Recycle-A-Bike

Dear Friends,

You’re invited to a Community Meeting, Thursday, July 28th at 5:30pm at the Recycle-A-Bike shop. For all who would like to hear updates on where we’re at, as well as be a voice in the discussion on programs, upcoming fundraisers, visions for the space, and how to get involved.

Open Shop

Open Shop runs Tuesdays 5pm-8pm weekly. It’s our way of providing an affordable maintenance service – $5/hr for tool usage and guidance with your bike troubles. Volunteers needed these nights (mechanics and others).

Earn-A-Bike/Wrenching Wednesday

This program is totally full. Thanks for all the enthusiasm about EAB! For those of you who want to join the Earn-A-Bike program or Wrenching Wednesdays in the future, we will be running another program in the fall. So if you are interested in learning bike mechanics by building/repairing bikes step-by-step with a master mechanic, shoot me an email now and get priority for a spot come September! jenna@recycleabike.org

Pedal to the People

Save the date for “Pedal to the People: A Celebration with Recycle-A-Bike and Libertalia” on Sunday, July 31st at 2pm. Join us for a scavenger hunt (by bike, of course!), and then ride on over to our post-ride BBQ, bicycle, book, and art sale. Get in on a sweet raffle, and enjoy live music. Location to be announced!

Bike Valet

Bike Valet continues to be a huge success. Come visit us at the Lippitt Park Farmers Market 9am-12:30pm every Saturday morning. Ride your bike to your destination and park it with the RAB volunteer parkers. You can also volunteer as one of the valet personnel by emailing Kim at valet@recycleabike.org. This is a great way to earn volunteer points! What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning.

Bike Sales!

Stop by the shop on Master Mechanics Days Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays (10am-5pm) to get yourself a beautiful refurbished bike. 50% of the proceeds go to paying for our rent, utilities and parts. Do something positive with your dollar and invest in environmentally friendly transportation: an upcycled frame! shop@recycleabike.org

Bike Donations

Yes! 9am-2pm Saturday (or by appointment during the week). Dust off those underutilized bikes in your basement and drop them off for a new life. Consider doing a bike drive at your work place for Recycle-A-Bike and support our programs.

Bike Farmers

Bike Farmers at the Dexter Park Farmers Market Thursdays 4pm-7pm on the west end. Front Step Farm, Sidewalk Ends, & Florence and Manton are 3 incredible urban farms in Providence that use bicycles with trailers in place of trucks to transport the food they grow. Read about their adventures at Backyard Farms CSA and visit them at the Farmers Market to meet your neighborhood bike farmers. Don’t forget, WIC checks and EBT cards can be used at the market!

Volunteer Opportunities

• Build bikes for sale
• Strip parts off bikes and sort
• Design and screen print RAB t-shirts
• Fold pamphlets and distribute around town
• Color the toolsets
• Be a greeter and intake person at Open Shop

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

Dear Friends,

You are invited to join us at Recycle-A-Bike’s new home: 12 Library Court in Olneyville Square. Here’s a quick update on the many programs we’ll be offering this summer!

Open Shop

The first weekly Open Shop of the season is Tuesday, June 7th 5pm-8pm at our new shop. Open Shop is a time when anyone can drop in to use the RAB tools and space to repair or do routine maintenance on their bike. This is a do-it-yourself model with a master mechanic and volunteer mechanics providing technical expertise and guidance. You don’t have to have any bike mechanics experience to join us, but be prepared to get your hands greasy. If you do have basic bike maintenance knowledge, you are invited to come and help your fellow rider or work on our fleet of donated bikes. The average cost is $5/hr sliding scale. Used parts are discounted and new parts are determined by the market rate. Buy-A-Bike: contact shop@recycleabike.org Donate-A-Bike: fill out the online questionnaire.

Earn-A-Bike

Save the date for Earn-A-Bike starting at the end of June. Participants build two bikes and keep one under the instruction of a master mechanic. No previous mechanics experience necessary to join, but your dedication is necessary. This requires the participation in six consecutive weeks of 2hr Wrenching Wednesdays and 2hr of Open Shop. All participants must sign up specifically for Earn-A-Bike before beginning.

Bike Valet

We will also offer a Bike Valet Parking at the Saturday Farmers Market all summer. So ride your bike to the market, park it at our valet location, and go shopping. Volunteers are needed to man the stand as well. Interested in being a valet parker contact valet@recycleabike.org.

Wrenching Wednesdays

Wrenching Wednesdays mechanics classes are available starting at the end of June for those who would like to learn bike mechanics but don’t want/need to earn a bike. This a weekly 2hr class on Wednesday for six consecutive weeks for $180. You learn to use the tools, trouble shoot bike issues, fix a flat, change a tire, clean and lube the bike, replace cable and housing, adjustment derailleur, align breaks, and the quick learner will even dabble in rotational systems and wheel truing. Earn-A-Bike or Wrenching Wednesday sign up: contact jenna@recycleabike.org.

Math & Mechanics Class

Congratulations to the eleven students who finished building bikes during their six week Math and Mechanics class! Recycle-A-Bike teacher, Nik Perry, and assistant mechanic, Jenna Yu, paired with Jeffrey Johnson of The Met School to offer a Build-A-Bike internship program with an emphasis on math. Students learned gear ratios important to the SATs, bike mechanics, safe riding and refurbished bicycles that they got to keep! Pictured right: Here they are in the final class each with his or her own bike ready to ride on the Woonasquatucket Path.

This June volunteers are needed to help:

• Valet bikes at the Saturday Farmers Market
• Organize the shop and parts
• Build bikes if you are experienced with bike mechanics
• Be a greeter at Open Shop (assist new comers in getting started)
• Join a committee: shop, events, development, financial

Email info@recycleabike.org with questions.

Greetings biking friends!

As you may have heard, Recycle-A-Bike will be moving off their current site at the Steel Yard on March 31st. There’s a lot to be done before the move and we need your help! Here are a couple ways to get started:

Break Down Day – February 19th, Rain Date February 26th

The first step is to clean out and break down our shed. We need about 10 people to help disassemble the building between 12pm and 4pm.

Scrap Sales

Everything must go! We have an abundant supply of frames and we can’t move them all. Come down Saturday March 5th, 12th, or 19th between 12pm and 4pm to peruse our stock and find a bargain!

Stay tuned for more details about how to help with the move!

Happy Riding,

The RAB Board

Happy Holidays, RAB Community!

I’m looking out my window at the snow flurries and reflecting on the great year we’ve had at Recycle-A-Bike! So many accomplishments! Here’s a few:

• Our spring bike sale was a smash!
• A volunteer team built Bike Land all from donated materials, allowing us to open our wooden doors for wrenchin’ and fun well into these cold months!
• A $15,000 award from New Roots Providence gave us funds to hire consultants who are helping us design a funding plan, file for 501c3 status, and develop a board!
• Our volunteers provided bike valet service for tons of events and Farmers’ Markets, creating a buzz about our little community bike shop all over town!
• Cyclists ventured out on a Garden Tour this summer, pedaling through flower pedals around Providence’s community beds!
• The list goes on…and all thanks to you – our community – the people who make us who we are!

The weather is changing and our programs are taking a holiday of their own for a month or so, but there is a flurry of activity behind the scenes at Recycle-A-Bike. As our season comes to a close, we are facing new challenges and decisions. Here are a couple things you should be aware of as we look ahead:

• We’re moving! Recycle-A-Bike has a lease at the Steel Yard through March, at what point we’ll most likely be transitioning into a new space. We’re currently searching for a new home and working with a realtor. Please let us know if you have a tip on places we could move to for the Spring. Suggestions appreciated! Also, come February, we’ll need your hands to help us move lots of inventory, bikes, and hopefully our shed too!
• RAB has a new Goodsie Sales Page where anyone can peruse our selection of bikes (not all of them are up yet, though) and make a purchase! The page is linked from our homepage. Check it out: http://recycleabike.goodsie.com/.
• Looking for that last minute holiday gift? We’re making and selling jewelry constructed from recycled bike parts! All proceeds go to RAB. Our Christmas displays are currently featured in local bike shops. We’ll be at the Farmer’s Market in the New Year and up on Etsy soon! Contact Betty at bettybourret@yahoo.com to inquire about a purchase or volunteer to make some pieces!
• Last night marked the last Open Shop for the season! There won’t be anymore until after January. Stay tuned for updates on our program schedule.
• Please help us keep our wheel’s turnin’ through winter and into spring! Here’s a link to our Donation’s page: http://www.recycleabike.org/#donate. Please spread the news!

Happy Wheelin’ folks! Make sure you’re bundled up on your bicycles!

Hello Recycle-A-Bike folks/friends/family!

As the Winter months approach, we are transitioning into hibernation & preparation mode for the new 2011 year. As our tradition goes, we must close up shop in December since our space is not what you might call “winterized”. But we will not stop toiling. We’re going for our non-profit status and will be able to give tax write offs for donations soon! Stay tuned in for new developments and think of ways to involve yourself this coming year! Know your bike. Love your bike. and ride ride ride…

Wrenching Wednesdays

This month are being held Nov 10 and Nov 17 with experienced mechanic and long time committed volunteer, John P. Instead of the usual basic bike maintenance, we will be learning wheel building and truing in our bike shop. Learn to bring life back you’re your old bent wheels! Wrenching Wednesday hours will be held the normal hours from 6pm-9pm. $50 for a specialized class or 18 volunteer points. Contact John with any questions… jpowning@hotmail.com.

RAB on the air with WRNI

Rhode Island’s National Public Radio is offering to do a little shout out to Recycle-A-Bike if we can get a few of our volunteers at their pledge drive. Go for 2-3 hours any day 11/13 through 11/18 anytime 7am-7pm on week days or 8am-5pm Saturdays and we’ll get a little add on the radio that would go something like this “…Recycle-A-Bike, helping people learn how to maintain their own bikes!” You will also get a tour of their radio station. Contact WRNI volunteer coordinator jnye@wrni.org and tell him you’re connected with RAB. Thanks to James B., our new RAB treasurer and the bookkeeper of WRNI for this interesting opportunity!

RAB at The Met

This coming winter, Josh C, a new member of the Recycle-A-Bike will be teaching a bike maintenance class at The Met High School. With his experience as a volunteer mechanic trained at the Wooster Earn-A-Bike program and his involvement in Bikes Not Bombs, Boston, Josh will be putting together a curriculum, designed from the Bikes Not Bombs mechanics certification class with the help of the BNB staff member Alex. Anyone interested in assisting Josh C in teaching or lesson planning should email… jshchadwick@yahoo.com.

Recycled Bike Jewelry

This is a project spearheaded by Betty B. After a tough bike accident, Betty has taken up making jewelry with the help of professional jeweler and previous shop coordinator, Patrick M. The proceeds of the jewelry will go to the RAB program. Check out our soon to be posted Etsy art and support the organization through your purchases! Do you have design skills??? Bring your great ideas and get involved in the making of the recycled jewelry. Contact Betty with your interest… bettybourret@yahoo.com.

Last of Open Shop 2010

Come get your bicycle ready for winter commutes in our last 3 ½ weeks of Open Shop for the year. Come Saturday 12-4pm or Tuesday 6pm-9pm. In case you did not already know bicycles are the best holiday gift so get one, two or three for your all your loved ones!

Future Wrenching Wednesdays

If you are an excellent bike mechanic and amazing teacher, you may be interested in a paid position teaching our basic bike maintenance Wrenching Wednesdays next year. Contact Jenna… jenna@recycleabike.org.

Brilliant Ideas

If you have any brilliant ideas for collaborations, projects personal/public, posters, rides, events, films, photos, grants, gifts contact me now so we can prepare NOW… jenna@recycleabike.org.