushaw 12 Oct '07

12 Oct '07

We have been using pbwiki.com (a free wiki, one login) for our organizing but are starting to feel the need for a tiered access control as well as for an actual website to send the public to. We have been contemplating getting a content management system such as "drupal" to serve both functions. I think the SLBC uses a similar CMS for their website and maybe others do to. How well does it work? Do regular folks have a difficult time using it? our ideal: public web page w/ donation links, a login page with a volunteer only section, then a section for core members only where we would keep fundraising info. Would like it to be easy to edit, with a wiki-like interface, preferably wysiwyg editors. Thanks, Andrew

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Content Management Systems
by omar 11 Oct '07

11 Oct '07

heya we switched to a drupal website last year for similar reasons. i loved the idea of using a wysiwyg interface because the point was to make the website a useful tool for staff, but we've found them pretty buggy. but even without, the website has worked well, easy to update, staff can get in there and mess around comfortably. not many of them do, but you can only lead a horse to water. . . we also back up our files on the website, use it to store and transfer stuff, for communication, etc. a work in progress but from our experience so far i'd recommend it. -- omar bhimji project manager pedal bike depot p. 604.708.4992

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Content Management Systems
by omar 10 Oct '07

10 Oct '07

heya we switched to a drupal website last year for similar reasons. i loved the idea of using a wysiwyg interface because the point was to make the website a useful tool for staff, but we've found them pretty buggy. but even without, the website has worked well, easy to update, staff can get in there and mess around comfortably. not many of them do, but you can only lead a horse to water. . . we also back up our files on the website, use it to store and transfer stuff, for communication, etc. a work in progress but from our experience so far i'd recommend it. -- omar bhimji project manager pedal bike depot p. 604.708.4992

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PLEASE DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS EMAIL.....
by Ariel raymon 10 Oct '07

10 Oct '07

SORRY!! That was meant solely for kyle, of Bicas... how embarassing! It wont happen again.

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1023 forms:ATTN BIKE KITCHEN AND SOPO
by Ariel raymon 10 Oct '07

10 Oct '07

Hey there, Ariel from portland Bike Farm Inc. We met with our lawyer to file the 1023 forms, and there were a couple things we forgot to ask him. there's a section that says, if you'll be making over $10,000 in Revenue in a year, the fee to file te forms to the IRS is $750, but if you'll be making less, then its only $300. If our organization hasn't projected to be making more than $10,000 the first and second year, but possibly the 3rd, should we be paying the $750 or $300? let us know... as we're in the process of doing it all, and may need to get money quick. thanks, Ariel

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Application Deadline Approaching - COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP MANAGER
by Melanie Lyons 06 Oct '07

06 Oct '07

Position Opening: Community Bike Shop Manager, Apply By October 10th, 2007. Bike Works is a nonprofit organization based in Seattle Washington whose mission is to build sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. Bike Works has been working for kids, bikes, and community in south Seattle since 1996. Our programs and services invest in young people and encourage bicycling as a clean and healthy transportation alternative. Our programs include Earn-a-Bike for youth, Summer Bike Camps, Neighborhood Rides and bike club activities, Community Bike Shop, Annual Kids Bike Swap, domestic and international bicycle donations to charitable organizations, and more. Our Community Bike Shop serves Seattle residents from all walks of life with used bike sales and affordable repairs. We are looking for an energetic individual who supports our mission, values and community. Our ideal candidate will bring a unique mix of bike shop expertise and nonprofit organizational know-how. We seek someone who is excited about thinking strategically about innovative ways to streamline our social enterprise business model and strengthen our community impact. Experience or willingness to learn about developing a business plan would be A+! Our Bike Shop Manager must be willing to work hard to create a professional, empowering, and accessible shop environment for our customers and staff. Finally, someone with a healthy sense of humor and the ability to have fun with our funky organization will fit nicely on our team. While this position requires a great deal of responsibility and experience, it also offers exciting opportunities for professional growth and making a difference in our community. Essential Job Functions: The Bike Shop Manager assumes primary responsibility for leading the Bike Works Bike Shop in fulfillment of its mission and vision. Primary duties include: * Managing daily Bike Shop operations * Overseeing and delivering professional customer service to a diverse customer base * Ensuring the financial health of the Shop, successfully meeting revenue & expense targets * Managing and developing shop staff ; recruit, hire, train, manage and evaluate 2 -5 staff * Working in partnership with the Executive Director to guide business strategy, growth & development * Collaborating with Program Staff to support youth programs and volunteer activities * Participating in strategic planning process for the organization, helping to develop a long term mission driven strategic plan, and annual operational plans Desired Qualifications: * Strong commitment to youth leadership, sustainable communities and bicycle transportation * Previous experience in retail management and sales preferred; bike shop experience essential * Experience implementing/overseeing bike shop policies & cash control procedures * Three year’s experience successfully managing staff * Excellent organizational skills: systems oriented with high attention to detail * Excellent mechanical skills required (preferred 3 yrs professional experience working on variety of bikes) * Strong interpersonal skills & a friendly outgoing attitude with a desire to work with the public * Ability to mentor youth ages 9-17 in engaging and empowering apprenticeship relationship * Ability to multi-task in a fast paced, ever-changing environment * Respect for and a commitment to diversity, teamwork, and progressive social values * Basic PC skills, working knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Office applications How to Apply: Send your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to HYPERLINK "mailto:development@bikeworks.org"development(a)bikeworks.org. Apply by October 10th, 2007. Pay Rate & Benefits: Regular, full-time, non-exempt, salaried position with full benefits. Monetary compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience. Melanie Lyons Assistant Director Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St. Seattle, WA 98118 206-725-9408 HYPERLINK "http://www.bikeworks.org"http://www.bikeworks.org Now hiring! Bike Works Seattle is currently seeking a Community Bike Shop Manager to join our team. Do you know someone who has a passion for non-profits, community, youth, mechanics and cycling? If so, please send them to HYPERLINK "blocked::http://www.bikeworks.org/"http://www.bikeworks.org for details, or suggest that they contact us HYPERLINK "mailto:development@bikeworks.org"development(a)bikeworks.org. "Building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling." No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.2/1053 - Release Date: 10/6/2007 10:18 AM

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5th Annual Bike Part Art Show TONIGHT!
by Neighborhood Bike Works 05 Oct '07

05 Oct '07

*The 5th Annual Bike Part Art Show*, brought to you this year by SpokesPeople, and benefiting Neighborhood Bike Works, *opens TONIGHT*! *The Power Plant Building in Old City, Philadelphia * On 2nd Street, between Race & Vine, under the Ben Franklin Bridge Opening Friday, October 5, 5pm to 10pm Open gallery through Sunday, October 7 *The Bike Part Art Show* is an annual community art event in which local artists donate fantastically unique works created from recycled bicycle parts. Help us celebrate the Fifth Annual Bike Part Art Show and public launch of SpokesPeople! During this bike part art extravaganza weekend, we will be hosting the annual Art Show and Auction, live local musicians, open gallery hours, specialty bicycle workshops, social action forums, and more! All sales from the show benefit Neighborhood Bike Works, a youth development organization in West Philadelphia, which creates opportunities for area youth through bicycling. *This weekend's events:* *Art Show & Auction on Friday, October 5 at 5pm. * Live music by local musicians Cowmuddy, the Spinning Leaves, and MKMS featuring members of Philly Slick, delicious food and drink, raffle prizes, and more...all for a good cause! *Open Gallery & Bicycle Repair Workshops * Saturday, October 6 from 11am-6pm. Open gallery starts at 11am, Workshops start at 2pm. Bike repair workshops with graduates from the Neighborhood Bike Works Earn-A-Bike Program and technicians from Bicycle Therapy! *Open Gallery & Social Action Forums* Sunday, October 7 from 11am-6pm. Last chance to buy art, hear more about SpokesPeople and participate in a Speak Out! at 2pm. We'll be building our first ever Chain for Change and observing National Letter Writing Week. * A shout out to our sponsors!* Please join us in supporting these local business and organizations: 1812 Productions, Bacchus Market and Catering, Bella Vista Beverage, Inc., Bicycle Therapy, Chantarelles Catering, Chef's Market, Cowmuddy, Fuji Bikes, Peter Defeo, Design for Social Impact, Philadelphia Java Company, Mambo Movers, MKMS and Philly Slick, Power Plant Productions, The Curiosity Shoppe, The Key to Philadelphia, The Reiki School and Clinic, The Spinning Leaves, The White Dog Cafe, TimeCycle Couriers, Trophy Bikes, & Via Bicycle.

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DON'T REPLY do not tell Kim., SURPRISE B DAY PArty
by Kim Jensen 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

SURPRISE!!! Please come and celebrate Kim's 30Th at a surprise party Saturday, October 6Th. Please be there at 700pm sharp, Kim will be there after 730. Location:742 N. Highland by Melrose, At The Dive, formally known as Highland Grounds. We will eat pizza, Salad, drink some beer and celebrate Kim-Chee's life together, which is what Kim would like. SEE YOU THERE!!! -Marcus-323-620-0030 PS: I know this was sent from Kim's e-mail, please do not reply -- Kim Jensen Studio la (213) 482 76 62 www.fleurstudio.com

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Job Opening for Bikes Not Bombs in Boston
by matt coe 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

Service Manager Bikes Not Bombs is looking to hire a full time service manager. The ideal candidate would have several years of bicycle shop experience, mechanical expertise, and managerial experience. Experience working with youth a plus, and a fondness for older bicycles and their parts is required. Responsibilities include Managing youth and adult mechanics Inventory and Ordering Checking in repairs/estimates Quality Control Competitive Benefits (health care, vacation, etc) $13-16/per hour, pay commensurate with experience The BNB Retail shop and training center is an exciting and rewarding place to work. Women applicants are especially encouraged. http://www.bikesnotbombs.org shop(a)bikesnotbombs.org -- Bikes Not Bombs Retail Shop and Training Center 18 Bartlett Sq./Jamaica Plain, Ma/02130 Near the Green St T-Stop on the Orange Line www.bikesnotbombs.org Call us at (617)522-0226 We are Open Tuesday 10:30-7pm Wednesday 2-9pm Thursday 10:30-7pm Friday 10:30-7pm Saturday 10:30-6pm Sunday 12-5pm

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selling bikes, making bikes for yourself?
by Paul Park 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

Hi all, At the Mount Rainier Bike Coop in Mount Rainier, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, we are working how to sell our bikes that we refurbish. We really don't have any fixed or regular costs; the city gives us the space (a garage), so we just use our money on spare parts and tools. We have an earn-a-bike program so youth can build up bikes for us, learning mechanic skills, and then after fifteen hours of voluteering, the youths can build a bike for themselves. Volunteers who have already put in 15 hours of work can basically just keep refurbishing bikes. No one gets paid anything at this point. Generally, at this point, we just sell our refurbished bikes in one way or another. Do other shops do this? Also, presumably, volunteers could, after working fifteen hours, refurbish bikes for themselves, and then sell them on craigslist or something. Do other coops have a policy with regards to refurbishing bikes for yourself, one after the other, and then selling them for your own profit? Or perhaps a system where you refurbish a bike and then you have to give a certain percentage of the sale to the coop? -- PJ Park http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Minors in the shop and general shop rules
by omar 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

we have minors at all of our projects. usually there's no special consideration, but for formal programs (earn a bike, after school, etc.) we get them and the 'rents to fill out a medical info/consent/waiver thing. never had to use one, but the lawyer in me and the bod feels better if we cover our butts the way everyone else does, our insurance guy appreciates it and a couple of funders have asked about it. i could post a copy of what we use to the wiki but its pretty standard fair. as to your second point, there's a list of "10 commandments" at the shop that can be pointed to with an "oy!" when a custy gets out of line (again, standard stuff like "let us know beforehand if you're broke", "respect the staff, other customers and tools", and "if you have a question about how we work, ask us"). at the workshop where i work, we get participants to come up with a list of rules and guidelines at the begining of each earn a bike class that they all agree to abide by, and stick it up on the wall for the duration of the class. they rarely miss anything important, and if someone gets rowdy it seems less authoritative when you can remind them that they agreed to the rule they're breaking. -- omar bhimji project manager pedal bike depot p. 604.708.4992

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Minors in the shop and general shop rules
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 02 Oct '07

02 Oct '07

Hey from Delaware! Just a couple questions for those with established shops....we will soon be moving out of my living room and are trying to learn from all your hard earned experience (the wiki has been great too). 1. How do you deal with minors in the shop? Do you have permission slips they need to get signed or require a parent/guardian to come with them before a bike can be worked on? These are currently our main "customers" and there is no way i'd turn away a kid with broken brakes because he didn't have a slip signed. I just want to make sure we keep everything kosher here. 2. Could you share your general shop rules so we have a starting point? Stuff like no profane language, be respectful, no tools outside....that sort of thing. Thanks err'body! Brian Urban Bike Project of Wilmington -- Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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how do you track shop activity?
by rachael spiewak 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

Hello, friends. We've created a shop sign in sheet, which is great for capturing some numbers, like how many people come through the shop during a particular session, how many were volunteers, how many were kids, etc. What I'm having trouble tracking is the number of unique people accessing the shop over a period of time. In other words, I don't know how to factor out repeat participants when I start adding up numbers from session to session. Has anyone developed a good system for tracking shop activity? What kind of information do you ask for on your sign in sheet? Do you have another system, like tagging the bikes and having tags collected when people complete their projects? Thanks! rachael

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Fundraising Ideas - Films? Demonstrations?
by Colin Dixon, Phoenix Bikes 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

We are hosting a fundraising/"friend"raising event as a way to connect to more of the bike community and to thank those who have already supported us. We plan to have some food and auction or raffle, but need something interesting to get people there! Would love to do a bike art show, but no time. Was wondering if anyone had other entertainment ideas? Any especially attractive interactive workshop ideas or demonstrations? Any bike-related short films that would of interest to a multi-generational, urban & suburban audience? Thanks for all! - Colin On 9/24/07, rachael spiewak <rachael(a)sopobikes.org> wrote: > > one idea we've toyed with, but haven't implemented yet, is an art bike > auction. you can get local artists (and kids!) to paint frames, and then > you can auction them off. the people who win them can then come to your > shop and build them up into ridable pieces of art! > > -rachael > > On 9/24/07, Bruce Lien <bikedadlien(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > RAFFLES: In Colorado I believe you are required to have a special > > permit to do so. I bet this applies to other states as well. Check with > > your local government before you do a raffle, or your local government will > > be checking with you (and possibly checking you in). Careful and good > > luck. Bruce > > > > *Kim Jensen <kimonabike(a)gmail.com>* wrote: > > > > HI JAKE, > > > > I suggest a bike raffle or two or three- build up some bikes that > > represent the aesthetic and types of bike you guys roll and raffle- > > not a dollar- like $10 and maybe a super duper bike for $20 tickets > > and include a complimentary membership with the bike. > > > > Maybe you could sell bike horns and people could use them at the > > game..? I don't know but raffles are my vote. > > > > Ride on! > > Kimchi > > > > The BICYCLE KITCHEN L.A. > > 323 NO CARRO > > www.bicyclekitchen.com > > > > On 9/20/07, Jake Liefer wrote: > > > Myself and several students from the local college are starting up a > > > bike co-op in our town and are looking to raise funds to buy tools and > > > acquire space. The college's homecoming event is next week and we were > > > able to get a vendor booth for free. While we primarly want to get the > > > > > word out about what we're doing and get some bikes, this seems like an > > > excellent opportunity to raise some funds. There will be several other > > > vendors there selling coffee, drinks, and food. Do you guys have any > > > ideas about what we can sell that will set us apart from the others? > > > We are not limited to food, so if you have any non-food ideas that > > > would be great too! > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Jake > > > The Hub - Beaver Falls, PA > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Thethinktank mailing list > > > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > > -- > > Kim Jensen > > > > Studio > > la (213) 482 76 62 > > www.fleurstudio.com > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Building a website is a piece of cake. > > Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48251/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting…> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > >

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*5th Annual Bike Arts Show*- To Benefit Neighborhood Bike Works
by Neighborhood Bike Works 27 Sep '07

27 Sep '07

Plain text version, since the pretty postcard wouldn't go through..... *5th Annual Bike Arts Show*- To Benefit Neighborhood Bike Works Weekend Extravaganza & Auction @ *The Power Plant*: on 2nd between Race an Vine *October 5~7 ART SHOW AND AUCTION *on Friday, October 5 at 5pm. Live music by local musicians Cowmuddy and MKMS during members of Philly Slick, delicious food and drink, raffle prizes, and more...all for a good cause! *OPEN GALLERY AND BICYCLE REPAIR WORKSHOPS* on Saturday, October 6. Open gallery starts at 11 am. workshops start at 2 pm. Featuring graduates from the Neighborhood Bike Works Earn-A-Bike Program and technicians from Bicycle Therapy. *OPEN GALLERY AND SOCIAL ACTION FORUMS* on Sunday, October 7. Last chance to buy arts, hear more about SpokesPeople and participate in a Speak Out! at 2 pm. For details about the extravaganza or other artist opportunities, visit WWW.BEASPOKESPERSON.ORG

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my e-mail is steelzebra@gmail.com- un sub scription....
by julie merrill 27 Sep '07

27 Sep '07

i wanted to unsubscribe to the thinktank bike e-mail list... i tried the other way and nothing happened... it is just too many extra e-mails to receive. i appreciate it though... julie lu

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Bike train to Cali!
by Paul Park 26 Sep '07

26 Sep '07

I am going to bike from DC to Central Cali for next year's conference! My first time to Cali, finally. and finally a cross the country trip for me. yeah...and I'll stop at the co-ops along the way, picking up anyone who wants to bike there! The bike train to Cali--coming through your town, Oct. 2008. Anyone want to jump on the train or start another train? PJ -- PJ Park http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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