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by Sarah Green 02 Jun '10

02 Jun '10

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Working on expensive bikes in your shop.
by Brian 28 May '10

28 May '10

Hi again. Thanks for the replies to the previous thread, hopefully people found the responses useful. Selling expensive bikes wasn't my question though, perhaps I left my question too open ended. Retry: If a customer walks into your shop with a $5k carbon fiber road bike and wants help doing xxx. Do you have any shop guidelines on what is "too risky" in terms of possible damage to the bike? Perhaps it depends if there is a professional mechanic in the shop at the time, etc... Perhaps you don't care what people do and it's all covered under "we are not responsible"? We've debated it among ourselves at SLO Bike Kitchen. Part of our thought is that it's their bike, we are just there to help. The opposite argument is that they expect us to know everything, and it's sometimes/usually hard to keep track of every step someone does, which may result in them doing something unfortunate while unsupervised. In our case, we are 100% DYI w/us to help and we have no professional service side to the shop. We are also 100% volunteer. Thanks! Brian SLO Bike Kitchen www.slobikekitchen.org

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Expensive bikes in your shop.
by Brian 27 May '10

27 May '10

Hi everybody. What policies do you have or not have concerning work/help with expensive equipment. For example, what are the scenarios in your shop when a full carbon Campy Record bike walks in the door? I could be more specific with questions, but perhaps you could just comment on what discussions you've had among your organizations. Thanks! Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-Founder www.slobikekitchen.org

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French DIY bike collective launches website
by Cascadian Fox 27 May '10

27 May '10

Hello, Most of it is pictures (go to the photo section) : http://ateliervelo.free.fr/index.php?id=5 We are in Lyon France in a huge hanger. We make a lot of DIY HPVs from almost 100 percent recycled trash bikes. bikes, fox

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Sorting Bicycles
by Ainsley Naylor 27 May '10

27 May '10

hey all, here is a not-so-hypothetical question. If you had to sort a lot of bicycles (I mean a lot, like a few thousand) how would you do it? The purpose would be to sort them in a user-friendly way, so that in the future you could find the bikes you need (i.e. bikes for a youth program, bikes to sell, bikes to strip) as easily as possible. The bikes will be staying in the same location for the most part which calls for a good sort and store method, although dispersal of the bikes to other spaces will also be easier if we sort them properly. The best suggestion so far is to sort them by wheel size but these bikes don't have their wheels attached - what a headache - so I'm looking for other suggestions. Thanks! Ainsley and the FUCKIGOR bicycle collective :)

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 45, Issue 17
by B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 26 May '10

26 May '10

After doing 200+ safety checks at a police bike auction last weekend, Sarah and I here at B!KE developed a pretty finely tuned sense of bike triage :) (which, of course, will be no match for yours after this project!) While a positive/negative result in any of these situations doesn't necessarily mean the bike is toast, it's a good way to get a quick sense of how much work is needed - and possible to teach a volunteer who don't have strong repair skills. + is the frame damaged? + try to twist the stem with the F wheel between yer legs. While a twistable stem may just be loose, I'm always amazed at how many quill wedges have been stripped on cheaper bikes. + check the F + R hubs (if present) for knock + check the headset for loose/tight + check BB for knock + would it be hypothetically possible to turn the wheel with a chain? + would it be hypothetically possible to stop the bike with at least one brake (while gently coasting uphill...?) + general state of housing, cable, tires (if any). This is just what my morning brain produces, and is more or less what we were doing in the parade of sad overvalued bicycles coming out of the police auction. I think the general idea would be to make a checklist and, if you're feeling particularly organized, including details like frame type, size and colour has the beginnings of a most awesome database, then add up the number of answers one way or another to 'triage' the bike. I wouldn't get too caught up in trying to sort by wheel size, but if that is what makes sense to you, you could do too things: 1) Guess. most 99% of older steel road bikes 'round these parts are going to be 27 x 1 1/4, older cruisers will be 26 x 1 3/8, mountain bikes with be 26 x [decimal], etc. 2) You could try measuring from centre of dropouts to centre of brake pads. This should (hypothetically) be half the ISO bead seat diameter number listed on the side of of the tire. I.e., 27 x 1 1/4 = 630mm = 315mm from c-dropout to c-brake pad (obviously allow for some margin of error) 700c = 622mm = 311mm and so on. The ones I would most focus on would be the older looking cruisers with their impossibly non-standard tire sizes! Good luck! Clifford McCarten B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 400 Wolfe St, Peterborough ON (705) 748-6681 http://www.communitybikeshop.org > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 20:19:23 -0400 > From: Ainsley Naylor <needleandthread(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: [TheThinkTank] Sorting Bicycles > Message-ID: > <AANLkTingSliDf0PTNjkVMesgfI20WFmNeajnKidvnOAU(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > hey all, here is a not-so-hypothetical question. If you had to sort a lot of > bicycles (I mean a lot, like a few thousand) how would you do it? The > purpose would be to sort them in a user-friendly way, so that in the future > you could find the bikes you need (i.e. bikes for a youth program, bikes to > sell, bikes to strip) as easily as possible. The bikes will be staying in > the same location for the most part which calls for a good sort and store > method, although dispersal of the bikes to other spaces will also be easier > if we sort them properly. > > The best suggestion so far is to sort them by wheel size but these bikes > don't have their wheels attached - what a headache - so I'm looking for > other suggestions. > > Thanks! > Ainsley and the FUCKIGOR bicycle collective > :) >

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buenos aires
by Jodie Banks 24 May '10

24 May '10

Does anyone know of a volunteer bicycle shop or coop in Buenos Aires? The internet has not turned up much. Thanks! Jodie Off the Chain Bicycles, Anchorage, AK

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Job Opening in Los Angeles: "Bike Wrangler", Abandoned/Used Bike Recovering
by Ramon Martinez 22 May '10

22 May '10

Hey Everyone, Ramon Martinez here from LA's new County Cycling Collaborative (The CCC) made up of local bike collectives including the Bicycle Kitchen, The Bike Oven, The Bikerowave and the Valley Bikery (along with two local bike advocacy and education organizations, the LA County Bike Coalition and C.I.C.L.E.). We all got together to write a grant for a working position known as the Bike Wrangler, that would scour the County's universities, police departments, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other sources to find used bikes, recover them, and redistribute them. Now that the money has been awarded to us, we're looking to hire the position. Check out more details and find a job description at the Bike Coalition's blog<http://lacbc.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/job-opening-la-county-cycling-collabo…>. Send a resume and cover letter to bikewrangler(a)la-bike.org by June 7th at 5pm and we look forward to seeing you in LA. Pass the word on and keep rocking out in the big bike world. Ramon Martinez Board Member, Bicycle Kitchen Advocacy & Outreach Coordinator, LA County Bike Coalition

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A day in the life of Community cycles
by Rich Points 21 May '10

21 May '10

http://vimeo.com/11860004 -- Rich Points Community Cycles Executive Director http://CommunityCycles.org Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019 (W) 303-589-0597 (C) Donate your old car to Community Cycles http://communitycycles.org/get-involved/donatecar.html Volunteer orientations are held 6p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of each month.

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Bike 2 Bike! Bike! from Capital Region of NY.
by andrew lynn 19 May '10

19 May '10

If anyone out there in the capital region or the Northeast US is interested in participating in a bicycle caravan to Bike!Bike! International, please get in touch, so we can coordinate with you. This is an unsupported approximate 6-day ride each way. We will be cooking our own food and camping at free areas and/or as inexpensively as possible. What supplies to bring and daily routes will be coordinated as things come together in June & July. Much of the route will be on the Erie Canal bike trail, making it mostly flat and scenic. For people interested in only a two-day ride, there will be a send-off brigade riding with us the first day, camping the first night and coming back the following day. Here's a tentative schedule: Sat. August 7 - leave in the AM Arrive in Toronto by Aug. 13 or 14. Monday August 16 - leave Toronto Arrive back in Capital Region around 8/21-22 --- About Bike!Bike!: B!B! is an amazing gathering of community bike projects in its 7th year of existence. It will be a meeting of 2-300 DIY bicycle visionaries from around the US and Canada. This years gathering is being hosted by the Bike Pirates of Toronto, so, if you are going, you will need a passport or enhanced drivers license to cross the border. More info on the gathering here: http://bikebike.org email Andrew at anyone(a)breathingplanet.net to express interest in the ride.

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local events/facebook notifications to think tank?
by Brian Windle 15 May '10

15 May '10

Thought we've been through this a few times... :( Brian -- Urban Bike Project of Wilmington -a 501(c)3 non-profit bike shop- 1908 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 http://urbanbikeproject.org Hours of Operation: Thursday: 6:30-9:00PM Saturday: 1:00-4:00PM

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Submisson; Thanks!
by dave bauer 13 May '10

13 May '10

*Volunteers Needed in Denver* * * *Who*: Folks who know anything about bicycle repairs, even if you just know how to fix a flat! Please pass this invitation on to other friends who like to volunteer. *When*: Saturday, May 22, 10am-1pm *What*: Inner City Health Center’s 12th Annual Kid’s Fair. Last year, we turned around 450 bicycles, helmets & locks, and it gets bigger every year. Some of the bicycles that are donated are ready to go, some need minor repairs and/or adjustments, and some are not worth fixing but we use them for parts bikes. There are other events going on; a bicycle obstacle course, live music, the police and fire department, sno-cones and cotton candy, health oriented booths, but the bicycle give-away is the biggest draw. We provide the volunteers with food and drinks, bicycles, parts, supplies and compressed air. If you can, please bring a repair stand and basic tools. *Where*: We hit a different school each year, this year at Swansea Elementary school, 4650 Columbine Street, Denver, CO 80216. From I-70 & York, go north on York and take your first right in less than a block on Steavenson Place. Go two blocks east and take a left on Columbine street. Swansea is ½ block north on the east side of the street. *Contact:* For information on the Inner City Health Center and the 11th annual Kid’s Fair: Laura Alden Inner City Health Center 3800 York St. Denver, CO 80205 303.296.1767 Laura direct: 720.833.5091 lauraA(a)innercityhealth.com innercityhealth.com For information on the bicycle program specifically: Dave Bauer Recycle Bicycles Collective 7196 S. Poplar St. Centennial, CO 80112 303.788.0672 davebauer5(a)gmail.com recyclebicycles.net * *

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"East Bay Bike Party Birthday Ride!" sent you a message on Facebook...
by Facebook 13 May '10

13 May '10

Ashley Elliott sent a message to the members of East Bay Bike Party Birthday Ride! -------------------- Subject: Test Ride Tomorrow night! Don't forget our test ride tomorrow night, meeting at Frank Ogawa at 9 pm. Thanks to everyone who's gotten in touch to volunteer for cornering, I hope to meet you all tomorrow! ~Ashley -------------------- To reply to this message, follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox%2Freadmessage.php&t=1291409008722&mid=2565… ======================================= This message was intended for thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org. If you do not wish to receive this type of email from Facebook in the future, please click on the link below to unsubscribe. http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=dbb4a3&u=1443204419&mid=2565371G56058d43G1c… Facebook's offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.

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Cycles Apc invited you to the event "East Bay Bike Party Birthday Ride!"...
by Facebook 12 May '10

12 May '10

Cycles invited you to "East Bay Bike Party Birthday Ride!" on Friday, May 21 at 9:00pm. Event: East Bay Bike Party Birthday Ride! Start Time: Friday, May 21 at 9:00pm End Time: Saturday, May 22 at 12:00am Where: Frank Ogawa Plaza To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=113450595357130&mid=2553508G56058d… Thanks, The Facebook Team ___ This message was intended for thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org. If you do not wish to receive this type of email from Facebook in the future, please click on the link below to unsubscribe. http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=dbb4a3&u=1443204419&mid=2553508G56058d43G1c… Facebook's offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.

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EU bike collectives
by Robert McMurry 07 May '10

07 May '10

anyone have information on bike collectives in the EU all i know about is http://www.bikecollectives.org? I have a few friends who are now overseas and wondering what I know about possibilities for DIY bike repair where they are. one specifically in Helsinki. Any information would be helpful. Thanks, Friar Robbie Davis Bike Collective

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19-32nds equals 15mm about
by Bob Giordano 04 May '10

04 May '10

We have found that 19/32 american wrenches work great as 15mm wrenches. We bought 50 at a pawn shop for $5. Used 30 to teach a whole 4th grade class how to remove and add pedals to crank arms. 19/32 equals 15.08mm to be more exact. The inferior metal ones will spread a little after awhile, so higher quality is the way to go. If both ends are open ended, we bend a short spoke and tape it to one end for hanging on our tool board. We paint all tools to keep them around and for easy put back onto the 8 different colored boards. Also, we cover the 19/32 part with masking tape, write 15mm on it, then cover that part with clear packing tape- lasts several months before a spruce up is needed. -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula. hotline: 406.541.7284 Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406.880.6834

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Random Though: Buying U-Locks direct
by Jonathan Morrison 04 May '10

04 May '10

Bike theft seems to rise and fall with the temperature in Salt Lake City -- and the temperatures are rising. At the SLC Bike Collective, when we tell someone the vulnerability of "affordable" chains, cables and older locks with cylindrical keys and the advantages of u-locks with flat keys -- we have wasted their time (and ours) if they can't afford it. Would anyone be interested in doing a big group order? If you are interested, please let me know what your actual budget is, and your ideal price point. This isn't a sure thing, but I need to know some realistic numbers before I start shopping manufacturers. http://www.manufacturers.com.tw/bicycles/u-locks.html Sincerely, Jonathan Morrison Executive Director 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 The mission of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.

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trailer stuff
by Bob Giordano 04 May '10

04 May '10

We have lots of pictures- some too large to scan- and various instruction handouts. We try to spark ideas and let people run with them. We just supply endless bike parts. The main design, easily modified, is: -2 wheels, same size, in bike forks, with bike fork parallel to ground -stem comes out of each fork, with a top tube joining stems -another stem comes out of top tube on left side -another piece of bike tubing extends forward -another stem attaches to extended bike tubing -a seat post goes in stem and contains hitch to chain stay -hitch can be piece of tire (bead left in) that wraps around chain stay and is anchored with a bolt and wing nut, or a shopping cart wheel caster, or?? -hole can be drilled and pin inserted where twisting may occur at stems Other trailers have been made with crutches, bed frames, shopping carts, haywagons, and so on. -Bob G. Free Cycles Missoula http://strans.org/pedaltechnology.html veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com wrote: > Hey Bob, > > Care to share the instructions for trailer building? We'd like to teach a > workshop on how to build a trailer from bike parts, and are looking into a > few different designs.

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tracking statistics
by Mark Rehder 03 May '10

03 May '10

Chris or I have mentioned in the past that re-Cycles has always kept track of certain stats. And these past couple of years it has really paid off in showing how much growth we've had to cope with. As an example, in the old, windowless basement that we occupied until early 2008 we had about 1,500 people use our shop. This includes volunteers, folks doing DIY repair, and people buying stuff. In 2008, in our most recent location, that number jumped to 2,500. In 2009 that soared to 4,400! No wonder we felt a bit constrained and needed to move AGAIN. So we are now ensconced in our new digs (right beside the previous place) and we'll see how things add up this year. We also know that last year we took in at least 1,200 bikes! Many were scrapped, some donated away, and the rest built up for sale. And the last of those are selling fast. We'll exhaust our inventory of ready bikes in the next week or so, then back to our usual game of bikes going out the door as fast as we get them ready. Mark Rehder - General Manager re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op http://re-cycles.ca

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Funding
by charlie madden 01 May '10

01 May '10

To Whom... I am looking for grant funding (or any other source of funding) for Worcester (MA) Earn-A-Bike, Inc. Is anyone aware of such. I'm on the list of a number of the usual RFP postings but as of yet not come across anything even worth submitting a request to. Thanks, Charlie Madden Board Member Worcester Earn-A-Bike, Inc 34 Cambridge St Worcester, MA bikewithcharlie(a)gmail.com 206-669-2356 _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID2…

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bikebike northeast happened
by andrew lynn 26 Apr '10

26 Apr '10

heres the growing bank of evidence. thanks again to all participants and supporters. http://www.mediasanctuary.org/blog/bikebike-northeast-weekend-media-roundup there are some really amazing photos and videos here. andrew --

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Bike!Bike! Northeast this weekend
by andrew lynn 23 Apr '10

23 Apr '10

bbne is happenin this weekend! http://troybikerescue.org/bikebikene wish us luck! tbr crew

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Building cargo bikes in developing countries
by Bob Giordano 22 Apr '10

22 Apr '10

Very cool and practical... We have a fleet of 'pixie' bikes- kids bikes with big handlebars and raised seat with reinforcement. Everyone loves riding these bikes, in parades, for jousting, to cruise. i can see easy modification for all sorts of utility bikes like the one you picture. Another reason to not recycle all the extra bikes we all get! Please try to save bikes, unless rusted. Space is an issue for all of us, but we all have a duty to try hard to reuse things. You can _always_ find free garages for storage, if you ask for a firm time line, like 6 mo. to a year. ben depp wrote: > I just wanted to share a couple easy to make cargo bikes plans. > http://annbekan.blogspot.com/ > My idea is to just show them off here in Haiti and sell a couple and hope > the idea catches on. There are plenty of old bikes and old welders > perfectly > capable of making them so I don't see a reason to set up a workshop. > -- Bob Giordano Free Cycles Missoula Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, 541.7284 3PM-7PM Mon-Thurs & 11AM-3PM Sat Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406-880-6834

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anyone have a good solution for old dirty rags?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 21 Apr '10

21 Apr '10

We've got a big pile of the, waiting to be cleaned or tossed or something. What do you all do? Thanks! josh.

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Building cargo bikes in developing countries
by ben depp 21 Apr '10

21 Apr '10

I just wanted to share a couple easy to make cargo bikes plans. http://annbekan.blogspot.com/ My idea is to just show them off here in Haiti and sell a couple and hope the idea catches on. There are plenty of old bikes and old welders perfectly capable of making them so I don't see a reason to set up a workshop.

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