- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Re: [TheThinkTank] Who's Got the Best Volunteer On-Boarding / Training Program?
by rob＠robertgrossmandesign.com 16 Mar '17

16 Mar '17

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Who's Got the Best Volunteer On-Boarding / Training Program?
by Josh Bisker 15 Mar '17

15 Mar '17

Give us your best shot: how do you train volunteers to work with patrons? What's the foundation of the training, how's it go, and what makes your approach sparkle? Context: the Mechanical Gardens is building up momentum and I'm realizing that our volunteer core has different levels of insight into how to help and engage with patrons during open hours. The group has little-to-no collective experience to draw from of what a community bike shop does and how its staff or volunteers approach or conceive of their roles. I think that a volunteer training might be a good way to establish a baseline of expectations for working with patrons. In fact, I think we should have someone else come and run it for us so it's not some weird hierarchy thing where I'm telling everyone how to behave. (Anyone fancy a trip to NYC?) For the meantime, we would benefit greatly from your collective wisdom about shop roles and how to embody them. xox - Josh

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Blackstone Bicycle Works in Chicago is Hiring a Youth Services Coordinator
by J Michael Eugenio 14 Mar '17

14 Mar '17

Blackstone Bicycle Works is a youth education program and community bike shop located in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Here <https://experimentalstation.org/blackstone> is more information about the program. The *Youth Services Coordinator* will coordinate the daily youth experience and act as the head instructor for the program. The position is full-time. We would appreciate your help in getting the word out! The full job description is attached as a PDF and can also be found on our website <https://experimentalstation.org/jobs/>. Thanks! Michael *J. Michael Eugenio* Communications Associate experimentalstation.org 773 241-6044 @expstation: facebook <https://www.facebook.com/expstation/> / twitter <http://twitter.com/expstation> / instagram <https://www.instagram.com/expstation/>

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BCBC in Saskatoon SK Canada is Hiring an Operations Manager
by Arlin Schaffel 10 Mar '17

10 Mar '17

Hey All, The BCBC <http://bridgecitybicyclecoop.com> is hiring a part-time Operations Manager. I've attached the job posting with more information. It would mean a lot if some of your could circulate among your networks. Altho I know it is unlikely that someone would move to Saskatoon Saskatchewan for something part time, we can still dream, right? Cheers, *Arlin Schaffel* *Bridge City Bicycle Co-op* http://bridgecitybicyclecoop.com facebook.com/bridgecitybicyclecoop/ twitter.com/the_bcbc

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B!KE in Peterborough Ontario is Hiring
by Tegan Moss [B!KE] 01 Mar '17

01 Mar '17

Hi All, We are looking for someone to work the busy season teaching people how to fix bikes at B!KE in Peterborough, Ontario. Please spread widely among your teams! Thanks, Tegan -- B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 293 George St, Peterborough ON (705) 775-7227 communitybikeshop.org

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Fwd: [bike farm] Fwd: SAB school of apropriate bicycle technology
by Angel York 27 Feb '17

27 Feb '17

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bike Farm <bikefarm(a)bikefarm.org> Date: Sun, Feb 26, 2017 at 1:04 PM Subject: [bike farm] Fwd: SAB school of apropriate bicycle technology To: bike-farm <bike-farm(a)googlegroups.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Geovany Moreno <geovany(a)bicitec.org> Date: Sat, Feb 25, 2017 at 9:02 AM Subject: SAB school of apropriate bicycle technology To: Interested to learn how to design and construct pedal-powered machines? Want to learn how to apply appropriate technology in the Global South? Motivated to take classroom knowledge and apply it to the real world? We are excited to announce the next sessions of the School of Appropriate Bici-Technology! The sessions are Beginners and intermediate course in the context, application, and manufacturing of bicimáquinas (pedal-powered machines) in San Andrés Itzapa, Guatemala. Students from all over the world will study side-by-side while Carlos Marroquín, a world leader in pedal-powered technology, leads this hands-on course in designing and manufacturing pedal-powered machines. We are now accepting applications through March 17st for the Summer Sessions. Scholarships are available for students from lower and middle-income countries to study in this exciting program. The beginner summer session of this course runs from June 5th to July 14th. The intermediate summer session of this course runs from July 24th to August 18th. In this hands on course students will learn about the context of appropriate technology in the Global South, and the fundamentals of pedal-powered machine mechanics, design, and construction. Interested to find out more? More information and the application are on our website, and you can email info(a)bicitec.org with any questions. http://bicitec.org/eba-solicitud/ http://bicitec.org/eba-preguntas-frecuentes/ Follow us on Facebook, and check out our videos to learn more! Best, The Bici-Tec Team -- Special Orders Listserv: specialorders(a)googlegroups.com Shift Schedule: https://db.tt/YZLIhoF8 Please communicate in a polite and respectful manner at all times. The Bike Farm listserv is a collaborative, professional forum for discussion. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bike Farm" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bike-farm+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to bike-farm(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/bike-farm. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 125, Issue 15
by Zachariah Wahid 22 Feb '17

22 Feb '17

Greetings from Detroit, We consistently refurbish bikes for donation to kids during regular volunteer nights and *we keep a waitlist* of who needs bikes, what sizes they need and how many. Then, *when their "order is filled" (i.e. when their bikes are built) we call them up*. We ask that they bring the kid with them in case we got the wrong size or need to make some adjustments and* a lot of times people do bring in old kids bikes* but *we do not require them *to trade us a bike, which is *an organization wide policy meant to discourage bicycle theft.* *We do not limit the number of bikes taken* by a family, though for groups we usually* can't give away more than 15 at a time.* The *only requirement for taking a bike is *that the person that the bike is for is under the *age* of 10. *We do accept donations *(though these are few and far between) in a jar and many of the family's receiving bikes also have kids that have gone through our version of Earn-A-Bike (EAB). We *fund this through our general fund* which mostly comes through donations and it costs us roughly $15 to $25 per bike but it is *free to the recipients*. We only provide accessories like helmets when there is surplus. We mostly try to give those out to older EAB participants who tend to go faster on their bikes. *My suggestions*: Do not require a bike to swap. See if you can get your kids bikes from shops in the city that accumulate them or from retired folks with trucks who pick stuff off the side of the road. Make sure people in your area know they can bring you kids bikes. You could even host a bike drive exclusively for kids bikes (though people will probably try to give you larger bikes as well). Local companies love the press that comes with hosting those things. Zach On Tue, Feb 21, 2017 at 4:12 PM, < 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.org > > 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: Kids bike library/swap programs (mike r) > 2. Kids bike library/swap programs (Bob Giordano) > 3. Re: Kids bike library/swap programs (Danielle Fry) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: mike r <rozdol(a)yahoo.com> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:45:47 +0000 (UTC) > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Kids bike library/swap programs > Hello folks. > I had a similar idea and approached my local pubic library in Upstate New > York just a year ago. The proposed project was more limited than you > suggest, it was for Balance Bikes only and they were used 12inch wheel > kiddy bikes with cranks and chain removed. > I delivered 4 very nice little bikes and the staff of the library was > stoked to release the program. > The Library Director heard back from their insurance company and the > program was nixed. > The issue is that the Library retains ownership of the bikes and therefor > if there is an injury that resulted from bike issues, or perceived bike > condition issues, the Library would be liable. > Got the bikes back and gave them away...Mike aka the bike guy > > > Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad <https://yho.com/footer0> > > On Monday, February 20, 2017, 3:27 PM, Aida Mas Baghaie < > aida.masb(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Hey bike friends, > > We're starting a kids bike library/exchange in Vancouver, BC, where kids > can borrow a bike until they grow out of it and then swap it for one their > size. I've heard of a few different models for doing this, from kids bike > swaps at events to shorter-term loans from library branches. Anyone run a > program like this? If you do, please tell me about the useful things you've > learned by answering these questions: > > - what kind of program do you run? (i.e. kids bike swaps at events, > physical library, through earn-a-bike) > - how many bikes do you distribute/swap? do you charge anything for > them? > - how is the program funded? > - do you provide accessories (helmets, locks & lights) with the bikes? > if so, where do you get them from? > - any suggestions or words of wisdom for someone starting a kids bike > library/swap program? > > If you'd rather chat on the phone, just lemme know and I'll give you a > call. > > thanks y'all! > > yaay more kids on bikes. <3 :D > > aida > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank- > bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a> > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Bob Giordano <mist(a)strans.org> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:26:25 -0700 > Subject: [TheThinkTank] Kids bike library/swap programs > One of our strongest and most popular programs over the years has been > always offering free kids bikes. For age 10 and under we require no class > nor service time (older than 10 and we have various earn-a-bike programs). > > We do not charge, the bike is theirs to keep, and the family will come > back year after year and swap to a larger size. We always have a large > stock to choose from. We have more ready to go kid bikes in 'kid alley' > and over flow kid bikes in 'kid corner'. > > Many yet not all families donate into our shop jar. While we strive to > have some kid bikes close to 'ride out the door' we want the kid (and > parent) to finish off the bike with air, oil and some adjustments. We > work together to make that happen. > > We have found that this type of program brings in financial donations in > many other ways, from general appeals to events to small local grants. > > Other tidbits: we tend to remove hand brakes (unless in stellar condition) > if the bike (most) has a coaster brake. we esp. look for anything sharp > or broken to get off the bike, like remnants of a bell, reflector, chain > guard. > we help more with families that are struggling with the mechanical > aspects, and remain more hands-off if it is say a parent/child wanting the > building/bonding experience. if a parent ends up working on the bike > without the child, we try to entice the child to help sort nuts and bolts, > or draw a bike for the shop wall. we discourage training wheels yet help > get them on if a parent insists. we make our own striders, looking for > kid bikes that have low step thru frame and already have a drivetrain > failure. > it's honestly one of the most rewarding aspects of the community bicycle > shop, here in Missoula. > > -- > Bob Giordano, Director > Free Cycles Missoula > Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, ph. 541.7284 > 10AM-6PM Tues-Sat, www.freecycles.org > Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation > www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406.830.7676 > > > > On Monday, February 20, 2017, 3:27 PM, Aida Mas Baghaie > > <aida.masb(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Hey bike friends, > > We're starting a kids bike library/exchange in Vancouver, BC, where kids > > can borrow a bike until they grow out of it and then swap it for one > their > > size. I've heard of a few different models for doing this, from kids bike > > swaps at events to shorter-term loans from library branches. Anyone run a > > program like this? If you do, please tell me about the useful things > > you've learned by answering these questions: > > - what kind of program do you run? (i.e. kids bike swaps at events, > > physical library, through earn-a-bike) > > - how many bikes do you distribute/swap? do you charge anything for > > them? > > - how is the program funded? > > - do you provide accessories (helmets, locks & lights) with the bikes? > > if so, where do you get them from? > > - any suggestions or words of wisdom for someone starting a kids bike > > library/swap program? > > If you'd rather chat on the phone, just lemme know and I'll give you a > > call. > > thanks y'all! > > yaay more kids on bikes. <3 :D > > aida > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Danielle Fry <danielle(a)bicyclecollective.org> > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> > Cc: > Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:46:43 -0700 > Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Kids bike library/swap programs > I'm very interested in your responses as well. I'm trying to come up with > a better way to give out our kids bikes. Traditionally we've worked with > organizations and done larger events where we give away many kids bikes at > once, but then we're left with piles of both fixed and in-waiting bikes > that we don't have the storage for. In addition to the original questions, > would y'all mind giving some feedback on: > > - How do you manage the flow of kids needing bikes? Do you utilize a > wait list if you run out of kids bikes for the need in the community at the > time? > - How do you track who gets bikes? > - Do you limit how many bikes one child is allowed? One bike/year > more or less? > - Do any of you use specific criteria for being eligible for a free > kid's bike? > > Thanks! > > Danielle Fry > Director > Ogden Bicycle Collective > 936 28th Street > Ogden, UT 84403 > > On Mon, Feb 20, 2017 at 4:26 PM, Bob Giordano <mist(a)strans.org> wrote: > >> One of our strongest and most popular programs over the years has been >> always offering free kids bikes. For age 10 and under we require no class >> nor service time (older than 10 and we have various earn-a-bike programs). >> >> We do not charge, the bike is theirs to keep, and the family will come >> back year after year and swap to a larger size. We always have a large >> stock to choose from. We have more ready to go kid bikes in 'kid alley' >> and over flow kid bikes in 'kid corner'. >> >> Many yet not all families donate into our shop jar. While we strive to >> have some kid bikes close to 'ride out the door' we want the kid (and >> parent) to finish off the bike with air, oil and some adjustments. We >> work together to make that happen. >> >> We have found that this type of program brings in financial donations in >> many other ways, from general appeals to events to small local grants. >> >> Other tidbits: we tend to remove hand brakes (unless in stellar condition) >> if the bike (most) has a coaster brake. we esp. look for anything sharp >> or broken to get off the bike, like remnants of a bell, reflector, chain >> guard. >> we help more with families that are struggling with the mechanical >> aspects, and remain more hands-off if it is say a parent/child wanting the >> building/bonding experience. if a parent ends up working on the bike >> without the child, we try to entice the child to help sort nuts and bolts, >> or draw a bike for the shop wall. we discourage training wheels yet help >> get them on if a parent insists. we make our own striders, looking for >> kid bikes that have low step thru frame and already have a drivetrain >> failure. >> it's honestly one of the most rewarding aspects of the community bicycle >> shop, here in Missoula. >> >> -- >> Bob Giordano, Director >> Free Cycles Missoula >> Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, ph. 541.7284 >> 10AM-6PM Tues-Sat, www.freecycles.org >> Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation >> www.strans.org, mist(a)strans.org, 406.830.7676 >> >> >> > On Monday, February 20, 2017, 3:27 PM, Aida Mas Baghaie >> > <aida.masb(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > Hey bike friends, >> > We're starting a kids bike library/exchange in Vancouver, BC, where kids >> > can borrow a bike until they grow out of it and then swap it for one >> their >> > size. I've heard of a few different models for doing this, from kids >> bike >> > swaps at events to shorter-term loans from library branches. Anyone run >> a >> > program like this? If you do, please tell me about the useful things >> > you've learned by answering these questions: >> > - what kind of program do you run? (i.e. kids bike swaps at events, >> > physical library, through earn-a-bike) >> > - how many bikes do you distribute/swap? do you charge anything for >> > them? >> > - how is the program funded? >> > - do you provide accessories (helmets, locks & lights) with the >> bikes? >> > if so, where do you get them from? >> > - any suggestions or words of wisdom for someone starting a kids bike >> > library/swap program? >> > If you'd rather chat on the phone, just lemme know and I'll give you a >> > call. >> > thanks y'all! >> > yaay more kids on bikes. <3 :D >> > aida >> >> >> >> >> ____________________________________ >> >> The ThinkTank mailing List >> <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/ >> thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a> >> >> > > > -- > Danielle Fry > Director > Ogden Bicycle Collective > 936 28th Street > Ogden, UT 84403 > 801-997-0336 <(801)%20997-0336> > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- > bikecollectives.org > > -- Zachariah Wahid Co-Director Back Alley Bikes (313) 879-5630

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Kids bike library/swap programs
by Aida Mas Baghaie 20 Feb '17

20 Feb '17

Hey bike friends, We're starting a kids bike library/exchange in Vancouver, BC, where kids can borrow a bike until they grow out of it and then swap it for one their size. I've heard of a few different models for doing this, from kids bike swaps at events to shorter-term loans from library branches. Anyone run a program like this? If you do, please tell me about the useful things you've learned by answering these questions: - what kind of program do you run? (i.e. kids bike swaps at events, physical library, through earn-a-bike) - how many bikes do you distribute/swap? do you charge anything for them? - how is the program funded? - do you provide accessories (helmets, locks & lights) with the bikes? if so, where do you get them from? - any suggestions or words of wisdom for someone starting a kids bike library/swap program? If you'd rather chat on the phone, just lemme know and I'll give you a call. thanks y'all! yaay more kids on bikes. <3 :D aida

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Political message
by Sarah Schaan 19 Feb '17

19 Feb '17

Greetings everyone! I am curious to know if any bikebike members/organizers have discussed making a collective statement about the recent political issues that USA has been dealing with? Several policies and many statements made by the White House and co. directly contradict our mission statement. As a multinational organization I believe we may have a greater impact if we could unite our voices in some manner. I have been bad at keeping up with social media/ email threads so if this has already been addressed, I would thank you for catching me up! As always, keep your rad souls burning bright :) Sarah Schaan, FMCBW Fargo

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Big questions about trust, classism, and preconceptions
by Andrew Shooner 15 Feb '17

15 Feb '17

Hi all, Looking for some wisdom on what I think is a pretty deep question for our shop. Quick background: Broke Spoke is a non-profit community bike shop, with a mission to give everyone better access to better bikes, and enable everyone to do their own maintenance. A big part of our community has been a social services campus nearby which includes long-term residency, an overnight shelter, a free cafeteria, and a residential substance abuse rehab program. People from that center use the shop frequently, and are probably the most common group to earn bikes from the shop. Right now, once you regularly commit to a certain number of hours consistently for 4 months, we provide you a key to the shop, so you can come in on your own time to work on your own stuff and free up open shop hours so you can volunteer. This has always been by invitation rather than an automatic 'upgrade'. We have a small group of regular volunteers from the center some of whom would otherwise qualify for this type of access, but have never been invited. We're making an effort this winter to reorganize our shop volunteerism to be more inclusive, and the discussion has led to addressing this. Without speaking for others from the shop, I'll share my own thoughts: on one hand, I hate the notion that someone's general economic status could disqualify them from becoming a more involved member of our community. The other side of that is that severe economic stress or a substance abuse problem can have a serious influence on someone's behavior, and it isn't necessarily an individual character judgement to be more cautious about access to our entire shop (~150 bikes, 8 stands, power tools, etc - our whole operation). But that lands you back in a pretty categorically classist conclusion that poor(er) people are inherently less trustworthy in the shop. I also don't like where that logic leads: where do you draw the line? My gut tells me that the potential benefit in granting someone that trust is worth the risk, but I appreciate the other, more cautious perspective as well. Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated! Thanks, Andy Broke Spoke, Lexington KY

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