- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Shift Calendar
by Gabriel Trainer 11 Dec '19

11 Dec '19

Hello, Bike Farm is looking to keep an ongoing monthly shift calendar to keep track of who has signed up for a volunteer shift and which shifts need help. It would need to be viewable and editable by anyone. Does anyone know of something besides Google spreadsheets or calendar that would work for this purpose? Thanks for the help, Gabriel

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Example of Nonprofit + Commercial Shop Synergy?
by Gordon Hamachi 01 Dec '19

01 Dec '19

My nonprofit gets old bikes, used parts and unsold merchandise given to us by local bike shops. Evidently when customers purchase new bikes they ask the bike shop to dispose of their old one. Sometimes partially good merchandise comes as part of warranty returns. For example, I got a high end Mavic road wheel set where the rear rim failed but the front wheel and both hubs were fine. Other times shops donate obsolete merchandise with limited value. For example, I got some old rear hubs with power meters built in, that I have not been able to sell on eBay, because the required receiver is not included. Establishing and maintaining a good flow of items requires someone who is friendly and outgoing. Ideally, this contact person stops by regularly to see if the bike shop has any donations available for our non-profit. —Gordon Hamachi Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange Palo Alto, California

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Winter Riding Workshops (‘Tis the Season)
by Ainsley Naylor 01 Dec '19

01 Dec '19

Hi all! Many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are getting geared up for Winter and have winter-riding workshops planned for our communities. I’ve had difficulty finding any examples of useful HANDOUTS (pamphlets, zines, etc.) that have been created for the participants of these workshops. Because winter riding can be affected by personal needs and preferences I’ve found it hard to create a handout that isn’t focussed on *one person’s idea of the best way to do it*. If you’ve got one please share it (and consider adding it to the Wiki somewhere?) so other folks can use it for inspiration :) Thanks! Ainsley (Toronto)

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Example of Nonprofit + Commercial Shop Synergy?
by Josh Bisker 28 Nov '19

28 Nov '19

Hey who's got a great example or model of a nonprofit shop and a for-profit shop getting along well and it all working to everyone's benefit? Not a two-in-one model, but a symbiotic relationship between two shops, like maybe on the same block or something. Plz? Josh Bisker 914-500-9890 New York Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op <http://bikecoop.nyc/> 596 Acres <http://596acres.org/> Bindlestiff Family Cirkus <http://bindlestiff.org/>

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Congrats México City for getting B!B! 2020
by wormsign＠gmail.com 23 Nov '19

23 Nov '19

Congrats to Mexico City for being chosen to host Bike!Bike! 2020. Vamos a DF! Enzo Loconte

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Re: [TheThinkTank] BIKEBIKE BOYCOTT
by Heather Nugen 22 Nov '19

22 Nov '19

Alright, y'all. Again. Getting a little bit out of control and hyperbolic in here. I'm going to try to keep my patience and my calm as I attempt to unpack this stuff and manage some folks' expectations. 1) We were very temporary guests of Enclave Caracol and Bicis Dicidentes. It behooves us to hold onto some humility as guests, in a foreign place, largely as foreigners, before we react and make allegations about policies that are ultimately not ours to make or enforce. It's fine if we disagree but we need to keep in mind that those were not, and are not, our spaces and it is not for us to apply pressure to change those spaces to better suit ourselves. 2) We don't need to speak for Eric. Eric's worth or merit is an individual is not under question here. Eric is an adult man who, if he wanted, is certainly empowered and able to speak on his own behalf if he so desires. As far as I can tell, after Eric disclosed his background in whatever context that became relevant and was asked to leave-- he agreed to leave and did so peacefully and respectfully. To my knowledge, and the knowledge shared by the people on this list, Eric was able to respect the values and practices of Enclave Caracol and Bicis Dicidentes-- even though they resulted in him not being able to participate at this years BikeBike. Yes, after he traveled all that way. It's a real shame, and I feel for Eric's hardship and hope that he was alright and able to enjoy what he could of his time off and return to his home safely. This is also a risk all of us take anytime we travel anywhere-- any set of circumstances could change or become known to us that requires us to leave a pre-planned event, injury, illness, a person disagreement or dispute, a mismatch of values-- these things happen sometimes, and this isn't the first time someone has been asked to leave a BikeBike or that someone has been asked to leave a DIY/DIT bike space-- we all have different policies and expectations in our shops and we have all been placed in the undesirable and difficult position of asking someone to leave-- and sometimes we have had to weather backlash and various allegations for standing up for our principles. Lets try to remember our own personal experiences with how difficult standing up for our principles and practicing our values can be as we process our emotions about this event. 3) BikeBike is not an organization. BikeBike does not have a board, it doesn't have staff. It is best known as a kind of temporary autonomous zone <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporary_Autonomous_Zone>, which many people voluntarily work very hard to make happen, year after year, to the best of their abilities, navigating a non-homogeneous network of cultures, practices, expectations, values, and languages. It doesn't have codified policies or practices, and for practical reasons leaves a lot of the detail work up to the hosts. Is that an imperfect system? Does that result in undesirable experiences and outcomes sometimes? To me, at least, that is part of the practice-- part of the learning experience that is social justice work. BikeBike has current organizers/hosts, and it has past organizers and hosts. Boycotting BikeBike isn't an action you are taking against Bicis Dicidents or Enclave Caracol-- it's an action you are taking against next year's hosts who, as far as I can tell, had no role to play in what happened. It's everyone's personal choice to evaluate whether they desire or are able to make the trip in 2020-- but as we consider the hyperbole and (as much as I hate the word) hysterics in this thead, lets try to keep in mind what the desired outcome is. What does resolution for this issue look like? Who is that resolution for? 4) Most of the people participating in this pot-stirring are American citizens-- that comes with a lot of privilege, and a lot of blind spots-- especially re: how we are viewed in other countries, and especially when it comes to the role of US military and/or Intelligence's impact in Central and South America. Before putting Enclave Caracol on blast for being too leftist or unreasonable or whatever it is you think about the decision they made-- do some reading on what the US Government *has done *in Central and South America. Is it possible that Eric is just an unwitting individual caught up in the middle? Sure. But as someone participating in the bike collectives network, I find it difficult to believe Eric had no knowledge of US foreign relations policy in Central & South America and that he entered that situation completely naive of how his professional identity would be perceived in that space and place. Our veterans and intelligence professionals are not venerated, trusted, or beloved in other countries, our citizenship is not venerated, trusted, or beloved in other countries. For some of us, this incident may be the first encounter with that realization-- it may have been Eric's first encounter too. Instead of demonizing the members of Enclave Caracol and Bicis Dicidentes, we'd be better served to observe this discomfort and try to learn from it-- in the process, we may identify a solution to help both guests and hosts navigate norms and expectations in the future-- many of which are unspoken and uncodified. Lets work to keep these things in mind and manage our own emotional reactions to this event so that we can get to a space where we are able to grow individually and collectively to make good-faith requests and improvements to BikeBike in the future-- requests and changes to practices that reduce harm and stress for guests and hosts. Heather BikeBike Detroit 2016

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Bike!Bike! BOYCOTT
by Milwaukee Bicycle Advocates 12 Nov '19

12 Nov '19

Did anyone else know that being a FORMER (or current) member of the military would exclude you from Bike!Bike!? I sure didn't. Was anyone else criticized for their past or present work experience? Gosh, I'm glad I wasn't! If answers to these few questions can excommunicate someone from a seemingly inclusive group, let's foreshadow other barriers to attending next year's Bike!Bike!. Has anyone in the US paid their taxes lately? Your answer might prove you guilty of financing a military "defense" program, jails, prisons, and possible torture facilities, and other horrendous acts of government like the auto-only interstate road system that rips through and destroys communities. Do you own stocks in companies or government bonds or even have a bank account? They're all investing your money in places that Bicis Disidentes and Enclave Caracol (or future Bike!Bike! organizers) might not deem appropriate. Here's a big one: Do you regularly drive a car? This is the very antithesis of cycling, choosing to use a machine that kills indiscriminately, consumes petroleum, and farts pollution into the air we breath. Maybe Eric was targeted by members of Bicis Disidentes and Enclave Caracol because he was a tall white male in a radical feminist space. Either way, it was wrong to kick Eric out of Bike!Bike!. He was a very helpful and kind person who was there to learn and take part in a community dedicated to getting people on bikes. Bike!Bike! focuses on making sure that certain types of people are treated with respect. Gender, race, language barriers, children on board, and financial assistance are a few examples. And understandably so; they are too often marginalized. Now why can't we treat ALL humanoids as humanoids, and not through judgmental filters. Ultimately, I'm drawn back to this question: what's the purpose of Bike!Bike!? (The website doesn't specify). Are we meeting to motivate and inspire each other to get more people on bikes? If so, political, radical, and anarchistic ideals shouldn't be used to shame. These ideas should be shared as to inform others who might not be aware of them. Eric came a long way to help out and learn from a tribe of humanoids who come together with bicycling as their bond. I can't help but put myself in his place and feel ousted from this community due to unrelated matters. Because of this incident, I'm not planning to attend next year's conference, and I suggest that others do the same if they feel this to be an injustice. At the very least, I hope people will voice any unsettled feelings about the exclusive actions made by members of Bicis Disidentes and Enclave Caracol. -Mama Vulture --------------------------------------------------------------- (BACKSTORY BELOW).... (Posted on the 11th of November) To the participants of Bike Bike 2019 Tijuana, We write to inform you all that a person attending the event has been asked to leave and excluded from the space/festival. It has come to our attention that Eric, who is a volunteer with Working Bikes Chicago, has a history of working in the military and in intelligence/secret services of the United States. He/they currently work buying and selling gold, petroleum, gas, silver and other natural ´resources,’ and have said that they have no moral or ethical problem in this line of work. Enclave Caracol has a strict ¨no police¨ policy which exists for the safety of people who use the building. We are actively involved in not only resisting the existing system, but in building alternatives for the future – both of which are things that bring us into regular conflict with state authorities and corporations. Furthermore, Enclave is a feminist, anti’capitalist and anti’authoritarian space. Due to this person’s proximity to violent state authority and the destruction of land, communities, cultures and livelihoods via resource extraction, they have been excluded. This is not only about the people attending Bike Bike 2019, but is also an act of solidarity with people resisting environmental destruction, colonization and dispossession all over the world. The decision to exclude this person from the event was not made via consensus, meaning some people within the collectives do not agree with the decision, or were not present when the decision was being made. However they support the decision. We are aware that the decision is not easy, that we are not going to satisfy everyone, but we are open to dialogue and constantly learning. With love and solidarity, Members of Bicis Disidentes and Enclave Caracol ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Posted on the 14th of Oct) Eric, a 6’5” bright eyed volunteer from Working Bikes, flew from Chicago to attend his first Bike!Bike! We met Wednesday night while helping to bring bikes across the border (two at a time). On Thursday, he was helping in the basement to fix up the bikes. By Thursday night, he was kicked out of Bike!Bike! I found out the next day only because the executive director of Working Bikes was worried and contacted me. >From the information I received from Eric and a Bike!Bike! organizer, someone involved with Enclave Caracol took Eric’s bike away and insisted he leave because of his former military experience and current employment as a commodities trader. WTF? I‘ve always found Bike!Bike! to be an inclusive group of humanoids doing rad things with bikes. Now I question if my lifestyle or others might not fit the ideals imposed by a few. Only a small group was informed about this decision, and it wasn’t shared with the entire group. Furthermore, what happened to the inclusive nature of Bike!Bike!? Something about this doesn’t sit right with me, so I don’t think I will be returning to another Bike!Bike! without better understanding this situation. Then again, maybe I’m not even wanted.. -- THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY BICYCLE PROJECT, representing the following initiatives: VULTURE SPACE <http://vulturespace.org> Hands-on Bicycle Workshop & Recyclery BICYCLE BENEFITS <http://bicyclebenefits.org> Incentive Program BIKE 100 DAYS <http://bike100days.com> Calendar of Events

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Kicked out of Bike!Bike!?!
by Gordon Hamachi 10 Nov '19

10 Nov '19

Neil: I agree with you that these are complicated issues. My posting here was a copy of my Facebook posting, where few people want to read anything long and complicated, and where even newlines can't be used in responses, to organize information. I disagree with you that anyone who had a history of working with the military would certainly be involved in police work. As you should know, members of the military are expressly forbidden to engage in police activities. It is ludicrous to equate US military veterans with US police officers, who have no jurisdiction in Mexico. It is beyond imagination that any US agency would choose to send undercover spies sent to Bike! Bike! for any reason. I doubt the part about Eric's history in "intelligence/secret services". Anyone who has had access to sensitive information would know that it is a bad idea to disclose that to random foreign nationals in a foreign country. I suspect that part was thrown in there for dramatic effect. I agree with you that commodities trading is related to mining and harvesting resources. You completely misunderstood my comments on that matter. I completely agree with excluding someone from Bike! Bike! if they are being disruptive or violent. Otherwise, let's make Bike! Bike! a place that welcomes anyone who supports our goals of promoting bicycle collectives and community bike shops. > From: Neil <neisei(a)comcast.net> > Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2019 14:53:50 -0800 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Kicked out of Bike!Bike!?! > > These are complicated and difficult issues and I don’t feel that your over simplifications and straight up omissions are a help to the conversation. > > The person in question was not simply “previously… a member of the US military”. > > It was specifically stated that they have "a history of working in the military and in intelligence/secret services” and as such would almost certainly be involved in policing and/or enforcement. This was *not* an exclusion of someone who is simply a military veteran and to state it as such only confuses things. > > Furthermore you seem to be suggesting that "commodities trading” somehow prevents "mining or harvesting natural resources that may harm the environment or oppress people”. Nothing could be further from the truth. it was specifically stated that the person in question currently works buying and selling gold, petroleum, gas and silver. The "steel, aluminum, rubber and plastic” that you say is necessary to have bicycles are actually not what they were said to deal in so I don’t know how that has any relevance to this case.

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point of sale / inventory management
by Andrew Yee 10 Nov '19

10 Nov '19

Hey friends, The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is considering a point of sale system for some used bike and part sales, and perhaps some new accessories. Inventory management would be helpful. I know Lightspeed <https://www.lightspeedhq.com/> is a very popular solution, but I'm curious to learn what other solutions other community shops use and can recommend? Thanks in advance. -Andrew

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Kicked out of Bike!Bike!?!
by Gordon Hamachi 09 Nov '19

09 Nov '19

Bicis Disidentes thank you for confirming the facts of this unfortunate matter. It was wrong to exclude Eric. Your reasoning for doing this is confused and sadly misguided. You excluded Eric because he previously was a member of the US military, while citing a strict "no police" policy. The US military is not the police. In fact, members of the US Military are forbidden by law to be used in the United States for the purpose of law enforcement. I believe you are also mistaken regarding the role of commodities trading, which provides an orderly market for the purchase of these items, as opposed to mining or harvesting natural resources that may harm the environment or oppress people. Our civilization requires resources. We would not have bicycles without steel, aluminum, rubber and plastic. In the future, I hope that Bike! Bike! can do better at being welcoming and inclusive to all people who share our goals of promoting bicycling for transportation and social change, regardless of their previous or current occupation. ============ (Spanish translation from Google Translate) ========================= Bicis Disidentes gracias por confirmar los hechos de este desafortunado asunto. Fue un error excluir a Eric. Su razonamiento para hacer esto es confuso y tristemente equivocado. Usted excluyó a Eric porque anteriormente era miembro del ejército de los Estados Unidos, al tiempo que citaba una política estricta de "no policía". El ejército estadounidense no es la policía. De hecho, los miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos tienen prohibido por ley ser utilizados en los Estados Unidos con el propósito de hacer cumplir la ley. Creo que también está equivocado con respecto al papel del comercio de productos básicos, que proporciona un mercado ordenado para la compra de estos artículos, en lugar de extraer o cosechar recursos naturales que pueden dañar el medio ambiente u oprimir a las personas. Nuestra civilización requiere recursos. No tendríamos bicicletas sin acero, aluminio, caucho y plástico. En el futuro, espero que Bike! ¡Bicicleta! podemos mejorar en ser acogedores e inclusivos con todas las personas que comparten nuestros objetivos de promover el ciclismo para el transporte y el cambio social, independientemente de su ocupación anterior o actual. > From: Bicis Disidentes <bicisdisidentestj(a)gmail.com> > Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2019 18:09:06 -0800 > Subject: Re: Kicked out of Bike!Bike!?! > > *** inglés abajo *** > *** english below *** > > A lxs participantes de Bici Bici 2019 Tijuana > > Escribimos para informarlxs que a una persona que estaba asistiendo al evento se le ha pedido irse, y le hemos excluido del espacio/festival. > > Nos hemos enterado que Eric, que es voluntarix con Working Bikes Chicago, tiene una historia de trabajar con las fuerzas armadas y en el servicio secreto/servicios de inteligencia de Estados Unidos. Ellx actualmente trabaja en la compra y venta de oro, petróleo, gas, plata, y otros “recursos” naturales, y ha dicho que no tiene problemas ni morales ni éticos en hacer este trabajo. > > Enclave Caracol tiene una política estricta de “no policías” que existe para la seguridad de las personas que usan el edificio. Estamos activamente participando no solamente en la resistencia contra el sistema existente, sino también en construir alternativas para el futuro -- ambas cosas que nos ponen en conflicto frecuente con autoridades y corporaciones estatales. Además, Enclave es un espacio feminista, anti capitalista y anti autoritario. Debido a la proximidad de esta persona a las autoridades violentas estatales y la destrucción de tierras, comunidades, culturas y modos de sustento a través de la extracción de recursos, a ellx se le ha excluido. Esto no sólo se trata de las personas que asisten a Bike Bike 2019, sino también es un acto de solidaridad con las personas que resisten la destrucción ambiental, la colonización y la desposesión en todas partes del mundo. > > La decisión de excluir a esta persona del evento no se hizo mediante un proceso de consenso absoluto. Esto quiere decir que algunas personas dentro de las colectividades no están de acuerdo con la decisión, o no estuvieron presentes cuando se tomó la decisión por cuestiones dentro de la dinámica del evento. Sin embargo, apoyaron la decisión. Estamos conscientes de que la decisión no es fácil, que no vamos a satisfacer a todas las personas, pero estamos abiertxs al diálogo y al constante aprendizaje. > > > Con amor y solidaridad, > > > Miembrxs de > > Bicis Disidentes y Enclave Caracol > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > To the participants of Bike Bike 2019 Tijuana, > > > > We write to inform you all that a person attending the event has been asked to leave and excluded from the space/festival. > > > > It has come to our attention that Eric, who is a volunteer with Working Bikes Chicago, has a history of working in the military and in intelligence/secret services of the United States. He/they currently work buying and selling gold, petroleum, gas, silver and other natural ´resources,’ and have said that they have no moral or ethical problem in this line of work. > > Enclave Caracol has a strict ¨no police¨ policy which exists for the safety of people who use the building. We are actively involved in not only resisting the existing system, but in building alternatives for the future – both of which are things that bring us into regular conflict with state authorities and corporations. Furthermore, Enclave is a feminist, anti’capitalist and anti’authoritarian space. Due to this person’s proximity to violent state authority and the destruction of land, communities, cultures and livelihoods via resource extraction, they have been excluded. This is not only about the people attending Bike Bike 2019, but is also an act of solidarity with people resisting environmental destruction, colonization and dispossession all over the world. > > The decision to exclude this person from the event was not made via consensus, meaning some people within the collectives do not agree with the decision, or were not present when the decision was being made. However they support the decision. We are aware that the decision is not easy, that we are not going to satisfy everyone, but we are open to dialogue and constantly learning. > > > > With love and solidarity, > > > > Members of > > Bicis Disidentes and Enclave Caracol

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