Shop Operations During Covid
Hey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?
At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools. Here are the guidelines for this shift https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xu3qCapSPopoQ7VbiqyG1VJdroA6WiJwBSPleTNf6QU/edit?usp=sharing .
We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.
We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it more functional.
We have a document outlining https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EthWNOhjeo4sOQZobhrvykb_gTB4aGRKeMdiL0TUidI/edit?usp=sharing our covid protocols. I've made a copy of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.
Hope you all are well, -Momoko
At Dr Cranky’s we usually support Bicycle Hospitals run by parent volunteers at schools.
We can’t do that in Victoria, Australia so have tried shifting to remote/contactless operations.
We’ve managed to recycle over 50 bikes during CoVid and log the results online without any contact.
We send basic tool kits and parts to volunteers to use in their homes.
See https://www.drcrankys.com.au/uploads/8/6/0/2/86023530/remote_operations_unde...
Bart Sbeghen
Founder/CEO, Dr Cranky’s
M 0418 231 686
<http://www.drcrankys.com.au> www.drcrankys.com.au
From: Thethinktank thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org On Behalf Of momoko saunders Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2020 12:24 PM To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: [TheThinkTank] Shop Operations During Covid
Hey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?
At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools. Here are the guidelines for this shift https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xu3qCapSPopoQ7VbiqyG1VJdroA6WiJwBSPleTNf6QU/edit?usp=sharing .
We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.
We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it more functional.
We have a document outlining https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EthWNOhjeo4sOQZobhrvykb_gTB4aGRKeMdiL0TUidI/edit?usp=sharing our covid protocols. I've made a copy of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.
Hope you all are well,
-Momoko
Hey Momoko BRW is open for curbside sales 3 days a week. We allow a max of 4 volunteers inside at a time. We have one day a week that is building bikes and cleaning shop. Bike sales have skyrocketed and if it keeps pace it will keep our lights on through this.
The bicycle kitchen has a huge outdoor space and has been allowing patrons to wrench by appointment if they follow the protocol. They figure that when masked and keeping distance the transfer risk outdoors is much smaller.
I was considering looking into how tool lending libraries function to see if we could offer a similar service so patrons can put on the parts they purchase.
Loconte
On Oct 19, 2020, at 19:21, barts@drcrankys.com.au wrote:
At Dr Cranky’s we usually support Bicycle Hospitals run by parent volunteers at schools. We can’t do that in Victoria, Australia so have tried shifting to remote/contactless operations. We’ve managed to recycle over 50 bikes during CoVid and log the results online without any contact. We send basic tool kits and parts to volunteers to use in their homes.
See https://www.drcrankys.com.au/uploads/8/6/0/2/86023530/remote_operations_unde...
Bart Sbeghen Founder/CEO, Dr Cranky’s M 0418 231 686
<image001.jpg> www.drcrankys.com.au
From: Thethinktank thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org On Behalf Of momoko saunders Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2020 12:24 PM To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: [TheThinkTank] Shop Operations During Covid
Hey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?
At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools. Here are the guidelines for this shift.
We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.
We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it more functional.
We have a document outlining our covid protocols. I've made a copy of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.
Hope you all are well, -Momoko ____________________________________
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.or...
Hi all,
Here is a Free Cycles Missoula 'Covid' update:
We've had no one except staff (3) in our shop since March 13th.
A lot of 'curb side' service tho, with free bikes, sale bikes, parts, and tool loaning, all ordered on our website (http://www.freecycles.org/), or by phone, or a note put in our drop box.
It's often 'contact free' as we lock a sale bike or free bike outside, and give people the code.
Sale bikes (about 200 since March) can be fully refunded up to 2 weeks.... only a small handful have been returned, due to lack of correct fit.
Free bikes have been great.. normally there is a class and 4 hours of service for this earn a bike program. The class and service have been waived during Covid. We've had to exchange and/or do some follow up maintenance on some of those, not much tho. Biggest change is we build the bike instead of the recipient.
We follow up with people the best we can, to make sure needs are being met.
We had a volunteer install a library style 'drop box' that has been awesome- for small part donations, tool return, and cash donations.
We affixed colored locks to a rack out front, which makes it easy for anyone to donate a bike and lock it (we have the universal key hanging inside).
We added a gate to a side yard, with a combo: we have 2-5 volunteers per week, and we give them that combo so we do not have to let them in and out- they can do that themselves. We change the combo once a week. We meet them initially, and get them started on some kind of outside task.
We have vols only work outside, and agree to covid protocols.
We've used this 'down time' to renovate, organize, clean and deeply think about programs and projects...while also making sale bikes, free bikes and filling parts orders.
One project was renovating a 1,000 sq ft 'shed' into an outdoor bicycle classroom/ work space, so we'll be ready for 2021 bike boom to continue and hopefuly gather once again.
BTW, Montana cases are rising, and we've been super cautious this whole time, in it for the 'long game'.
We say 'no walk ups'. Yet that has been the hardest thing to 'enforce'. So we are flexible and lenient and help people as we can, sometimes taking in a repair or giving advice, thru a chainlink fence often. Not too friendly of a system, yet neither is Covid.
Been thinking how all us community bike shops are a 'radical movement of inclusiveness' and how Covid changes that completely upside down, more or less.
We are shifting the focus of free bikes, prioritizing essential workers, low income and BIPOC. Which still includes a lot of people and thus requests. We got a month behind at the end of summer, now about caught up (about 200 of these free bikes out the door since March too).
The free bikes are lesser quality than the sale bikes, yet sturdy none the less.
The parts requests are fun, cuz our parts room is fairly organzied and we are well stocked. We put those- serveral a day- on a table outside for pickup.
Hope this helps others, and looking forward to continued collabaration thru this list!
-Bob Giordano, Free Cycles Missoula
Quoting wormsign@gmail.com:
Hey Momoko BRW is open for curbside sales 3 days a week. We allow a max of 4
volunteers inside at a time. We have one day a week that is building
bikes and cleaning shop. Bike sales have skyrocketed and if it keeps pace it will keep our
lights on through this.The bicycle kitchen has a huge outdoor space and has been allowing
patrons to wrench by appointment if they follow the protocol. They
figure that when masked and keeping distance the transfer risk
outdoors is much smaller. I was considering looking into how tool lending libraries function
to see if we could offer a similar service so patrons can put on the
parts they purchase.Loconte
On Oct 19, 2020, at 19:21, barts@drcrankys.com.au wrote:
At Dr Cranky’s we usually support Bicycle Hospitals run by parent
volunteers at schools. We can’t do that in Victoria, Australia so have tried shifting to
remote/contactless operations. We’ve managed to recycle over 50 bikes during CoVid and log the
results online without any contact. We send basic tool kits and parts to volunteers to use in their homes.See
https://www.drcrankys.com.au/uploads/8/6/0/2/86023530/remote_operations_unde...Bart Sbeghen Founder/CEO, Dr Cranky’s M 0418 231 686
<image001.jpg> www.drcrankys.com.au
From: Thethinktank thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org
On Behalf Of momoko saunders Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2020 12:24 PM To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: [TheThinkTank] Shop Operations During CovidHey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop
operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put
on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We
have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people
outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then
volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for
the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is
really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of
tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This
includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools.
Here are the guidelines for this shift.We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for
sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer
groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ
bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the
exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure
night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it
more functional.We have a document outlining our covid protocols. I've made a copy
of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and
agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely
available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more
creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and
maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have
come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.Hope you all are well, -Momoko ____________________________________
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.or...
At RIBs we're actually closed right now due to (mostly) non-covid-19 reasons, but I just wanted to compliment you on your array of solutions.
I feel like this episode has thrown everyone off, all of these kinds of alternative procedures seeming unnaturally elaborate and intrusive, but that in reality all our projects were made up of artificial and complex processes anyway. So, we just design more processes. The pre-covid ones just felt more natural because we liked them better or were used to them.
Bike Farm's covid processes look pretty well rounded, especially when looking over your documents. I really like that you've broken down the critical elements for support (parts and tools to the public, refurbishing bikes, revenue creation, space care and development) and developed models for each. I also like your email thread solution for checking on unscheduled occupancy numbers, especially that you included a provision for keeping it (more) private. We've set up a similar email-thread-based checkin system for our volunteer nights.
Re: unscheduled occupancy thread, I assume yours first-come-first-serve?
Over here, before we closed (hopefully temporarily) we limited people in the space to the quantity that could be present with a 6ft distance, made all people interacting physically with the space wash or disinfect hands before touching things, and required masks at all times even when waiting out front for a slot. We're also considering getting one of those wall mounted thermometers and doing temperature checks for everyone seeking to enter the building, though that isn't required by our state or local authorities at this time. And we also kept the front door open but placed a sign (sandwich board) in front to block entry. Our sign also features a cool rotating dial that shows how many slots are available at any given time, though it's very simple and requires staff or volunteers to have the presence of mind to update it with each person leaving or entering.
We're all smart people! I know it's stressful and tragic going through all of this, but we can still figure out how to build functional systems. Good job Bike Farm!
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2020-10-20 01:24, momoko saunders wrote:
Hey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?
At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools. Here are the guidelines for this shift https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xu3qCapSPopoQ7VbiqyG1VJdroA6WiJwBSPleTNf6QU/edit?usp=sharing .
We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.
We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it more functional.
We have a document outlining https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EthWNOhjeo4sOQZobhrvykb_gTB4aGRKeMdiL0TUidI/edit?usp=sharing our covid protocols. I've made a copy of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.
Hope you all are well, -Momoko
The ThinkTank mailing List
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Hi all,
This is Nik at the Bike Church in Santa Cruz, California. I really enjoyed reading about how and what you all are doing and wanted to give an update on our shop. In the beginning of shelter in place we closed down completely, but we opened up for appointments at the end of May. I coordinated all that via email and phone and used a spreadsheet to keep track (so much work!!). We started opening one day a week and still doing appointments two days a week, and then decided to stop appointments since it was so much work to organize and now are open Saturday and Sunday 12-4pm. It's a far cry from our Monday-Saturday 12-6pm that we had going before but we are still here and doing our thing. We don't get too many annoyed questions about when we'll be "open like normal again" and for the most part people are understanding of the circumstances.
There are a lot of pros and cons to appointments versus open hours. It was first of all, way too much work, there were about 400 appointments that got scheduled from May 24-Oct 18 and we got about 10-30 emails and 5-10 phone messages every day. But, with the appointments it was finally possible to truly prioritize the people we are always striving to prioritize in our shop-- WTF and BIPOC people. And the one on one environment allowed for more complex and in depth projects, and is a better learning environment/more accessible to different kinds of learners. Our normal pre-covid shop environment was very hectic at times and you might have had to be assertive to get the help you needed. However, with appointments we were barely breaking even but maybe not if you include the paid hours for me to coordinate. Also, this system was not very accessible to houseless folks, who are a huge part of who we are trying to be here for.
Open hours are fun and chaotic. When we first started opening Saturdays (June 7) we were selling every bike we had in the first half hour or hour! We decided to only sell bikes that are ready to ride but not as-is because there's not the capacity to buy a bike and fix it for 5 hours anymore. This is definitely the thing that keeps the lights on and I guess we were benefiting from this surge in bike interest as well as the shortage of new stuff. And yes, ordering has been super difficult but we finalyy restocked our 26x1.9-2.125 schrader tubes lol
The way we're doing the shop on open days feels pretty safe but it's not perfect and we're thinking about not letting people inside on rainy days and just fixing bikes for people. Currently, we have three bikes stands in the courtyard and will have at most one person on a stand inside. We have to limit people looking for parts because it takes so long and can end up in people clumping in an area of the shop. The biggest thing that keeps everything smooth and safe is the "gatekeeper" who sits there and lets people in one at a time, sanitize hands, and ask symptom check questions. This allows us to keep the limits we set for number of people, and to not let in potential trouble makers from the start (refuse to wear a mask while waiting in line-- can't come in).
Overall, I'd say we're going strong and have been largely spared here with relatively low spread and extremely tolerable weather. We managed to hire and train three new people since the pandemic, but we also "lost" three people who are not working due to their concerns about the virus.
Love, Nik and the Biciglesia collective
PS. I want to organize a community bike shop postcard exchange around New Years email me if you want to coordinate it with me or if you want your shop to receive one of the post cards!! thebikechurch@gmail.com
On Mon, Oct 19, 2020 at 6:25 PM momoko saunders analyst@bikefarm.org wrote:
Hey all,
I'd love to get a quick update on what shops are doing for shop operations during covid. There was an awesome virtual workshop put on a few months ago. What are shops up to now?
At Bike Farm, we're still far from being open in our usual way. We have a parts selling shift for one day of the week. We meet people outside and get a list of items they want to purchase, then volunteers rummage around and find the parts and bring them out for the patron to choose from. We do not allow use of tools which is really hard but most people understand. We do have a selection of tools which we have available for sale for real cheap. This includes random loose allen wrenches, other wrenches, multi tools. Here are the guidelines for this shift https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xu3qCapSPopoQ7VbiqyG1VJdroA6WiJwBSPleTNf6QU/edit?usp=sharing .
We also have a shift where volunteers work on bikes in the shop for sale or for our community partnerships. We limit all volunteer groups to 5 people at a time, and we try to keep people in germ bubbles so that if someone does get sick, we've limited the exposure. Everyone wears masks at all times and keeps distant.
We have a 3rd night which we just added called our infrastructure night. On this night we work on cleaning the shop and making it more functional.
We have a document outlining https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EthWNOhjeo4sOQZobhrvykb_gTB4aGRKeMdiL0TUidI/edit?usp=sharing our covid protocols. I've made a copy of it for the thinktank to view. Everyone in the shop must read and agree to these guidelines before being able to volunteer.
With a vaccine looking like it will not be here and widely available till summer or even fall of 2021, we're looking for more creative ways to provide resources to the community, stay safe, and maybe make some money to pay rent. I'd love to hear if others have come up with creative ways to continue operations during this time.
Hope you all are well, -Momoko ____________________________________
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.or...
participants (6)
-
barts＠drcrankys.com.au -
Bike Church Santa Cruz -
Bob Giordano -
Cyclista Nicholas -
momoko saunders -
wormsign＠gmail.com