All the programs and events for May are listed here. May is national bike month so don’t let it slip by without celebrating with us here at your community bike shop in Olneyville. What’s more? Recycle-A-Bike hired a director. Meet Jenna Yu… read more about her below.

RAB Bike Sale Fundraiser

2 Saturdays, May 5th and 12th from 10am-4pm @ our shop 12 Library Court, Providence OLNEYVILLE. RAB volunteer mechanics have been working on a huge fleet of beautiful, refurbished, recycled bikes all winter. These bikes are ready to hit the road! Come test ride cruisers, vintage, folding bikes, road, mountain, bmx, baby balance bikes and children’s bikes. All the funds generated from this Bike Sale Fundraiser help support our public programs (Open Shop, Build-A-Bike, Bike Valet, and others). Our community shop is in Olneyville in an alley way off Westminster Street and Manton Avenue. There will be signs pointing in the right direction. We’ll have music, bike blended smoothies and friendly mechanics and volunteers to talk to. Bicycles range in price from $30-$250.
To volunteer please sign up here: http://bit.ly/bikesale

Mechanics’ Night

Friday, May 11th, from 6-9pm we need volunteers to repair and refurbish bikes for the fundraiser sale. Volunteers who join us need the basic knowledge of bike repair. We encourage Build-A-Bike graduates, local bike mechanics, and hobbyists to join us. Questions email shop@recycleabike.org.

Bicycle Valet “…at your service”

Saturday, May 19th is the first bike valet at the Lippitt Park farmers market. Ride your bike, bring your trailer, panniers, baskets, bungie cords, babies and be sure to park your bike where it is safe with Recycle-A-Bike. If you are interested in being a valet parker meet Kim, the valet coordinator, at 9am in the park. You can communicate with her directly about details by emailing valet@recycleabike.org.

Bike to Work Day

Friday morning, May 18th, ride your bike to work and stop by the Providence WWI Memorial. Recycle-A-Bike and other awesome bike groups will be pigging out on the complimentary breakfast and listening to speakers from 6:30am to 10:30am.

Garage Sale on the West Side

Saturday May 19th from 8:30am-1pm Recycle-A-Bike will have bikes for sale and information on programs at the West Broadway Neighborhood Associations’ annual neighborhood wide yard sale. Pick up a map at the WBNA headquarters on Westminster and Sycamore St and find out where to we are.

Build-A-Bike Spring

We would like to train another 50 adults in the community to be proficient bike mechanics through our 2012 Build-A-Bike programs. We aim to recycle 100 bikes this way and expand our foundation of skilled volunteers. First Build-A-Bike with Nik Perry and Jenna Yu starts May 2nd. Build-A-Bike’s spring workshop is full, but if you are interested in participating, summer workshop applications will be accepted in June for the 6 week workshop in July through mid-August. Instructions on enrolling will be in the June newsletter.

Open Shop

WEEKLY Tuesday 5pm-8pm and Saturday 10am-2pm. During this time, come to fix or tune your bike with the help of skilled mechanics and many tools, parts, and items you may need. You can also donate-a-bike, buy-a-bike, and/or volunteer during this time. We need help building bikes to sell, patching and sorting tubes, and many other various tasks.

Volunteer Training

Tuesday May 15th from 3pm-5pm come to our monthly training to get involved in the work trade system for “digging rights.”

Tune-Up Class

Saturday May 26th, 2pm-6pm. Learn to tune up your bicycle with a shop mechanic. First come first serve. $10 suggested donation but you WILL NOT BE TURNED AWAY for lack for funds.

Meet the New Director

Jenna Yu is the director of Recycle-A-Bike. Her training is in design and her passion is in hands-on education. She has her BART and BARCH from the RISD. She has been working with RAB for three years leading the growth of the organization from a sleepy collective under the stars to a fully functioning community bike shop and 501(c)3 not for profit. Yu is working to grow the Recycle-A-Bike’s community shop and expand biking community in PVD by taking bikes out of the waste stream and creating DIY mechanics workshops, promoting cycling and combating a culture of waste. Jenna works towards healthier means of living. In her spare time, she is involved in urban farming ventures in Providence. Prior to living in Providence, she spearheaded educational programs in southern Mexico on nutrition, English as a second language, and art in partnership with community organizations Amigos de las Americas, Un Puente a la Salud Communitario, and The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca. Yu also worked as an architect intern for Skillful Means, a strawbale architecture firm in Oakland. She is a bike commuter in Providence and a helpful mechanic at Open Shop.

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

Spring is officially here and the weather is amazing.  It was nice to see that people were riding throughout the winter.  Here at the shop, we had a calm season.  Our rolling tool kits all set up and are being used quite well.  Thanks to the volunteers who stayed in town, we have a sizeable fleet of ready-to-ride bikes for purchase in the shop.

Two of our core members, Jenna and Nick, went on a journey to see bike collectives in other parts of the country and brought back a lot of inspiration.  They saw community shops big and little, out of this world parts organization, cool programs, mechanics and bikers of all kinds.  Nick even talked to folks of the Who Dat Nation who said that they’ve modeled some of their programs off our very own Build-A-Bike program developed here in PVD.

This spring we are looking forward to expanding our great group of volunteers.  This will allow us to grow and improve programs helping more people bike.

Youth Mechanics League

We have been partnering with the Providence Afterschool Alliance to provide a build-a-bike program for students of Del Sesto Middle School. They are doing a great job building bikes for both themselves and for Red Shed (Woonasquatucket River Watershed youth program).  Let’s give these kids an internet round of applause for all their hard work!

Open Shop

WEEKLY Tuesday 5pm-8pm and Saturday 10am-2pm. During this time, come to fix or tune your bike with the help of skilled mechanics and many tools, parts, and items you may need. You can also donate-a-bike, buy-a-bike, and/or volunteer during this time. We need help building bikes to sell, patching and sorting tubes, and many other various tasks.

Tune-Up Class

Saturday April 7th, 2pm-6pm.  Learn to tune up your bicycle with mechanic, Will.  First come first serve.  $10 suggested donation but you WILL NOT BE TURNED AWAY for lack for funds.

Brown Bike Sale

Sunday April 8th 10am-6pm Recycle-A-Bike is working with environmental club, emPOWER, and Bikes at Brown to host an Earth Day bike sale.  We will bring a selection of recycled, road-ready bikes to the Brown Green off Waterman Street on College Hill.

Mechanics’ Night

Thursdays, April 12th and 26th from 6-9pm we need volunteers to repair and refurbish bikes for the spring sale.  Volunteers who join us need the basic knowledge of bike repair.  We encourage Build-A-Bike graduates, local bike mechanics, and hobbyists to join us.  FREE FOOD AND DRINKS (non-alcoholic) for volunteers who partake in these evenings of productivity!  Questions email shop@recycleabike.org.

Open Shop Volunteers Needed! Come to a training!

Saturday April 14, 2-4pm, there will be a training meeting for people looking to volunteer as leaders in RAB Open Shop Program.  We’ll go over how we run the shop, different volunteer roles, and do a training on how to do various tasks.   Get involved this way and you’ll have access to “digging rights” (choose a frame from our stash, dig for parts, and work with our tools during shop time).  If you plan on attending this meeting, please RSVP confirming your expected presence by emailing jenna@recycleabike.org.

Build-A-Bike Spring Workshop

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.  We are accepting applications for our next Build-A-Bike session!   If you are interested in signing up for it, make sure you are available on the dates listed below as you must attend them all.   Send an email to jenna@recycleabike.org (or drop off a written application to the shop mailbox) with a paragraph on why you would be a good fit for the program, your biking values, and your contact information.  There is a suggested donation of $200 for participation in this program, but you will not be turn away if you cannot afford this donation amount.

The dates for Build-A-Bike are as follows:

• Wednesday May 2,  5-8pm – 1st Wrenching Wednesday Class (clean and lube bikes)
• Thursday May 3,  5-8pm – Open Shop (work on your bikes)
• Wednesday May 9,  5-8pm – 2nd W.W. Class (bottom brackets and headsets)
• Thursday May 10,  5-8pm – Open Shop
• Wednesday May 16,  5-8pm – 3rd W.W. Class (tires, tubes, flats)
• Thursday May 7,  5-8pm – Open Shop
• Wednesday May 23,  5-8pm – 4th W.W. Class (hubs, wheel truing)
• Thursday May 24,  5-8pm – Open Shop
• Wednesday May 30,  5-8pm–5th W.W. Class (brakes)
• Thursday May 31,  5-8pm– Open Shop
• Wednesday June 6,  5-8pm– 6th W.W. Class (gears)
• Thursday June 7,  5-8pm– Open Shop BIKES COMPLETED

Bicycle Garage Sale

Two Saturdays, May 5th and 12th, 10am-4pm we’re having a huge clear-out bike sale at Recycle-A-Bike, 12 Library Court, in Olneyville Square.  We have been stashing up recycled-bikes all winter and we need to clear out some room for spring and summer.  If this is your first time coming to the shop, we’re located in an alley way off Westminster and Manton Ave.  There will be signs pointing you in the right direction. Bikes range in price from $30-$250…test ride cruisers, vintage, road, mountain, bmx, baby, and children’s bikes.  Tents and snacks.

For Hire

We are looking to hire two confident bike mechanics for the Build-A-Bike program and the Master Mechanics program. You must be able to turn an abandoned bike into a road ready bikes efficiently and be able to teach others bike mechanics basics. Email jenna@recycleabike.org for more information.

Happy Wheeling from the nice folks at RAB!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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