- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Thank You Bike Kitchen and Church
by Rich Points 30 Sep '08

30 Sep '08

Bike Bike Hosts, I just wanted to thank everyone who helped make bike bike happen this year. Your efforts are appreciated. It's invaluable to be able to meet and talk shop with other coops/collectives/non-profits. Looking forward to next year in Minneapolis! Peace -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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favorite bike movie
by Ann Altstatt 30 Sep '08

30 Sep '08

hey everybody, what's your favorite bicycle related movie?

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speaking of bikebike southeast!
by rachael spiewak 30 Sep '08

30 Sep '08

GET EXCITED! *Go here for more info:* southeast.bikebike.org You can *sign up for the mailing list* there. Of course, EVERYONE is invited to participate. By design, we want to meet the needs of folks developing shops in the South, but don't let that stop you from being a part of the fun! * Just added to the workshop possibilities list: * - How to work with the media, facilitated by Jamie Gumbrecht, Atlanta-Journal Constitution Reporter and friend of Sopo - Assertiveness for community bike shop folks: How to advocate for your safe space, approach foundations, and otherwise say what you gotta say - Grantseeking at the Foundation Center (a free library of foundation/grant information...gonna see if they'll do something special for us). - Community bike shops in marginalized communities (hopefully one of our teens will give a talk about developing a shop in his refugee community). *What you can do to help: * - Find more people who need to get involved. Any rumblings about new shops around your neck of the woods? Sign those people up to come! Let's really reach out to anyone who wants to get in on the community bike shop game. - Holler at us off of this mailing list so we don't clutter it up. Let us know if you're game! - Make swag. We can email you the graphic if you'd like to screen some shirts or patches. - Suggest workshop topics and/or volunteer to facilitate!!! If you know lots, great! If you know not lots and you want to change that, even better! - If you are traveling by car or if you have hauling capabilities, consider bringing a loaner bike or two with you. We can't keep loaners in stock around here. - Likewise, if you would like to solicit food donations and you can haul it over here, that would be great. We're going to work with our local FnB chapter, but the food donation climate around here is a bit hostile and we don't want to take away from the good work they're struggling to do. - Throw yourself a fundraiser party to come up with whatever travel money you might need. Your pals, Sopo -- 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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shop rules
by rachael spiewak 30 Sep '08

30 Sep '08

Hi, everyone. Thanks for a fantastic weekend! I'm curious about whatever rules you may have posted at your shop. This might be a good wiki topic. I'd like to know if anyone's come up with clear, creative ways to state what kinds of behaviors are over the line. It would be nice to avoid having the word NO posted up and followed by a laundry list, but we need to make it plain as day that things like flirting or boozing in the shop are harmful to the shop atmosphere (for example). 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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Proposed Bicycle Frame Building Collective in Denver
by burdenistic＠gmail.com 29 Sep '08

29 Sep '08

To whom it may concern: My fellow cyclists, I am proposing to all who would be interested the development of a bicycle frame building collective in Denver. I have long been interested in building frames and my recent trip to Bike!Bike! in San Francisco has moved me from thought to action. I was able to participate in a short but excellent frame building seminar given by Josh from Bike Church in Santa Cruz. Josh has built some very lovely and functional frames using steel tubing. One of the frames Josh built is used to viably haul things, like his black Labrador Retriever. I believe in the bicycle. I believe that individuals who travel by their own power are quietly doing the best work for our environment and our planet. Could there not be a collective that used old bikes to make new and more effective bikes to move people and goods? My intent is as follows: Invite all interested to a meeting at to get an idea what a collective for the purpose of building frames would mean. I am looking for feedback and input along the following lines: 1. What types of bikes could be made i.e. cargo bikes, touring bikes , city bikes? 2. What tools and materials would be needed to start? 3. Would this be a for profit or an non profit or a mixture of both? 4. What would our mission be in regard to the community and the needs of the people around us? ie disadvantaged people learning a skill we could teach them? 5. Could viable bikes be created reusing some steel tubing from old bikes? 6. What tools and materials are available to train ourselves and others to build and repair frames? 7. Can building a bike for a specific practical purpose supersede buying one because of labor issues and artisanship? Thanks, Gary E Burden

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Addressing incidents from last year's BikeBike!
by Dave Caz 25 Sep '08

25 Sep '08

Hey all, My name is Dave, and I was asked to address a situation I created at last year's bikebike before attending the current conference, and after consideration, I wholeheartedly agree with the request and apologize it was not done sooner. Last year, at the bikebike party, I drank quite heavily and crossed major boundaries of people I never met. I created a very uncomfortable situation for people just trying to have a good time. I was responsible for making people feel threatened for their safety and space they deserved. I apologize for turning a people's night to celebrate into a bad memory for some. I can not say for sure what happened exactly, because I was too intoxicated to recall a large portion of that night, but the second hand accounts of my actions blew my mind. I have never acted in such a horrific way, nor have EVER considered to do the audacious things I did to people that eve. But I am responsible for my actions, drunk or not, and in no way excuse what I did. I owed it to the people who worked so hard to make bikebike! a success that year, to the visitors, conference members and all in attendance, to manage myself in a respectful manner, and I blew it. I am sorry. This year I promise to show the utmost control over my person as to never ever ever ever make people feel the way I did. I frequently dwell on the facts of what happened, and it is a burden I will have to live with, but live with AND change from it to never allow it to happen again. I will not be drinking before/during/after anything going on in the next potential FOREVER, and will also not be attending the celebration going on this year or next. All I ask is that you take me for who I am, and not the monster I was. I am truly sorry and understand that if I now have a bad reputation with you, I earned every bit of it, but I am trying to redeem myself. Sending this to 2 giant list-servs is not easy for me, but it is something I am doing to come clean to everyone. Hoping that people not expect a repeat from me, and encouraging others to police their actions and not lose control as I did. Remember a lot of people got their shit together and busted their collective asses to make this awesome thing happen. If you wish to talk to me about this, please come find me and we'll chat. I'm trying to learn from this as best as possible. Thanks to everyone for not blacklisting me and giving me a second chance. Again, I am truly sorry, and hope you can get past my past, as I am trying to do the same. peace, Milwaukee Dave.

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BC in Wisconsin
by Julia Schnell 23 Sep '08

23 Sep '08

So I'm just starting out and wondered how you all went about finding a space for your bike collective. Thanks! Julia.

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Non Profit Fund Raising/Membership letters
by Rich Points 23 Sep '08

23 Sep '08

Hey All, So it's getting to be that time of year again when we ask our current members to re-up and solicit new ones. I wanted to ask how you guys are writing these letters and maybe post a few on the wiki. Fund raising is not as fun as bike riding :-( -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Cycling back east after Bike Bike
by Stephanie Previc 22 Sep '08

22 Sep '08

Hey all! Looking forward to Bike Bike and another year of great ideas and great people. I am heading down to San Francisco by Greyhound, but I'm interested in finding other cyclists to join me in riding back east after the conference. I'm fairly flexible as to when I need to leave SFO, and I would be open to going straight back through Yosemite, or taking a more southerly route from Los Angeles or San Diego. I am hoping to ride all the way back to Florida, but if anyone is going as far a the eastern slope of the Rockies, it would be great to find riding partners across the more desolate, western stretch. Feel free to email or call if you're planning on doing something similar! (352) 219-3408 -Ani

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Bike for Environmental Awareness
by Jennifer Nordhem 20 Sep '08

20 Sep '08

Please send this on to any of your friends, post on your blog or MySpace, etc. We can make this huge! This stuff is important! Love, Jen Next Saturday, September 27th, 1Sky.org , GreenJobsNow.com , and WeCanSolveit.org are hosting a rally and bike ride to bring awareness to the need for more green jobs! Below are details about the event and what the organization is going to accomplish. Please read and come out to show your support next week! The rally is at 10am, speakers at 11am and the ride to Washington Park is at 12pm. Bring your friends! Bring your parents! Bring your boss! We need as many people there as possible! Come and show your support for the environment and the need for green jobs! Check it out before going to the Track Shack Grand Opening! trackshackdenver.com If you believe in the following message come: Urge our elected officials to invest in creating millions of green jobs and a Clean Energy Corps. We can't drill and burn our way out of the current crisis. We can invest and invent our way out. We can create new pathways out of poverty and curb global warming at the same time. We will do this by retooling our factories, rebuilding our communities, and repowering America with 100% clean and renewable electricity. It's time to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. There are events going on all over Denver (Highlands, 5 points, Cheesman Park), see the whole list here: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/events/search So what are we supporting exactly? The following text is care of BikeDenver.org ---- The 1Sky campaign (www.1Sky.org) is a new national campaign that pressures the presidential candidates to take bold federal action on global warming. Our goal is to make global warming a priority and get real solutions passed. America needs solutions based on science and justice that match the scale of the problem of climate change. The 1Sky platform includes global warming emission reductions 25-40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, a moratorium on new coal fired power plants and investment in clean and renewable technology, and the creation of 5 million new green jobs as pathways out of poverty. Transportation amounts to almost a third of global warming emissions, and supporting bikes and cyclists to make riding safe and easy is the easiest way to start reducing those emissions! To jumpstart this campaign, there is a National Day of Action for Green Jobs. As part of the campaign, we’re going to make the National Day of Action for Green Jobs a success. Below are the details for the event. We need everyone to get involved come to these event in order to send a clear message to our leaders in Washington. The Rally starts at 10 and needs to be a visible presence of 100 people from diverse communities in order to get the media’s attention. We’ll have action booths, sign-in photo petitions, and letter writing. At 11 we’ll have three short speakers and media coverage, and at 11:30 we’ll head off to Washington Park on the Cherry Creek path and bike around Washington Park. It’s really important to have people from the ride also at the rally in order to get the visibility of how many people are involved, so please come for both! *What: Green Jobs Rally and Ride When: Saturday, September 27th at 10am Starts: The Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop, Denver To: Washington Park Who: www.GreenJobsNow.com* Climate change affects us all in some way, whether it be the health of our communities, the enjoyment of our wilderness, or the simple belief that Americans deserve an equitable and sustainable future. We need Green Jobs in order to transform us into the new green economy. Please RSVP to eleanor(a)greencorps.org or call at 773-750-7845 so we can know how many to expect. We hope to see you there! Eleanor Green Corps Field Organizer eleanor(a)greencorps.org 773-750-7845

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