Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Shop in a Box

30 Apr 2008

      ...
From our director's web page: http://www.drumbent.com/trailer.html
The kit I based my hockey bag hauling cargo trailer on:
http://www.drumbent.com/trailer.html
Chris
--- Vyki Englert vyki.englert@thekickstand.org wrote:
...
The Kickstand sets up a repair stand at our local farmers market and
any
events we get involved in.  This is currently what most of our
outreach
program consists of. We carry a portable stand, a 4x2 folding table,
an
Ez-up, a tool set, and consumables.  We've been doing this for a very
short
while, but the idea is that we have a "market box", a tool box that
is set
aside, always ready to go with a good set of tools  (we're still
working on
exactly what a good set of tools is), that is not used during regular
shop
hours.  We just started bringing consumables, patches, cables... and
are
still hammering out exactly what to bring.  And of course we always
have
some literature on hand,  and usually bring some of the bright orange
safety
vest the county bicycle/pedestrian advisory board gave us to pass
out.
Our only issue currently is that we toss of of this in the back of a
pickup
truck!  We are hopefully soon going to have the resources to build a
trailer
(a member is purchasing welding equipment), but don;t as of yet have
any
plans.
Anyone have plans for a good (verylarge) bike trailer?
vyki
www.thekickstand.org
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 3:38 PM, Durham Bike Co-op
durhambikecoop@gmail.com
wrote:
...
United Bicycle Parts has a pretty nice looking "mix and match" tool
set
...
with items from a variety of different tool makers = around $200,
if I
...
remember right, and maybe around 50 pieces with the most critical
stuff
...
(spline tools, chainbreaker, lockring wrench etc.) being shop
quality stuff.
...
Might be a good place to start.
best,
Colin - Durham Bike Co-op
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:57 AM, dragonfly@mac.hush.com wrote:
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Hi, Everyone.

I love reading everyone's posts.

Thanks to the people who have written to me about creating a

good bike plan for the Detroit-Windsor region.
This past weekend, I was talking with some people. People we

know were attending the UN Indigenous People's climate change
meeting in New York, and we were talking about some things.
 My friends and I were talking about climate change, this

time
...
...
in the context of the aboriginal communities that these friends
of
...
...
mine come from. It was a long and interesting conversation.
 For a little part of it, I talked about bikes, and about how

important my bike was to me in Detroit and about how my bike
shapes
...
...
my world view and my thoughts about community planning, etc.
 They all drive trucks, these friends of mine, even the ones

from the city, and they think I'm a little nuts for riding my
bike
...
...
everywhere, but they could also see an increased potential for
bikes in some of their communities.
  In some of their communities, bikes are not so practical.

In
...
...
others, they could be made into a more functional option for
day-to-
...
...
day practical use, if there was an infrastructure to support
them-
...
...
a place to get bikes, a place to go to repair them, etc.
  We wondered about a "Bike Shop in a Box"-- could you get a

big rubbermaid tub and put a whole bike shop into it? (Maybe two
tubs plus a stand?) Could you make such a thing that would be
easy
...
...
to ship North or into the B.C. interior, by train or plane etc.?
   Do the people from "Bikes Not Bombs" know how to do this--

have some of you done this before? Is there a good way of doing
this already known?
   What should go into the box, and how could we make this

economical-- is there an economy of scale-- how many Boxed Shops
would you need to create to get a good deal on the tools, do you
think? Would suppliers be interested in creating a 'Shop in Box'
as
...
...
a product to offer through their catalogue, even?
    We're just thinking about the feasibility of this right

now. For lots of reasons, it might be a dumb or unworkable idea,
but one worth checking out. If any of you have done this, or if
you
...
...
know what the best things to put into the box are, please e-mail
me.
                                    Sasha

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:56:20 -0400 "Urban Bike Project
Wilmington,
...
...
DE" urbanbikeproject@gmail.com wrote:
...
"we still have the Bike Against! stencil and about ten different
colors of spray paint..."
Rafael, is that why you changed your name?  I can only imagine
the
...
...
...
positive message this has spread in Fort Collins...
Jennifer,
I think you want a name that instantly gives people a snapshot
of
...
...
...
what
you do.  Mike's comment rings pretty true.  Often people will
call
...
...
...
or
email about donating bikes and then ask what it is exactly that
we
...
...
...
do.
If you do bikes and art call it something with bikes and art
and
...
...
...
you'll be set.  The Bike Gallery or something innocent.  BICAS'
name
is pretty cool and explanatory.
Once you pick it, stick with it.  Like Rafael said, your shops
actions/quality are more important than the name.
Brian
On 4/28/08, bike against bikeagainst@gmail.com wrote:
...
Hey Jennifer and all, Rafael from Fort Collins,CO here...
I agree with Rachel, keep it simple...
I believe the name does not make the project, the PROJECT
makes
...
...
...
the name,
...
just like band names, as long as the music is good people will
dig the
...
name...
In our case, for the first four years our project was known as
the Bike
...
Against ! collective or Co-op and due to our current situation
we are now
...
just called The Fort Collins Bike Co-op...  yeah,is not
radical
...
...
...
but it
...
doesn't have to be. We still have the same ideals and
philosophy
...
...
...
that gave
...
birth to the organization and again, the quality of your work
is
...
...
...
ALL that
...
matters in the end.
By changing our name we were able to have access to a lot more
resources
...
and therefore help a lot more people.
As for the militant riders out there,who believe that riding
a
...
...
...
bicycle as
...
main or ONLY means of transportation is also an act of
political
...
...
...
expression
...
and resistance,we still have the Bike Against! stencil and
about
...
...
...
ten
...
different colors of spray paint...
=== message truncated ===>
_______________________________________________
...
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
...
Chris Wells
(Head Mechanic & Email Handler)
re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op
477 Bronson Ave. Ottawa
re-Cycles is open 6pm-10pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
(for volunteering, DIY, bike & parts sales & donation drop off)
Bike sales and donation drop off also available during Cyclists'
Kitchen hours: 9am-5:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and 9am-1pm on Saturday
(IMPORTANT: Please remember that while Cyclists' Kitchen will be using our shop during the day, any public bike repair, whether volunteer or do-it-yourself, is still only during regular re-Cycles hours in the evenings.)
info@re-cycles.ca
http://www.re-cycles.ca/