- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

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

10 Jul '23

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

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

09 Jul '23

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

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

05 Jul '23

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

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

28 Jun '23

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

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

08 May '23

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

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

08 May '23

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

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

07 May '23

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

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Reusable Repair Checklist Tag
by director 02 May '23

02 May '23

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

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

28 Apr '23

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

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

24 Apr '23

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

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