A couple times a year, we'll host 30 to 60 volunteers at once. Might be a school group, or a local business service day of some kind...
First, we always try to have an engagement activity, a quick overview, tour..
One great large group engagement: everyone in a circle with a wheel (with axle, no tire/tube), and as they spin them, the instructor can talk about wheels, trueness, 'pass to the left', wheel materials, spokes, 'pass to the left', rim strips, bearings, 'pass to the left'..
This way everyone is getting a feel for different wheels/trueness/ bearing tension, weight, etc. Always try to 'pass to the left' so that everyone ends up with their original wheel
-Cleaning is always a 'go to' for big groups. Rags, bucket(s) of hot water is the simplest
-weeding out parts is good, as mentioned by josh, and that can be searching for stripped threads
-moving a lot of stuff from one zone to another is a good one, sometimes by 'fire line' method, sometimes more 'grab and go'
-since tire levers are often plentiful, getting bad tires off good wheels is handy for a team to do
-art is an excellent option for a subset of the large group, asking for volunteers to do that
Big groups present big opportunity to get your mission out to a wider audience, create some fun and buzz and accomplish some hands on tasks
-Bob Giordano, Free Cycles Missoula
Quoting veganboyjosh@gmail.com:
• cleaning bikes with rag/water/simple green • cleaning small parts at a table with toothbrushes • sorting the tiny parts (nuts, washers, springs, ferrules, etc) by shape/size • sorting bigger parts by size (seatposts, stems, forks, tires, tubes, etc) • examining parts for damage beyond repair. ie, cracks in frames, forks, bars, bent parts, etc.
• check tubes for holes (with a pump, bucket/basin, water) (this can also be a great group lesson. go over the steps of patching a flat with a large group, then let them team up to tackle a pile of flat or possibly flat tubes. it's good to have at least one or two experienced floaters to help. also good to have them pump up a bunch at once at the beginning. the obviously flat ones will become clear right away. slow leaks will take a little longer, and non leakers will remain full at the end.
• with a little guidance, you can have them strip bikes of parts like old gross grips, old gross cables, etc. obviously who gets to hold and use cutting tools require some discretion.
On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 1:08 PM Ellen Willis-Conger ellen@sbbike.org wrote:
"Spoke Wrangler" comes to mind. Administrative support can always be used to enter data, sort sales receipts and repair tags... Sweeping the shop and yard Separating and breaking down cardboard recycling inner tubes
On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 9:11 AM Judith Feist judith@backalleybikes.org wrote:
Ok, What are your go to projects for when you have large groups of people volunteer, BUT have NO mechanic experience?
Asking for a friend...
-- Judith C Feist Co Director, the Hub at Back Alley
*"*Radical simply means 'grasping things at the root'"- Angela Davis
"A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle." -Gloria Steinem
I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world...It gives a woman a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.~Susan B. Anthony