Hi everyone!
As promised, the handbook is attached, and I copied and pasted the original text I was working with to create the handbook. It's not exactly what's in the handbook, but it's a good start if you need something similar.
enjoy.
happy winter riding!
Zinta.
the flat, mtl.
Mandate
The Flat is a collective that works to encourage cycling through the sharing of knowledge and tools.
The Flat bike collective seeks to:
make cycling more accessible by
sharing repair facilities and knowledge
offering workshops to persons of all skill levels
reducing the costs of bike maintenance
providing a welcoming environment by
recognizing the existence of power imbalances
encouraging cdialogue and diversity of opinion
confronting discriminatory actions and words
making decisions by consensus
minimize our environmental impact by
recycling and reusing parts
promoting cycling as a viable mode of transportation
promote a greater sense of community by
making our resources available to groups on and off campus
supporting bike-related projects and events
collaborating with other bike organizations
On being and and becoming a volunteer
no experience necessary.
Being a volunteer at the Flat is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with bikes. Whether you have a lot, or no previous experience, everyone has something to offer. If you are just beginning to learn about bikes, we encourage you to attend the Flat’s workshops and/or ask more experienced volunteers while on your shift. We want the shop to be a welcoming space that gives everyone the opportunity to learn, teach, and get along.
If you want to volutneer at the Flat, e-mail theflat.bikecollective@gmail.com and let us know!
Your first shift
You will shadow (follow around) other, more experienced volunteers to get a sense of what each volunteer role entails. There are 6 roles, outlined later in this guide.
Your next few shifts
You will probably be assigned POS or DP duty, until you become more familiar with bike mechanics. This does not mean that you won’t help with any repairs. You should keep shadowing other volunteers to learn as much as you can. It’s rare that if you’re handling POS you’ll be stuck dealing with money the whole shift. It’s also unlikely that no other volunteers will do POS during the shift. Everyone helps everyone else out.
If someone asks you for help with something you don’t know how to fix, it’s okay, just ask someone else for help! (or take a saw to it)
Expectations for volunteers
Here is a rough outline of what we expect flat from volunteers at the flat:
read the mandate and volunteer manual so that you have an idea about whow we operate
show up to your shifts at least 5 minutes early. If you are unable to make a shift, consult the emergency volunteer list and call someone to replace you. It’s your responsibility to find a replacement.
support others in learning how to fix their own bikes, but try to maintain a hands-off policy and let them do the work themselves
don’t be afraid to ask questions
keep learning about bikes by talking to other volunteers, reading, and practicing (work on your bike at Volunteer Fridays!)
get to know the other volunteers
help keep the shop organized
take the initiative, see what needs work in the shop and address it
you are part of the shop! help make it awesome!
As stated in our mandate, at the Flat we are committed to confronting discriminatory words and actions. As part of this commitment, we urge all volunteers to learn about anti-oppression. A commitment to creating an anti-discriminatory space requires that we recognize that oppressions (for example, those based on race gender, class, sexual orientation, age, or ability) are embedded in social interactions and come into play in the bike collective space. If you hear offensive language or see discriminatory behaviour, either from a volunteer or a shop user, it would be great if you confronted it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, talk to another volunteer about doing so.
more on anti-oppression!!!!!
Volunteer Positions
Door Person (DP)
tools: clipboard, 14mm & 15mm wrenches
duties: You keep track of people coming into the shop. Do this by keeping a list of people who want to use the shop and what they want to work on. Do they need a stand or are they just patching a flat? There should be no more than 9 people fixing bikes at once. This means 5 people on stands, 2 people patching flats, and 2 people truing wheels. You can help people take off their wheels at the door if they need to fix flats or do truing, and then they can lock their bikes outside. Try not to let people fix their bikes in the hallway; it’s a fire hazard. Keep track of who is in the shop, who is leaving, and who is next in line.
Shop Volunteers
There are various things that happen in the shop: helping/teaching people to repair their bikes, ringing up sales, helping people find new and used parts.
Don’t feel bad if you’re unsure about something. We’re all learning.
Ask another volunteer if they feel more comfortable working on the problem and if they can show both you and the user how to fix it. Or, if you feel up to it, admit that you don’t have much experience with that issue and suggest working on it together. Check in a repair manual or online at biketutor.comor parktools.com. When you’re done, get someone else to check over the work and make sure everything is working properly.
Keyholder (K)
Opens and closes the shop and is a seasoned volunteer.
Mechanic (M)
Has a decent amount of bike maintenance under their belt.
Experienced Mechanic (EM)
Has a lot of bike repair experience and will probably be able to explain the difference between an Italian and English bottom bracket and the inconsistencies of tire sizing. May also be a huge bike nerd, which is generally a good thing. They’ll be able to help tackle or give advice on more complicated repairs.
Point-of-Sale (POS)
Rings in sales and handles cash when necessary, otherwise helps people with repairs. Does not take I.O.U.s!
Tips!
Take a break once in a while and leave the room to refresh yourself.
Be realistic and honest. Bike repair takes a lot longer than people think. Ask someone how much time they are willing to spend, and strategize you maintenance accordingly. If someone wants to overhaul their bottom bracket and fix their brakes, but have never done either before, brakes should be the priority.
Don’t make assumptions. Ask people if they have experience working on their bike and if they want help.
Hands Off!
At the Flat, we are big advocates of a Hands Off policy, because it gives people a better chance of learning bike mechanics and it helps empower shop users to challenge themselves and break stereotypes. It means that volunteers do not repair bikes, they help others learn how to do bike repair.
There are times when touching tools and/or someone else’s bike is okay. You are allowed to demonstrate how to do something or to offer an extra hand. If the shop user is unable to perform a specific task and they want you to try, that’s fine.
Oftentimes it takes more than one try to to get something right or to learn how to use a tool. The slow and often frustrating process will be far more educational than just watching a volunteer quickly solving a problem. Urging people to keep trying is an imortant part of being a volunteer. We are not a bike shop: mechanical perfection is a priority, but it is not our primary goal. As a volunteer it is your responsibility to support the learning process. If you absolutely need to do something for the person, always ask if it’s okay, and give a detailed description of what you’re doing.
Don’t underestimate another person’s abillities and desire to learn!
Cleaning and Closing up Shop
Please leave the shop clean after every shift. The more you urge users to clean up after themselves, the less work you will have to do at the end. If you try to straighten up the shop and put back tools throughout the shift, cleaning up at the end will be easier.
If somebody has a mechanical issue that will take too long to finish or can be done better with more time, suggest that they come back another day to finish it. Check the time before starting a repair and gauge whether or not the person will be able to finish it before 8 o’clock.
Cleaning Checklist:
put away all tools. check the ledges above each stand.
sweep or mop the floor. sweep after every shift. mop if necessary.
put away any used parts that were left out. Get rid of parts that are not salvageable.
clean off the front counter. Please keep tools, parts, and other stuff off this space.
tidy up the back and new parts.
take paper/cardboard/plastic recycling out to the bins by the TV McGill office.
Frequently asked Questions
where is the flat located?
ssmu building b-02
3480 Rue McTavish
when are you open?
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 5-8pm
collective meetings, wednesdays 5:30pm
workshops: wednesdays 7pm (check the schedule on our website)
who can use the shop?
anyone can use the shop, whether or not they attend McGill. There is no membership fee or application process.
where do you get your funding?
for the last 2 years, we have applied for and received a portion of ssmu’s green fee, a student fee levy of $1.25 per semester, which is dedicated to green initiatives. We received $4700 our first year, and $4650 our second year. We also accept donations and make profit on the parts we sell.
why do you make profit on new parts?
We sell our parts at MSRP (manufacturers’ suggested retail price) rather than at cost so that we do not compete with other local bike shops, and invest profit we make back into the shop.
who runs the place?
there is no one person who runs the Flat. We are run collectively by a group of bike enthusiasts who share the responsibilities of volunteer coordination, finances, shop maintenance, etc. We make decisions by consensus at Wednesday meetings, in which anyone can participate. We don’t have a hierarchical structure because there are benefits in equal participation in the decision-making process. Givijng everyone a chance to talk about a decision fosters a collective feeling of ownership of the space and its processes. The consensus-based participation approach encourages people to explain why they hold a certain position. This allows people to revise their own and others’ positions through dialogue. People are more likely to contributre positively if they feel involved and valued. Basically, leadership revoles around initiative and effort???To become a collective member you must show a certain level of commitment and initiative. You do not necessarily need to bring any specifilalized skills, just a willingness to learn and contributre. This being said, you must contribute more than your opinion. An opinion or idea needs initiative to turn into reality.
Do you sell bikes?
Nope. Rather than being a retail bike shop, the Flat is a space where anyone can come and build or work on their bike. This way, the focus is on teaching and learning rather than profit.
How long have you been around?
The Flat (originally called SSMU Bike Collective) opened up as a Students’ Society of McGill University service in March 2008. Apart from summer renovations, we have been open 2-3 days a week since.
Why do you have women and trans only workshops?
We recognize that bike mechanics and knowledge exchange about bikes can be intimidating ventures. We also recognize that, like many other bike collectives and shops, we have an over-representation of male mechanics. To address both of these concerns, we reserve certain workshops for women and trans folk. We seek to develop a non-threatening learning space that will encourage involvement of all skill levels. These workshops address concerns expressed by many of our users. That said, women and trans folk are still encouraged to attend the workshops intended for everyone.
How can I learn more about the Flat?
Check out our website, theflat.wordpress.com, sign up to receive our newsletter, help out at a taskerade, or drop by a collective meeting.