It has taken me a long time to gather up all the passwords for various Bike Center accounts; this blog being the latest.
But maybe I should introduce myself...
Hi, I'm Dave Strachan, the Summer Coordinator for the CSA Bike Center. Maybe we met last Summer while I was volunteering? I'm in my fourth year of a History/Theater program and am head deep in full time courses at the moment. I also work a few other jobs too; right now I offer ESL conversation tutoring through Open Learning and also join the CAAS (the other ESL group) students in class as an assistant.
Previously I've worked with U of T's Bikechain, Sommerville Sporting Goods in the small town I am from, and as a Toronto city Bike Courier.
I ride a recumbent, a tandem, a fixie, and a cyclocross; but I consider old-school bikes my specialty.
As a rider I've finally got to the point in myself that I can let those scorchers pass me without feeling the need to prove something. I do have the skin tight suit but that's reserved for special occasions.
Bike Center News
This is a Summer of change for the University and for the Bike Center. Maybe you've already noticed one thing... In contrast to the University Academic Centre we have settled on spelling it differently. It might seem silly or arrogant to some but this way we stand out from the R-E-centric administration and remain a space of our own.
Another change, a giant one, is the upcoming move in August. The new space appears at first glance to be the stuff of dreams. It is a triple bay garage with car sized doors. While we wont be bringing any cars into the shop this is still awesome. The ease of access has me pretty excited; no more hauling up and down the stairs, no trying to wiggle in a larger bike or scraping your grips on the cement. The spot is divided into two units as well, this leaves a separate bay for office and storage use that can double as a lounge area in which to eat lunch and peruse the new resource library.
That's another new item! Outgoing coordinators Sarah and Cecilia did a great job of bringing in a collection of books and DVDs pertinent to the concerns of cyclists. These resources are available to borrow. Cool!
The space has changed a lot since most people have been in last. The office has moved from upstairs into the corner behind the furnace. This allows me to double up between office and shop work during the times not covered by volunteers. As a super bonus this also brings a computer into the shop on which we can read .pdf manuals, and follow instructional videos. Sometimes I don't really get it when I read things and need to see it happening to understand what to do so this, I find, is very helpful.
New - Lockers are now inside the space to keep your gear. Coats and bags can be hung up but also, while they are available, you can store the bits and pieces for your project under lock and key between sessions.
A lot of the reusable parts have been evaluated, namely the wheels, and those that are too damaged have been disassembled and sent for recycling where possible. What remains is a smaller but safer collection of good stuff. A cool by-product of this process is spare hubs, spokes, and rims so if anyone would like to practice lacing we have the goods!
Here is another thing; in an effort to make the space accessible to as many people as possible I am dedicated to opening the space for private use by appointment if a mutually workable time can be met. There is also a small crew of drop-in volunteers who open the shop at random hours so if you ever see the doors open feel free to peak in.
Events:
I've got two events in mind for soon but need to find if people are interested.
A basic workshop for safety-assessing and tune-ups. This workshop will be awesome for anyone but especially for interested volunteers.
The second event is an across campus scramble race. Riders are limited only by the bike they ride; nothing fancy please! The plan is looking like an early morning single shot in the beginning of July.
What else is new, what else...?
Oh! We need volunteers and I mean You. Seriously. Due to some twist of fate the mailing list was wiped out and the hard-copy is actually gone too. Because of this most people probably think we never opened for the Summer. Volunteer roles can range vastly by your interest. Here is a brief, well maybe not so brief, list of what is needed:
Street Team: get the word out, put up posters, engage people at bike racks, attend Critical Mass, let people know we exist and that we are friendly.
Host: Keep the doors open, have as many or few hours as you like but please be reliable, no experience is necessary. A host is specifically needed ASAP for Women and Trans night which has been suspended pending you. Anyone who would like to fill an evening shift is also highly anticipated.
Workshop Host: Experience is necessary, lead workshops on various topics, honorarium funds can be made available for this purpose in appreciation of the expertise you would be sharing.
Drop-in staff: Got a few hours to spare here or there? There is always little tasks which need to be done and are highly appreciated. For example, cutting old clothes into rag sizes, rebuilding wheels, or taking inventory.
Moving Helpers: Oh my! The August move is going to happen and we need all hands on deck.
Blogger: How about this, a person of a journalistic mind would be appreciated who can post semi-regular bulletins regarding related community events and news, or, you know, whatever.
If you'd like to fill one or several of these roles please e-mail csabike@uoguelph.ca or drop by during posted hours.
That's all for now,
Dave
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