- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Troy --> Toronto !! bike trip invite
by andrew lynn 27 Jul '10

27 Jul '10

Hi all, our trip to B!B! is on and we are way excited. we have an armada of 9 peops, heading across the Erie Canal trail to Niagara Falls and on to Toronto for BikeBike. we leave bright and early Friday August 6. If anyone on the Thinktank is interested in joining, please email me for an itinerary. we will be returning the northern route (around the north of Lake ontario) and plan to arrive back in troy around the 22nd. see yall soon, eh. Andrew Troy Bike Rescue -- andrew lynn | 518-573-7947 | troy, ny digital media | bike repair | tree work http://www.breathingplanet.net http://www.troybikerescue.org http://www.mediasanctuary.org http://flickr.com/photos/breathingplanet

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Fwd: Community Bike Shop Working Holidays Proposal
by Angel York 26 Jul '10

26 Jul '10

Hi y'all, This forwarded message was sent to bay area community bicycle shops. I thought I'd pass it along in hopes it might start a conversation about doing this on a somewhat larger scale. Bike love, Angel ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Riyaz Sakharov <rezrezrez(a)fastmail.fm> Date: Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 6:14 PM Subject: [bikeministry] Community Bike Shop Working Holidays Proposal To: contact(a)thebicycleworks.org Cc: bikechurch(a)santacruzhub.org, bikeministry(a)googlegroups.com, thebikery(a)cyclesofchange.org, oaklandbikery(a)gmail.com, bikeministry(a)gmail.com, info(a)sacbikekitchen.org, mducot(a)ucsc.edu Hello fellow wrenchers. This is reZz, a staff member at the San Francisco Bike Kitchen collective. I recently had a great experience working briefly at the Bicycle Works in San Anselmo on my way back from a camping tour of the CA coast. This revived an idea to formalize a sort of working holiday staff exchange. Here is how it would work: A member of one of our collectives/churches would get in touch to make sure there was a place to stay. Then, s/he would get to bike to another shop in SC/Davis/SF/wherever, have a couch to sleep on, work a shift at that community bike shop, and perhaps have another day/night to explore the area before returning. For a lot of people this would work best on weekends, I would love to do it on a week day, especially if the shop was usually understaffed that day. Benefits: - We would get to see how our sister shops do it differently, and what we have in common. - The newer shops could check out the more established shops and vice versa, which would allow us to see how it works at a different stage in the game. - Free place to stay and a shower a nice bike ride away. - A way for shops to get an extra volunteer on a day that it is normally short-staffed. We have trouble getting people to sign up for Saturdays because we all want to get out of town. But if we were out of town working in another shop's Saturday shift it might just work out. - Being able to share/trade resources that might be more available at one shop than another. Anyone need Chinese BMX chains? - Getting to meet each other. We have a few people who have stepped up to offer their houses for participants to crash at, a couple of whom live close to the SF shop. Anyone out there who wants to offer a place or throw out some ideas for this exchange, let me know! Reach me at rezrezrez [at] fastmail [dot] fm -- (NOT.com) or phone me at (sorry for the encryption) sikkstoozevn 8218 in the SF area code. So far, I am mailing this to Davis, Oakland and San Anselmo (I think...not sure how up to date some web sites are), but please feel free to spread the idea farther and wider. -reZz, SF Bike Kitchen * * * keep the faith http://www.hamsterdance.com/ http://artactivism.members.gn.apc.org/home.htm http://www.retardriot.com/ http://www.cultures.com/features/dance/dancers.html -- Riyaz Sakharov rezrezrez(a)fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Faster than the air-speed velocity of an unladen european swallow -- Boom-Shaka-Laka-Gaia! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "bikeministry" group. To post to this group, send email to bikeministry(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to bikeministry+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com<bikeministry%2Bunsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bikeministry?hl=en

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Volgistics?
by Rich Points 25 Jul '10

25 Jul '10

Any shops out there using Volgistics for volunteer management? http://www.volgistics.com/0-0.htm We could use some help setting it up. Ride On! -- 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 held 6p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month.

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Application forms for scholarship
by Christine Bourgeois 22 Jul '10

22 Jul '10

Hi all, Bici Centro is going to offer a Youth-Earn-A-Bike program in several junior high schools in Santa Barbara. We want to offer scholarships for low-income families who can't pay. Does anybody have some examples of application forms to share? Thank you, -- Christine Bourgeois www.bicicentro.org

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Amsterdam Bike Scene
by bike talk 21 Jul '10

21 Jul '10

Hi, I'm traveling to Amsterdam tonight for a couple of weeks in the Netherlands withr a debate team I coach. We're going for a Youth Forum in Zeeland. While I'm there, I'd like to meet up with some Bike people to interview for Bike Talk in Los Angeles. Can anyone direct me? I think my debate team would like to meet them, too. We've done a lot of service projects on low emissions transportation, which means bikes, mainly. Thanks, Nick -- please let us know if you want to be taken off this list. Hear Bike Talk! live on www.killradio.org, 10am-noon Saturdays. Call in at (213) 252-0998. Hear the podcast at kpfk.org: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html

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Re: [TheThinkTank] [LCI Group] Re: Design contest for bicycle valet parking rack: $250 prize
by Jonathan Morrison 20 Jul '10

20 Jul '10

http://pedalandpark.org/our-bike-racks/ 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. On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 6:24 AM, Karen D. · There's an "E" in mine · Grand Rapids, Mich. <galena3066(a)mypacks.net> wrote: > A business local to me, Cycle Safe, offers a portable event parking > rack. I used it last year for Park(ing) Day. Pics: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3940738655/ > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3940734595/ > > Their website: > http://www.cyclesafe.com/EventRacks.tab.aspx > > HTH > > --Karen D. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "LCI Group." > To post to this group, send email to lci-group(a)googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to lci-group-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/lci-group?hl=en

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Amsterdam biking
by bike talk 20 Jul '10

20 Jul '10

I'd like to know if anyone has contacts in the bike scene of Amsterdam, because I'll be there for a couple of days starting tomorrow, the 21st, to the 22nd with my debate team who are attending a summit in the Netherlands. I'd love to do some interviews, and I don't know anybody there personally. Any contacts? Thanks, Nick Bike Talk LA -- please let us know if you want to be taken off this list. Hear Bike Talk! live on www.killradio.org, 10am-noon Saturdays. Call in at (213) 252-0998. Hear the podcast at kpfk.org: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html

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user fees/membership
by Sarah Follett (B!KE) 19 Jul '10

19 Jul '10

We at B!KE have been grappling with the question of how to structure payment for our drop-in shop hours. This is our main program and therefore our most consistent income generator. Currently we have a $20 annual membership fee, which is great because it's (reasonably) accessible for most, but less great because it's rather inadequate as far as covering our expenses (we have about 100+ new & renewed memberships each year- not going to cover the bills), and is probably too little to ask for from those who use the shop frequently or those in higher income brackets. We've discussed two-tiered membership fees (regular and un/ underemployed) or workstand rental time. It's really important to us that the use of the space is not out of reach to anyone, but we're also reluctant to have an overt volunteer-as-payment system because we don't yet have the infrastructure for that, and frankly, we do need the cash. I was checking the google docs spreadsheet to see if it listed different organizations solutions to this, but I don't think this is up there yet. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Sarah Follett Director, B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 400 Wolfe St Peterborough, Ontario (705) 748-6681 http://www.communitybikeshop.org

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piles of tires
by chris turner 19 Jul '10

19 Jul '10

Hey, gang. At Off the Chain, in Anchorage, we have piles and piles of used tires. We can't use all of them, are tired of paying to store them, and don't want to throw so much rubber into a landfill. What are other shops doing with all of their extra, un-useable tires? -Chris Off the Chain www.offthechainak.org

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Mobile shops
by Jonathan Morrison 17 Jul '10

17 Jul '10

Does anyone have a proven working (not conceptual) mobile shop operation? We are going to be partnering with a local college, and while we have done this in the past, I was looking for some creative ideas on others have made it work. 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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Hiring FT, temporary shop mechanic at Bike Works Seattle
by Steve Maluk 14 Jul '10

14 Jul '10

Bike Shop Mechanic -- Full-Time, Temporary, Non-Exempt Bike Works, Seattle, WA Bike Works is hiring an experienced full-time, temporary bike shop mechanic to start September 16, 2010 and work until May 15, 2011. Bike Works is a non-profit bike education and advocacy organization based in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. We're committed to building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling as a means of accessible transportation. Bike Works provides a full-service community bike shop where we sell donated, refurbished bikes, and new and used bike parts and accessories. This Shop Mechanic position works in the community bike shop to diagnose and repair customer bikes, refurbish recycled bikes, and provide outstanding customer service. The Shop Mechanic reports to the Shop Manager, and will work closely with the shop's Lead Mechanic. We're looking for at least two years of experience as a bike shop mechanic, as well as someone who can work effectively in a team-oriented and systems-based work environment. Lastly, we're seeking someone who can thrive in a fast-paced retail setting. Job Duties 1. Perform bicycle repair, maintenance, and walk-in services on customer bicycles of all types and conditions. 2. Recondition/overhaul used bicycles of all types and conditions for resale. 3. Deliver professional, accessible, and helpful customer service to a diverse customer base. 4. Support daily bike shop operations. Other Required Qualifications 1. Prior experience with retail Point of Sale systems. 2. Ability to multi-task and manage multiple priorities and deadlines. 3. Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills. 4. Ability to work well independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team; and work well with diverse styles and personalities. 5. Strong commitment to promoting bicycling, supporting youth and to advancing social change. Compensation $12.00 per hour, full-time, non-exempt. How to Apply Please visit our website at www.bikeworks.org for more information about Bike Works. Email your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to steve(a)bikeworks.org. No phone calls please. Position is open until filled; applications received by August 1 will receive priority consideration. -- Steve Maluk Shop Manager Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St. Seattle, WA 98118 206-725-9408 ext. 3 http://www.bikeworks.org

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Bike!Bike! Registration update
by Ainsley Naylor 07 Jul '10

07 Jul '10

Hi thinktankers. Don't worry, Toronto is still standing after the G20, though some of us are battered and bruised. We are indeed still looking forward to hosting our own [awesome, radical, subversive!] conference in the city. As of yesterday we are getting into Bike!Bike! organizing full-force. The following email was sent out to everyone who has registered so far, but I figured a lot of you are still putting it off. So here is a bit of info to entice you to get on over to the website and register. The website will also have a bunch of stuff updated over the next few days. Thanks! Ainsley. ------- Hello all! you are receiving this email because you have registered to attend Bike!Bike! 2010 in Toronto this coming August, or because we wished to invite you to attend. We are now trying to set up housing, bike lending, volunteers, and workshop schedules, with the hope of being able to communicate important information to you 1-2 weeks before the beginning of the conference (August 12th). If your plans have changed in any logistical way - i.e. if you do not intend to attend Bike!Bike! or if you will be here earlier/later, if you do/not need a bike or housing, please send us an email and let us know. We want to be prepared to facilitate everyone’s needs as best as we can. Also, if your shop is sending more than one representative (it is more fun in groups!), then let us know and we can add this to your profile, and try to match you up with housing. Please ensure that you are prepared and have proper documentation if you are crossing the border. If you are crossing the border by bicycle be sure to look into which crossings you can access. For reference, here is what the basic schedule is looking like. There will most likely be 4 workshops each session (1.5 hour period) for about 35 total. a few workshop will span two sessions (3 hours) where it is deemed appropriate. We know what the evening events will be but want to keep them secret for now ;) Basic Schedule Outline: Thursday: 12-6pm registration 4-7pm special shop hours for Bike!Bike! bike fix-ups 7-10pm ride and casual welcome dinner for those who have arrived. Friday: breakfast 8:30-9:30 Workshops 9:45-1:00 Lunch 1:00-2:00 Workshops 2:15-5:30 Event (tba) 8pm-12am Saturday breakfast 8:30-9:30 Workshops 9:45-1:00 Lunch 1:00-2:00 Workshops 2:15-5:30 (may end earlier for special event) Event (tba) 10pm-2am Sunday breakfast 8:30-9:30 workshop/final brainstorm 9:45-11:30 Closing meeting, Bike!Bike! 2011 discussion 11:45-1:30 goodbyes 2pm onward The conference will be occurring in two downtown neighbourhoods - at Bloor and Lansdowne where Bike Pirates and the Free Gallery are located, and at the central U of T campus where we will utilise a large green space, cooking facilities, a cafe, and the Bike Chain workshop. There will be a bike bus taking folks from one neighbourhood to the other between sessions, as well as signs at the 2 major intersections along the route, so as to minimize confusion or navigational stress. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at bikebike2010(a)gmail.com and please continue to register and suggest workshop topics. Looking forward to seeing everyone and showing you around our city. Thanks!

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First Generation Bike Fleet Management Software?
by Rich Points 07 Jul '10

07 Jul '10

Hey All, Anyone out there have a first generation bike sharing software to manage the fleet? We're looking for something at Community Cycles. Any leads are appreciated -- 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 held 6p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month.

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Bike Tours in Detriot
by Rich Points 30 Jun '10

30 Jun '10

http://www.wheelhousedetroit.com/tours/ -- 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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Fwd: Fw: JOB OPENING— SACRAMENTO AREA BICYCLE ADVOCATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
by Angel York 24 Jun '10

24 Jun '10

*PLEASE DISTRIBUTE* ----- Original Message ----- *From:* yogoombah <http://mc/compose?to=yogoombah@yahoo.com> *To:* MOTHERLODE-SACTO-NEWS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG<http://mc/compose?to=MOTHERLODE-SACTO-NEWS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 16, 2010 7:32 AM *Subject:* JOB OPENING— SACRAMENTO AREA BICYCLE ADVOCATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB OPENING— SACRAMENTO AREA BICYCLE ADVOCATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) Executive Director Walt Seifert is retiring and SABA is looking to fill his position. Please see the job announcement on SABA's Web site at: http://www.sacbike.org/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To remove yourself from the Motherlode-Sacto-News list, send any message to: Motherlode-Sacto-News-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG

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Fwd: One Less Car (book release)
by Angel York 24 Jun '10

24 Jun '10

guy peddles bike book; sounds interesting. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Zack Furness <zackfurness(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 5:07 AM Subject: [bikeministry] One Less Car (book release) To: Hi there, My name is Zack Furness and I am Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies at Columbia College Chicago. I've spent the better part of the last six years doing research on bike activism & car culture, and I'm proud to announce the publication of my book, entitled *One Less Car: Bicycling and the Politics of Automobility* (Temple University Press, 2010). I am trying to promote the book as much as possible through community bicycle organizations and DIY bike collectives because I'm a strong supporter of their work, and in particular, their grassroots approach to pedal-powered transportation, recycling, and community building. For this reason, 100% of the royalties I make from the book will be donated to community bike projects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (my hometown) and Chicago, Illinois (my current home). If you are interested, you can find the book through a variety of independent bookstores and online distributors, such as AK Press (a worker-owned cooperative that specializes in radical political literature): http://akpress.com/2010/items/onelesscar Thanks for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to forward this email to anyone who might be interested! Best regards, zack _________________________ Zack Furness, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies Department of Humanities, History and Social Sciences Columbia College Chicago 624 S. Michigan Ave, 10th floor Chicago, IL 60605 zfurness(a)colum.edu http://work.colum.edu/~zfurness <http://work.colum.edu/%7Ezfurness> http://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Less-Car-Bicycling-and-the-Politics-of-Au… Sous les pavés, la plage! -- Boom-Shaka-Laka-Gaia! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "bikeministry" group. To post to this group, send email to bikeministry(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to bikeministry+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com<bikeministry%2Bunsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bikeministry?hl=en

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biking to bike bike from the east
by andrew lynn 20 Jun '10

20 Jun '10

A few of us over here at TBR are getting excited about plotting our bike to bike bike from Troy, NY to Toronto leaving the morning of August 7 and taking the Erie canal bike path route. if anyone from the North/South/East of us is interested in joining in, please contact me for details. we would be happy to put people up here the night before we leave or whatever also. over&out, andrew lynn

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New Co-op, Needing Your Help
by Ashton M Cortright 20 Jun '10

20 Jun '10

Hi everyone, I am currently working on putting together a proposal for a student run bike co-op at Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio. I am trying to get a handle on my proposed budget. I was hoping that some of you could provide me with a breakdown of your monthly costs or even just a list of your parts costs and other major costs per month. Also if you could share your membership numbers so I can compare them to the size of our campus. It would help so much if you could send me some information and really any advice for starting up a new co-op. Hope to hear from you all soon! Ashton

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If you live in the eastbay/bay area I'm doing a slideshow/film showing on a freakbike collective
by Cascadian Fox 19 Jun '10

19 Jun '10

heres the details: I invite anyone who isnt busy this sunday at 7pm to come to the longhaul this Sunday June 20th, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley CA. 94705 1st part: Documentary film on a DIY bike collective and slide show: In Lyon France there is DIY bike workshop called « l'atelier vélo autogéré du chat perché » located in an old renault industrial vehical factory. It's a 900 square foot space with an adjacent indoor bike polo field. It's a bike freak's heaven for creating human powered vehicals. It's the garage for a fleet of cargo trikes and oversided trailers that gleem the city for dumpstered treasures. It's the launching point for the vélorution (french critical mass) and it hosts an annual bike festival called Mort Sauvage à Vélo. It's all this and more. Come see the slideshow and film presented by one of the founders who will be in Berkeley to show you the best of the workshop, it's creations with many how to photos and it's bike freaks in action. http://ateliervelo.free.fr/ http://velorutionlyon.free.fr/ 2nd part (non bike stuff) Slideshow on the Northwest Ecosystem Survey Team: NEST is an all-volunteer group of self-organizing, tree-climbing humans. They take on a role as canopy surveyors, who utilize the Northwest Forest Plan’s “Survey and Manage” laws to protect ancient forests threatened by clearcut logging. NEST formed out of the Fall Creek tree-sit in 1998, when several observant forest defenders noticed paid USFS surveyors walking transect lines and climbing trees. These paid surveyors were seeking the treetop nests of red tree voles. Unfortunately, their abstract survey protocol does not fully account for tree vole habitat, and it is not ideal for finding nests. Under Survey and Manage, each red tree vole nest documented was required to receive a 10-acre surrounding buffer where no logging could occur. Following a little research, the forest defenders realized just what needed to be done to do a much more thorough job, on their own. Since this time, NEST has found hundreds of Red Tree Vole nests in areas that were slated for logging. Thousands of acres of forest have been saved, as a result of NEST surveys.NEST has surveyed everywhere from the Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon, as far north as the Mt. Hood National Forest, and many sites in between. The slideshow will present some of the finest photos from the 10 years of NEST's activity and describe how you can get involved. http://nestcascadia.wordpress.com/

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Check out Austin Yellow Bikes New Building
by Rich Points 18 Jun '10

18 Jun '10

Custom built just for/by them. It looks super fricken awesome! Nice work Austin!!! http://picasaweb.google.com/austinyellowbike -- 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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Neighborhood Bike Works seeks Executive Director in Philadelphia
by Neighborhood Bike Works 14 Jun '10

14 Jun '10

*Neighborhood Bike Works seeks Executive Director* Neighborhood Bike Works is a youth development program in Philadelphia that provides opportunities through bicycling. Our primary program, Earn-a-Bike classes, teaches bike maintenance, repair, and safe, effective, riding skills. We also offer a summer day camp, educational programs, and advanced programs for earn-a-bike graduates and programs for adults. We also overhaul and sell bikes. Programs are held at several sites in Philadelphia and nearby. We seek a leader who is committed to youth development and bicycling and who is experienced in program management. The ED is responsible for overseeing programs and staff, maintaining financial and program records, fundraising (including grant-writing and contracting), cooperating with program partners, and representing NBW to the public. We hope to fill the position by August and no later than September 2010. Applicants should send resume and letter outlining qualifications to employment(a)neighborhoodbikeworks.org.

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AmeriCorps Job Opening: Volunteer Coordinator, The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign (IL)
by Joel Gillespie 11 Jun '10

11 Jun '10

Job Description: Bike Project Volunteer Coordinator Through the Serve Illinois State AmeriCorps Program About The Bike Project (www.thebikeproject.org): The Bike Project is not a bike shop in the traditional sense. The Bike Project was conceived to serve those that are looking for inexpensive, low maintenance, and environmentally friendly transportation - and don't mind getting their hands dirty in the process. The Bike Project provides a cooperatively shared space and resources for working on bicycles, learning from skilled volunteer mechanics, and sharing knowledge about bicycle commuting and bicycle safety. The Bike Project takes in used bicycles as donations from the University of Illinois, the cities of Urbana and Champaign, local landlords, and individual donors. Some of the bicycles are fixed up by volunteers and sold as ready to go bikes. Some of the bicycles are parted out and provide used parts to fix other bikes. A sizable group of used bikes is available to members and can be purchased as Build-a-Bikes. A Build-a-Bike is when a member fixes up a bike using the tools at the co-op and available used parts. The cost of a Build-a-Bike is approximately half that of what a "ready to go" bike is sold for, which is the least expensive way to obtain a usable bicycle in Urbana-Champaign. The Bike Project currently has more than 300 members and hundreds of visitors per year. Job Summary: The Bike Project seeks an AmeriCorps member to serve as a Volunteer Coordinator who will complete tasks and organize activities that allow the Bike Project to serve more community members and generate more interest in volunteering with the Bike Project. This includes working with current volunteer staffers, assisting new Bike Project members in getting acquainted with the shop, cultivate new volunteer staffer involvement, teach and training new volunteer staffers, as well as arrange and take part in events related to bicycle maintenance and safety. Duties and Responsibilities: - Develop and maintain membership database to manage past and current Bike Project memberships. - Develop a volunteer management system and regularly update the wiki page to coordinate and publish volunteer scheduled hours. - Creating and sending out monthly newsletters and reminders for various events - Solicit and coordinate volunteers for special events. This involves email and direct communication with volunteers to encourage and keep up with volunteer involvement. - Teach and help organize training sessions to transition interested volunteers into volunteer staffers. Acquaint them with the shop, rules, and familiarize them with other staffers. - Teaching all new and existing staff to use the Bike Project’s wiki page (an interactive website), the membership database, and multiple Bike Project email groups. - Improve the shop’s overall organization system and point of sale process for bikes, tools, and parts. - Participate in community outreach events related to bike advocacy and safety as determined by the Bike Project Steering Committee and the AmeriCorps member’s Mentor. - Maintain documents, such as the membership flyer, membership form, wiki page, and membership database so that new members stay up-to-date with basic safety information and co-op rules and etiquette. - Staff hours at the co-op designated for Open hours and Members-only DIY hours (seasonal). - Represent the Bike Project at periodic events and monthly meetings, such as IMC Steering, Quad Day, etc. - Complete AmeriCorps duties required by the program, such as staffing the IMC desk (the building in which the Bike Project is located), completing various service projects with other AmeriCorps members, and attending regular meetings concerning the group. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed: - Minimum of GED or High School degree required - Ability to work well with other volunteers and the public, including children. - Ability to promote the mission of the Bike Project with large and small groups, through oral presentations and print materials. - Creative problem solving skills. - Willingness to learn new skills – mechanical, social, and professional. - Ability to establish reasonable priorities, work independently, and proceed with objectives without supervision. - Basic bicycle maintenance skills and familiarity with bicycle terminology is a plus, but is not necessarily required. Special Requirements: -Willing to work on a flexible schedule, with evening hours and weekends. -Loves bikes. To Apply: Submit a resume and cover letter to thebikeproject(a)gmail.com (email) by Monday, July 5th 2010 AND complete an application online through http://www.americorps.gov/ AmeriCorps Service Terms: As an AmeriCorps member, this position requires a one-year contract from August 2nd of 2010 to July 31st of 2011. The program offers a stipend of $11,400 living allowance in addition to health benefits and an education award. For more information, visit: http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/benefits/index.asp _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multiaccount&ocid=PID28…

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volunteer hours
by Sarah Green 06 Jun '10

06 Jun '10

this goes out to any organization who does work trade... ie, people can buy things in the shop in exchange for volunteering. -how do you delegate jobs to volunteers who don't know how to work on bikes? -what jobs do you have for that kind of volunteer (drop-in) to do? -is there a space separate from functioning Open Shop space where they work? We have thought about this idea as both a good way to compensate volunteers and also a good incentive to recruit volunteer hours, but we have found that the delegation of tasks, the increased volume in the shop, and the lack of bicycle related knowledge in volunteers has made this more work for us than it is worth. Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed! Sarah Urban Bike Project

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I'd be interested in getting in on the discussion
by Steven Mattson 06 Jun '10

06 Jun '10

Hi, I'm Steve Mattson, the GM of Bikerowave in Los Angeles. I'd like to participate in some of your discussions regarding running a bike repair cooperative/collective/non-profit. Thanks, SM Steven Mattson, General Manager steven.mattson(a)bikerowave.org www.bikerowave.org

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TE moneys
by Sarah Green 03 Jun '10

03 Jun '10

Has anyone received Transportation Enhancement money for educational programs... in this scenario obviously regarding bicycles? I am proposing a program here in Delaware and the guys at DelDOT want to hear from another organization who's received a TE grant for something similar. If you have gotten a TE grant or know an organization who has, please let me know! Thanks, Sarah Urban Bike Project

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