- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Re: [TheThinkTank] anyone have a good solution for old dirty rags?
by winter.snowy.rose＠gmail.com 21 Apr '10

21 Apr '10

What about getting a big pot and boiling the rags? Then you can just keep a reserved pot for the purpose. Just a thought, as I've never tried it. Chloé ------Original Message------ From: Christine Bourgeois Sender: thethinktank-bounces(a)bikecollectives.org To: The Think Tank ReplyTo: The Think Tank Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] anyone have a good solution for old dirty rags? Sent: 21 Apr 2010 11:37 Yes, you will gunking up your washing machine. I tried: not a good idea... Best, Christine Education Coordinator for the Santa Barbara Bicycle Community www.sbbike.org www.bicicentro.org www.cycleMAYnia.org On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 8:32 AM, Matt Brittenham <mattface(a)gmail.com> wrote: > I don't know, but was wondering the same thing as we have the same issue. I'm thinking maybe wash on hot with bleach, and maybe some citrus based solvent, but I'm worried about gunking up my washing machine. Anyone have any firsthand experience laundering greasy rags? > > On Apr 21, 2010, at 11:24 AM, veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com wrote: > >> We've got a big pile of the, waiting to be cleaned or tossed or something. >> >> What do you all do? >> >> Thanks! >> >> josh. >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org > To manage your subscription, plase visit: > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > -- Christine http://cbarreb.smugmug.com/ _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

1 0

Re: [TheThinkTank] bike rental suggestions
by Corey Grazul 19 Apr '10

19 Apr '10

I'm sure the topic of bike rental has been discussed here before, but if anyone has a link, personal experience, or just some solid advice to share, I'd really appreciate it. I am part of a non-profit community bike shop in Jackson, MI and we are looking into starting a bike rental service through our shop to get more people riding and to generate a bit of income to resource our work. The primary purpose of our rental will be recreation, not transportation. What I'm looking for are some starting points in the insurance/liability/waiver arena. What are my choices, what is most cost effective, what are some specific companies worth looking into, should I just look into a rider for our current insurance, does anyone have a good template waiver to share, etc...? Any other info. about starting a bike rental service would be super helpful. Thanks, Corey Grazul The Fitness Council of Jackson On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 4:11 PM, <thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org>wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Suggestions for paid work (Chris Wells) > 2. Re: Suggestions for paid work (Scott Gibson) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:20:25 -0700 (PDT) > From: Chris Wells <re-cycles(a)rogers.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Suggestions for paid work > Message-ID: <510696.86702.qm(a)web88207.mail.re2.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > At re-Cycles we decided since (at the time) all of our labour was volunteer > that we should only consider paying wages for a service that we we unable to > accomplish with volunteer labour. So far we have applied this to?4 services. > ? > 1) Day to day contact with other organizations and media which tends to > occur during 9-5 weekdays. Most of our senior volunteer resources have full > time jobs which make them unavailable weekdays. > ? > 2) We needed to find a new shop location, move and incorporate. Arranging > all that was a significant effort that needed corrdinating and was beyond > the amount of time of any of our senior volunteers was able to donate. > ? > 3) Corrdinating the day-to-day running of the organization and doing all > the stuff that no volunteers offered to do in a timely manner. Again a > significant effort that needed corrdinating and was beyond the amount of > time of any of our senior volunteers was able to donate. > ? > 4) Extending our hours to days and weekends. We were getting overwhelmed on > the evenings we were open as well as getting many requests to be open > outside of our evening hours. We knew from past experience we did not have > any senior volunteers available/willing to work days or weekends so we > decided to offer some paid hours. > ? > Services 1-3 ended up being combied into a Director's Honararium allowing > Mark to dedicate the hours required to accomplish those tasks. The need for > service 4 is reviewed twice a year. Thus far no volunteers have come forward > to work those shifts and the work accomplished has relieved some of the > pressure from the evening shifts while also proving to be revenue positive > (after paying the wages). > > Chris Wells > (Email Handler & one of many Volunteer Head Mechanics) > > re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op > 473 Bronson Ave. Ottawa > info(a)re-cycles.ca > http://www.re-cycles.ca/ > > --- On Sun, 4/11/10, Ainsley Naylor <needleandthread(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: Ainsley Naylor <needleandthread(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [TheThinkTank] Suggestions for paid work > To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 10:55 AM > > > Hey folks > We have been avoiding the very loaded *paid position* conversation for > about 2 years here at Pirates. As we are getting even busier than every > before, and making more than enough money to cover our operation costs, I > think it is time to start hashing out various ideas for ways to pay for > certain tasks to be done. > > I don't think we are in the market to have a paid coordinator or shop > manager, as it would be too likely to lead to authoritarian issues and would > take up too much of our extra cash. Do folks have suggestions or examples of > small-scale employment or honorarium models that have worked for them? > > To give you a guideline let's talk about paying out less than $600 a month. > > thanks! > ainsley. > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > To unsubscribe, send a blank email to > TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org > To manage your subscription, plase visit: > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >

6 5

using soft words to explain someone has a crappy bike?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 18 Apr '10

18 Apr '10

Hey Everyone, In the past few days, I've had several bikes people have brought in which are department store bikes of the worst kind. Pressed dropouts, steel cranks, etc. I'm sure you all know the bike of which I write. When explaining mechanical issues to the owner, sometimes the answer to "why do I keep having problems with this bike?" really does come down to a quality of manufacture issue. Of course I don't think anyone here wants to disparage someone's bike, or make them feel not worthy to be in our shops, but buying a bike at Target or Walmart does sometimes come down to a class issue. How to explain this in a way that's not as harsh? Any experiences you've had where it went wrong, or where it went really well? We really do want to encourage people to ride bikes, and getting them on a craphole Roadmaster is pretty much going to just discourage it and frustrate them after about 100 miles. Thanks, y'all. Hope you're all doing well! josh.

2 1

Job opening at Neighborhood Bike Works
by Neighborhood Bike Works 14 Apr '10

14 Apr '10

Neighborhood Bike Works is looking to hire a Lead Bicycle Mechanic for our North Philly shop, located at 1424-26 Susquehanna Avenue. The full job description is available at: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/NBWMechanicJobDescription.pdf. The start date for the position is March 22nd, 2010. Interested parties should contact Cat Bergeron, North Philly Shop Manager, at cat(a)neighborhoodbikeworks.org; please CC Andy Dyson, Executive Director, at andy(a)neighborhoodbikeworks.org. We encourage you to forward this notice to anyone who might be interested, but please do not repost it publicly. Thanks, Neighborhood Bike Works 3916 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104 215.386.0316 www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org Donate Now! http://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=23-3012779

1 1

Suggestions for paid work
by Ainsley Naylor 13 Apr '10

13 Apr '10

Hey folks We have been avoiding the very loaded *paid position* conversation for about 2 years here at Pirates. As we are getting even busier than every before, and making more than enough money to cover our operation costs, I think it is time to start hashing out various ideas for ways to pay for certain tasks to be done. I don't think we are in the market to have a paid coordinator or shop manager, as it would be too likely to lead to authoritarian issues and would take up too much of our extra cash. Do folks have suggestions or examples of small-scale employment or honorarium models that have worked for them? To give you a guideline let's talk about paying out less than $600 a month. thanks! ainsley.

6 5

Re: [TheThinkTank] advanced classes
by Angel York 12 Apr '10

12 Apr '10

I think these have been sent out to this listserv before, but maybe some new people are on the list now, and these are still pretty handy and artistically awesome: http://davisbikecollective.org/resources/documents/67-course-materials . Angel On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 7:08 PM, Julie Harrell <photonicgirl(a)hotmail.com>wrote: > >> Thank you so much. Here's a link to some of my other writing for the >> Mountain Gazette and Honest Weight. >> >> >> http://www.mountaingazette.com/community/go_higher/ride_for_free_fact_or_fi… >> >> http://www.hwfc.com/CoopScoop/Mar10/sales1article.html >> >> http://www.hwfc.com/CoopScoop/Apr10/suppliers.html >> >> >> >> >> for peace, om shanti >> >> jules >> >> www.photonicgirl.blogspot.com/ >> www.cherryplainfarm.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 20:04:41 -0600 >> >> From: veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com >> To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] advanced classes >> >> Sounds awesome, Julie. Can't wait to see it. >> >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 8:02 PM, Julie Harrell <photonicgirl(a)hotmail.com>wrote: >> >> Thank you for your interest. I will have discounted copies on my website, >> at Bike!Bike! and the ADK Sports and Fitness Expo. I'm donating quite a few >> to Trips for Kids (on an ongoing basis) so Marilyn their director will have >> copies for sale through their website (www.tripsforkids.org). >> >> Right now, you can also get them at The Downtube, CK Bikes (used to be >> Klarsfeld), Mad Dog Cycles (Delmar) and the Book House in Albany; The >> Bennington Bookstore, Highlander Bikes and Road and Trails in Bennington; >> The Spoke, Berkshire Outfitters, The Mountain Goat, Ordinary Cycles and >> Plaines in MA; plus of course through my website, ebay and amazon (don't buy >> it through ebay and amazon, I'm only on for the advertising). I'm probably >> forgetting a few shops...just started putting the book out there last week. >> >> My history: I used to edit repair manuals for Bicycle Books back when I >> lived in Marin, CA, then I published my first book through them. I also did >> a lot of volunteer stuff with Trips for Kids (bike mechanic/trip >> leader/teacher) and Marilyn wrote the forward to this book. A Woman's Bike >> Book is a much more interesting Dirt Rag style read than A Woman's Guide to >> Bikes and Biking. The new book also includes 31 pages of color photos, a >> chapter on community action, ... a bike repair chapter that includes a >> what-not-to-do commentary on some of the many mistakes I made as a new bike >> mechanic :) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> for peace, om shanti >> >> jules >> >> www.photonicgirl.blogspot.com/ >> www.cherryplainfarm.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 19:52:16 -0600 >> From: veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com >> To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] advanced classes >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 7:46 PM, Julie Harrell <photonicgirl(a)hotmail.com>wrote: >> >> I have a book out on this subject, A Woman's Bike Book. Just got >> published. I'm happy to share online with the group if you are interested. >> >> I'm fairly certain when I say that most everyone reading this would be >> interested. >> >> Also, where to buy the book? >> >> >> >> >> >> >> for peace, om shanti >> >> jules >> >> www.photonicgirl.blogspot.com/ >> www.cherryplainfarm.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> From: ryanguzy(a)gmail.com >> Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 18:23:56 -0700 >> To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] advanced classes >> >> >> These are the handouts that we developed and have been using at Bike >> Saviours. It is now a 6 week class with the first three handouts used for >> the first class. I have been slowly revising and simplifying them and I'd >> love to have other groups collaborate on them. If you would like to >> collaborate let me know and I will add you to the editors list. I have also >> thought about putting these on the wiki and/or adding some creative commons >> markings but I haven't looked into it yet. >> >> Intro: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_49fh332jcd >> Choosing a Bike: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_38gz2rgpf4 >> Headsets: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctsxwqx_38fqv3hcc8 >> Bottom Brackets: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_37gc4qbfj8 >> Hub Bearings and Gears: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctsxwqx_3fkt94dhq >> <http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_38gz2rgpf4>Brakes: >> http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctsxwqx_16g8wqnkcm >> <http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctsxwqx_16g8wqnkcm>Derailleurs and >> Shifters: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_50qrpxzhhk >> <http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_50qrpxzhhk>Wheel Truing: >> http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcgc3dtg_41fjzxhxhm >> >> *Ryan Guzy* >> Bike Saviours >> Tempe, AZ >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 6:08 PM, Julie Harrell <photonicgirl(a)hotmail.com>wrote: >> >> On the advanced wheel truing, what I am teaching is the basic stuff >> everyone I hope knows, and including lubing the nipples, listening to the >> spokes by pinging them with your fingernail before attempting to true, >> looking for more thread one some than others, then teaching how to stress >> relieve the wheels while they are on the stand and before they are placed on >> the bike. I don't have an indepth curriculum but I'm teaching from start to >> finish, taking trashed wheels and trying to bring them back to life. >> >> for peace, om shanti >> >> jules >> >> www.photonicgirl.blogspot.com/ >> www.cherryplainfarm.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 19:52:26 -0400 >> From: ssssscott(a)gmail.com >> To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> Subject: [TheThinkTank] advanced classes >> >> >> Hey is there anyone out there who can offer up anything from basic >> breakdown to in-depth curriculum about your Advanced Mechanics Classes. We >> are looking to develop our own at Free Ride! this year. Anything you have >> would be really helpful. >> >> Thanks, >> Scott >> >> ------------------------------ >> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with >> Hotmail. Get busy.<http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID2…> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your >> inbox. Learn more.<http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:…> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Thanks for supporting Community Cycles, Boulder's first and only >> non-profit bike shop! >> Ask me how you can sponsor a Youth Earn-A-Bike student for just $100. >> www.communitycycles.org >> >> ------------------------------ >> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with >> Hotmail. Get busy.<http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID2…> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Thanks for supporting Community Cycles, Boulder's first and only >> non-profit bike shop! >> Ask me how you can sponsor a Youth Earn-A-Bike student for just $100. >> www.communitycycles.org >> >> ------------------------------ >> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with >> Hotmail. Get busy.<http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID2…> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> >> >

1 0

fix a flat teaching materials
by Sarah Follett (B!KE) 09 Apr '10

09 Apr '10

Hello all, Rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I'd turn to the great collective resource that is the Think Tank. I was wondering if anyone had a fun handout with steps for how to fix a flat. I'm doing some high school visits with tutorials, and I think having a reference on paper is the only way I'm going to be able to manage to teach a class of 20 youth all at once! Thanks in advance! Sarah Follett Director, B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 400 Wolfe St Peterborough, Ontario (705) 748-6681 http://www.communitybikeshop.org

4 4

advanced classes
by Scott Gibson 08 Apr '10

08 Apr '10

Hey is there anyone out there who can offer up anything from basic breakdown to in-depth curriculum about your Advanced Mechanics Classes. We are looking to develop our own at Free Ride! this year. Anything you have would be really helpful. Thanks, Scott

4 7

Wrench Nepal Human-Powered Washing Machine
by Mario Bruzzone 08 Apr '10

08 Apr '10

Hi folks-- I've been meaning to do this for weeks, but I wanted to let everyone on this list know that Aaron Wieler and I wrote up a project report for the hand- and pedal-powered washing machine we helped facilitate in Nepal in 2008. The project was a partnership with the local Nepali NGO Prisoners Assistance Nepal. You can read it here <http://www.wrenchnepal.org/donate2> ( http://www.wrenchnepal.org/donate2) or here <http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/projects.html>( http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/projects.html)--it's the same pdf in both places. Wrench Nepal is sadly on hiatus, probably forever, for circumstances outside my control, but both my email and Aaron's are in the pdf. Thanks, Mario Bruzzone San Francisco

1 0

LAB insurance question
by andrew lynn 05 Apr '10

05 Apr '10

hi all, i have been perusing the archive because we are trying to obtain insurance - both to cover our butts, and because we want/need to get our own J&B account and not mooch off our sister project (which has a parent non-profit) any longer. question: is the LAB club insurance (which i think i understand from other emails) enough to put on a J&B application and get approved? does anyone out there do this (have a J&B accoutn and LAB club insurance?) Andrew Lynn Troy Bike Rescue

2 1

Re: [TheThinkTank] [Bicipandilla] Bike Kitchen's can now be found on other planets.
by james blesdoe 02 Apr '10

02 Apr '10

________________________________ I saw a Bike Kitchen in Caprica City, Caprica when I was watching the 'Gravedancing' episode of the SciFi series Caprica. The employees had blue aprons that said "Bike Kitchen". Ride on, _______________________________________________ Bicipandilla mailing list Bicipandilla(a)bicyclekitchen.com http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/bicipandilla

1 0

Bike!Bike! Northeast Approacheth!
by andrew lynn 01 Apr '10

01 Apr '10

Hi everyone, Were three weeks out from Bike!Bike! Northeast here in Troy, NY and getting excited. If you plan to come, please register, so we have an idea of how much food and housing will be needed. Registration will take 2 minutes or less and can be done here: http://troybikerescue.org/bbneregistration. \\\ What is Bike!Bike! Northeast? /// BBNE is a regional version of the international conference Bike!Bike! It will be a gathering of community bicycle organizers to meet up, share skills, and build something bigger than our individual projects. So far, we have folks registered from Providence, Worcester, Ithaca, North Hampton, NYC and beyond, in addition to many local people. Right now, we are expecting anywhere from 40-60 participants. There will be a sliding scale registration fee of $10-25 and that will cover housing and food for the weekend. This is low/no-waste event; please bring a dish and utensil if possible (we will have extras on hand) http://troybikerescue.org/bikebikene Specific questions about housing? contact Sam at samharrington(a)gmail.com \\\ What kind of workshops are planned? /// The skillshare schedule is shaping up! Things will begin at 10am on Saturday 4/24. From Community Bike Shop 101, to Family Bike Advocacy, Bicycle Organizing with Media, to Welding for Dummies Like Us, and an Outdoor Kids' Rodeo. There is something for everyone, including you! Check it out: http://troybikerescue.org/bbneworkshops \\\ Skillshares and talking are great, but will there be a party?! /// YES! There will be a screening of the movie Veer about the thriving bicycle culture in Portland, Oregon at 7pm, and a rockin dance party with live bands, Blister Pack (Worcester, MA), and Beware! The Other Head of Science (Albany, NY) beginning at 9pm. http://www.myspace.com/bewaretheotherheadofscience http://www.myspace.com/blisterpack Andrew L. & Team BBNE

1 0

Co-ops & shade tree shops
by Joel Gillespie 01 Apr '10

01 Apr '10

I'll apologize up front for the large amount of exposition to come. If you'd prefer to thin-slice, my question is this: What conflicts have other collectives encountered with "shade tree" mechanics and other unofficial LBS's, and what are reasonable steps to take to avoid unnecessary competition with them? Hi, this is Joel Gillespie from The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign (http://www.thebikeproject.org) in Illinois. We've recently entered into a Facility Use Agreement with the University of Illinois to collaborate with the U of I to open an on-campus location for our cooperative, to be known as the Campus Bike Project (clever, right?). A student group funded by an optional student sustainability fee gave us a grant to convert an old garage into a shop, and the university is allowing us to use the space rent- and utility-free (at least for the first year), and they're paying a 20-hour-per-week employee (me) out of the facilities budget. In return, we're doing basically the same things we already do at our original location -- assist with member repairs and build-a-bikes, refurbish and sell or donate used bikes, and sell a few very low-end, consumable or safety parts like tires, tubes, helmets, locks and lights. Our collective has an ongoing relationship with the U of I parking department where they give us the abandoned bikes from the previous school year (this was something that they approached us about, not something we sought). This new location has been the last straw for one of our erstwhile volunteer staffers, who operates a used-bike sales, frame painting, and bike repair business out of his house. He's made some noise on the local bike listservs and has been accusing us of some pretty nasty things like misusing our nonprofit status and has threatening an FBI investigation, etc., but I guess that's not really the point of my question. His view is that we're unfairly competing with him because we accept grants and get benefits from working with the university. The most reasonable part of his argument is that we're unfairly competing with his business since we sell repaired bikes to non-members, and we also don't have the best membership tracking system, which has probably led to non-members taking advantage of multiple unpaid visits for repair help. We have a "first visit free" policy for use of the shop and tools, after which you have to buy a membership to use the space -- $25 per yr for students, $40 per yr for non-students. Those points have some merit, and we're taking steps to make things more member-centric. We're also going to have very visible maps and handouts showing locations and contact info of LBS's. So, I guess what I'm asking, is that enough? Does what we're doing sound unreasonable? We don't want to bend over backwards to please someone just because they're complaining, but at the same time, we want to be a good neighbor to folks trying to make a decent living. Thanks in advance for your time and insights. Joel Gillespie The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/210850553/direct/01/

3 2

Specialty Tools
by Jonathan Morrison 28 Mar '10

28 Mar '10

At heart I am a tool junkie, so one of the small highlights at Mountain States Bike Bike was seeing some of their specialty tools... http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tools#Specialty_Tools What does your shop use that is special? 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.

2 1

mobile bike shops?
by adam schwartz 26 Mar '10

26 Mar '10

We recently lost our physical workshop/classroom/storage space due to the economy and are considering the concept of going mobile. We already developed a mobile bike shop based out of a landscaping trailer (photos attached), however due to a conflict with our previous partner organization (the Univ of Maryland) and our main funder our mobile bike shop was siezed and its future is currently being negotiated by lawyers. Its really sad and ugly but we are committed to moving forward despite the loss. We have now formed our own 501c3 in incredible time and have fully terminated our partnership with the university. Anyway, I wanted to hear about anyone who has had success with a mobile bike program. We are currently considering using a biodiesel school bus to house our operations as cheap space is very hard to come by in the Washington DC area. Thanks for your input and ideas. -- Adam Schwartz The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop, ECO Inc. rideyourbicycle(a)gmail.com

2 1

mobile bike shops?
by Bob Giordano 26 Mar '10

26 Mar '10

I do think every shop/program should be prepared to go mobile if money or politics does not allow a rentable/buyable space. The streets/trails/parks are _public space_, ideal for public bicycle activity. You can go to the area in need, and post a schedule. Bio bus is understandable, bike power ideal (then no license, registration, fuel and the demo power of biking a small shop has huge positive ripple effects). Parking a bikable rig on the street overnight brings up interesting 'legal' issues. In missoula, a trailer or vehicle must be registered to be left on the street- I'd fight that restriction if it arose though, since bikes have almost zero negative impact. We have parked haywagons full of bikes on the streets for a few days with free parts and instructions for trailer building. -Bob g, free cycles missoula --- adam schwartz wrote: > We recently lost our physical workshop/classroom/storage space due to the > economy and are considering the concept of going mobile. We already developed a mobile bike shop based out of a landscaping trailer (photos attached), however due to a conflict with our previous partner > organization > (the Univ of Maryland) and our main funder our mobile bike shop was siezed > and its future is currently being negotiated by lawyers. Its really sad and > ugly but we are committed to moving forward despite the loss. We have now > formed our own 501c3 in incredible time and have fully terminated our partnership with the university. Anyway, I wanted to hear about anyone who > has had success with a mobile bike program. We are currently considering > using a biodiesel school bus to house our operations as cheap space is very > hard to come by in the Washington DC area. Thanks for your input and ideas. > > -- > Adam Schwartz > The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop, ECO Inc. > rideyourbicycle(a)gmail.com

2 1

Abandoned Bike Collection partnerships with campuses and municipalities
by Erik Stockmeier 26 Mar '10

26 Mar '10

Are there any groups out there with strong partnerships with local municipalities or campuses to collect abandoned bicycles? I know the Recyclery (Chicago) and many other groups certainly pick up donations from police departments and the like, but we have a number of volunteers and a campus environmental group working on setting up a structured collection program and are looking for ways to proceed. Do you, for example, have a specific notice or flyer you attach to bikes? We are thinking of something that says "hello, this bike looks abandoned. if it is yours, you can fix it up at the recyclery. Otherwise it will be removed..." Anyhow, just wondering if anyone has already done this. Thanks for your help! Erik @ The Recyclery (Chicago)

11 14

Accounting for Collectives.
by Jonathan Morrison 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

This was started at Mountain States Bike! Bike! but I am hoping it can continue... http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Accounting 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.

1 0

collective vs non-profit
by Liza Mattana 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

Hey, Can someone lay out a simple list of pros and cons for each please? Right now we're a 501c3, with a 5 member board of directors, 2 part time employees, and several committed volunteers. We came across some issues with the gambling commission when we were trying to get a fundraiser/raffle together. Basically, we need a 15 member voting-member body that votes on the board, which sounds like a collective to me. I don't know, maybe it's not. I'm confused. Thanks, liza -- Liza Mattana president www.pedals2people.org Spokane, WA

2 1

Good luck, louisville!
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

Good luck tomorrow and this weekend Louisville. We're rooting for you and thinking about you kids. Looks like Colorado may get a foot of snow tonight...yay for our out of town guests on bikes, huh? Hope everything goes well. There should be some good bike energy happening this weekend. Love you all. Be safe. josh.

1 0

Suggestions for finding a good shop manager
by Rich Points 17 Mar '10

17 Mar '10

Hey All, We've started looking for a new shop manager. After a week or so of resume submissions nothing stands out. We had the same experience last time we hired a shop manager. I wanted to ask the shops who've sought out and hired a shop manager what their experience has been like. Do you have any suggestions about where to find qualified bike mechanics with non profit backgrounds? 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

7 7

Re: [TheThinkTank] Suggestions for finding a good shop manager (John Carlson)
by John Carlson 17 Mar '10

17 Mar '10

We also changed our model from having one shop manager to creating multiple job positions with defined descriptions. We have two paid mechanics and a volunteer coordinator and a youth coordinator. We also have set up teams with different responsibilities that can be shared with volunteers. This also leads the way to having a more community run organization. We are still working on it, but our new model is proving more successful in eliminating bottlenecks, staff overload and getting more volunteers involved. John http://www.sibleybikedepot.org St. Paul, MN On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:47 PM, <thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org>wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Suggestions for finding a good shop manager (joshua muir) > 2. Re: Suggestions for finding a good shop manager (andrew lynn) > 3. Re: Suggestions for finding a good shop manager (joshua muir) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:40:04 -0700 > From: joshua muir <muirjoshua(a)gmail.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Suggestions for finding a good shop > manager > Message-ID: > <8ab5b3a81003162040w50e95f65q3c73ffef72813c1e(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > >From the collective perspective, I say "open up". Give collective members > responsibilities, understand that sometimes you'll all have to take up some > slack, and find managers within your community and organization. Coming > from the Bike Church in Santa Cruz with the clerkship model, that's where > my > heart lies. management jobs are open to the whole collective and they > rotate. If you truly give the responsibilities over, the folks who love > your org will take it on as their own and really come through. I know, > sounds hard to believe, but it works. > > And it works in a way that creates a shop space that actually represents > the > collective personalities (yes this includes faults as well as excellences). > > This model also takes time to develop the job descriptions (clerkships) in > a > way that is acccessible to more than one individual (so that they can > rotate, and still be performed well.) > > It sounds like this might be a large leap for some other shops, but it has > many benefits. > > And if you need qualified mechanics, offer a series of master mechanics > classes to your volunteers and go thru some manuals start to finish. In my > mind the point of the community bike project is to dispell the myth that > you > have to hire out to find someone knowledgable enough to do the job. > > best of luck > > josh > > On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 9:02 AM, Rich Points <rich(a)communitycycles.org > >wrote: > > > Hey All, > > We've started looking for a new shop manager. After a week or so of > resume > > submissions nothing stands out. We had the same experience last time we > > hired a shop manager. > > I wanted to ask the shops who've sought out and hired a shop manager what > > their experience has been like. Do you have any suggestions about where > to > > find qualified bike mechanics with non profit backgrounds? > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > To unsubscribe, send a blank email to > > TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org > > To manage your subscription, plase visit: > > > > > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > > > > > -- > Joshua Muir > muirjoshua(a)gmail.com > > Frances Cycles -- www.francescycles.com > Handbuilt cycling framesets > Touring, Track, Road,Cross, and Cycletrucks for hauling any distance > (831) 469-3369 > > The Bicycle Church Collective > Community Self-Service Cycle Repair > 3pm to 7pm everyday except Sunday > 703 Pacific Ave (enter on Spruce St) > Santa Cruz, CA 95060 > (831) 425-2453 >

1 0

Speaking of Bike!Bike!
by Ainsley Naylor 13 Mar '10

13 Mar '10

We're putting photo galleries up on the Bike!Bike! history page! If you have a flickr account, just add your photos and tag then "bikebike2008" or whatever year, and they will automatically get added to the photo pool. Who has the family photos we took at the end of the weekend in San Fran? It was so great to get most of us together for some pictures, but I've never seen them. I'm going to make sure we do that again this year! ainsley pirate.

2 1

Addresses of Far-Flung Projects
by Ainsley Naylor 11 Mar '10

11 Mar '10

A Message from Bike!Bike! Toronto We are hoping to finish compiling our list of addresses and contact info for projects to invite to this year's International Bike!Bike! Conference, but we need some help collecting addresses of groups outside of Canada and the U.S. If you have a contact, website or even a city and Project Name (even vaguely), please pass it along to us so we can look them up and send them an invitation. Also! Registration is now open for the conference. If you feel like it, please head on over to bikebike.org and check it out. We haven't updated all of the pages - we are still waiting for some help from y'all on writing a history page - but it is up and running. Any questions can be passed along to us at bikebike2010(a)gmail.com Have a great time at the regionals! Ainsley and the Pirates.

2 1

How are you storing cable housing?
by Rich Points 09 Mar '10

09 Mar '10

Hey All, Over the years we've tried a variety of ways to store cable housing and we're still looking for the ideal solution. Anyone out there have a good way to store them? Frustrated -- 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

6 5