StartABikeClinicAtFarmersMarketThenCatchBikeHouse
Introduction/Definition/etc
Instigate Farmers Market Clinic
with MRBikeCoop co-founder and organizer
and then to the BikeHouse Saturday
coop time...
20100822 12.56 pm Jerry
Photos
MRBikeCoop at Farmers Market
http://picasaweb.google.com/WWFFWG/MRBikeCoopAtClinicFarmersMarket?authkey=Gv1sRgCIz2-8CFtsn-wAE
TheBikeHouse20100821
http://picasaweb.google.com/WWFFWG/TheBikeHouse20100821?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKr1_yF_raabw
Body
Backstory
After 30 miles back in the heat,
previous trip was where a Lincoln Mark something
hit the Jaguar next to him instead of me,
up early again, next to no sleep, SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW,
stressful RoundTwo and review some paper info while fresh in mind,
maybe anxious how it was going to work out...
Getting There
Planned ahead and asked for
MetroAccess assistance schedule
to leave starting 6.55 AM,
ride is not showing, call twice, 10 mins,
have to call back, being held up,
while I'm still being nice...
An hour late, and going for the first time,
across town, after volunteer training at MRBikeCoop,
starting a Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
bike clinic booth with one of the oldest of the
bike coops around here...
Had a full but small house
learning not incorporated yet,
and showing the programs age a little,
keeping volunteers and door hours
open for shop hours is a challenge,
so I finally just went to volunteer training,
must be open if I get the keys. opening
process and volunteer to make it happen.
Three days a week, Monday Nights,
I'm busy, Wednesday Night I'm Busy,
Thursday I'm not as busy any more,
but I'm not Wiimmin
Saturday Morning very busy, but
some weeks I can, so said be back
after training, lots of email discussing /
planning it, but mostly done by a co-founder
I'm interested in a doing a ride to Fort Dupont
in SE for the last summer concert of the season...
Arrive Late
Arrive late, about 8-10 police cars
congregating in that block, across the street,
right at the city PG county line,
no bike people from coop,
vaguely introduce myself and ask for the
name I'm seeing on emails discussions/
contacts...
What about cars getting stuff there?
that was forgotten, it's early morning,
get directions (how can I not know,
I'm turned around a little, and early morning
without sleep, but don't say),
ask distance from there,
and only a few blocks, easy by bike,
go to coop and help load stuff up
think of a few things additional
t shirts to sell, use as banner(s)...
Setup in the shade, someone asked for other side
of parking lot, pitch canopies,
stand, table, papers, organizing,
what information do we need,
let's write it down, no brochures
(they had some before, but need to print/ update?)
PJ (co-founder and admin) created a sign in sheet
what info? enlisting people to volunteer.
Talk with people, show OLPC XO,
talk bikes, very little actual bike repairs,
only staff, who knew we were going to be there
ahead of time, talk to people with COOP t shirts,
other bikes going to Market, and interested parties,
many with kids, some public facing stuff I'm not
good at, how can the coop not be open when we
customers want and expect it? It's volunteer
run not a bike shop where paid people
and keep doors open, etc...
Maybe renting bikes?
Maps, the DC ones disappear (And I Need
one for the busy day's travels including to
Fort Dupont Concert, later discovered 8 pm
start had thought 6 pm...),
but not interested in volunteering,
just swag (Stuff We All Get, con speak)
I have a bike, don't know much about it,
Is the Coop for me? was a FAQ (Frequently
Asked Question)...
Rough answer:
Do you want to learn how to do it?
I don't have time/ money,
been frustrated trying in the past, etc...
Well, stop on by, give it a try,
some knowledgeable people likely there,
and you learn by doing I guess...
Hang out and meet the other volunteers,
more about the shop and help set up the
Clinic as a regular, showed and mentioned
Street Sense articles on Farmer's Markets...
Prep to close up early, most markets
don't like that, arrive early (FARMER EARLY
is before dawn, but not as bad as Alexandria City's
7 am start, a healthier 9 am, but I'm 2 hours
away, so net effect is too early after
a rough RoundTwo the day before,
but dropped early to bed, down a couple hours
and up mysteriously again maybe 1 am arrival
of neighbors walking around???
or hyper from 30 miles biking and stress,
or major depression's early morning waking
risky symptoms??? doing some things
looking forward to and wanting to try
might help that?...)
And Exit Stage Left
Leave when enough volunteers around to unpack
one stuffed and departing volunteers car
off to catch part of the TheBikeHouse
as hadn't been around for a while,
don't have to setup there, just show
up and help as able (really not able,
but show what I do know, to people
who might know even less?)
But not do it for people, which is
probably the expectation,
I'm I guess difficult that way,
It's a Coop and you do it,
we just help. Difficult in a short
time frame of 3 hours or 1 hour
left when I finally got there cross town...
Matched up by clipboard guy
with young woman wanting help
with brakes, and seat turned around,
and front wheel wabbling,
and whole list of other things that keep
coming up,unknown lock tangling in the brake
cables, brake cables, no that turns out to be
shifter cabling she bought and brought with
(getting "points" for that) and needing to pull
off the thumb shifter lever from handlebars
to get coiled lock cable untangled...
Brakes are different type than I'm used to,
springs bring it back, but not in the three holes,
since brakes, after getting basic cabling
rewired, helpful advice on the front wobbling
not bearings as I feared, but not securely
fastened to the fork one of the guys who
already knows her figures out...
And no helmet, and trying a new free project
bike out, and I got some space,
Brakes need someone else checking
like a preflight check before done,
and someone else fixed that right side
scraping, by bending the spring wire...
And off towards Fort Dupont Concert.
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
Discussion
A place for feedback on the page presented
Page History
20100824 Jerry
- Adding some photo links, cleanup, and structure to long meandering verbage
-
20100822 Jerry
- Jerry created this page to describe a new experience and coops...
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