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StartABikeClinicAtFarmersMarketThenCatchBikeHouse

Page history last edited by jerry 13 years, 7 months ago

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...

 

Page Statistics

Page Views:  since creating on 20100822

 

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