Hi… Do many of us have a shop ride? I’m not sure any of them are official but it seems like bike shops and group rides go together. At the same time… There’s probably often an L-Word liability concern. I have to say this cranks me to no end. Liability relates to willful negligence. Not from people just doing what people do. And it’s a stretch to say that any adult can acquire responsibility for any other adult in almost any way.
(As an aside: What about Directors insurance — how many of us have that? Since the rise of the prominent role of insurance in our world I’ve seen maybe half of the cool community projects hurt by this all-pervasive web of policies and steady diversion of funds. Grrr... Has a Co-op ever had its directors sued? How about a volunteer shop?)
Anyway, is there a group ride that leaves from your parking lot? If not, why not? Is it because of the L-Word?
We’ve had a ride almost since our shop started. There’s been a (so delightful) semi-adversarial relationship the whole time b/w the shop-wrenches and those who gather for the ride. The ride has gotten big at times. But there’s a surprising (to me) effort to keep distance between the two things. So that… guess what? The hundred or so ppl who do the rides annually are never pitched or approached to further engage in the shop. I suppose it’s a no-brainer and doesn’t need any outreach. The shop has needs. The riders haven’t been asked to pitch in. Until last year. To help offset Covid the riders were explicitly told See this shop next to you? It needs help. Can you pitch in, in appreciation for gathering here? It worked. It even gathered a couple new loyal volunteers. But the outreach ended there.
I’ve known a buncha shops over the years: it seems a common thing that wrenches don’t ride. So there’s that. Some do, some don’t. But I’d say that usually at least one shop person is gungho for riding.
Our shop used to host a monthly full-moon ride. As helpers have dwindled, it faded. Strangely the shop ride had mostly different riders from the weekly parking lot ride.
Oh well: Ride dynamics are interesting to me.
Jeff Potter Lansing, MI