- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

PJ Park has invited you to Change.org
by PJ Park 17 Aug '07

17 Aug '07

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bikebike 2007
by Paul Park 16 Aug '07

16 Aug '07

Hi all, This is PJ Park of the Mt Rainier, MD Bike Coop. I had a wonderful time at the conference this past weekend. I also had a wonderful time biking to the conference from DC on the C and O Canal and Great Allegheny Passage trails! On the trail I met Mike Shih of the Neighborhood Bike Project in Philly. We biked Wed. and Thursday, heading into PGH in the evening rain, guided from McKeesport to FreeRide! by Erok! At Free Ride! I met the Mary, Jessica, Luis, Erok, and Stewart from PGH, and then I helped Kim of Ft Collins fix up a bike. Later, I biked over with Mike Shih to our host Rob's place near BBT. Rob was an awesome and gracious host. Dropped over to BBT that night and met more folks. Friday, I attended some good workshops: Getting Tools, Getting and Keeping a Space, and Volunteers. I wanted to know how my coop could sell bikes even though we are in a non-commercial zoned space. People said anyone can receive donations in return for goods and services. I learned that different coops have different licenses: business, non-profit/501c3, sponsored fiscally by a non-profit, nothing, etc. I liked getting a sense of the diversity of projects. Friday night we had a good ride around Pittsburgh. It's so beautiful! I love the hills, vistas, and bridges. It was so nice to enjoy Friday and Sat evenings with large group of bike coop bikers:) Sat. I attended the AGRAPTO workshop and won a hat and a woven cloth for my attentiveness, willingness to sing, and my Spanish skills. I donned my hat at the SpandeXXX party Sat night. The party rocked btw! Sunday, I collected signatures for the Environmental Defense Undo Global Warming campaign (undoit.org) asking our senators to support the Climate Stewardship Act which will set up a cap and trade system and reduce emissions 60-80% by 2050. I've been collecting sigs on my bicycle journey to brazil (http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com). The petition has over 642,000 signatories now! After filling my petition sheets with signatures, I attended the end of the Maya Pedal workshop. Then sadly, I had to leave. It was a wonderful conference. I rode home with Mike McMillan of Rockville Bikes for the World and Colin of Phoenix Bike Project of Arlington, VA. One of the best parts of the conference was collaborating with other coops in my area. Thank you for reading. I invite you all to share your personal experiences of the conference! love, PJ -- PJ Park http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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Bike Bike Conference Photos
by Rod Bruckdorfer 16 Aug '07

16 Aug '07

www.rbruckdorfer.smugmug.com Rod Bruckdorfer Velocipede Bike Project, Baltimore, MD http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6792669971272526732

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Shop Phones
by Jay Varner 16 Aug '07

16 Aug '07

So here at Sopo, we don't have a phone in the shop. If we did, we would spend most of our open shop hours responding to messages. So we have been using our personal cell phones. However, a friend hooked us up with an invite to a service called Grand Central (http://www.grandcentral.com/). This gives you a number and then you have it forward to whatever number. It has a lot of features and settings that I'm not going to blather on about. So if anyone wants an invite, I'm more than happy to use them for other shops until I run out. The shops that I hook up can use their invites to hook up others and so on. All I need is your name and email. Enjoy, Jay

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ooops!!
by freeride＠bike-pgh.org 14 Aug '07

14 Aug '07

ha ha my brain is still fried! photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/erokore/sets/72157601447216211/detail/ -erok -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web LIVE Free email based on Microsoft® Exchange technology - http://link.mail2web.com/LIVE

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photos!!
by freeride＠bike-pgh.org 14 Aug '07

14 Aug '07

hey yall. thanks for the great time. it was so magical to have so many people from all over the continent in our city for the weekend. i made so many new friends and it gave me such hope. in the words of josh from LA, "we're gonna win!!" anyway, check out some shots i was able to get online. i got a bit trigger happy once i got a few beers in me, so most are from the party. again, thanks!! and thanks for being respectful of the space!! we love you all!! -erok Original Message: ----------------- From: sparkltingting(a)aol.com Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:36:16 -0400 To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] how did it all go??? ?hi rachael!! ?so you made it up to pgh in the end? i hope so, i'm sorry that i couldn't help you out, really wish i could have, and really wish i'd been able to make it up myself. how did things go? and thanks for the email about the solidarity ride. that's an awesome thing and i'll pass it on to my friends and fam. i can't go cause i'm moving to portland, oregon in a few weeks (...!!!!) glad you made it home safely! ?peace ?hannae ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web.com - Microsoft® Exchange solutions from a leading provider - http://link.mail2web.com/Business/Exchange

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OT: Solidarity Cyclers (People of El Salvador)
by rachael spiewak 14 Aug '07

14 Aug '07

just got home to ATL.. tired and inspired.. here's something my friend asked me to pass along. thanks for a lovely weekend. love, peace, and bicycle grease, rachael ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jacoby Ballard <jacoby(a)cispes.org> Date: Aug 10, 2007 11:21 AM Subject: Solidarity Cyclers! To: Jacoby Ballard <jacoby(a)cispes.org> Hello Stellar bike folk that I know and love- The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (the radical org that I work for) is hosting a week-long solidarity ride from NYC to Washington DC, and we'd love for you to be a part of it. See my coworker's email below and attached flyer for more info, and please please, pass it along! Jacoby --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi to Friends of CISPES (and friends of mine) - I'm helping organize a "FUN"draiser bike ride for CISPES - the 2007 Solidarity Cyclers ride - to pedal this October from NYC to Washington D.C. As organizers, we're basically recruiting all the people we'd love to spend a week on a bicycle with. and you're it. All the information is below. If you're at all interested, let me know and I can try to talk you into it! You don't have to be a huge cyclist. The first time I really rode a bicycle it was 2 months before I did a 600 mile solidarity cyclers ride in 1999. Also, if you know of other folks who would be really excited to do the ride, feel free to forward this on to them as well. The flyer is attached in case you can't see the fun pictures below. Abrazos, Krista 347-415-0913 --------------------------- Join the Solidarity Cyclers 2007 Ride! New York to Washington D.C. , October 6-14 This October, join the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and the Haiti Reborn program of the Quixote Center in cycling for solidarity! We will spend a week pedaling almost 300 miles from New York to Washington D.C. All the riders will raise pledge money beforehand, and then we'll make stops and do presentations about solidarity work, inviting people to take action and financially support the critical work CISPES and the Quixote Center are doing. Why bikes? Biking is a great way to have fun and be political just by pedaling. Especially in a group, people pay attention to your hard, unconventional transportation method and come to events, ask questions, or donate good food or funds for your cause along the way. As activists and organizers we want people's attention since we want people to know about U.S. foreign policy in the Caribbean and the Americas! Finally, doing something difficult for a cause is a compelling reason for friends and family and other supporters to give cyclers money for solidarity work. Why NYC to Washington D.C.? CISPES is moving the national office from NYC to Washington D.C. to be really in belly of the beast, and to be closer to other solidarity organizations we work with (like Quixote Center!) that are already thriving there and creating social change. The Quixote Center isn't moving, but we're excited to celebrate the move and the growing alliance of the progressive forces, in D.C. and around the country! Why early October? October 12 is Indigenous Resistance Day (also known as Columbus Day), and actions happen around the hemisphere commemorating years of struggle for self-determination and social justice. On October 12 we will hold a major event along the ride as well! How can I support the ride? First and most importantly, you can ride with us! You don't have to be a super professional biker, you just need a passion for riding, a bicycle that'll treat you well along the way, and to be able to ride 35-50 miles a day come October. Riders should raise $1000 in pledges before the ride - that comes out to finding 35 people who will pledge 10 cents a mile ($30) each - piece of cake! If you can't or don't want to ride, there are other important roles too: - Host an event in your town - Drive the support vehicle! - Help set up public events in the cities between New York and Washington - Gather donations (bike tools, bike gear, food along the way, etc.) - Find hosts to house the cyclists along the route - Gather maps and plan safe, beautiful cycling routes - Help gather pledges for other riders - Ride for a day! You can meet up with the riders and join the fun for a short stint along the way. - Volunteer bike mechanic support in NYC on October 5 & 6 to help riders fine tune their bikes - Media work - help us publicize the event! What's the plan? Each day we'll ride 35-50 miles, into and out of cities and on some beautiful country roads and greenways in between. We'll end each day in a city or town where a local solidarity, faith, or peace and justice group will host a public event for us, as well as (hopefully) a big potluck to help fuel the ride! The route is still being developed, but we hope to at least have events in New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. The send-off party will be on the evening of October 6 in NYC and we'll arrive in Washington for a big reception on October 13 or 14. How do I sign up!?!?!? We plan to have between 8 and 15 riders. As of July, there are four confirmed. If you are interested in riding, please contact Krista Hanson at krista(a)cispes.org /212-465-8115 or Tom Ricker at tomr(a)quixote.org or 301-699-0042. They can get you a registration form, pledge forms and other logistical information. If you can work on any of the other volunteer roles, let us know too! See you on the road.

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Announcements and things to bring
by Free Ride 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

Helooooo Bike Bikers!!! Only a few days left!! If you sent in a registration form, and we haven't contacted you about housing, please contact me. We tried to contact everybody, but i know some slipped through the cracks due to wrong phone numbers, bad handwriting, and just the overwhelming task of it all. If you sent it in in the past few days, expect to be contacted today. We will be at Free Ride Thursday nite from 6-10, and then at the conference at about 8 in the morning on friday, so you can check in there and find out more info. Here is a completely incomplete list of things to bring to the conference. -Spandex- There is a spandex themed party on Saturday Nite at Free Ride (serious) -Bike -BRING A BIKE LOCK (even if you can't bring a bike) -Helmet, blinkys (it gets dark on some streets) -Tent if camping -Merch from your shop for trading -Blank t shirts for screening (we'll have a Bike Bike screen available-it looks nice) -Short movie of your shop/town -Print and digital photos of your shop- either on cd or jump drive, or compact flash card, especially if you have particularly crafty organization ideas -Brochures, fliers, posters from your shop -Paperwork/forms/manuals/etc. from your own shop that you might want to share -Documentation of programs, budgets, curricula, etc -Anything you've got really figured out that might be useful to share with others. -Tips & tricks. We're going collect them all for a "shop organization" workshop - Some cash to throw in to the Bike Bike Booty Thanks! We are so excited to meet everyone, it's like a family reunion, but fun! -erok

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philly to pgh?
by rachael spiewak 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

hey, kids. if i show up at the chinatown bus stop in philly at 9 am tomorrow morning, can i hitch a ride with anyone? twelve bucks plus gas plus hanging out with you sounds better than the rest of my options! 404 392 4597. -rachael

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Getting Around Pittsburgh for Bike Bike
by Jay Varner 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

If you've never been to Pittsburgh before, you are in for a treat. However, it ain't flat and I am totally prepared to proudly walk my bike up a hill or two. But, Pittsburgh also has a pretty great bus system, and is lucky enough to be on Google Transit (www.google.com/transit). Last time I was there, they were getting more and more bike racks on the buses. It looks like they have a long page about that on their site (I just don't feel like reading it right now) http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CustomerInfo/RacknRoll/tabid/267/Default.… Enjoy, Jay

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