Hey Cory!
I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions...
I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only / /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint / / / My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ / / /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ / /
Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W)
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I built by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part of another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay £1000 if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a little steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also have the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to entry ;)
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4
Hey Cory!
I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions...
I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote:
Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner@lists.bikecollectives.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." Today's Topics: 1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.or...
Container ID is marked on the outside of the container somewhere, usually low down on the side
re: 'how to' videos for upcycling, haven't gotten around to that yet (maybe info online?)... but can share basic principles?
belts - cut the sidewalls of road tyres (without puncture protection - and definitely not MTB tread), cut a loop and sew, upcycling an old buckle, rivet with shoemakers rivets
coffee table - cut worn 700C rims in half and use three for the 'uprights'. drill and screw these into a small rim (Brompton) for the base and a large rim for the top (that's not pringle shaped ;) . Bind the three uprights in the middle with bartape and secure, add an inner tube and wide tyre to the top, inflate, add circular diameter glass on top - the grip of the tyre prevents it moving ;)
candle holder - upcycle and old hub, use slightly larger diameter candle and just ease in
bottle opener - cut a rim up, cut a large cassette sprocket in quarters or fifths and cable tie on (brazing/soldering would be better if you have this option and steel rims!)
I did try making jewellery with chains but when I costed the plating it wasn't viable. I cleaned, degreased and lacquered some chain parts but it wasn't long before they started to rust
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 14:57, Cory W. W wrote:
/Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer
- learnt the hard way ;)/
Ouch. Well fortunately, I won't incur any cost for the container itself. Guess I can just use it for now and figure something else out later. Where do you find the container id? /We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste./ That's a great idea, I'm certain there's a local one here. /re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share/ Wow, your operation has really high production values. I'm not nearly as handy, so mine will be considerably lower-tech. I also appreciate your thinking on capitalism and how it "otherizes" people. /re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK./ Similar to here. Park is in an affluent part of the city, with lower income pockets nearby. I also meant to ask if you have any links to how-to videos handy for making stuff out of bike parts. Thanks again. *Sent:* Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* "Cory W. W" cory.ww@mail.com, thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I built by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part of another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay £1000 if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a little steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also have the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to entry ;) In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" <law@probikeservice.co.uk> *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Hey Cory! I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions... I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this! In service, *Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk <https://probikeservice.co.uk>* /::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location <https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds>*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote: Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner@lists.bikecollectives.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." Today's Topics: 1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org ____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
Cory,
You can also make stools out of old bike frames. You cut the front triangle off and spread the rear stays. This creates a sort of tripod comprised of the bottom bracket and the two rear dropouts. Any seat and [fitting] seatpost inserted into the seat tube will serve as the sitting part, but this item serves as a realy good outlet for all those "way too big" seats that end up laying around for years - like stripped from an old excercise bike, or cruiser, or the like.
I had a helluva time combing through old pictures to see if I could find an example, attached are the only ones I could find. By coincidence, even though we had several of these stools, these happen to be of the same one.
Note: this design is one that somebody else from an earlier incarnation of our shop contributed, idk where they got the design from or if they made it up themselves. The crossbar/footrest made out of a handlebar drilled and mounted to the rear brake post braze-ons was my contribution. Very comfy!
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-11 18:55, Lawrence Mohammed wrote:
Container ID is marked on the outside of the container somewhere, usually low down on the side
re: 'how to' videos for upcycling, haven't gotten around to that yet (maybe info online?)... but can share basic principles?
belts - cut the sidewalls of road tyres (without puncture protection - and definitely not MTB tread), cut a loop and sew, upcycling an old buckle, rivet with shoemakers rivets
coffee table - cut worn 700C rims in half and use three for the 'uprights'. drill and screw these into a small rim (Brompton) for the base and a large rim for the top (that's not pringle shaped ;) . Bind the three uprights in the middle with bartape and secure, add an inner tube and wide tyre to the top, inflate, add circular diameter glass on top - the grip of the tyre prevents it moving ;)
candle holder - upcycle and old hub, use slightly larger diameter candle and just ease in
bottle opener - cut a rim up, cut a large cassette sprocket in quarters or fifths and cable tie on (brazing/soldering would be better if you have this option and steel rims!)
I did try making jewellery with chains but when I costed the plating it wasn't viable. I cleaned, degreased and lacquered some chain parts but it wasn't long before they started to rust
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 14:57, Cory W. W wrote:
/Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer
- learnt the hard way ;)/
Ouch. Well fortunately, I won't incur any cost for the container itself. Guess I can just use it for now and figure something else out later. Where do you find the container id? /We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste./ That's a great idea, I'm certain there's a local one here. /re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share/ Wow, your operation has really high production values. I'm not nearly as handy, so mine will be considerably lower-tech. I also appreciate your thinking on capitalism and how it "otherizes" people. /re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK./ Similar to here. Park is in an affluent part of the city, with lower income pockets nearby. I also meant to ask if you have any links to how-to videos handy for making stuff out of bike parts. Thanks again. *Sent:* Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* "Cory W. W" cory.ww@mail.com, thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I built by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part of another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay £1000 if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a little steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also have the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to entry ;) In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, thenfunctionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4
Hey Cory! I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions... I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, thenfunctionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service, *Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk <https://probikeservice.co.uk>* /::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location <https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds>*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote: Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visithttp://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner@lists.bikecollectives.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is morespecific than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..."
Today's Topics: 1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping ContainerBased Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W)
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P.S. Suspension seatposts make a really nice addition.
On 2021-02-11 21:31, Cyclista Nicholas wrote:
Cory,
You can also make stools out of old bike frames. You cut the front triangle off and spread the rear stays. This creates a sort of tripod comprised of the bottom bracket and the two rear dropouts. Any seat and [fitting] seatpost inserted into the seat tube will serve as the sitting part, but this item serves as a realy good outlet for all those "way too big" seats that end up laying around for years - like stripped from an old excercise bike, or cruiser, or the like.
I had a helluva time combing through old pictures to see if I could find an example, attached are the only ones I could find. By coincidence, even though we had several of these stools, these happen to be of the same one.
Note: this design is one that somebody else from an earlier incarnation of our shop contributed, idk where they got the design from or if they made it up themselves. The crossbar/footrest made out of a handlebar drilled and mounted to the rear brake post braze-ons was my contribution. Very comfy!
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-11 18:55, Lawrence Mohammed wrote:
Container ID is marked on the outside of the container somewhere, usually low down on the side
re: 'how to' videos for upcycling, haven't gotten around to that yet (maybe info online?)... but can share basic principles?
belts - cut the sidewalls of road tyres (without puncture protection - and definitely not MTB tread), cut a loop and sew, upcycling an old buckle, rivet with shoemakers rivets
coffee table - cut worn 700C rims in half and use three for the 'uprights'. drill and screw these into a small rim (Brompton) for the base and a large rim for the top (that's not pringle shaped ;) . Bind the three uprights in the middle with bartape and secure, add an inner tube and wide tyre to the top, inflate, add circular diameter glass on top - the grip of the tyre prevents it moving ;)
candle holder - upcycle and old hub, use slightly larger diameter candle and just ease in
bottle opener - cut a rim up, cut a large cassette sprocket in quarters or fifths and cable tie on (brazing/soldering would be better if you have this option and steel rims!)
I did try making jewellery with chains but when I costed the plating it wasn't viable. I cleaned, degreased and lacquered some chain parts but it wasn't long before they started to rust
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 14:57, Cory W. W wrote:
/Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)/ Ouch. Well fortunately, I won't incur any cost for the container itself. Guess I can just use it for now and figure something else out later. Where do you find the container id? /We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste./ That's a great idea, I'm certain there's a local one here. /re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share/ Wow, your operation has really high production values. I'm not nearly as handy, so mine will be considerably lower-tech. I also appreciate your thinking on capitalism and how it "otherizes" people. /re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK./ Similar to here. Park is in an affluent part of the city, with lower income pockets nearby. I also meant to ask if you have any links to how-to videos handy for making stuff out of bike parts. Thanks again. *Sent:* Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* "Cory W. W" cory.ww@mail.com, thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I built by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part of another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay £1000 if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a little steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also have the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to entry ;) In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, thenfunctionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner
- servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money
to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4
Hey Cory! I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions... I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operatingout of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner
servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote:
Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visithttp://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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Today's Topics: 1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A ShippingContainer Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W)
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P.P.S. Aargh! I forgot another detail. Remember to use a quick release seatpost clamp so that the stool can be adjusted to various heights for different people.
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-11 21:40, Cyclista Nicholas wrote:
P.S. Suspension seatposts make a really nice addition.
On 2021-02-11 21:31, Cyclista Nicholas wrote:
Cory,
You can also make stools out of old bike frames. You cut the front triangle off and spread the rear stays. This creates a sort of tripod comprised of the bottom bracket and the two rear dropouts. Any seat and [fitting] seatpost inserted into the seat tube will serve as the sitting part, but this item serves as a realy good outlet for all those "way too big" seats that end up laying around for years - like stripped from an old excercise bike, or cruiser, or the like.
I had a helluva time combing through old pictures to see if I could find an example, attached are the only ones I could find. By coincidence, even though we had several of these stools, these happen to be of the same one.
Note: this design is one that somebody else from an earlier incarnation of our shop contributed, idk where they got the design from or if they made it up themselves. The crossbar/footrest made out of a handlebar drilled and mounted to the rear brake post braze-ons was my contribution. Very comfy!
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-11 18:55, Lawrence Mohammed wrote:
Container ID is marked on the outside of the container somewhere, usually low down on the side
re: 'how to' videos for upcycling, haven't gotten around to that yet (maybe info online?)... but can share basic principles?
belts - cut the sidewalls of road tyres (without puncture protection
and definitely not MTB tread), cut a loop and sew, upcycling an old buckle, rivet with shoemakers rivets
coffee table - cut worn 700C rims in half and use three for the 'uprights'. drill and screw these into a small rim (Brompton) for the base and a large rim for the top (that's not pringle shaped ;) . Bind the three uprights in the middle with bartape and secure, add an inner tube and wide tyre to the top, inflate, add circular diameter glass on top - the grip of the tyre prevents it moving ;)
candle holder - upcycle and old hub, use slightly larger diameter candle and just ease in
bottle opener - cut a rim up, cut a large cassette sprocket in quarters or fifths and cable tie on (brazing/soldering would be better if you have this option and steel rims!)
I did try making jewellery with chains but when I costed the plating it wasn't viable. I cleaned, degreased and lacquered some chain parts but it wasn't long before they started to rust
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 14:57, Cory W. W wrote:
/Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)/ Ouch. Well fortunately, I won't incur any cost for the container itself. Guess I can just use it for now and figure something else out later. Where do you find the container id? /We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste./ That's a great idea, I'm certain there's a local one here. /re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share/ Wow, your operation has really high production values. I'm not nearly as handy, so mine will be considerably lower-tech. I also appreciate your thinking on capitalism and how it "otherizes" people. /re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK./ Similar to here. Park is in an affluent part of the city, with lower income pockets nearby. I also meant to ask if you have any links to how-to videos handy for making stuff out of bike parts. Thanks again. *Sent:* Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* "Cory W. W" cory.ww@mail.com, thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I built by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part of another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay £1000 if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a little steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay what you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also have the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to entry ;) In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, thenfunctionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner
- servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money
to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4
Hey Cory! I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ftcontainer (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions...
I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use fora fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner
- servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated
bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service, *Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk <https://probikeservice.co.uk>* /::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location <https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds>*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote: Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visithttp://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner@lists.bikecollectives.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is morespecific than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..."
Today's Topics: 1. How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A ShippingContainer Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W)
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The design probably emerged simultaneously in multiple unrelated locations. A product of our collective unconscious O_O
"nameless bike frame stool thing"
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-12 01:47, Cory W. W wrote:
I've actually seen these before at co-ops I've volunteered at, but I've never seen anyone make the footrest with handlebars like you did. Very cool.
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 4:31 PM From: "Cyclista Nicholas" cyclista@inventati.org To: law@probikeservice.co.uk, "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Cory,
You can also make stools out of old bike frames. You cut the front triangle off and spread the rear stays. This creates a sort of tripod comprised of the bottom bracket and the two rear dropouts. Any seat and [fitting] seatpost inserted into the seat tube will serve as the sitting part, but this item serves as a realy good outlet for all those "way too big" seats that end up laying around for years - like stripped from an old excercise bike, or cruiser, or the like.
I had a helluva time combing through old pictures to see if I could find an example, attached are the only ones I could find. By coincidence, even though we had several of these stools, these happen to be of the same one.
Note: this design is one that somebody else from an earlier incarnation of our shop contributed, idk where they got the design from or if they made it up themselves. The crossbar/footrest made out of a handlebar drilled and mounted to the rear brake post braze-ons was my contribution. Very comfy!
~cyclista Nicholas
On 2021-02-11 18:55, Lawrence Mohammed wrote:
Container ID is marked on the outside of the container somewhere, usually low down on the side
re: 'how to' videos for upcycling, haven't gotten around to that yet (maybe info online?)... but can share basic principles?
belts - cut the sidewalls of road tyres (without puncture protection
and definitely not MTB tread), cut a loop and sew, upcycling an old buckle, rivet with shoemakers rivets
coffee table - cut worn 700C rims in half and use three for the 'uprights'. drill and screw these into a small rim (Brompton) for
the
base and a large rim for the top (that's not pringle shaped ;) .
Bind
the three uprights in the middle with bartape and secure, add an
inner
tube and wide tyre to the top, inflate, add circular diameter glass
on
top - the grip of the tyre prevents it moving ;)
candle holder - upcycle and old hub, use slightly larger diameter candle and just ease in
bottle opener - cut a rim up, cut a large cassette sprocket in quarters or fifths and cable tie on (brazing/soldering would be
better
if you have this option and steel rims!)
I did try making jewellery with chains but when I costed the plating it wasn't viable. I cleaned, degreased and lacquered some chain
parts
but it wasn't long before they started to rust
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 11/02/2021 14:57, Cory W. W wrote:
/Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs
old
and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50!
I
was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to last much
longer
- learnt the hard way ;)/
Ouch. Well fortunately, I won't incur any cost for the container itself. Guess I can just use it for now and figure something else
out
later. Where do you find the container id? /We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes excess
commercial
paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste./ That's a great idea, I'm certain there's a local one here. /re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share/ Wow, your operation has really high production values. I'm not
nearly
as handy, so mine will be considerably lower-tech. I also appreciate your thinking on capitalism and how it
"otherizes"
people. /re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay
what
you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK./ Similar to here. Park is in an affluent part of the city, with
lower
income pockets nearby. I also meant to ask if you have any links to how-to videos handy
for
making stuff out of bike parts. Thanks again. *Sent:* Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* "Cory W. W" cory.ww@mail.com, thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4 Ah, if storage only, you'll have loads of room for that in a secure place!
Re: container siting, I mention as the first (pilot) workshop I
built
by fitting out an empty container which was a little beaten up and rusty but otherwise looked okay, sited on gravel/soil. It was part
of
another project which split and the project lead asked me to pay
£1000
if I wanted the container I'd fitted out, which I thought was a
little
steep. Using the container number, I got the history, found it was 30yrs old and the value (in the condition I started fitting it out) was £50! I was also advised not to buy it as it wasn't likely to
last
much longer - learnt the hard way ;)
re: litres/gallons of paint...I recall about ten 5l tins of paint being used and two 5l tins of bitumen paint. This is usually really expensive. We have a 'surplus paint' store nearby which takes
excess
commercial paint and strains/mixes it....this is about 1/10th the price of new paint and saves waste. Maybe something like that near you? I generally over-engineer things - you can get probably away with a couple coats
re: inside layout - have a look at the videos here https://vimeo.com/427446631 and here https://vimeo.com/454736433....if more info's useful, let me know what I can share
re: economic model - we run on a gift economy (essentially 'pay
what
you can'). We're located next to some of the most expensive real estate in London yet in one of the four adjoining boroughs here there's the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the UK. We also
have
the highest rate of bike theft in the UK in another adjoining borough...we're on the same page with the financial barrier to
entry
;) In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 11/02/2021 00:29, Cory W. W wrote:
Hey Lawrence, Thanks for the wealth of information you provided. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ This is good to know. /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ Stands will only be stored inside, they will be used outside. At first, I will use the Feedback and Park Tool portable stands, down the road I have an idea for making repair stands out of old bikes which will be ratcheted to dollies so they can be easily moved in and out of the container. Tool boards will likewise be portable. This is to say that I won't be having clients working on their bikes inside the container, it's just there to store bikes, parts and tools. I think as long as I maintain a reasonable number of bikes and parts and make good use of the space, I should be OK for storage. (I can donate excess to upcyclers, other co-ops, etc). /NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily./ Just asked my friends who offered the container... it is on soil unfortunately. I'll have to assess the condition and see if anything can be done. /Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ How many litres/gallons did you need? /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ I was thinking of building some simple racks for bike storage, or welding some hooks to the wall. Do you have any pics of your setup? /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ I'm concerned about making a service oriented model for a number of reasons. The first and most important is I don't want money to be a barrier for people. I mean, yes, I'll be financing this myself and it would be nice to break even, but also, I would expect that working in a BMX park, my client base will skew young and may not have a lot of disposeable income and I don't want to be the asshole that tells some poor kid they can't fix their bike because they don't have three dollars or whatever. I'd rather have a no pressure environment that fosters growth and empowerment. I was leaning towards a sell refurbished bikes model because with the bike shortage and being in a large city (Toronto) I figured I could generate decent sales in the summer. Although if you're right, I will have to figure something else out. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ Definitely. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Good to know, but I'm keeping this a seasonal operation for the time being. My city has an initiative called ActiveTO which closes of parts of high traffic roads during weekends for part of the year to encourage safe and healthy ways of getting around. It was a huge success and my original idea was to simply promote cycling by piggybacking on it with an outdoor DIY setup on one of those routes. It was when I brought that up to friends that I was offered the container and am now looking at the logistics of that. But the point is I'm just looking to capitalize on the seasonal surge of cyclists to promote cycling. I have other plans for winter. Thanks again for your help. *Sent:* Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM *From:* "Lawrence Mohammed" law@probikeservice.co.uk *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 173, Issue 4
Hey Cory!
I currently run a bicycle workshop out of a 30ft x 10ft container (3 workstations), previously ran a pilot from a 20ft x 8ft6" container (2 workstations, minimal storage)......answering your questions...
I've been offered a shipping container in a BMX park to use for a fledgling co-op. /each shipping container has a unique ID - much like a car registration plate - use this to find the year and history - if the container is very old and/or damaged/too rusty, you may be better off with another./ I want to hear from others who operate out of containers. What has your experience been like? What challenges does operating out of a container present that a traditional retail/warehouse space does not? How do you address those challenges? /space is the main concern, then temperature, then functionality..../ /8ft 6" is difficult - you can setup workstands here but with internal insulation and fitouts it will be a squeeze...unless...you have wall mounted stands and access one side only/ /w.r.t temperature you have two options - totally sealed with spray insulation (about £2500 for a small container in London UK, though highly toxic and bad for the environment) or glass-fibre insulation and allowing the unit to 'breathe' through vents - I chose the latter/ /whatever you do, avoid cutting holes in the roof or walls - the strength of the container is due to the corrugation - also you'd avoid leaks and potential security weaknesses / /another thing? NEVER place the container on soil where the bottom of the container touches the ground - containers can rust and rot easily. Also, for this reason, I coated ours with 4 coats of Hammerite and the roof with an additional 2 coats of bitumen paint/ My plan is to provide tools and two or three stands (spaced very generously apart) for DIY service as well as a small selection of new consumables (cables, housing, ferrules, etc) on a PWYC basis. /I built all the racking and timber fitout on both containers - advice....use std size containers and build the racking around this (or just buy custom heavy duty racking if you have budget). If using a std 20ft x 8'6" container you can get 2 stands in, if a std 40ft, 4 stands/ /conventional container fitouts in the UK use 6mm ply and 44mm timber. I used what I could access (18mm ply and 2" x 4" timber) and was so glad I had these! the walls are strong enough (especially with battens) for hanging shelving and bikes etc...though the overall weight is high/ Partially finance the above by selling refurbished donated bikes. /depends where you are but where I am this is not a money-earner - servicing is where the income is/ Provide a small selection of used parts (taken from donated bikes that aren't safe/worth refurbishing) on a PWYC basis. /good idea - ensure everything is tested first where possible or offer on the basis of 'sold as seen'/ All of this will be on a seasonal basis. May-Oct. If it lasts longer than this season, I'll grow it as I'm able in the future. /the current container has walls and ceiling insulated with 50mm recycled glass-bottle fibre insulation behind 18mm ply. (With a 2kw oil radiator, this is okay to work inside, down to around 0 degrees C) / Right now my primary goal is to take advantage of the surge of interest in cycling to get more people on bikes. /brilliant!!/ I'm also interested in diverting as much waste from landfills as possible, and would love to hear any ideas about converting frames/parts to useable objects (repair stands, tables, clocks, whatever). /we're also moving to zero waste...some of the things we've created (and sold) have been..../ /Coffee Table/ /Light Stand/ /Belts (most common)/ /Bottle openers/ /Clocks/ /Keyrings/ /we've also supplied 'waste streams' (such as old inner tubes) to local artists for upcycling/ Let me know if I can be of more assistance Cory and all the best with this!
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*/ On 10/02/2021 21:04, thethinktank-request@lists.bikecollectives.org wrote:
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Today's Topics:
- How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container
Based Co-op? (Cory W. W) 2. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (BikeConcord) 3. Re: How Many Of Y'all Run/Volunteer At A Shipping Container Based Co-op? (Cory W. W)
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Cyclista Nicholas...brilliant!
In service,
*Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk https://probikeservice.co.uk*
/::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Multi-Storey Car Park, Lesney Avenue Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London E20 3BS *map location https://what3words.com/upset.habit.funds*
/ On 12/02/2021 01:47, Cory W. W wrote:
cyclista Nicholas
thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
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Cory W. W -
Cyclista Nicholas -
Lawrence Mohammed