Recycle-A-Bike

Dear Friends,

We are all a part of Recycle-A-Bike, run on 100% volunteer participation. Be an enabler this month, take 15 minutes of your time to ask family and friends to donate to Recycle-A-Bike as their holiday gift to you. They will definitely appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate their generosity without having to submit to compulsive consumer tendencies this holiday season!

In Olneyville, 41% of families don’t own a vehicle. Together we can bring the gift of independent mobility to our neighborhood in 2012. Sincerest thanks for your support. Make your donation today…

Holiday Bicycles

Bicycles are a classic look next to your holiday tree…With the holidays fast approaching, get your special someone a bike from your favorite Providence recyclers!  All the money from your purchase goes back into our programs to promote bicycling in Providence.  We have handcrafted balance bikes for toddlers, cute kids bikes, and refurbished adult bikes…and, hello?!, what’s more exciting then a bicycle with a bow under your holiday tree?!.

Holiday Halt

The shop will be closed December 18th through January 6th for the holidays.  Get bundled and come on over NOW!

Open Shop

We’re here Tuesdays 5-8pm and Saturday 9am-2pm until the Holiday Halt.  When we reopen after the holidays, we’ll be focusing our volunteer efforts on improving the shop space and replenishing our bike parts stash. Stay tuned. This will be our first winter in a warm space!

Winter Build-A-Bike

Don’t bother them!…With only 2 weeks left, the build-a-bikers are hardcore toiling.  Getting deep into the inner workings of their fresh rides, RAB mechanics-in-training are wrenching fast with Jedi mechanics, Patrick and Nik, to get bicycles built in time for the cold front.

• Thurs. 12/1 6-8pm – Open Shop
• Wed. 12/7 6-8pm – 5th W.W. Class
• Thurs. 12/8 6-8pm – Open Shop
• Wed. 12/14 6pm-8pm – 6th W.W. Class
• Thurs. 12/15 6-8pm – Open Shop

Happy Holidays from the nice folks at RAB!

Friends of the Providence Pedaling Movement:

Our sincerest thanks for reading our newsletter! Recycle-A-Bike has served over 579 individuals, with 280 recorded visits to Open Shop, and 46 Build-A-Bike youth and adult graduates…that’s 1,380 hours of mechanics education, and together we have recycled hundreds of bicycles that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.

You may have heard the good news being whispered around town…and yes, its true, Recycle-A-Bike is A REAL NON-PROFIT now and as year ’11 winds down we are asking for everyone to pitch in to help us keep our doors open and our wheels turning. Your dollar donations are a tax write off, give a little. Has anyone else seen that bike path on Broadway? It leads folks across town to our doorstep in Olneyville Square…

Open Shop

Open Shop takes place weekly on Tuesdays 5pm-8pm and Saturdays 9am-2pm. Mechanics are here to help you help yourself fix your bike for the winter! Our shop is about to be heated thanks to the landlords. So come on over and look at our selection of refurbished bikes. Get a beater bike to ride in the snow, saving your slicker set of wheels for the warmer months. OR donate your retired bike at this time, clear your basement of those sad bikes, we will give them a new life. We need volunteers. Email jenna@recycleabike.org for a volunteer or work-trade application.

Board Meeting

Board Meeting this Thursday, 11/3 at 7:30pm. Interested in being a guest at one of Recycle-A-Bike board meetings? Email jenna@recyelabike.org. We meet the first Thursday of every month. This month our core team meets here at the shop to talk about key topics: shop build, the volunteer plan, winter programs, community partnerships, and our first fundraising appeal! Exciting developments to come.

Kids Bike Sale

We will be having a Kids Bike Sale on the last Saturday of November (11/26). 9am-2pm. $15-$30 each bike plus a free helmet. Be a conscious consumer and a caring parent this holiday season. Support our community bike programs with your purchase of a cute refurbished kid’s bike and get the next generation riding early and raise their rate of success, but don’t take my word for it, read this alarming article on childhood obesity.

Winter Build-A-Bike

The 1st class of the 3rd season begins and it is full! The next Build-A-Bike will be in the spring, stay tuned for more info on how to sign up.
Wed. 11/2 6-8pm – 1st Wrenching Wednesday Class
Thurs. 11/3 6-7:30pm – Open Shop
Wed. 11/9 6-8pm – 2nd W.W. Class
Thurs. 11/10 6-8pm – Open Shop
Wed. 11/16 6-8pm – 3rd W.W. Class
Thurs. 11/17 6-8pm – Open Shop
Wed. 11/23 6-8pm – 4th W.W. Class
Thurs. 11/24 THANKSGIVING. No Open Shop. (eat)
Wed. 11/30 6-8pm – 5th W.W. Class
Thurs. 12/1 6-8pm – Open Shop
Wed. 12/7 6-8pm – 6th W.W. Class
Thurs. 12/8 6-8pm – Open Shop
Thurs. 12/15 6-8pm – Open Shop

Built-A-Bike

A big shout out to the 10 students graduated this fall mechanically proficient and the 2 teachers who worked their b***s off sharing mad skills.

Holiday Pause

The shop will be closed December 18 through January 6th for the holidays.

Light up the Night

Yesterday, 11/1, a dozen or so volunteers handed out hundreds of free lights to bicyclists at street corners across the city. Flashing LED’s are essential for making you more visible to other road users when riding around the city. Even though streetlights make a bike headlight seem unnecessary to light your way, it can be difficult for drivers (even the undistracted ones) to see you until they are right on top of you, yikes! Organized by RI Bike in partnership with Recycle-A-Bike, Planet Bike, and Legend.

Bike Valet

As the outdoor farmer’s markets are moving indoors for the winter, we are reworking our valet schedule and location. Details to come. Email valet@recycleabike.org with questions.

Shop Renovations

Our new shop is well on its way to being finished. A big shout out to the volunteers who constructed the shop washroom, the ladies who painted the walls our signature teal and blue color pallet, the brains behind the rolling tool kits and shelves, and those who brought feng shui to the shop.

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

Dear Friends,

Fall is officially here and there are plenty of events to celebrate the changing of the seasons! See what we’ve got planned for October:

Open Shop

Every Tuesday 5pm-8pm and Saturday 9am-2pm we are here to help you fix your bike at our community shop. This is also the time to look at the bikes we have fixed and available. You can also donate your old bike or volunteer. This month, we need volunteer mechanics, greeters, tube patching, wheels triaging, and maps folded.

Bike Valet

Whew! What a great time we had with our biking comrades and everyone at Foo, Rocktucket and the Woony River Ride! Our bike valet at the Farmers Market is coming to an end at the end of October. What a beautiful team of volunteers making it happen – it brings tears to my eyes! But we’re not through… Join us Monday, October 3rd from 5-10pm at PRONK Music Festival of the street bands on South Water near Hot Club to park some wheelers and dance.

Big Student Bike Sale

This Saturday, October 1st from 1-4pm, we will be trucking our stock of refurbished bikes to Rhode Island School of Design’s secondhand art store, 2ndLife. Find us on the river next to the RISD store off of South Main Street to get a bicycle, pick up a bike path map, and chat with us about our programs and learn how to get involved in the movement.

New England Bike Walk Summit

The New England Bike-Walk Summit returns to historic downtown Providence, RI on Friday, October 7th! A full day is planned, with interesting breakout sessions, instructional field visits, special guest speakers, and plenty of time for networking. Recycle–A-Bike development director, Jenna Yu, is speaking on Kidsʼ Programs that Work: Safe Routes and Beyond. This year’s conference has 9 breakout sessions on a broad range of topics, including street design, kids’ programs, economic impact of biking and walking, bike sharing systems, low-cost improvements for biking and walking, and much more! Learn more and register.

Basic Bike Maintenance

Wednesday, October 26th from 5-8pm. Learn to diagnose your bike issues, fix flat tires, make cable adjustments, use basic tools, and practice regular bike maintenance with a RAB shop mechanic. $15

Fall Build-A-Bike Progress

Students are learning fast and bikes are coming together – two weeks to go! Interestingly, this class is mostly female. It’s amazing to see a new wave of passion and persistence in our shop. Can’t wait to see where the new knowledge and acquired skills will lead us.

Winter Build-A-Bike Schedule

This is a 6-week course designed to give individuals the opportunity to EARN a bicycle. Build 2 bikes keeping 1 for yourself and donating 1 bike to RAB. This course does not cost money, but it does require a time commitment (around 35 hrs of toiling) and the completion of two repaired bikes in the 6-week period! It’s a 2-day per week course comprised of Wrenching Wednesdays plus Open Shop Thursdays – a total of 12 sessions.

Wednesdays = demonstrations and guided learning with an instructor.

Thursdays = a DIY (do it yourself) learning model in the shop, working on fixing your selected bikes independently, applying what you’ve learned to hands on experience.

Sign up for the winter workshop. Email a paragraph with details on your biking values and why you would be a good fit. Max 10 students!  jenna@recycleabike.org

• *Wed.  11/2 6-8pm - 1st Wrenching Wednesday Class (clean and lube bikes)
• Thurs. 11/3 6-8pm – Open Shop (work on your bikes)
• *Wed. 11/9 6-8pm – 2nd W.W. Class (bottom bracket and headset)
• Thurs. 11/10 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 11/16 6-8pm – 3rd W.W. Class (tires, tubes, flats)
• Thurs. 11/17 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 11/23 6-8pm – 4th W.W. Class (hubs, wheel truing)
• Thurs. 11/24 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 11/30 6-8pm – 5th W.W. Class (brakes)
• Thurs. 12/1 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 12/7 6-8pm – 6th W.W. Class (gears)
• Thurs. 12/8 6-8pm – Open Shop BIKE COMPLETE!

Donate to Recycle-A-Bike

We are finally a 501c3 non-profit!  Please consider donating to us by the end of the tax season! Our goal is 100 people, $100 dollars.

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

Dear Friends,

There’s still plenty of time left to take advantage of this beautiful weather, and Recycle-A-Bike is closing out the summer with a bang! See what’s on tap for September:

Open Shop

Open Shop runs Saturdays 9am-2pm and Tuesdays 5pm-8pm weekly. Bring your bike to fix. Donate old bikes to the shop. Buy a bike. Volunteers needed these nights. This is a great way to teach yourself mechanics. More details on website…

Bike Drive at REI

Bike Drive at REI in Cranston on September 3rd and 4th from 1-6pm. For each bike donated participants will receive a coupon for 20% off a purchase at REI (certain restrictions apply). Join the collection by meeting us at REI to volunteer at the table or come Sunday at 6:30 to the RAB shop to help us triage bikes. jenna@recycleabike.org

Bike Sales

Do something positive with your dollar and invest in environmentally friendly transportation: an upcycled frame! Stop by Open Shop or make an appointment to try a bike: shop@recycleabike.org. We’ll be coming to College Hill for a big bike sale in partnership with 2ndLife next to the RISD art store, 30 N. Main Street September 10th and September 24th from 10am-4pm.

Wrenching-Wednesdays

Wrenching-Wednesdays classes are full. (*see schedule below). Participate in future Wrenching Wednesdays classes $200/6 weeks. jenna@recycleabike.org

Build-A-Bike

Build-A-Bike is full for the fall.  Thanks for all the interest and support!

• Thurs. 9/1 6-8pm - CANCELLED…so sorry!
• *Wed.  9/7 6-8pm - 1st Wrenching Wednesday Class (clean and lube bikes)
• Thurs. 9/8 6-8pm – Open Shop (work on your bikes)
• *Wed. 9/14 6-8pm – 2nd W.W. Class (bottom bracket and headset)
• Thurs. 9/15 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 9/21 6-8pm – 3rd W.W. Class (tires, tubes, flats)
• Thurs. 9/22 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 9/28 6-8pm – 4th W.W. Class (hubs, wheel truing)
• Thurs. 9/29 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 10/5 6-8pm – 5th W.W. Class (brakes)
• Thurs. 10/6 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 10/12 6-8pm – 6th W.W. Class (gears)
• Thurs. 10/13 6-8pm – Open Shop “WRAP IT UP, YO!”

Open House

Save the date for RAB’s Open House on October 8th. We’re having an Open House to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of our shop build-out Saturday evening. See what was built by volunteers and bike lovers like you and find out what’s to come. Food and drinks! This is a big weekend for bike advocacy and racing. October 7th is the New England Bike Walk Summit. October 8th and 9th is the Providence Cyclo-Cross Festival.

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

Dear Friends,

Summer’s not over yet, and we have a lot of great events and programs coming up at Recycle-A-Bike! Here’s a quick update on what’s new:

Open Shop

Open Shop runs Saturdays 9am-2pm and Tuesdays 5pm-8pm weekly. Bring your bike to fix. Donate old bikes to the shop. Buy a bike. Volunteers needed these nights. More details on website…

Providence Peddlers

Providence Peddlers 2nd and 4th Saturday each month. Meet this August 13th and August 27th for a group ride down the rails-to-trails bike paths. Rides start from Open Shop at 1:30pm. The first ride will go down the East Bay Bike path, catch up at India Point Park bike tunnel at 1:45pm if needed. Take off from the park at 2pm! 4pm BBQ at Colt State Park. Second ride – details to come! Questions?  don1369@live.com

Bike Valet

Bike Valet helps us voice our message “YES! We ride to our destinations.” We’re at the Lippitt Park Market every Saturday 9am-12:30pm and this month at Foo Fest 8/13. Volunteers needed at both events. Parkers at Foo will get free admission, a beer ticket if you’re of age, and possibly a pass to the performance space.  valet@recycleabike.org

Mechanics Marathon

Mechanics Marathon is a 6 class 2-week long intense bike building demo class with a master mechanic. Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8/13-8/27. Learn the foundations of bike mechanics and get a fast start to DIY bike building and repair. The class is a $200 flat fee (or 40 pts). Learn to disassemble a bike for cleaning and lubrication, familiarize with shop tools and procedures, move into wheel maintenance, brakes and gear repair, rotational systems, and overall bike body troubleshooting. Watch a junk bike become transformed into a street-ready vehicle. Sign up quick!  jenna@recycleabike.org or 401-525-1822

• Mon 8/15 6pm-8pm Class
• Wed 8/17 6pm-8pm Class
• Fri 8/19 6pm-8pm Class
• Mon 8/22 6pm-8pm Class
• Wed 8/24 6pm-8pm Class
• Fri 8/26 6pm-8pm Class
• Sat. 8/27 Open Shop 1:30pm ride with Providence Peddlers

It is highly recommended that students attend Open Shop Tuesdays 5pm-8pm and Saturdays 9am-2pm to get your hands greasy practicing what you learned in class. Bring a sketchbook.

Bike Drive at REI

Bike Drive at REI in Cranston on Sept 3rd and 4th from 1-6pm. For each bike donated participants will receive a coupon for 20% off a purchase at REI (certain restrictions apply). Join the collection.  jenna@recycleabike.org

Bike Sales

Do something positive with your dollar and invest in environmentally friendly transportation: an upcycled frame! Stop by Open Shop or make an appointment to try a bike: shop@recycleabike.org. We’ll be coming to College Hill for a big bike sale in partnership with 2ndLife Sept 10th and Sept 24th from 10am-4pm.

Wrenching-Wednesdays

Wrenching-Wednesdays are a great way to learn in depth mechanics Sept 7th – Oct 12th (*see schedule below). If you don’t have the desire/commitment for Earn-A-Bike, you are always welcome to participate in the Wrenching Wednesdays classes. Sign up $200/6 weeks.  jenna@recycleabike.org

Earn-A-Bike

Earn-A-Bike is a 6-week course designed to give individuals the opportunity to EARN a bicycle. During this class you will build 2 bikes keeping 1 for yourself and donating 1 bike to RAB.  This course does not cost $, but it does require commitment of a minimum of 35 hours of hard work and the completion of two repaired bikes in the 6-week period! If you don’t complete a bike for Recycle-A-Bike, then you haven’t earned yourself a bike! It’s a 2 day per week course comprised of Wrenching Wednesdays plus Open Shop Thursdays – a total of 12 sessions.

Wednesdays are structured demonstrations and guided learning with an instructor. Thursday’s Open Shop is a DIY (do it yourself) learning model in the shop where you work on fixing your selected bikes independently, applying what you’ve learned to hands on experience. Max 10 students!   jenna@recycleabike.org

• Thurs. 9/1 at 6-8pm – Informational Meeting for Earn-A-Bike (sign up, choose 2 bikes)
• *Wed.  9/7 6-8pm - 1st Wrenching Wednesday Class (clean and lube bikes)
• Thurs. 9/8 6-8pm – EAB Open Shop (work on your bikes)
• *Wed. 9/14 6-8pm – 2nd W.W. Class (bottom bracket and headset)
• Thurs. 9/15 6-8pm – EAB Open Shop
• *Wed. 9/21 6-8pm – 3rd W.W. Class (tires, tubes, flats)
• Thurs. 9/22 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 9/28 6-8pm – 4th W.W. Class (hubs, wheel truing)
• Thurs. 9/29 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 10/5 6-8pm – 5th W.W. Class (brakes)
• Thurs. 10/6 6-8pm – Open Shop
• *Wed. 10/12 6-8pm – 6th W.W. Class (gears)
• Thurs. 10/13 6-8pm – Open Shop “WRAP IT UP, YO!”

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!