- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

retail business accounts
by adam schwartz 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

I am curious what type of relationship many community shops have with bicycle retail suppliers such as QBP. As of now, we have a relationship with a few local bike shops to purchase tools and parts. However we are trying to move into some small retail (mainly locks, tubes and helmets). I looked up the requirements for an account with QBP and J&B suppliers, both looked like they didn't fit our model, which is primarily youth programming with community bike shop hours two days a week. We fall under a larger non-profit that works on community and youth development, so we are not exactly an economically independent organization either. -- adam schwartz Bicycle Education Program Coordinator Renaissance Community Bike Shop Riverdale, MD rideyourbicycle(a)gmail.com <adamgs(a)umd.edu>

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sopo shop overhaul photos
by rachael spiewak 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

hi, friends! we're overhauling the shop, and i thought i'd share the photos with y'all. we're not done yet, but you can see how things are shaping up. yes, that's me in the yellow shorts. yes, that's the sopo version of the free ride wheel sorter. http://picasaweb.google.com/stewart.varner two wheels good, rachael

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Bicycle Safety Checklist
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 05 Sep '07

05 Sep '07

Stand in front of the bike Push on the brake levers to test if the clamps are loose Push on shift levers to test if the clamps are loose Push down on the bars to test if the stem bar clamp is loose Push on bar ends to see if their clamps are loose G rab the front wheel tightly between your legs Twist the bars to test if the stem is too loose Place both hands on the handlebar, one on each side, Grab only the front brake lever and clamp it down tightly. Rock the bike forward and back to test if the headset is too loose. With brake still camped rock bike back and forth and look at the brake clamp and adjustment bolts/ nuts to see if they are too loose. Watch the brake pads, slowly clamp the front and rear brake levers, do both the pads touch both side of the rim before when the brake lever still has at least a inch of space between the lever and the bar. If not the cable is too loose. Grasp the front brake pads and try to twist them on the brake arms. (correctly tightened brake pads will not twist) Lift up the bike by the top tube and see if the headset is too tight. do the handle bars and wheel roll side to side easily in the headset Grasp the front wheel between two fingers, shake rapidly to see if the bearing are too loose Release the front wheel and see if it spins one way and then the other Testing to see if the bearings are too tight. Spin the wheel rapidly and check the true of the wheel Check if the brake pads are centered With an open hand, smack the side of the nose of the saddle to check if the seat clamp or the seat post clamp are loose Stand beside the bicycle Reach down and grasp a crank arm, rattle it side to side to see if the bottom bracket is too loose (do not hold the pedal) With an open hand, smack the side of the nose of the saddle to check if the seat clamp or the seat post clamp are loose Grasp the rear brake pads and try to twist them on the brake arms. (correctly tightened brake pads will not twist) Grasp the rear wheel between two fingers, shake rapidly to see if the bearing are too loose Spin the wheel rapidly and check the true of the wheel Check if the brake pads are centered I can do all of this in 30 seconds to a minute of time If you have a bike stand Place bike in stand Check shift lever cable tension is too loose Violently Shift to large cog / low gear Check to see if low set screw is too loose (over shifting into spokes) or too tight (will not shift to large cog/ low gear) stop rear wheel Turn crank slowly and test the shifting from low gear to high gear for any hesitation, over shifts, ( adjust or replace cable depending on results.) >From behind check the derailleur cage is not bent in towards the spokes. it should be parallel to the cogs. Check that the chain will not Look from the side at the distance between the nearest chainring tooth and the front derailleur outer cage. Should be 1 mm or less Put chain in middle chain ring and middle cog Look from above to see if the front derailleur cage sides are parallel to the chain. Shift chain into middle cog in the rear and then shift front derailleur from low to high gear and back to low to check limit set screws. The check can be done in a minute. Adjustments may take a few minutes Christopher Wallace Holistic Cycles Oak Park IL 773 490 0683 ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Bike Collectives Doing Advocacy Work
by Rich Points 05 Sep '07

05 Sep '07

Hey All, Community Cycles in Boulder has recently decided to take on an advocacy role in addition to our shop activities. We will now speak on behalf of the cycling community to the Transportation Advisory Board, City Council and other decision makers who influence infrastructure, policy and cyclists rights. I'm sure there are other shops out there doing advocacy work as well. We'd like to hear your stories of success and/or failure. This might be a good topic for a Bike Bike session next year. Peace -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director Rich(a)CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Collectives- Advocacy Work
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 03 Sep '07

03 Sep '07

Yes YBEN was rocking for Years before BNB. Smaller back yard programs have been alive for decades before that. This is not a new idea, it is just getting better. ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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dealing with volunteers who have been really offensive?
by rachael spiewak 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

does any shop have a process for dealing with volunteers who have stepped far over the line? to the point that the volunteer had to take a break from the shop? and then the volunteer wanted to come back? let's say that this volunteer, although a very dependable one, makes other shop participants feel so uncomfortable that they avoid coming to the shop when they know that this volunteer will be there. how do you reconcile your politics with your feelings when that volunteer personally wronged you repeatedly in and outside of the shop? two wheels good, rachael

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background checks for mechanics/volunteers who work with kids?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

this is something i've been meaning to talk with our shop members about, since i'm involved in the kid's program(s), but how do some of you handle background checks/interviews with shop employees, volunteers, or facilitators who work with kids? what about those who don't work with kids? any background checks at all for them?

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Re: [TheThinkTank] dealing with volunteers who have been really offensive? part two
by danny wood rocknroll lazer 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

i forgot to include why it helps that we're small/non-sanctioned-non-profit. all the (current) members of the collective have similar ideas of what we want from the bike shop, and share ideas about what's appropriate and what's not. we are in regular contact (which i think is impressive for a collective of 15-20 people) and are able to stay more or less on the same page about the daily goings on of the bike shop pretty easily. and we never have to get through red tape to get things done (e.g. kicking people out of the shop). > we've definitely had some issues with this. i think it helps to > some degree that we are small and that we aren't an officially > registered non-profit- we don't have bureaucracy, we have the > monthly meeting. > we're all friends, we all see each other on a regular basis > (outside of the bikeshop). > > however, it also hurts us sometimes. we've had one former mechanic > and one former volunteer in particular who had serious problems > with un-called for aggression and violence in the community at > large and in the shop. in both situations, in part because we are > so small, collective members have been wary of confronting them... > we also lacked the mechanisms for supporting these people in > addressing their problems, and now they're both moving to other > communities (asheville, NC and St. petersburg, FL). > for the most part, we've survived pretty well by just setting the > tone with our own behaviors. > i just wish we were able to do more than just boot people from the > project, and that we had been faster to address these problems in > the first place. > > = > > > -- > Powered By Outblaze > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > = Gatlinburg, TN Cozy Cabin Rentals Escape from the city to relaxing romantic getaway, a family vacation or a business retreat. We're confident you'll be pleased with Parkside Cabin Rentals in beautiful Gatlinburg, TN. http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=81c21c7f232b69b840b1050… -- Powered By Outblaze

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Re: [TheThinkTank] dealing with volunteers who have been really offensive?
by danny wood rocknroll lazer 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

we've definitely had some issues with this. i think it helps to some degree that we are small and that we aren't an officially registered non-profit- we don't have bureaucracy, we have the monthly meeting. we're all friends, we all see each other on a regular basis (outside of the bikeshop). however, it also hurts us sometimes. we've had one former mechanic and one former volunteer in particular who had serious problems with un-called for aggression and violence in the community at large and in the shop. in both situations, in part because we are so small, collective members have been wary of confronting them... we also lacked the mechanisms for supporting these people in addressing their problems, and now they're both moving to other communities (asheville, NC and St. petersburg, FL). for the most part, we've survived pretty well by just setting the tone with our own behaviors. i just wish we were able to do more than just boot people from the project, and that we had been faster to address these problems in the first place. = -- Powered By Outblaze

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The Bicycle Farm
by Ariel raymon 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

Dear bike enthusiasts, Hello from Portland, OR. I may have already contacted some of you, but decided this was a better route to go. My name is Ariel or RaRa. I'm hoping to start a bike mechanic collective here in Portland, as we don't yet have an affordable space for the public to go to work on bikes and learn from experienced mechanics for free. I've come up with 6 questions that would help me on my way to actualizing this idea. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your interest in this project. Questions for Bike projects: 1. How did your project begin? (tell me as much or little about what was involved to get you started…. From idea to actualization) 2. What was the process of filing for a 501c3 and if you're using an umbrella organization, how did you find them? 3. Do you have a lawyer, or lawyer friends that might give me some legal advice pro-bono? 4. Where did you get your funding? 5. How did you enlist volunteers and keep them? 6. What do you wish you had known going into this process ahead of time?

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