We’re back in action!  to celebrate, we’re throwing a party in two weeks.

Come on out, enjoy a beer, get your dance on, paint some bikes!

with love,

-CW

We currently have a Winter Storm Warning in effect here in Boston, but Spring is, in fact, just around the corner.  We’ll be starting up our Open Shop program again very soon.  We’re expanding the program this year: multiple locations within Allston, two events per week, and a presence at two farmers markets.  In order to make this happen, we’re hiring on some passionate, friendly, organized, and hard-working folks for the season.  Hey! You’re a biker-lover with a passion for spreading the bike love and helping people get where they need to go by making sure their bike is properly maintained.  Why haven’t you applied yet??  It really seems like you should.

We have two positions we’re looking to fill.  The Event Coordinator is in charge of managing Open Shop from set-up to break-down.  The Mechanic takes the lead on repairs and instruction at Open Shop.  An Application consists of a brief cover letter and a resume, emailed to info@commonwheels.org with either “Event Coordinator” or “Mechanic” as the subject line by Friday, March 22nd.

Want to know more?  Just keep scrolling down!  Job descriptions are below.

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CommonWheels Bicycle Co-Op is a nonprofit based in Allston. Our mission is to empower people to use the bicycle to enhance their lives. We aim to encourage bike riders of all experience levels and backgrounds to learn to maintain and repair their own bikes, to become confident, safe urban cyclists, and to discover new people and experiences on two wheels. We provide free skill-sharing workshops, creative group rides, tools and peer instruction, multilingual resources, and community.

Our flagship program is Open Shop, which takes place at Farmers’ Markets and on weekday evenings on major bike thoroughfares. We provide free access to tools and peer instruction on bicycle repair and maintenance. We flag people down as they ride by, and offer free air and bike checks; most people who stop to pump up their tires find that they could also use a brake adjustment, chain lube, or other repairs, maintenance, or fit adjustment. In addition to the ride- by participants, people seek us out for help with repair issues, to work on building a bike, or to purchase a discounted helmet or light. We do not keep many parts in stock; we are focused on simple repairs and diagnosis of major issues. Unlike a bike shop, CommonWheels shows people how to repair and maintain their bike themselves.

Mechanic/Bike Educator:

CommonWheels is seeking a passionate and self-directed person with demonstrated mechanics experience to staff Open Shop events in conjunction with an Event Coordinator and additional volunteers. This is a part-time, seasonal position.

Responsibilities:

• Diagnose bike repair and maintenance issues
• Walk participants through repair process, instructing them on how to do the repairs themselves, and demystifying bicycle mechanics for the participants
• Complete bike repairs of minor and moderate intensity (e.g. fix flat tires, adjust/replace brakes and cables, true wheels, adjust/replace chains, repack hubs and bottom brackets, adjust derailleurs, adjust bike fit), particularly related to safety check
• Diagnose major repair issues and make recommendations (running the gamut from “go buy this part and come back and we’ll fix it together” to “you’re really better off with a new bike”)
• Keep track of tools and assist Event Coordinator with inventory of materials/parts used
• Run workshops on bicycle repair topics such as fixing a flat, cleaning and lubing drivetrain, and occasionally more advanced topics

Requirements:

• Must have at least 1 year mechanics experience.
• Must be comfortable working with a wide range of bicycles of all styles, ages, and levels of disrepair.
• Comfortable working outdoors from April through October (tent provided; events cancelled in cases of severe weather).
• Conversational Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese or Korean a plus.
• Must be highly responsible and able to work independently.
• Must be friendly, patient, and excited to empower others to learn bicycle mechanics.

Time Commitment:

Open Shop: One weeknight per week from April through September, usually 5-8pm, – flexible depending on availability of Staff

Farmers’ Market: one per week from May through October, alternating Fridays 4-7pm and Saturdays 11-3pm

Location:
Allston, alternating weeks between Union Square (Jackson Mann Community Center) and Barry’s Corner (intersection of N. Harvard and Western Ave in North Allston)

Compensation: contract position, equivalent of $20 – $25/hr

Event Coordinator:

CommonWheels is seeking a passionate, organized and self-directed person to manage Open Shop events in conjunction with a mechanic and additional volunteers. This is a part-time, seasonal position for someone who wants to make a difference in their bike community. We are looking for someone who will take initiative, engage others, and promote our Open Shops.

Responsibilities:

•     Transport equipment to and from storage space to event location via bicycle trailer
•     Set up/break down events, including farmers’ market-style tent
•     Be friendly and outgoing, actively reaching out to bikers passing by and visitors to the farmers’ market, and utilize social media to promote events.
•     Ensure that all participants sign an electronic waiver before their bike is worked on
•     Provide peer instruction on basic maintenance and repairs, such as pumping tires, fixing a flat, lubing a chain, and tightening brakes (training will be provided)
•     Provide advice and resources on safe urban riding skills, good bike routes for transportation and/or recreation, where to buy a bike, etc.
•     Keep track of donations and keep inventory of materials used at each event
•     Coordinate with volunteers

Requirements:

•     Ability to work independently.
•     Must be reliable, consistent, organized and prompt.
•     Experienced in cycling in and around Boston.
•     Able to lift up to 25 lbs and ride a bike with a trailer attached in urban setting.
•     Comfortable working outdoors from April through October (tent provided; events cancelled in cases of severe weather)
•     Conversational Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese or Korean a plus.
•     Must be friendly, patient, and excited to empower others to become their own mechanic.
•     Skills with basic bicycle maintenance and repair not required but a plus.

Time Commitment:

Open Shop: One weeknight per week from April through September, available 4-9pm (event 5-8pm plus setup/breakdown)- flexible depending on availability of Staff
Farmers’ Market: one per week from May through October, alternating between Fridays 3-8pm (market 4-7 pm) and Saturdays 10am-4pm (market 11am-3pm)

Location:

 Allston, alternating weeks between Union Square (Jackson Mann Community Center) and Barry’s Corner (intersection of N. Harvard and Western Ave in North Allston)

Compensation: contract position, $15 – $18/hr

CommonWheels is an equal employment opporunity employer.  Women, people of color, LGBTQ persons, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Saturday December 8, 1:30-3pm
at the Harvard Allston Education Portal
175 N Harvard St, Allston 02134

An essential part of winter riding is keeping the salt and sand from destroying your ride. So this Saturday we’re getting together to talk maintenance, and then dirtying our hands dirty by cleaning our bikes!

Saturday, December 1; 1:30pm-3pm
Harvard Allston Education Portal, 175 N Harvard St
Allston, 02134
“Winterize Your Ride” workshop and open discussion

It’s totally possible to commute by bike in the Winter! …But you do need the right tips.

Join us for a “Bicycle Commuting for Everyone: Winter Edition” MassBike presentation, followed by a discussion on the various options for converting a bicycle so that it is more efficient, effective, and easier to maintain during the winter months. Winter can be a tough time to bike in Boston but the instructors have experience riding through some of the worst of New England’s weather, and will cover the tips and tricks they’ve picked up in an informative presentation.

Presentation is created and supported by MassBike and the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness (BCFF)
it’s free, and open to everyone and anyone.

Saturday, November 17, 1:30pm!

We’re hosting a “Fix-A-Flat” and “Tighten Your Brakes” workshop to teach light maintenance to keep you safe and rolling (just because, just in case…). We will cover the basics of how to remove your wheels, take off / put on your tire and tube, how to find the appropriate air pressure to keep inflated, and how to locate any holes and punctures so you can repair them. And we’ll cover the easy ways to keep your brakes nice and tight. This will be low-key and hands-on — so be prepared to bring your bike, maneuver tire levers, and pump!

When: Thurs, November 8 — 4-6pm

Where: at the Joseph M Smith Community Health Center, 287 Western Ave in Lower Allston

What: $5 Hubway Membership Drive!!! (+ free helmets!)

CommonWheels and the City of Boston are teaming up to promote the subsidized Hubway membership program at the Joseph M Smith Community Health Center in Lower Allston. For low-income qualifying residents, a year’s worth of Hubway is only $5 (that’s right, for the whole year!). We want you to get a membership, and tell your folks and neighbors too, so come by the JMSCHC on Thursday between 4 and 6 to get your ride on!

(also, we’ve got free food there too!)

Saturday, September 8th, CommonWheels is heading out across the river and over the woods to visit the lovely city of Somerville and their awesome arts union as they host “Spokes 2012.” There will be maintenance workshops, bike vendors, activism/advocacy groups, and (best of all) a FREE SHOWING OF PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE — the GREATEST bicycle movie of all time!

check it: http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/artsunion/2012/spokes

We’re leaving Allston at 2pm on a mini group ride to cruise our way to Union Sq in Somerville, getting there for the 2:30pm start, and some of us will be joining up with their “Tasting Tour of Somerville” ride. (more info on that: https://www.facebook.com/events/448226095198600/).  Others of us will do our own ride around town.

To find us, meet at Jackson Mann school, corner of Brighton Ave and Cambridge Street in Allston, 2pm.  Map of route soon to come.

see you there.
so excited!

Art museums provide us an opportunity usually absent from our day-to-day lives: the experience of taking time to seriously engage with works of art. These contemplative spaces prompt us to consider what ideas and modes of expression are valuable to us, and why. As wealthy and influential institutions, art museums can play a role in determining the personality of an entire city, whether it is a place where new ideas and aesthetics develop and grow, or a place for cataloging and enshrining the movements of the past.

Oh, also: they make a kick-ass spot for cliff diving competitions.

What, you hadn’t heard? The Institute of Contemporary Art, conveniently located on Boston Harbor, is the site of a cliff diving competition tomorrow. We have no idea what this has to do with art, but we do know we’re leading a ride from Allston down to the ICA to watch.

The Facebook event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/377581415648794/

And the details are here:

What: Ride to watch people jump off a museum into the harbor
When: Saturday, August 25th at 1pm
Where: Start at Marsh Plaza on Comm. Ave, end at the ICA (map)
How: Bicycles
Who: You and your friendly neighborhood bike co-op: CommonWheels!

Bust out your party hat and dancin’ shoes: Hubway is celebrating its first birthday next Tuesday at the Hubway Birthday Bash at the Boston Society of Architects space. Hubway will be invading the very cool “Let’s Talk About Bikes” exhibit, and Mayor Thomas Menino is expected.

If you haven’t been down to the BSA space, it’s a great location on the Harborwalk in Downtown. Really, the only downside to the space is the dearth of bike parking in the area. That’s where we come in. We’ll be providing bike valet for the party, and we need your help! We’re asking for volunteers to serve a 1.5 hour shift. If you’ve never done bike valet, we’ll show you the ropes. All volunteers get a aggressively stylish CommonWheels t-shirt, and a chance to check out the party.

Okay, the details:

What: Bike valet at the Hubway Birthday Bash
When: Tuesday, July 24th. The event is 6-8pm, we’ll be 5:30-8:30pm
Where: BSA Space, 290 Congress Street
How you can help: Sign up for a 1.5 hour shift parking bikes and spreading the CW love
To sign up: Join the Facebook event, or email patrick@commonwheels.org.

*Update* ‎

we’re meeting up at 8pm in Copley, to leave by 8:30! ending at 11:30 near Marsh Plaza BU on Commonwealth Ave

Another Summer Evening Bike Ride in June!

Join us for a bike ride and concert, hosted around the city, with performances at the various spots and stops. We have a few sets of awesome musicians lined up to perform for our roving bike party — Exact locations and times of shows will be determined soon, and kept secret until night of show/ride.

Ride leaving at 8:30/9pm, leaving from Copley Sq

Keep tuned to this event for updates as we get them!

*Update below:*

from wikipedia
ORIGINS:
After the yukon gold rush left them penniless, many miners were stranded in alaska and became disillusioned hermits. They rejected society and celebrated themselves in feats of courage including cliff driving and wolf wrestling. In a misinterpretation of native beliefs they began worshiping the bears as symbols of their self-reliance and ferocity.

DECLINE:
After several generations, they began believing the bears were in fact manifestations of their ancestors and with proper ritual they too could be resurrected as Kodiaks. After a particularly cold winter, the elk migrations shifted away from the area and the bears coming out of hibernation found little to eat. Members of the cult-like group began self-sacrificing themselves to the starving bears in what was considered the greatest possible act of courage and ancestor tribute. With this ticket to immortal resurrection, all members eventually feed themselves to bears and cult disappeared overnight. The bears survived only to be captured and brought to the prisons of the eastern zoos.

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Lights are being provided with support from Hub Bicycle Co in Cambridge — check out Emily and see how much she rocks! www.hubbicycle.com