- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

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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kids' earn a bike + structure, less is more?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 26 Sep '07

26 Sep '07

hi fellow bike geeks. josh from community cycles in boulder, co. i'm one of the directors of our kids' earnabike (EAB) program, and we're interested in making it better. to date, we've just kind of run it like open shop with kids in the shop instead of grownups. i would like to incorporate more structure, a little more consistancy from EAB'er to EAB'er. i heard someone at bike bike say that he had the kids list 27 parts of a bicycle as a sort of "final exam", to show that they'd been paying attention, etc. i've taken this on, but i sort of adapt it to each kid. (i realize that we all learn differently, at different levels/speeds/etc, and want to be sensitive to that. the way i tailor the listing bike parts quiz is to adjust the number of parts, as well as how free-flowing and specific i am with hints ("you sit on this part," vs "it's what screws onto the end of a spoke..."). i really like this activity, since it challenges the kids, they seem to thrive on it, struggling to remember, and usually there's other kids in the shop who are watching, but not taking the "test", so they have to keep quiet, even though they KNOW the lister is leaving out the pedals, etc...it makes for some lively shop activity, and there are usually some laughs going on, as well. anyway, i'm interested in hearing about some other programs that deal with kids specifically. our kids' EAB progam is for 10-16 yrs old, and we've had all of them. we try to keep the EAB'er:facilitator ratio to 2:1 at the most, to keep their attention focused, and to not bore them while they wait for a question/tool help. do you do sit down lesson/lecture type stuff? i've come up with a few visual demonstrations with parts from our parts bins, to help show how a derailleur works, the headset, etc...and i'd like to incorporate more of this kind of thing into our grown-up workshops, like (i think) i saw bicas does in tucson, from the film shown at bikebike...have a bunch of bottom brackets cut off of bikes, with the spindles and cranks and chainrings in place, and have the each take it apart, sort of classroom style. of course, with kids, we'd have to limit this sort of lesson to once or twice per night (3-4 hour nights...) to keep from boring them to tears. but sometimes i think having all the cables and wheels and spinning shiny things on a complete/almost complete bike is too distracting... any ideas or solutions you guys have would be awesome and much appreciated. by us and the kids we struggle to keep engaged. thanks. josh.

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working for parts?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 25 Sep '07

25 Sep '07

hi everyone, josh from community cycles in boulder, co here. we discussed with many of you at bike bike, and have brought the idea home, that we could offer some sort of work-for-parts deal. right now, we're thinking of some sort of "after you voliunteer 6 hours per week, any hours you work count towards your shop credit at $x/hr" set up. i believe some of you have similar programs. what kind of systems do you all have with regards to this? what kind of problems have arisen? solutions? i believe someone before mentioned cherrypicking. what we're thinking is that once volunteers have reached a set number of hours per week, they become eligible to work for shop credit (most likely not new parts). at that point, they choose a part/parts/bike/bikes they would like to earn, and then begin working towards that with hours spent in the shop, working on other shop/organizational needs. (volunteers couldn't get credit for working on a bike they're going to take home with shop credit earned working on...you get the idea.) obviously some sort of "if you choose a part, work towards it, and then we don't see you in two weeks" policy would need to be in place, but that's not hard to keep track of. thanks for your help, and i'm sure i'm not the only one to see bikebike emails popping up already!!! josh/community cycles

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Fundraising Ideas?
by Jake Liefer 24 Sep '07

24 Sep '07

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

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e-mail list management
by mike eng 24 Sep '07

24 Sep '07

Hey, does anyone have recommendations for e-mail list management systems at low cost? Of course there are always Google Groups and Yahoo Groups, but any other options for a system to manage subscriptions / unsubscriptions to a list? Thanks. -- Mike Eng Recycle-a-Bike 27 Sims Ave. | Providence, RI 02909 www.recycleabike.org

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parts pricing
by freeridemp＠riseup.net 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

Hey all, We sell a lot of parts to people fixing up their bikes and some of our newer head mechanics have been asking for a suggested price list for used parts. Anybody have a good one they could email? Hell you could even post it to POB 196 Montpelier, VT 05601-0196 Thanks! Colin Gunn Freeride Montpelier www.freeridemontpelier.org freeridemp(a)riseup.net

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GOING TO VEGAS - LETS GET TOGETHER & RIDE!
by Kim Jensen 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

Hello everyone, It is Kim from the Bicycle Kitchen. In the spirit of what I do here in LA.....bike rides a la good times- who is going to Vegas- please email me your cell, I am going to organize a midnight ridazz a.k.a. hell on wheels while I am out there- probably Wed. night. So grab your quarters and lets roll!! If anyone you know is down for this sort of fun please let them know and pass this on. If you don't know what a ridazz is then check it out. midnightridazz.com Ride on! Kimchi

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program evaluation
by rachael spiewak 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

Hi, everyone. We're working on grant seeking these days, so I'm wondering if anyone has ideas about how to do program evaluation. Can it be as simple as number of participants, number of bikes distributed/repaired, short narratives from participants..? Anyone doing pre and post tests or using SPSS? Can you count social change on your fingers? : ) Thanks! rachael

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Contract Language for Fiscal Sponsorship
by Edward France 19 Sep '07

19 Sep '07

Velo-rutionaries, So, similar to Bike Pittsburgh and Free Ride, many of our collectives use our local bike advocacy organizations as their fiscal 501(c)3 sponsor. We're going to do the same over here in fair santa barbara, but we want to be clear about our autonomy and that we will be reviewing and need to renew the agreement every two years. In our agreement with the Bike Coalition we'd like to lay this all out so the terms of the relation don't get muddyed later on. Is anyone with this fiscal sponsorship arrangement down to share the terms of their agreement (contract)? many thanks, Ed France BiciCentro.org

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DC-VA project hiring Youth Programs Director
by Colin Dixon, Phoenix Bikes 18 Sep '07

18 Sep '07

Phoenix Bikes in Arlington, VA, a young youth development focused, community bike shop just outside DC is looking for a part-time Mechanic / Youth Programs Director. Contact me for qualifications & responsibilities. and please pass on! Thanks to all. -- Colin Dixon Phoenix Bikes Barcroft Park 4100 S. Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA www.phoenixbikes.org (703) 575-7762

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Booth at Interbike - I NEED YOUR MATERIALS ASAP.
by Jonathan Morrison 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

I will be setting up a 10' x 5' curtained booth with a 6' table at Interbike this year and I encourage anyone that can attend to contact me (below). However if you can't attend but would still like your organization's materials show to representatives of companies that could give you tools, parts, bikes, distributor accounts or money. Then please mail them to the address below. Pictures of smiling kids and other eye candy that would catch the short attention of attendees is ideal. ** -- 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 7/12/07, Jonathan Morrison < jonathan(a)slcbikecollective.org> wrote: > > All, > > Interbike (www.interbike.com) is an incredible opportunity for bike > collectives, do we (as a collective of collectives and co-operatives) want > to set up complimentary advocacy booth there? This would be next to IMBA, > Thunderhead Alliance, LAB, Adventure Cycling, etc.,... > > The main concern is that we can get the materials created for the booth > and then have enough people to staff the booth through the event. So in > order to commit to this, we need people to commit to going now. Hopefully > we can come up with booth materials at Bike!Bike! > > -- > 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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Bikes Not Bombs HIRING! youthwork! development! shop! (boston)
by jasmine laietmark 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

hi bike orgs: BIKES NOT BOMBS now seeks to fill THREE POSITIONS in Boston!!!: ******** -Major Gifts and Grant Officer (contact: hiring(a)bikesnotbombs.org) - Girls' Programming and Bike Safety Coordinator (contact: learn(a)bikesnotbombs.org) -Bike Shop and Voc. Training Center Mechanic (contact: shop(a)bikesnotbombs.org) ********* Please see attached descriptions and check out our new, improved website: www.bikesnotbombs.org * Bikes Not Bombs promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction.* For 23 years, BNB has been a nexus of bike recycling and community empowerment both in lower income neighborhoods of Boston and in the nations of the Gobal South. BNB's programs involve young people and adults in mutually respectful leadership development and environmental stewardship, while recycling thousands of bicycles. * *Lasting peace and social justice require equitable and sustainable use of resources. BNB provides community-based education and assists development projects with recycled bicycles, related technologies and technical assistance, as concrete alternatives to the militarism, over-consumption & inequality that breed war and environmental destruction. Our organization is part of a worldwide movement for peace and responsible stewardship of the earth. We currently receive approximately 5,000 used bicycles and tons of used parts each year. We ship about 3,500 of these bikes to economic development projects (micro-enterprise bike businesses, sustainable technology projects, and youth training programs) in South Africa, Ghana, and Guatemala every year. BNB also sends technicians and tools for start-up projects to these same countries. (In the past we have worked in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and El Salvador, and we continue to accept new requests for assistance from projects in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.) We use the remainder of our collected bikes at our Jamaica Plain Center; some are used in our co-ed youth Earn-A-Bike programs, and others are repaired by teenage mechanics as part of our Vocational Training programs and are for sale in our bike shop. BNB also offers girls-only programs all year round. We operate a full-service bike shop <http://bikesnotbombs.org/?q=bikeshop>, staffed by local teen graduates of BNB training programs and supervised by professional adult bike mechanics. The shop repairs customer bikes, offers hard-to-find used parts and sells new parts, locks, accessories and refurbished bikes with a warranty. Shop specialties include renovated upright-bar 12 speeds, single-speed coasting and fixed-gear bikes, reconditioned mountain and hybrid models of all brands, and higher-end touring and road bikes. We sell frames alone, including used Titanium Merlin frames.The BNB Bicycle Shop and Training Center opened the doors of its new location in February, 2007. Please PASS THESE POSTINGS ON!

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Insurance issues
by Andrew Bushaw 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

So I called American Specialty Insurance, the Insurance Provider for the League of American Bicyclists, as recommended in the wiki and was told that they only offer insurance for club rides, not for organizations. We aren't interested in doing rides or races or anything like that, we basically just need insurance for the shop. (I think i've seen $1M in liability recommended on the list). Am I being fed a line by Am Specialty? I emailed LAB directly and have not received a reply in two weeks, nor do I see a phone number telling me it wouldn't be very good insurance if I can't even get a hold of them. Did I read all this wrong? What am I missing? If i'm not missing anything where do you shops go to get the liability coverage? Thanks, Andrew

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POSITION OPENING in SEATTLE: COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP MANAGER
by Melanie Lyons 15 Sep '07

15 Sep '07

Hello fellow Bike Collectives! Since all of you are important peer organizations for Bike Works, we wanted to let you know directly about this change and to ask for your help in finding someone new to join our team! If any of you are interested in this position please be in touch. And please forward this posting on to anyone you think might be a great candidate and anyone you think might know someone who would make a great candidate. And talk it up! We often find that people hear about Bike Works and the great stuff we are up to through word of mouth so please keep it up! We understand that the search for new leadership in our community bicycle shop is very important for Bike Works’ future, and we are in the midst of a nationwide search for a new Shop Manager. A hiring committee is looking for someone with the right leadership and management talents, combined with a passion for building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. Attached at the end of this email is our current job posting. Thank you for your continued support and interest in Bike Works Seattle. Position Opening: Community Bike Shop Manager 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 development(a)bikeworks.org. Pay Rate & Benefits: Regular, full-time, non-exempt, salaried position with full 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. Thanks, Melanie Lyons Projects and Development Manager 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 Free Edition. Version: 7.5.487 / Virus Database: 269.13.19/1008 - Release Date: 9/14/2007 8:59 AM

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Donated Space Tax deductable?
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

he could write you a $600 check each month as a donation then charge you 1200 rent so there is a real donation and a real paper trail that the IRS can not challenge ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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Donated Space Tax deductable?
by Andrew Bushaw 12 Sep '07

12 Sep '07

Does anyone know how donated space works, tax exemption wise? We have a fiscal agent and are now looking for space. We think we have found a good space. $600 a month all utilities plus wi-fi included. As a bonus the other section of the building is an auto shop where they have pipe benders and welding equipment that we could use on occasion. It's located on the edge of our downtown on a high traffic street. Pretty ideal really. He will give it to us for 600 a month if he can write off the difference of what he would normally charge (1200). I have been told this is a legit way of doing things but want to know the specifics (do we give him a donation receipt every month with our rent check?) Has anyone worked out something like this? Are there any drawbacks? Thanks, Andrew F-M Community Bicycle Workshop

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BIke Farm update
by Ariel raymon 12 Sep '07

12 Sep '07

hey all, we had our first meeting last night and it was a success.... a few questions came up. 1. Are there grants out there just for start-up if you don't have non-profit status yet? (it costs 500 to get nonprofit status) 2. We heard there's a difference between being a non-profit and being a tax-deductible organization. Whats the legal term for this? Does anyone know the difference? 3. Our next goal is fundraising. Anybody have a super successful event they want to share with us? if you don't want to respond to the thinktank.. letus know at bikefarm(a)gmail.com 4. what's the average square footage for your space? we're looking at 600sq feet to start. how many stands do most people have in their shop to wrench on? thanks! let us know @bikefarm@gmail.com, if you dont want to respond to the thinktank...

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retail business accounts
by adam schwartz 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

I am curious what type of relationship many community shops have with bicycle retail suppliers such as QBP. As of now, we have a relationship with a few local bike shops to purchase tools and parts. However we are trying to move into some small retail (mainly locks, tubes and helmets). I looked up the requirements for an account with QBP and J&B suppliers, both looked like they didn't fit our model, which is primarily youth programming with community bike shop hours two days a week. We fall under a larger non-profit that works on community and youth development, so we are not exactly an economically independent organization either. -- adam schwartz Bicycle Education Program Coordinator Renaissance Community Bike Shop Riverdale, MD rideyourbicycle(a)gmail.com <adamgs(a)umd.edu>

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sopo shop overhaul photos
by rachael spiewak 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

hi, friends! we're overhauling the shop, and i thought i'd share the photos with y'all. we're not done yet, but you can see how things are shaping up. yes, that's me in the yellow shorts. yes, that's the sopo version of the free ride wheel sorter. http://picasaweb.google.com/stewart.varner two wheels good, rachael

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Bicycle Safety Checklist
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 05 Sep '07

05 Sep '07

Stand in front of the bike Push on the brake levers to test if the clamps are loose Push on shift levers to test if the clamps are loose Push down on the bars to test if the stem bar clamp is loose Push on bar ends to see if their clamps are loose G rab the front wheel tightly between your legs Twist the bars to test if the stem is too loose Place both hands on the handlebar, one on each side, Grab only the front brake lever and clamp it down tightly. Rock the bike forward and back to test if the headset is too loose. With brake still camped rock bike back and forth and look at the brake clamp and adjustment bolts/ nuts to see if they are too loose. Watch the brake pads, slowly clamp the front and rear brake levers, do both the pads touch both side of the rim before when the brake lever still has at least a inch of space between the lever and the bar. If not the cable is too loose. Grasp the front brake pads and try to twist them on the brake arms. (correctly tightened brake pads will not twist) Lift up the bike by the top tube and see if the headset is too tight. do the handle bars and wheel roll side to side easily in the headset Grasp the front wheel between two fingers, shake rapidly to see if the bearing are too loose Release the front wheel and see if it spins one way and then the other Testing to see if the bearings are too tight. Spin the wheel rapidly and check the true of the wheel Check if the brake pads are centered With an open hand, smack the side of the nose of the saddle to check if the seat clamp or the seat post clamp are loose Stand beside the bicycle Reach down and grasp a crank arm, rattle it side to side to see if the bottom bracket is too loose (do not hold the pedal) With an open hand, smack the side of the nose of the saddle to check if the seat clamp or the seat post clamp are loose Grasp the rear brake pads and try to twist them on the brake arms. (correctly tightened brake pads will not twist) Grasp the rear wheel between two fingers, shake rapidly to see if the bearing are too loose Spin the wheel rapidly and check the true of the wheel Check if the brake pads are centered I can do all of this in 30 seconds to a minute of time If you have a bike stand Place bike in stand Check shift lever cable tension is too loose Violently Shift to large cog / low gear Check to see if low set screw is too loose (over shifting into spokes) or too tight (will not shift to large cog/ low gear) stop rear wheel Turn crank slowly and test the shifting from low gear to high gear for any hesitation, over shifts, ( adjust or replace cable depending on results.) >From behind check the derailleur cage is not bent in towards the spokes. it should be parallel to the cogs. Check that the chain will not Look from the side at the distance between the nearest chainring tooth and the front derailleur outer cage. Should be 1 mm or less Put chain in middle chain ring and middle cog Look from above to see if the front derailleur cage sides are parallel to the chain. Shift chain into middle cog in the rear and then shift front derailleur from low to high gear and back to low to check limit set screws. The check can be done in a minute. Adjustments may take a few minutes Christopher Wallace Holistic Cycles Oak Park IL 773 490 0683 ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Bike Collectives Doing Advocacy Work
by Rich Points 05 Sep '07

05 Sep '07

Hey All, Community Cycles in Boulder has recently decided to take on an advocacy role in addition to our shop activities. We will now speak on behalf of the cycling community to the Transportation Advisory Board, City Council and other decision makers who influence infrastructure, policy and cyclists rights. I'm sure there are other shops out there doing advocacy work as well. We'd like to hear your stories of success and/or failure. This might be a good topic for a Bike Bike session next year. Peace -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Collectives- Advocacy Work
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 03 Sep '07

03 Sep '07

Yes YBEN was rocking for Years before BNB. Smaller back yard programs have been alive for decades before that. This is not a new idea, it is just getting better. ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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dealing with volunteers who have been really offensive?
by rachael spiewak 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

does any shop have a process for dealing with volunteers who have stepped far over the line? to the point that the volunteer had to take a break from the shop? and then the volunteer wanted to come back? let's say that this volunteer, although a very dependable one, makes other shop participants feel so uncomfortable that they avoid coming to the shop when they know that this volunteer will be there. how do you reconcile your politics with your feelings when that volunteer personally wronged you repeatedly in and outside of the shop? two wheels good, rachael

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background checks for mechanics/volunteers who work with kids?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

this is something i've been meaning to talk with our shop members about, since i'm involved in the kid's program(s), but how do some of you handle background checks/interviews with shop employees, volunteers, or facilitators who work with kids? what about those who don't work with kids? any background checks at all for them?

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