- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

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!? 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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

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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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