- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Parts Washers (Yellow Bike Project), actually specifically rags
by DEL HOLLAND 13 Jul '23

13 Jul '23

We choose to buy a used washing machine and used it only for rag washing; we got several more uses out of them that way. Unfortunately, in my view, we have gone back to a commercial supplier of rags. They bring cleaned ones and pick up and treat (wash) our used ones; not cheap. We have access to hospital surgical new, unused in the surgery rags, but the vendor will not accept them into their stream 🙁 Del Holland Board Member Iowa City Bike Library

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Parts Washers
by Yellow Bike Project 12 Jul '23

12 Jul '23

Yellow Bike Project in Austin is investigating the purchase of a parts washer. Maybe a 15-20 gal capacity with a pump, and possibly a heater. We currently use donated rags and T-shirts with simple green to hand clean parts and frames. We do not launder the rags,but just send them to the landfill. We are wondering what is the best solution, ecologically and economically. Advice and recommendations are appreciated. Robert, YB Board Memebr Yellow Bike Project | www.austinyellowbike.org 1216 Webberville Rd Austin, TX 78721| 512-524-5299 Schedule Available Online <https://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."

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Seeking examples of liability waivers
by Joshua H. 11 Jul '23

11 Jul '23

Hello all, We need a better liability waiver for our CBS. We need something that is easy to read/understand. I've tried searching through the archives of the thinktank but it isn't returning any results (getting a ht://Dig error). Anything you can send will be very helpful! Bicycle rider solidarity, Joshua Community Bike Shop at Barber Park

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Organization of 'Community' Bike Shops?
by eric clough 10 Jul '23

10 Jul '23

Hello Emory and ThinkTankers - I really appreciate the posting by Emory and I would like to offer a few thoughts. Before I do that, I want to acknowledge, as Luke Box did, the valuable content and work represented here in the ThinkTank. Since the time I founded a small community bike shop in Coos Bay, Or. (2018), I have paid close attention to the content of exchanges here. I have participated in the virtual BikeBike and I look forward to an in-person BikeBike sometime soon. Thank you ThinkTank for all the resource you provide - I find it very valuable. Cheers to all those who have put effort into it over the years. The major urban centers of Oregon (Portland, Salem, Hillsboro, Corvallis, Eugene) all have large and well established 'community' bike shops. Oregon has smaller communities that also have community bike shops. Like Coos Bay and Waldport (others?). I am interested in Emory's posting because in Coos Bay we are finding it difficult to sustain volunteer effort to operate the various programs needed in our community. We don't generate enough revenue (sales & service) to support paid staff and, while we have had some success with grant applications, our experience is that implementing grant programs with all volunteer effort is challenging. We also struggle with basic business admin functions. I definitely appreciate the comment from Geofry Smart about merging of groups can result in loss of values and perhaps other important facets of community-based operation (autonomy for example). However, burnout is hitting our small operation pretty hard these days. We are on an unsustainable volunteer path. In the pacific northwest, there is currently a developing 'umbrella' non-profit organization that is intended to support a consortium of regional community bike shops. I don't know a lot about it at this time but I am interested to learn more. Laura Brooke - thank you for the reference to the Vermont group. I will be reaching out to the "Old Spokes Home" (love the name!) Eric Clough Front Street Community Bike Works Park Your Car - Ride Your Bike!

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4. Question re community bike shops (Emory Shaw)
by Geoffrey Smart 09 Jul '23

09 Jul '23

The community bike shops in Melbourne ,Australia communicate via a WhatsApp group and have met in person a couple of times. The in person meets disappeared over the long covid lockdowns. *Geoff Smart* Chair Back2Bikes M : 0419 345 440 525 Williamstown Rd Port Melbourne 3207 back2bikes.org.au

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Bikes Together in Denver is hiring! Mac is stepping back :)
by Mac Liman 05 Jul '23

05 Jul '23

Hi Bike Collectives, Bikes Together <https://www.bikestogether.org/> in Denver, CO USA is hiring a newly re-worked *Program Manager* position <https://www.bikestogether.org/job-opportunities> to lead our volunteer, recycling and education programming. Please spread the word about this great job! Application deadline July 10th! Also - I will be stepping back from my role as Program Director after many (6? 20?) years! If anyone wants to stay connected with me related to bike!bike!, operations, feminist and anti-racist practice in bike co-ops, or the End Build To Fail Bicycles campaign <https://forms.gle/2prgHq3wFVHWu4Tc6>, I can be reached at my personal email mac(a)chickenwrench.com Seriously would love to see this petition <https://forms.gle/2prgHq3wFVHWu4Tc6> and momentum <https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxdgq9/mechanics-ask-walmart-major-bike-man…> continue! In community, Mac -- * <http://www.bikestogether.org/>* *Mac Liman* Volunteer Director, Bikes Together mac(a)bikestogether.org w. 720-403-8757 c. 720-365-6563 Pronouns: she/her <https://pronouns.org/what-and-why> *I am in the shop Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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Phoenix Bikes (Arlington, VA) is hiring!
by Phoenix Bikes 28 Jun '23

28 Jun '23

Hi Everyone, Phoenix Bikes is a nonprofit in Arlington, VA that uniquely combines youth education programs with a full-service bike shop. We are looking for a dynamic, mechanically inclined, passionate-about-teens leader to serve as our next Education Program Manager. This full-time leadership position manages our youth programs for 6th-12th graders, including Earn-a-Bike, other mechanics classes, rides and races. We are looking for someone who has a proven track record (2 years+) of successfully teaching or training middle and/or high school youth, preferably in a hands-on role, and is passionate about seeing them learn, succeed and have fun. The position focuses primarily on teaching mechanics, so we're looking for someone with bike mechanics skills. The salary range is $53-55K and benefits include a retirement account with 3% match, group health insurance, access to wholesale pricing on bikes and accessories, and more. More details are in the job posting here: https://www.indeed.com/job/education-program-manager-d75fe4003bd9f9da. If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter through Indeed. Thanks! Emily _________________ *Emily Gage* *Executive Director, Phoenix Bikes* 909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington, VA 22204 www.phoenixbikes.org Cell: 703-346-0035

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Re: Rags & used parts management
by Gordon Hamachi 08 May '23

08 May '23

It is good that you are aware of the hazard of greasy rags catching fire. Shop quality greasy rag containers have a spring-loaded top that stays closed. It is worth having one of these, to protect your shop and its contents from a fire hazard. New ones all seem to cost $80-$120, so you or your insurance company need to decide if the real deal is worth it. I believe that there is a best practice of not storing anything flammable near such a container. The linked article suggests that for shops that produce only a small volume of rags, an airtight metal container such as a paint can can serve. To be extra safe, you could fill the container with a mixture of water and detergent. At home I have been storing greasy rags in a large metal cookie tin, but I see the value of a sturdy paint can with an airtight lid. Occasionally I hand wash my accumulated shop rags and air dry them for reuse. https://www.greatamericaninsurancegroup.com/content-hub/news-details/oily-r… .

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Used Carbon forks - how to assess?
by Laura Brooke 08 May '23

08 May '23

We had someone come by our shop this weekend. They had just bought a Specialized Allez from the early 2000s with a used carbon fork. They wanted to know if it the carbon fork was safe. None of us at the shop at the time have a ton of knowledge for what to look for... we suggested: 1. Email the fork manufacturer to ask if there were any recalls 2. Look for signs to see if the bike may have been in a crash and any clear signs that the fork may be damaged 3. Take the fork out to inspect the steerer tube and look at the races Any other advice, yall? Thanks for your assistance! -Laura (volunteer at Freeride Montpelier)

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Rags & used parts management
by Claude Ferron 07 May '23

07 May '23

Hello all! We are just starting our bike community workshop and we have not established yet how we plan to deal with rags. I was thinking about 3 cases / box (new, used, trash). How do you deal with thoses on your side? Are old t-shirts enough for you? Same kinds of questions for the used parts management... How do you deal with those on your side? Any pictures? It is always inspiring to see others work :) Thanks a million :) Claude Ferron, Co-Coordonator La Cyclerie, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada Bike Culture + Self-Repair Community workshop www.lacyclerie.ca

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Reusable Repair Checklist Tag
by director 02 May '23

02 May '23

Hey All, We just spent some time and redid the tag we use to track repairs on a bike. I'm sure your shops are similar to ours in that many mechanics of varying skill levels will work on a single bike before it's distributed back to the world for use. This make it challenging to ensure a standard of quality on any given bike leaving the shop. As we fleshed out the tag we realized that it could function loosely as a curriculum. For most mechanics, especially students we suggest starting at the top and working down the list. I've come to realize that no two mechanics will do things in the exact same way, everyone has their own style. We've been suggesting that folks do the first two items in order and then address the rest of the repairs at their discretion. Of course we couldn't put everything on a half page so we had to make compromises. You'll notice as you get closer to the bottom of the tag the categories are a little more broad and don't get into the finer details. We're working on a final check list that will include finer details like checking bearing play, tire wear, fine tune derailleurs and brakes... The final checklist won't hang on the bike but it'll be around the shop and part of our training. Stay tuned for this. We print these double sided, cut them in half and laminate them. We hang them on the handlebars and fill them out with a Sharpie. When the bike is done and gone we clean the Sharpie off with 90% rubbing alcohol and a rag. This allows us to use one tag over and over and over. We've been using these tags for about 2 weeks now and it's been awesome. Communication between mechanics is much clearer and bikes are getting done faster. It's really helped orient Earn-A-Bike students to what needs to be done next on their bike. Anyway if you think it's a good idea feel free to adapt it to your shops needs. -- Ride On! Rich Points http://communitycycles.org Executive Director (c)303-589-0597 (w)720-565-6019 Community Cycles is Boulder's only bike shop dedicated to bike commuting. Find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCycles

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Service Tickets and Bike Tags
by Amanda Chilson 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

Good Afternoon, I am wondering if bike collectives and shops could share what they are using for service tickets or slips when a bike is being purchased, when preparing a bike to sell, when people drop off a bike to be fixed/tuned and/or a bike that was donated? Thank you so much for your help! Amanda Chilson Health and Wellness Coordinator Northern Berkshire Community Coalition 61 Main St. Suite 218 North Adams, MA 01247 413-663-7588 Ext. 16 www.nbccoalition.org

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Has anyone seen "Not Just bikes"?
by Jim Bledsoe 24 Apr '23

24 Apr '23

Here is a link to this Canadian urban planner's Youtube channel?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHlpmxLTxpw&t=222s

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Bikes for a family shelter
by wade＠bikeconnector.org 22 Apr '23

22 Apr '23

We are looking for ideas related to providing bikes to adult and children residents of a homeless shelter? An emergency family shelter recently opened in our community in a suburb outside of Boston. The shelter has 105 rooms and is designed to provide temporary housing for 3 to 5 days while more permanent housing is located; and for 2 – 4 months when more permanent housing isn’t readily available; and providing temporary housing for pregnant women and infants. The shelter is located in a former motel at the edge of a state highway. It is situated equidistant (2 miles) between two village centers, each with shopping and public transportation (commuter rail). There are sidewalks and busy local streets that connect the shelter to the villages. It's walkable and rideable. Getting to one of the village center requires crossing the state highway (there is a pedestrian crosswalk). Our local collective reached out to the agency managing the shelter inquiring if there was an interest in bikes. Their response was, "There is a lot of logistics and some liability behind this that would take some thought." True. I would like your thoughts and experiences. Wade The Bike Connector https://www.bikeconnector.org/

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Car insurance, etc for bike nonprofit
by claraijones＠gmail.com 20 Apr '23

20 Apr '23

Hi all, someone is considering donating a pickup truck for our community bike shop to use. Very exciting for us since we could use it to pick up donated bikes around town much easier, and also use it to haul away scraps for recycling. Curious about any feedback y'all have about how you've handled similar situations. We are a 501c3 if that makes a difference. -who to make the title out to -how to control keys/who is allowed to drive it -maintenance costs and responsibility -insurance -borrowing/lending: who can use it? -and any other thoughts you might have :) Thanks, Clara Community Bike Shop @ Barber Park, GSO NC

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Re: Car insurance, etc for bike nonprofit
by BikeConcord 19 Apr '23

19 Apr '23

We were once offered a pickup truck, but turned it down. It was just too much of a hassle. We have a volunteer that hauls our scrap and we sometimes use our Surly trailer. When we really need a truck, we rent a truck. We are a small shop. Best regards and Happy pedaling! “Smitty” (S. M. Ardrey) Community Outreach & Bike Shop Coordinator a.k.a. The Instigator BikeConcord.org Facebook: BikeConcord Bike Concord is working for safe, convenient and enjoyable Bicycling in our community of Contra Costa County. Bike East Bay is Bike Concord’s 501(c) 3 sponsor > On Apr 19, 2023, at 1:43 PM, clara via TheThinkTank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: > Hi all, someone is considering donating a pickup truck for our community bike shop to use. Very exciting for us since we could use it to pick up donated bikes around town much easier, and also use it to haul away scraps for recycling. Curious about any feedback y'all have about how you've handled similar situations. We are a 501c3 if that makes a difference. > > -who to make the title out to > -how to control keys/who is allowed to drive it > -maintenance costs and responsibility > -insurance > -borrowing/lending: who can use it? > -and any other thoughts you might have :) > > Thanks, > Clara > Community Bike Shop @ Barber Park, GSO NC > _______________________________________________ > TheThinkTank mailing list -- thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > To unsubscribe send an email to thethinktank-leave(a)lists.bikecollectives.org

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Our Community Bikes is hiring a Senior Mechanic & Floor Lead
by Sophia Suderman 28 Mar '23

28 Mar '23

Hello! Our Community Bikes promotes the use of bicycles as a healthy, affordable and environmentally sound form of transportation. Our full service shop is open four days a week. The other three days and evenings are reserved for programs including Do-It-Yourself Stands, Women Trans Queer Night, and Bike club. We offer education in mechanical skills to empower people and to enable their access to community services and opportunities. This includes significant ‘on the job’ training for people who are underrepresented in the industry to build their mechanic skills. We are hiring a Senior Mechanic & Floor Lead as part of the senior leadership team. Here <https://ourcommunitybikes.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Senior-Mechanic-Po…> you can find the job posting with more information :D Sophia -- Sophia Suderman (she/her) Executive Director Our Community Bikes 2429 Main Street Unceded Coast Salish Territories www.ourcommunitybikes.org <http://www.pedalpower.org> | (604) 879-2453

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Working Bikes is Hiring
by Xail Hernandez 23 Mar '23

23 Mar '23

Hola a todes! La organización sin fines de lucros, Working Bikes, localizada en Chicago está contratando a una persona para manejar el departamento de servicio. Estamos buscando a alguien que tenga conocimiento en reparación de bicicletas y que sea bilingüe, español/inglés, ya que la bodega se encuentra en una área habitada por muchos hispanohablantes. Adjunto está la descripción de la posición de trabajo en Ingles (disculpen el inconveniente, si necesitan que traduzca por favor mandenme un correo electrónico a xail(a)workingbikes.org). Si les interesa, por favor manden su resume y referencias a jobs(a)workingbikes.org. Gracias. The non-profit organization, Working Bikes, located in Chicago is hiring a person to run the Service Department. We are looking for someone who is knowledgeable in bike mechanics and is bilingual, english/spanish, since the warehouse is located in a predominantly spanish speaking area. Attached is the job description. If interested, please send us your resume and references to jobs(a)workingbikes.org. Gracias. -- *Xail Hernandez *(Ella / She/Her) *Community Bike Repairs Manager* Working Bikes *|* 2434 S Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60608 *P* 773.847.5440 www.workingbikes.org

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Milestone: New MailMan delivering soon!
by Jonathan Rosenbaum via Thethinktank 21 Mar '23

21 Mar '23

Dear Thinkers & Researchers @ the Tank, In the next few days we will be migrating our discussion lists away from DreamHost to a modern MailMan software platform (mailman 3) hosted at our own server. This is an awesome milestone for us, and a long time in the making. As far back as 2015 (almost 8 years ago), I observed that the archives for TheThinkTank became unavailable when DreamHost updated their hardware. At that time, in a conversation with the subject line "Update on the Archives", I suggested that we should consider moving away from dependence on a third party hosting service. Ironically, that conversation does not exist in the current archives at DreamHost because all the data between January 17, 2015 to May 13, 2015 was lost by their system. However, I recovered those conversations from my personal email stash, and they are now included in the new archiving system called HyperKitty. Better Search Capability: Another issue we have frequently experienced over the years has been the unavailability of the search engine known as htdig (ht://Dig errors). We now have a new search engine called Xapian. Even when htdig was available, as I pointed out at our recent Tech meeting, the level of detail when performing searches with Xapian is like comparing the difference between the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Web Space Telescope. HyperKitty (Achiver): HyperKitty provides a modern frontend to MailMan. You can now create an account where you may associate your email addresses subscribed to bikecollectives.org discussion lists. When you are logged in to your account, one powerful feature, similar to google groups web interface or traditional online bulletin boards, is that you now have the ability to directly interact with email threads or create new ones without having to utilize your own email client. You can favorite and/or like discussions, and if you have a Gravatar ( https://wordpress.com/me ), it will be visible. Markdown capability is available, but it only works in HyperKitty, so if you want to experiment with this capability, keep in mind that people will see your markdown in normal emails. Directions can be found at https://docs.mailman3.org/projects/hyperkitty/en/latest/rendering.html under Rendering Rules. _Recommendation for digest subscribers:_ Because we now have this awesome capability, rather than replying directly to digest emails, please utilize the login capability of HyperKitty to easily jump into the parts of the threads you want to interact with. This avoids breaking up the thread, which makes the discussion easier for all to understand. Migration and New Home Considerations: After the migration, the web interface will be available at https://lists.bikecollectives.org/ and will no longer say "The list overview page has been disabled temporarily" as found at the current non-secure web interface at http://lists.bikecollectives.org/ . This should all happen, no later, than by Monday, March 20, 2023. The migration consists of changing the DNS addresses to our new email server and mailman 3 discussion list software. Usually in most parts of the world this is a fast process, but there are some DNS servers that are slow to update their cache. This means that some of you may experience the phenomenon where your emails will still end up at the DreamHost instance, and you continue to see the old website. If that is the case, you may want to consider using a different nameserver, like 1.1.1.1, and to ask your service provider to update their DNS servers. Because our email server is brand new, it doesn't have an established reputation for its IP address. However, fortunately our lists address, lists.bikecollectives.org, has a good reputation. Most likely, hopefully, we won't experience issues from larger services that scrutinize bulk email. However, we will be monitoring our logs carefully. Google (gmail), which represents a large percentage of TheThinkTank subscribers, rate limits the number of emails received by their service to 60 per/minute. Erring on the safe-side, we will rate limit emails we are sending out to 30 per/minute, which means emails sent to TheThinkTank should reach everyone in about 30 minutes. If you are experiencing issues after the change, please contact me: Jonathan Rosenbaum <bike(a)bikelover.org> . Other: It should be pointed out, that gmail users who are normal subscribers generally do not receive back a copy of the email they send out to MailMan, see https://wiki.list.org/x/4030680 for an explanation. However, gmail users who are normal subscribers should receive replies, as well as new threads. Other than that .. Yay!! -Jonathan ____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…

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Bike measurements
by Claude Ferron via Thethinktank 12 Mar '23

12 Mar '23

Hello community, bonjour à tous.tes! I'm planning to put our bike inventory online and I was wondering what are the typical data that are relevant to inform potential buyers? What are the key dimensions you would suggest? What is considered a "Large bike" for exemple. Or let's say someone is 6ft tall... What information would it best for them to find. Would you recommend the buyer to measure it's inseam? Kinda looking for best practice here. Thanks all, merci! Claude Ferron La Cyclerie, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada Bike culture + Community workshop www.lacyclerie.ca ____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…

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Volunteer Only Night Concern
by Gabriel Trainer via Thethinktank 09 Mar '23

09 Mar '23

Long time listener, first time caller coming from Bike Farm (all volunteer run collective) here in Portland, OR. We currently have a weekly volunteer only night to build bikes at the shop to sell to the public and recently it has come to my attention that this night can be seen as inequitable and exclusive. This night excludes those who cannot afford to volunteer their time as every other shift we have is open to the public to utilize our space and help for $5/hr, work/trade, or for free if the individual truly needs it. Does anyone else have a volunteer/staff only night? I am having a tough time justifying for myself the existence of this volunteer only night. Looking for thoughts from you all. Kind regards, Gabriel ____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o…

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Language Exchange in 1 hour / Intercambio de Idiomas en 1 hora
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 01 Mar '23

01 Mar '23

Hello everyone! [español abajo] We are continuing to meet for a Spanish-English Language Exchange on Wednesdays - today it starts in an hour! <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85675444594?pwd=VzhGdWt6NnQwREk3Q3QvTytSbnpmZz09> Practice English or Spanish and help other learners in a friendly atmosphere. Participants speak half the time in English and half in Spanish. Beginners welcome. *Today @ [4pm Pacific / 5pm Mountain / 6pm Central / 7pm Eastern / 9pm Chile]* https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85675444594?pwd=VzhGdWt6NnQwREk3Q3QvTytSbnpmZz09 ======== Español ======== ¡Hola todxs! Continuamos con un intercambio de idiomas (ingles y español) cada miércoles - ¡hoy empieza en una hora! Practique inglés o español y ayude a lxs demás que están aprendiendo en un ambiente amable. Lxs participantes hablan la mitad del tiempo en inglés y la otra en español. Están bienvenidxs lxs principiantes. *Hoy @ [4pm Pacific / 5pm Mountain / 6pm Central / 7pm Eastern / 9pm Chile]* https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85675444594?pwd=VzhGdWt6NnQwREk3Q3QvTytSbnpmZz09

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Re: [TheThinkTank] wheels
by Kevin Dwyer 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

Louis- It sounds as though you have a serious problem with rust and wheel failures. If you are presently a service organization, moving to industrial production (especially as a collective) creates a variety of hurdles related to capital and organizational structure. The Mondrian collectives in Spain have been successful as collectives engaged in industrial production, but they have strong government and societal support. You may look to them for structural inspiration. With regard to the underlying problem: (mostly) cheap wheels that are not serviceable, perhaps there are other alternatives? Here are a few I came up with: 1. Partner with a bicycle co-op/collective in the (south) western US where rust is not an issue. In the past, there have been postings to this list of collectives with excess bikes and parts. I’d imagine that you might be able to get a container or rental truck full of just wheels, if you put the word out and were patient. 2. Buy unthreaded blank spokes in bulk. DT and China/Taiwan manufacturers have these available and with a $130 Hozan spoke threader you can make serviceable spokes. (Don’t forget that even nicer spoke threaders will take some time for the cutting and threading) 3. Buy lots of different sizes of cheap straight gauge spokes. For less than $1000, you could go on Ali Baba and buy a stock of nipples and every 14g spoke length available. Restock as needed. 4. Visit the DT facility in Grand Junction, Colorado where they make spokes. You will see the spatial and equipment requirements for spoke making and be better equipped an nd informed as to the requirements for such a project. Best of luck in your project! Eager to hear about your solutions! Kevin Dwyer Salt Lake City, UT > On Feb 16, 2023, at 4:06 AM, MARK via Thethinktank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: > > > Louis, > > Personally, I think trying to become a spoke manufacturer is a bit over ambitious > unless you had a metal working factory. If you could by full-length spokes to thread > to length, a Phil Wood machine was over $3K last I knew. > > It seems to me your biggest hurdle is getting a wholesale account. Most distributors want > to see a picture of a brick and mortar storefront and some credential and or web-presence. > > We use J&B importers for our "bread and butter" supplies, but also have accounts with QPB and > recently Shimano. > > Yeah, wheels are the Achilles' heal of used bikes, especially rears. I usually start any wheel work > with hitting each nipple with Tri-flow. It also helps to have an adjustable spoke wrench, often > an antique tool in my experience, although we have a Hozan, so they might be still available. > We also has some spoke wrenches that grip three sides of the nipple, sort of, that work well > on stubborn spokes. Hope this helps. > > Mark Hoffman > BikeNB.org > New Britain, CT > USA > > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > > Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o… >

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wheels
by MARK 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

Louis, Personally, I think trying to become a spoke manufacturer is a bit over ambitiousunless you had a metal working factory. If you could by full-length spokes to threadto length, a Phil Wood machine was over $3K last I knew. It seems to me your biggest hurdle is getting a wholesale account. Most distributors wantto see a picture of a brick and mortar storefront and some credential and or web-presence. We use J&B importers for our "bread and butter" supplies, but also have accounts with QPB andrecently Shimano. Yeah, wheels are the Achilles' heal of used bikes, especially rears. I usually start any wheel workwith hitting each nipple with Tri-flow. It also helps to have an adjustable spoke wrench, oftenan antique tool in my experience, although we have a Hozan, so they might be still available. We also has some spoke wrenches that grip three sides of the nipple, sort of, that work wellon stubborn spokes. Hope this helps. Mark HoffmanBikeNB.orgNew Britain, CTUSA

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E-bikes
by Andy Ballentine 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

Hi -- How are bike co-ops dealing with e-bikes? We are all-volunteer at the Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg (Virginia). We have several very fine mechanics, but none of us is expert in the motors and batteries of e-bikes, and we don't know whether we should accept them as donations or sell them. I'd be interested in others' experience and policies. Thanks -- Andy Ballentine

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