Community Cycles volunteer and Earn-A-Bike opportunities for October 10, 2009

[Josh Brown]

Hi Everyone.

Hope you're all warm and toasty in our first snowfall of the season. We had tremendous interest in a winter biking/commuting workshop, so we're going to do it! We'll keep you posted when that's going to be, but we're looking at the first week of November. If you're interested, please shoot me an email and let me know what specifics about riding in the winter you'd be interested in, so that we can tailor the class to what folks are interested in.
Also, killradio.org's biketalk podcast/radio show featured three Boulder locals this morning. Including one of Community Cycles' very own volunteers, Dan Adams. They'll be talking about a recent bike move they all took part in that we sponsored by loaning out trailers. The show airs from 11-1 PM Colorado time, but the archives are posted a while after their air, so you can download and listen later, also.

And while I mention this later on in the email, asking for help setting it up, I'd also like to invite you all to our Annual Volunteer Appreciation and Open House on November 5th, from 5-8 PM. We'll have food and drinks, and live music and a silent auction. Those of you who haven't been in the shop in the last two days will also notice some changes in the layout of the shop.

Here's the list of what's happening in the week ahead and a little beyond. Your help is needed with every one of these. Whatever you're able to help out with is much appreciated.

Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and help. It is much appreciated.

Josh Brown
Development Director
Community Cycles
720-565-6019

Wednesday night 4-8 PM North Storage work parties

 If you haven't been to North Storage on Wednesday nights, it's a great way to learn some bike mechanics. Each week, we focus on one or two areas of bike mechanics (one week will be brakes, the next shifters, etc.) We teach a short lesson at the beginning of the day, and then everyone works on just that one system for the day on a bunch of different bikes. You don't have to have any bike mechanic experience at all to help us at North Storage We will teach you everything you need to know.

Coming Soon: Sunday Work Parties!

Most of you know about or have been to Wednesday Work Nights. We've been getting a lot done at these, both work we need, and teaching you all.  Starting on October 25th, we''ll be there from 12 noon to 4 PM on Sunday afternoons. Everyone is welcome to come to as many North Storage work parties as they would like.

We don't publish the address of our North Storage facility, as we work out of a Boulder County space, and we can't have people showing up when we're not there wanting to work on bikes. If you're interested in helping out on a Wednesday night, or a Sunday after October 25th, please email me or call the shop (720-565-6019) the day before you'd like to participate for details. I don't always get to every email the day I receive them, so if you ask for directions too late, you may not get them in time.

Volunteer orientation, Thursday, October 22, 6-7 PM

Come learn how we can use you above and beyond working in the shop and the events on this list. We're looking for folks who are interested in helping out on a level that's more than just dropping by when they're free. There are some benefits to helping out on a more regular basis, and we'll be going over those at the meeting as well. The Volunteer Orientation will be in the shop.

Monthly Facilitator meeting, Tuesday, October 27th, 6-7 PM

Facilitators are the folks who have been around a while, and know the operation. If you'd like be involved with Community Cycles on a higher level, this may be the meeting for you. There is some training involved, both mechanical and organizational. Come prepared to get some work done.

Open house planning team members needed.

Our Annual Volunteer Appreciation and Open House night will be on November 5th from 5-8 PM. It's a night when we can thank everyone who's contributed time and energy to our mission throughout the year, and show off what we've been up to in 2009. You're all invited to the party, of course, as you are why we're here.
 We have alot of work left to do this month in order to make this party as awesome as we hope it will be. Phone calls, donation pickups, party arrangements to be made, and publicity work like flyering, etc, is mostly what we need.
 If you're interested in helping with this, or have an idea for it, please email me soon.

Digital projector needed to borrow.

We've dreamed about a projector to blast movies up onto the wall for a movie night at the shop, but we have a specific need this month for a projector. We would only have it for one night, and return it the next day. If you or someone you know has a projector

Kids' bike giveaway team members needed.

2009 marks our 4th Holiday Kids' Bike Giveaway. What's a Holiday Kids' Bike Giveaway, you ask? We take all the kids bikes we get donated throughout the year, (this year we're looking at about 200,) tune them up, and give them away. This year, as last, we'll be having the event at Boulder Indoor Soccer. We'll have several work parties that focus on the kids bikes that still need tuning up, and we'll announce those here as we know about them. We have some other behind the scenes work that needs to happen during October and November and the day of the event, which will be on December 20th. If you're interested in helping with this, please contact jo...@communitycycles.org for more information.

Boulder Racing Cyclocross Race, Beer Garden Servers needed, 
Sunday, October 25th

Ever been to a cyclocross race? Imagine a bike race that's half road race, half mountain bike trails. Ridden on a road bike with fat tires, with a bunch of "pick up the bike, throw it on your shoulder, and run through some mud and over some logs" thrown in for good measure. Seriously. Here's a youtube video from last year.

 We're hosting the beer garden at the Boulder Reservoir leg of the race, happening on October 25th, at the Boulder Reservoir. We need volunteers there from 10:30 to about 5 PM. This includes set up and take down of our booth. We need at least two people to staff the booth, but more would be better.
 It'll be a great chance for us to meet some people who ride who haven't been into the shop yet. We'll also be raising money at this event. Come check out the race, help us serve beer to racers and spectators, and check out some locally brewed beer.
 Sorry kids, this one is 21+ only.

Farmer's Market 2010 planning team members needed

We've had a presence at the Boulder Farmer's Market going on four years now. The Market goes through November 7th this year. We'd like to get a group of folks working during the winter on our tabling presence for the spring, so that we can really have some impact at the market. Team members will work on tabling materials, brainstorming and critiquing our current presence, and coming up with a plan for what Community Cycles will bring to the market in 2010. We're not necessarily looking for a long term commitment of people to be at the Farmer's Market next year, only to help us plan for the year ahead.