- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Re: [TheThinkTank] Expanding Shop Hours - what happens?
by james blesdoe 20 Feb '09

20 Feb '09

The bicycle kitchen is open 6 days a week and for 29 hours in those days if we were open for more than that we would be full If you open and they don't come then go back. But really it is more can you staff the additional days. Our shop is booked for appointments about a week in advance Our year to year revenue is down by about haft but volume is increasing In the past we might ask for $10 and receive $5 or $20 but now we get only $7 So it goes Jim <mark(a)re-cycles.ca> wrote: From: Mark Rehder <mark(a)re-cycles.ca> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Expanding Shop Hours - what happens? To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> Date: Friday, February 20, 2009, 11:35 AM Brian, you'll probably find it's like highway construction - build more roads and more cars fill them up. ;) I don't think you'll find it decreases anything. Like most shops, every hour you are open will have people requesting your services. During Spring and into the Summer it is barely-managed chaos in our shop, but we make it through (upon moving into our new shop we've added a second volunteer staff position to help manage things). Ever since we allowed do-it-yourself repair on every shift we've struggled to meet that demand, because we could have all four workstands humming every night, but that would crowd out the volunteers. And the volunteers are the ones that fix up the bikes that pay our rent. The DIY only adds minimally to our bottom line, but we all feel it's important that folks have a place to fix their own bikes. So we carry on... Last summer I started staffing Sundays from 3-6 (to fit my schedule that day) and made it a volunteer-only shift - no DIY, and no sales. The turnout was not as good as I'd hoped, but even through this winter I've had from one to six vols. attending. But if I made it a DIY day I'd be swamped. Now for this coming Spring we're looking at opening on Mondays during the day and Saturday afternoons, using paid staff (the other weekdays have our partner org. using our shop for training purposes). The Mondays will be like the evenings - open to all, and we'll test the demand. But the Saturdays will most likely be just sales and volunteers, because even with two staff the DIY demand would probably be over the top. Maybe we'll add DIY in the Summer after the Spring sales settle down... Mark On 20-Feb-09, at 1:49 PM, Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE wrote: > UBP is currently open two days of the week, one Thursday night and one Saturday afternoon. We are considering opening another weeknight, as our current hours sometimes get really, really crowded. > > For anyone that has recently expanded their hours or can recall when you did so in the past: Did opening more hours decrease traffic on your other open days, or merely become another busy night? > > We are entering our second year of operation, still growing and anticipate being even more crowded this year. > > Thanks for your insight, > Brian Windle > > Urban Bike Project of Wilmington > -a 501(c)3 non-profit bike shop- > 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) > Wilmington, DE 19801 > > Hours: > Thursday 6:30-9:00 > Saturday 1:00-4:00 > > Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org > _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

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Expanding Shop Hours - what happens?
by Bob Giordano 20 Feb '09

20 Feb '09

we found same thing- another busy session, until we reached about 20 hours a week... then things started to even out a bit. we are now pondering 10-7 daily... -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, 541.7284 3PM-7PM Mon-Thurs & 11AM-3PM Sat Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406-880-6834 rachael spiewak wrote: > Became another busy session! > > -rachael // sopo // atl > > On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 1:49 PM, Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE < > urbanbikeproject(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> UBP is currently open two days of the week, one Thursday night and one >> Saturday afternoon. We are considering opening another weeknight, as >> our >> current hours sometimes get really, really crowded. >> >> For anyone that has recently expanded their hours or can recall when you >> did so in the past: Did opening more hours decrease traffic on your >> other >> open days, or merely become another busy night? >> >> We are entering our second year of operation, still growing and >> anticipate >> being even more crowded this year. >> >> Thanks for your insight, >> Brian Windle >> >> Urban Bike Project of Wilmington

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Women/Trans night logistics
by Bike City 19 Feb '09

19 Feb '09

Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be to launch a women's/trans night this year. I've had a great time teaching my little sisters to wrench (who had never touched tools). Some questions: -- How's the turn out, really? We're in a pretty small (albeit college) town, and although I imagine all kinds of women showing up, does it end up just one "type"? Are they decidedly social events, or completely focused on learning, or somewhere in between? -- Do you have regulars, or is it new people every time? -- What kind of promotion seems to work? Are fliers sufficient? -- Do people show up right on time, or trickle through the night? I'm working in the project every day anyway, so if half an hour goes by and no one's showed, I'm apt to go home (and thus severly discourage late-comers from trying again). -- Do you use some kind of teaching structure, or just go through each person's bike? -- Have further layers of discrimination been an issue? For instance are "normal" people put off by people who "look like lesbians"? Are trannies alienated? How do you deal with this if so? -- Do you lock the door and let people in one-by-one? I know that having to knock might be enough to keep someone as socially anxious as me from coming. The other option is to run off the males who can't or won't read a sign on the door and come in anyway. Even uncombatively, that sounds distracting. How do you do it? Can't think of anything else at the moment. Didn't see anything on the wiki, so feel free to give me any advice or just a general overview. Anything you think might be helpful. Thanks! andrea

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Two Wheels Good: Bike Movies at The Sanctuary for Independent Media
by andrew lynn 19 Feb '09

19 Feb '09

Call for Submissions Troy Bike Rescue & The Sanctuary for Independent Media want your bike-inspired movies for our TWO WHEELS GOOD screening in May. We are seeking films/videos of all genres and styles between 1 and 20 minutes in length. Submission Deadline: April 17, 2009 Please forward this little email far & wide in the hopes that we will get some great audio/visual materials for building biking in the NY capital region. Send your film/video as a DVD or Data DVD to: Two Wheels Good c/o A. Lynn 167 9th St. Troy, NY 12180 or, email a link to a *hiqh quality* file to tbr(a)breathingplanet.net Get more information on the Sanctuary for Independent Media here: http://mediasanctuary.org The Two Wheels Good event is co-sponsored by the New York Bicycling Coalition

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San Francisco, CA
by krisha 17 Feb '09

17 Feb '09

Looking for a safe couch, hostel, etc. in the bay area the weekend of March 13th. I'll be there to volunteer and research Trips For Kids - Marin chapter and Earn-A-Bike programs. Any suggestions are appreciated! -- Krisha Pessa Youth Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-931-0895 f: 801-466-3856 krisha(a)slcbikecollective.org www.slcbikecollective.org

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avenues for reporting bad behavior?
by rachael spiewak 17 Feb '09

17 Feb '09

Hi, folks. Here's a dilemma. Sometimes lousy behavior goes on in the Sopo shop or at affiliated events, and it goes unnoticed by the folks who typically defend the intended safety of the space. Then sometimes that behavior doesn't get reported to staff/core volunteers until it's snowballed into a bigger problem. The lag in reporting seems to indicate that we need a better and safer way for people to let us know that something of the line-crossing nature occurred. (Let's just assume for the sake of conversation that we're doing everything we can to control for bad behavior in the first place. Obviously, that's what we're striving for and we wish it worked 100% of the time.) Does anyone have a solution or process for this kind of thing? Grievance forms? Anything? Thanks! Rachael -- Sopo Bicycle Cooperative 404-425-9989 www.sopobikes.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hours of operation: Tues, Wed, & Thurs 7 pm - 10 pm Sat & Sun 2 pm - 6 pm

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Re: [TheThinkTank] [Critical Mass Detroit] Adult fun (clean site)
by tom emm 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

> > > > > > Subject: [Critical Mass Detroit] Adult fun (clean site) > To: Undisclosed-Recipient(a)yahoo.com > Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 5:03 PM > > These are so cool! > > http://www.wheeltag s.com/store/ default.aspx > __._,_.___ > Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic > Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar > Critical Mass Detroit begins at Grand Circus Park on the last Friday of > every month ~5:30pm. CMD is non-competitive and leisurely; all are welcome, > regardless of skill, to enjoy city streets found more beautiful at speeds > corrected to the human scale. http://www.CriticalMassDetroit.org > MARKETPLACE > ________________________________ > From kitchen basics to easy recipes - join the Group from Kraft Foods > Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) > Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format > to Traditional > Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe > Recent Activity > > Visit Your Group > Yahoo! News > Fashion News > What's the word on > fashion and style? > Yahoo! Finance > It's Now Personal > Guides, news, > advice & more. > Yahoo! Groups > Dog Zone > Connect w/others > who love dogs. > . > __,_._,___ >

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Trailers - Solar Bike Move Photos
by Rich Points 14 Feb '09

14 Feb '09

More photos of bike trailers in action http://nickali.smugmug.com/gallery/6754422_iUTxt/1/431384736_i8N69#43138473… -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019 Donate your old car to Community Cycles

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Trailers
by Rigel Christian 13 Feb '09

13 Feb '09

Hi, I'm curious how many shops loan out trailers in some form or another. how many trailer share/rental program are there through advocacy organization? if you have one in your area, please describe it. If you have general ideas of how often trailers get borrowed in your area, i'd love to hear about that too. My impression is that a nuimber of these programs exist, but they are under-utilized. I need more data points. help me out. Cheers.

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Boulder Bike Shorts Film Fest - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
by R Points 13 Feb '09

13 Feb '09

Hey All, Community Cycles is gearing up for the third annual Bike Shorts Film Festival on June 24th 2009. We're looking for short films about bikes from 5 seconds to 20 minuets. Find out more about the fest here http://communitycycles.org/bike-month/2009-bike-work-day/bike-film-fest.html Ride On Rich

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