- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

What has been the role of bikes after Sandy?
by Rich Points 07 Jan '13

07 Jan '13

Hey East coasters, Have you guys seen more people riding bikes after the hurricane? What has been the role of the bike after the storm? I hope it's getting people to ride to work for the first time and maybe create some new commuters. Curious in Boulder. -- -- 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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About working on E-bikes..
by Wendy Monroe 05 Jan '13

05 Jan '13

Hello Think Tankers.. I got so caught thinking about the 'bike is infected forever…' meme that I forgot to mention : E-bikes are problematic to work on. Every off-the-shelf complete E-bike that I have seen so far ( in Amsterdam) , has a proprietary electrical system that only the authorized dealer can get parts for. The Dutch brands Sparta and Batavus require a confidential computer code to be entered into the bike's charge controller by an authorized retailer, to even replace a battery. (Customers are typically not informed of this at point of purchase.. they find out a couple of years later that a battery replacement will cost them €500 ) It gets worse with conversion kits. Each kit has a proprietary motor controller, battery and charge control circuit, and each of these components are incompatible with those of other manufacturers. I have seen a few quality control problems on cheaper kits, that ( I've read that the Stoke Monkey kit has parts that can be bought off the shelf at an electrical supplier, but I have not seen one in person ) My partner is an electrical engineer who has built up ( and attempted to repair ) hub motors and several electrification kits on his own bikes, It appears that mixing and matching a working system from parts of E-bike kits, from different manufacturers, simply can't be done, at least in our experience. I agree that E-bike riders are cyclists too … but procuring parts for an e-bike is a very different experience than with a mechanical bike, and if you don't have parts from the original manufacturer, you might be avoiding some grief to have a policy against working on them in your shop. Does anyone out there have any experience with working on E-bikes they would like to share? Wendy Monroe

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'The bike has been infected forever'… with the electrification virus ( ? ! )
by Wendy Monroe 04 Jan '13

04 Jan '13

Hello think tankers, I'm seeing a lot of this sort of talk in the Netherlands… Is there a broad trend in the States moving this direction, as well? This Extra Energy organization is not thinking in terms of Cheap chinese made imports but rather of very pricey ( typically ) German products. Or perhaps German branded products, manufactured in China…. But I see e-bikes in general as somewhat of a threat to those of us who love non electrified bicycles. Any thoughts on this, fellow Americans? http://extraenergy.org/main.php?language=en&category=information&subcateg=9… Wendy

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Support women.
by Plan B 04 Jan '13

04 Jan '13

Hey Y'all, As you may be aware, one of the overriding characteristics of Plan B, The New Orleans Community Bike Project is our belief and constant practice of "practical radicalism". We believe that one of the most efficient and practicable ways to espouse culture shift is by performing outreach and enacting mutual social aid. We've learned this in a concise manner during our history. We made the original call for Bike!Bike! in 2004, a tradition that has progressed into an enormous gathering that crosses borders and causes global impact. We're proud to host Bike!Bike! X, the tenth gathering and conference and hope to introduce new traditions by expanding programming and offering more than ever before. The Chainbreaker book, written by Shelley Jackson and Ethan Clark is another one of Plan B's babies and it's publishing was a definite push for DIY culture. Due to the generosity of Working Bikes in Chicago, we have a regular supply of raw materials and used bikes that we use to teach classes and further our outreach. We have shared the bikes with new community bike projects in Mississippi and Alabama and are eager to distribute more regionally. We also use the sale of bikes to fund the space and special projects like our recent trip to present at 5^th Annual National Urban Cycling Congress in Oaxaca, Mexico. We co-presented with representatives from several other community bike initiatives from across the US in an attempt to espouse more like-minded initiatives as a force of economic and social justice throughout all of the Americas. Our presentation garnered a lot of interest and we are working with several new initiatives throughout Mexico in a support and advisory role. We know that outreach is working and we expect a strong presence of Mexican allies at Bike!Bike! X. One of the more exciting things that happened at Bike!Bike! 2012 was that race was /finally/a real topic. Contributing factors were a combination of workshops and the presence of more people of color at Bike!Bike! than ever before. The Ovarian Psychos ( http://ovarianpsycos.com/about/ ) were an impressive presence at the gathering and for the first time ever, an organized group by and for women with a strong base of people of color unified many within our group. These sisters don't mess around and they are now committed to launching their own community bike space. Plan B Ladies, Trans and Sissies night ( http://bikeproject.org/programs/ladies-trans-queer ) has committed to help them accomplish this[ and ]that's why we're asking for your support. Our latest initiative is a little different and for the first time ever, we're crowd-sourcing the funding. Our Ladies, Trans, and Sissies night coordinators, Tracey and Alisha, are going from LA to L.A. to support the OP's and bring them resources and materials. The reason I'm sending this out to the ThinkTank and distributing this appeal far and wide (and hoping you all do the same) is that I think for many of us this is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a cause that is greater than any of us and something that's always been prevalent in our discussions of social equity within our milieu. Specifically, the topic is gender and gender oppression, and no matter how much we discuss it at a conference or try to resolve it, the bluntest truth is that the core of the hard work in achieving gender equity is done by women, for women and while males can certainly be allies and supporters, the best situation is to allow women to be self-determined and invest in their own communities devoid of patriarchy and male voices. Won't you join us in supporting gender equity and social justice within the realm of community bike projects? Even if it's $5, anything helps for this important work to be done. The goal of $1000 is on the low side. We'd love to be able to support them fiscally and provide several tools and plant the seeds for this very important space to flourish and cause real change. Here's the link to the indiegogo page where you can read more about it. http://www.indiegogo.com/LTS2OPB I'll be happy to answer any questions in this thread. Please support if you can and help spread the word. Can't wait to see you all in October, 2013! All the best, -- Victor Pizarro Project Organizer Plan B, The New Orleans Community Bike Project

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Drupal Aid?
by Andrew L 18 Dec '12

18 Dec '12

hi Thinktank, i went and f&%$#d up our website trying to upgrade drupal versions without fully knowing what i was doing. can anyone come to my aid? for a knowledgeable person, it would be very little time from your normal day. would love to find someone from the bike community to help... is that you?... read on. ---- urgency: somewhat high; our website is currently down and thats never good :( overall goal: upgrade from drupal 5 to drupal 7 so that we can experiment with CiviCRM what happened: i backed up our database using update/migrate module; and then performed the upgrade through out awesome hosts, mayfirst out of nyc. however, i went from 5 to 7 - which is wrong.... and I am bad with command line, so dont really fully understand the instructions that are being given me. also: we are running drupal pretty much 'out-of-the-box' so this should be really easy!! no theming, no extra modules... but of course we would like to keep the historical database!! pay: we can pay someone if that is useful/necessary and if they have some credentials to get it done quickly. if someone wants to volunteer to help us out, we will send you a few of our 'patchkits' - i would add a link, but HA! the site is down. it's a handmade (tube)pouch with a hand-printed patch, and and actual patchkit and tire levers... a great stocking stuffer for a diy-biker person. Thanks, Andrew Lynn Troy Bike Rescue Troy, NY -- ------__o ----_`\<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947

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Re: [TheThinkTank] What CRM are you using?
by breathingplanet＠gmail.com 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Does anyone use giftworks? Andrew troy, ny -----Original Message----- From: Laurie Hanselmann Sent: 12/12/2012, 6:56 PM To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What CRM are you using? We are using Volunteer Impact for our volunteers and have run into the same issue. It has great capacity for volunteer management, but can't do anything else. Right now our donors and program participants are in separate databases which is crazy unruly. I've looked around and haven't been able to find anything except a custom database (WAY too expensive) to fulfill all our needs. Please let us know if you find a better solution! -Laurie Laurie Hanselmann Managing Director The Bike Depot 2825 Fairfax St. Denver, CO 80207 Office: 303-393-1963 On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 11:15 AM, < thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)lists.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)lists.bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)lists.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: What CRM are you using? (Rich Points) > 2. Re: What CRM are you using? (Ryan Sharpe) > 3. Re: What CRM are you using? (Sean Madsen) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 09:58:55 -0700 > From: Rich Points <director(a)communitycycles.org> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What CRM are you using? > Message-ID: > < > CAKAQTJmJE0AWqBoF7f1SrwjhO3S7XjDZLkE-fZbrKH5NORXASA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Do you know if Gift Works has a scheduling feature for volunteers and > clients? This is a critical feature for us. > > Thx > Rich > > On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Ryan Sharpe <sharpe(a)sacbikekitchen.org > >wrote: > > > You might want to take a look at GiftWorks ( > > http://www.giftworksconnect.com/). Its pricing structure is > > application-based, rather than Volgistics' data-based, so it might come > out > > a bit cheaper for you. > > > > We don't use it at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, but our local advocacy > > group's volunteer coordinator shat bricks when he saw the volunteer > > tracking features. > > > > --Ryan > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 7:56 PM, Reno Bikes <renobikeproject(a)gmail.com > >wrote: > > > >> I am integrating and learning Salesforce for non-profits right now. > >> Its free and pretty easy so far. > >> > >> I dont know a ton, but Its worth checking out, > >> > >> Noah > >> > >> > >> On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 6:27 PM, Rich Points < > director(a)communitycycles.org > >> > wrote: > >> > >>> Hey All, > >>> We're looking at changing our database and exploring various CRMs. > >>> We've been using Volgistics for a while but it's expensive and doesn't > >>> meet all of our needs. We're managing volunteers, clients and donors > >>> in our database. > >>> > >>> What are you guys using? > >>> > >>> 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 > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Thethinktank mailing list > >>> Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> > >> Wed-Fri 11am-6pm > >> Sat 10am-4pm > >> 541 E. 4th Street. > >> Reno, NV 89512 > >> 775.323.4488 > >> > >> donate via paypal: http://www.renobikeproject.com/index.php/donate/ > >> > >> Follow us on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/renobikeproject/ > >> > >> Please let us know if you would like to unsubscribe to our email list. > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Thethinktank mailing list > >> Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > >> > >> > > > > > > -- > > Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen > > http://sacbikekitchen.org/ > > 1915 I Street, Midtown Sacramento > > Open Tu 6-9p, We 6-9p, Th 6-9p, Fr 10a-2p (kids 6-8p), Sa 12-4p > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > > > > > > > -- > -- > 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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Re: [TheThinkTank] What CRM are you using?
by Laurie Hanselmann 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

We are using Volunteer Impact for our volunteers and have run into the same issue. It has great capacity for volunteer management, but can't do anything else. Right now our donors and program participants are in separate databases which is crazy unruly. I've looked around and haven't been able to find anything except a custom database (WAY too expensive) to fulfill all our needs. Please let us know if you find a better solution! -Laurie Laurie Hanselmann Managing Director The Bike Depot 2825 Fairfax St. Denver, CO 80207 Office: 303-393-1963 On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 11:15 AM, < thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)lists.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)lists.bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)lists.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: What CRM are you using? (Rich Points) > 2. Re: What CRM are you using? (Ryan Sharpe) > 3. Re: What CRM are you using? (Sean Madsen) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 09:58:55 -0700 > From: Rich Points <director(a)communitycycles.org> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] What CRM are you using? > Message-ID: > < > CAKAQTJmJE0AWqBoF7f1SrwjhO3S7XjDZLkE-fZbrKH5NORXASA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Do you know if Gift Works has a scheduling feature for volunteers and > clients? This is a critical feature for us. > > Thx > Rich > > On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Ryan Sharpe <sharpe(a)sacbikekitchen.org > >wrote: > > > You might want to take a look at GiftWorks ( > > http://www.giftworksconnect.com/). Its pricing structure is > > application-based, rather than Volgistics' data-based, so it might come > out > > a bit cheaper for you. > > > > We don't use it at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, but our local advocacy > > group's volunteer coordinator shat bricks when he saw the volunteer > > tracking features. > > > > --Ryan > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 7:56 PM, Reno Bikes <renobikeproject(a)gmail.com > >wrote: > > > >> I am integrating and learning Salesforce for non-profits right now. > >> Its free and pretty easy so far. > >> > >> I dont know a ton, but Its worth checking out, > >> > >> Noah > >> > >> > >> On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 6:27 PM, Rich Points < > director(a)communitycycles.org > >> > wrote: > >> > >>> Hey All, > >>> We're looking at changing our database and exploring various CRMs. > >>> We've been using Volgistics for a while but it's expensive and doesn't > >>> meet all of our needs. We're managing volunteers, clients and donors > >>> in our database. > >>> > >>> What are you guys using? > >>> > >>> 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 > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Thethinktank mailing list > >>> Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> > >> Wed-Fri 11am-6pm > >> Sat 10am-4pm > >> 541 E. 4th Street. > >> Reno, NV 89512 > >> 775.323.4488 > >> > >> donate via paypal: http://www.renobikeproject.com/index.php/donate/ > >> > >> Follow us on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/renobikeproject/ > >> > >> Please let us know if you would like to unsubscribe to our email list. > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Thethinktank mailing list > >> Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > >> > >> > > > > > > -- > > Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen > > http://sacbikekitchen.org/ > > 1915 I Street, Midtown Sacramento > > Open Tu 6-9p, We 6-9p, Th 6-9p, Fr 10a-2p (kids 6-8p), Sa 12-4p > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thethinktank mailing list > > Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… > > > > > > > -- > -- > 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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Re: [TheThinkTank] Floor plan/shop layout
by summitcyclingcenter＠yahoo.com 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Glad to see Sopo expand. I visited at the old location. Sent from my HTC EVO Design™ 4G from Boost Mobile ----- Reply message ----- From: "Bobby Brown" <bobby(a)sopobikes.org> To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Subject: [TheThinkTank] Floor plan/shop layout Date: Mon, Dec 10, 2012 13:38 Hey Jeff, Sopo bikes moved to a new space back in the Spring and attached is a layout one of our volunteers designed as a plan for our shop, each grid square is 1'x1'. Our old shop was 300-400sq ft internal with most repairs happening outside in a parking lot with bikes hanging from Park Tool mobile stands. The new location is ~1100sq ft just for us with a 300sq ft bike shop/boutique attached to the front. We share our location with a local boutique bike shop, Woodward Cyclery so the red space on the attached layout is where their display room is and our shop is set up around the back 3/4 of the space. For your purposes, you could consider their location to be about the size of a suitable lounge with office space. We are lacking a little in storage but have put programs in place to keep donation bikes moving in and out of our shop rather than stockpile and gather dust. 15-20 bikes is about the max that we can store without getting cramped. The new shop has 4 repair booths with 8 repair stands; each booth shares a set of common bike tools. We have a tube patching station so that those repairs will not take up an entire stand as well as a wall for hub maintenance with cone wrenches, freewheel tools, chain whips, axle vice, bench vice, etc. Having moved from a shop with a shared wall of tools and several repair stands farther away, the repair times are much quicker and easier with the new approach of having several shared walls of tools. You have the tools for 90% of repair jobs within 4-5ft of your bike so our volunteers and patrons are able to focus their time on fixing their bike rather than searching for tools. The truing stands are also on top of storage cabinets where we keep assorted construction materials, tools, event supplies, etc. Shortly after building out the new space we had a Google Tour created so you can click through the link below for a virtual tour of our new space. We were really lucky to have a couple local photographers come out and do this pro bono. http://bit.ly/SopoGoogleTour Hope this helps! Bobby On Sun, Dec 9, 2012 at 4:28 PM, Jeff Neven <j_neven(a)hotmail.com> wrote: Hi bike collectives, We are moving again into a larger and more unique space and we are trying to figure out layout. I am curious if others have floor plans or shop layout drawings. We are trying to figure out how to include display space, repair space (6 - 8 stands), lounge/hang-out space for building community, office, and the usual crazy amount of storage needed for donated bikes and new & used parts. I am really interested in ratios of how much space you allocate for each of these activities. If you have drawings, I would love to see them to get us dreaming. Anybody included a coffee shop, book store or other third space? If so, how is that working with a bike collective? Jeff NevenNew Hope Community BikesHamilton, Ontario _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.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.… -- Bobby Brown Sopo Bicycle Cooperative Cell: 770 851 0965 bobby(a)sopobikes.org http://www.sopobikes.org Hours: Tuesday 7pm - 10pm Wednesday 7pm - 10pm Thursday 7pm - 10pm Saturday 2pm - 6pm

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short documentary video
by Andrew L 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

check out this new little video produced by our college student intern... http://tbr.mirocommunity.org/video/76/troy-bike-rescue-documentary -- ------__o ----_`\<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947

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Youth Bike Summit 2013
by Pasqualina Azzarello 10 Dec '12

10 Dec '12

Dear Activists, Mechanics, Cyclists, Educators, and Advocates, Please join us for the third annual Youth Bike Summit! WHEN: February 15-17, 2013 WHERE: The New School 66 W 12th Street New York, NY 10011 For more information, please visit our *website*<http://www.recycleabicycle.org/about-us/youth-bike-summit> . If you'd like to lead a workshop at the Youth Bike Summit, please fill out this *form*<http://cdn.e2ma.net/userdata/9608/assets/docs/ybs_request_for_workshops_201…> . For info on tickets and registration, please click this *link*<http://youthbikesummit3013.eventbrite.com/#> . For updates on Facebook: *Recycle-A-Bicycle*<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recycle-A-Bicycle/62453932286#%21/pages/Recy…>/ *Youth Bike Summit*<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recycle-A-Bicycle/62453932286#%21/pages/Yout…> Thank you all for the incredible work you do each day to help create a more inclusive movement and a better world for the activists, mechanics, cyclists, educators, and advocates to be! Please help us spread the word and please feel free to be in touch with any questions. Best regards, Pasqualina + the team at Recycle-A-Bicycle in NYC -- Pasqualina Azzarello Executive Director Recycle-A-Bicycle Ph: 718-858-2972 Fax: 718-858-6201 http://www.recycleabicycle.org Follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recycle-A-Bicycle/62453932286> Follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/#%21/RAB_NYC>

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