Bikes Not Bombs Mega Update

Bike-A-Thon 2013 is only 5 days away! Register, Donate, Volunteer!

The Bike-A-Thon is the only ride in town where you might see a shark riding a tandem bike. Join us! Photo by Sean English

Register to ride!!

Sunday, June 2nd is just around the corner and Bikes Not Bombs needs YOU to join hundreds of riders for our biggest event and most important fundraiser of the year! Enjoy an amazing day of cycling while raising critical funds to support Bikes Not Bombs’ unique bicycle-based empowerment work in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and right here in Boston!

Choose from four scenic routes: a 15-mile ride that’s great for cyclists of all abilities, including families with children, a 25-mile ride that climbs into the Blue Hills, a 40-mile ride that’s filled with sweeping fields, babbling creeks, and shady groves, and a 65-mile ride that’s perfect for avid cyclists who want a challenge. Choose the ride that’s right for you, ride at your own pace, and have fun! Detailed route maps are available online.

All four Bike-A-Thon rides start and end at the park in front of the Stony Brook T Station on the Orange Line, at Lamartine and Boylston Streets in Jamaica Plain. Rides are fully supported with food, mechanics, cue sheets, rest stops, and following vehicles. You’ll be greeted at the finish line with gourmet lunch, live bands, face painting, and time to hang out with other cyclists. Riders also receive a limited edition 2013 Bikes Not Bombs t-shirt! Top individual fundraisers, teams, and youth are eligible for great prizes, like these awesome Aftershockz headphones, gift certificates to all sorts of cool places, and more!

There is a registration fee of $20 for folks 18 and older, and $10 for riders under 18. We try to make our ride as accessible as possible and keep a low fundraising requirement: $150 for riders 18 and older, $100 for riders 11-17, and $50 for riders ages 3-10. Once you register, you’ll receive an email packet with a pledge sheet and more info and you’ll also be able to make a personal fundraising webpage, which makes it easy for people to sponsor you online.

Find out more and register to ride today! And help spread the word on Facebook!

Photo by Joss Chadwick

Nevis Earn-A-Bike is a grassroots youth bicycle program, modeled after BNB’s own Earn-A-Bike, that provides bicycle mechanics training, leadership development and bicycles to young people throughout the island of Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. Nevis Earn-A-Bike provides opportunities for young people to learn more about bikes, develop tangible and useful skills in bicycle repair and leadership, and build cross-community friendships. This program is in partnership with the Department of Social Services of Nevis, and has plans to expand to the neighboring island of St. Kitts.

This shipment of about 500 bicycles and parts will supply the Nevis Earn-A-Bike, and potentially the St. Kitts Earn-A-Bike, for at least the next two years. We’ll be loading lots of 24″ bikes, BMX bikes and 26″ mountain bikes. Come and join us!

TIME: Sunday June 16th from 10am to 5pm. Drop in for an hour or stay all day!

LOCATION: The BNB warehouse at 10 Harvard Street in Dorchester

DETAILS: Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Equal Exchange coffee is generously donated by City Feed & Supply!

Click here for more information and to RSVP!

Photo by Jasmine Laietmark

The Bikes Not Bombs Youth Bike-A-Thon team, “Team Swerve,” is putting the FUN in FUNdraising with an awesome and delicious event!

On Friday, May 24th, Team Swerve will be hosting the 2nd annual Super Soaker Scooper ‘Stravaganza from4-7 pm outside the Stony Brook T Station. Come on by and support our youth team by purchasing some delicious ice cream sundaes. Team Swerve is aiming to raise $4,000 and every dollar from this event will go directly to helping them reach their goal. Plus, who can say no to ice cream?? Read more, RSVP, and help spread the word on Facebook!

Feel free to contact Alumni Services Coordinator, Kenny at 617-522-0222 x102 or[email protected] for more information.

If you can’t make it, but still want to support the BNB Youth Team, you can donate online.

A bike drive is an event, often organized by a volunteer, to collect bicycles for Bikes Not Bombs. Large drives will sometimes bring in over 200 bikes! These drives help us extend our network of bike collection beyond our two locations in Jamaica Plain. If you have a bike to donate, you can always bring it to Jamaica Plain, but if you live further away, then hopefully you’ll be able to find a bike drive that is closer.

Upcoming Bike Drives:

• Carlisle, MA on Saturday, June 1st, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Sharon, MA on Saturday, June 8th, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
• South Dartmouth, MA on Saturday, June 15th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Sherborn, MA on Saturday June 15th 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Northampton, MA on Saturday June 22nd 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Beverly, MA on Saturday June 29th 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Want to help bring Bikes Not Bombs’ bike collection to your town? We’d love to have your helporganizing a bike drive

Village Bicycle Project is hiring a Cadbury Bicycle Factory Maintenance Training Coordinator – a 9-month position in Ghana, from September 2013 – June 2014. The Coordinator is needed to initiate, coordinate, implement and report on bicycle repair and maintenance training programs in remote villages where The Bicycle Factory has donated over 17,000 bicycles since 2009. The position is for 30 hours / week on average, and will require extensive traveling to as many as 150 villages.

Visit the Village Bicycle Project’s website for more information on this exciting position!

Bikes Not Bombs extends Kwame Bidi a warm farewell and heartfelt thank you. Kwame has worked with BNB for the past 9 months on a temporary contract as International Programs Associate. During his time, he has helped BNB develop extensive systems of monitoring and evaluation for our International Programs, and he has provided increased support to our international partners. Kwame just completed his graduate studies in Sustainable International Development at the Heller School of Brandeis University, and is moving on to the next step in his career. Kwame, we will miss you, and we wish you all the best!!!

Photo by Stacy Rupolo

Bikes Not Bombs is currently accepting applications for Summer Earn-A-Bike and Fall Girls In Action.

• Summer Earn-A-Bike Session I – July 10 – July 26 (M-F, 2-6pm)
• Summer Earn-A-Bike Session II – July 31 – August 16 (M-F, 2-6pm)
• Fall Girls In Action September 9th – October 10th (M-Th, 3:30-6:30pm)

In these programs, participants aged 12 -18 choose a bike from those donated to Bikes Not Bombs, and not only learn the skills to build it up, but to maintain it as well. At the end of the program, once the bike is built, it is theirs to take home! Additionally, we go on bike adventures to explore some of the fascinating places Boston has to offer, and explore various environmental and social justice issues.

There are a limited number of spots available. Applicants are chosen based on application date, the applicant’s availability, and willingness to commit (Note: Girls In Action is only open to girls). To qualify for enrollment, BOTH the completed application and payment (cash, check or money order) must be submitted. Applicants who are not accepted will be notified and the program fee will be returned. Fee waivers are available.

If you have any questions please contact Ashley Leary at 617-522-0222 x101 or email[email protected].

Applications are available online. Mail or deliver the application & fee to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

This summer, especially after the Bike-A-Thon, we’ll need extra volunteers to help around the office with easy tasks, such as data entry and envelope stuffing. If you or someone you know is available during weekday business hours, then this office volunteering role would be a great way to plug in and help out BNB! Scheduling is flexible. Please contact Sean Madsen at [email protected].

New Bike Shop Mechanic, Derek McIntire

The April and May Free Clinics at the BNB Shop have been a big success so far! For June, we have Practical Bike Fit on Thursday June 6th from 8-9pm, Basic Maintenance Wednesday June 12th from 8-9pm, and Flat Fixing Wednesday June 19th from 8-9pm. Check our website for more details. No need to sign up – just show up at 8pm! And don’t forget Tool Time, which is Monday June 3rd from 7-9pm and does require both a BNB Membership and advanced sign up.

Longtime BNB Shop employee Miguel will be leaving us to apprentice at the Center for Appropriate Transport in Eugene OR. He’ll be teaching bike mechanics as well as learning about and fabricating Cargo Bikes, one of which he hopes to raise money for and send back to BNB. Derek McIntire (also a former BNB employee) has returned to BNB as a shop mechanic. Derek just got back from working in Kenya with a community bike shop helping to train the staff in more advanced mechanics and shop operations.

We are now stocking two new panniers from Racktime. The Single-it ($60) is an individual pannier with organizing pockets, outer reflectors, and a waterproof rain cover. We are also stocking the Travel-it in two sizes (front-$100 and rear-$120). These are more traditional touring panniers with multiple pockets and an integrated rain cover. Both of these use Ortlieb’s proven QL1 mounting system (which means they attach similarly to the more expensive Ortlieb panniers) but are priced more competitively than the Ortlieb’s.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Bike-A-Thon! We’ll be giving free bicycle safety checks to registered Bike-A-Thon riders in the morning and tabling in the afternoon.

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Bikes Not Bombs Mega Update

Spring 2013 Youth Programs Enrollment is Open

• Spring 2013 Earn-A-Bike: March 25 – May 1, 2013 (M-Th, 3:30 – 6:30p)
• Spring 2013 Girls In Action: May 13 – June 14, 2013 (M-Th, 3:30 – 6:30p)

Bikes Not Bombs is currently enrolling applicants for the Spring 2013 sessions of the Earn-A-Bike andGirls in Action programs. Earn-A-Bike is a co-ed program and Girls In Action is for girls only.

Both sessions are Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30pm – 6:30pm. In the program you’ll choose a bike in the beginning and learn the skills to not only build it up, but maintain it as well. At the end of the program, once the bike is built, it is yours to take home! Additionally, we go on bike adventures to explore some of the fascinating places Boston has to offer, and look into various environmental and social justice issues.

There are a limited number of spots available. Applicants are chosen based on application date, and the applicant’s availability and willingness to commit. To qualify for enrollment, BOTH the application (filled out) and payment (cash, check or money order) need to be submitted. If you (student) are not accepted for whatever reason, you will be notified and your program fee will be returned. Fee waivers are available.

If you have any questions please contact Elijah Evans, Director of Youth Programs, at 617-522-0222 x101 or email [email protected]

Applications are available online. Mail or deliver the application & fee to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Manolo Sandoval Stephane and Fatima teaching a lesson during AIT

Adult Instructor Training (AIT) is a 30-hour course, taught by BNB Youth Employees, that provides the foundation in basic bike mechanics, teaching methods, role modeling and leadership, and age and gender sensitivity that you need to successfully volunteer in BNB Youth Programs. In exchange for this free program, Adult Instructors are REQUIRED to volunteer a minimum of one program day per week from 3pm-7pm in at least one session of Earn-A-Bike or Girls In Action.

AIT runs March 11 – March 22, Monday – Wednesday, and Fridays 6-9PM

Adults of all identities are encouraged to apply. Spanish skills are helpful but not required. No bicycle mechanics experience necessary. For more information please contact Elijah Evans at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x101

Phone Outreach Coordinator for our Bike-A-Thon – Here’s a fun job part-time job for 12 hours per week this spring: help recruit riders for our Bike-A-Thon. Call up people who’ve ridden before and ask them to do it again this year! Easy. It also pays $12 per hour! You’ll get a chance to talk with lots of our supporters, as work with volunteers who will help out with the calling too. And for Bike-A-Thon day you’ll organize our rider welcome area to celebrate the riders as they cross the finish line. This event is super fun, and this job is a great way to plug in! Read more online

Hiring cycling Route Coordinator for our Bike-A-Thon ride! – An exciting job this spring for 20-25 hours per week and $18 per hour! Help plan and coordinate the cycling-related aspects of our Bike-A-Thonevent — route maps, route marking, rest stops, volunteer ride marshals, spare parts, tools, and first aid. This job is perfect for someone who has experience with biking and event planning. The work is from March through June and applications are due by February 10th. Read more online

Save The Date! Bike-A-Thon Registration Opens March 1st, and the event will take place on June 2nd!

BNB staff singing their annual ode to volunteers

Every year we gather together for a night of food and fun to appreciate all of the hard work that our amazing volunteer community has put into making Bikes Not Bombs’ programming happen, and YOU’RE invited! Come on out to meet and spend time with other volunteers and BNB staff and community members, enjoy snacks, and celebrate our work.

Who: All BNB volunteers! If you’re not sure if that’s you, ask Jeremy ([email protected])

When: Thursday March 7th, 7 – 9 pm RSVP on Facebook

Where: BNB Hub, 284 Amory Street

Come check out our amazing youth programs!

As we kick off a new year of youth programs at Bikes Not Bombs, we want to take an opportunity to open our doors to any and everyone who is interested in getting involved. The BNB Youth Programs Open House is a chance for parents, friends, teachers and interested youth to learn about our programming in-depth and see if it is a good fit for you or someone you know.

Please bring a snack to share if you want, and prepare to be amazed! Contact Elijah Evans at[email protected] or RSVP on Facebook

Upcoming dates: February 13th and February 27th. Tool Time is a time for BNB youth programs graduates, members, and volunteers to come through and use our Hub mechanics space and tools to work on your own bike. To attend a session, please rsvp to Jeremy ([email protected]; 617-522-0222 x109) with at least 24 hours notice so we can make sure we have enough space.

See more info and upcoming Tool Time dates online.

BNB Summer 2012 Youth Employees Kafe Williams-Kalez and Evan Hanlon Demonstrate Earn-A-Bike Teaching Techniques

The Boston Youth Fund provides thousands of Boston teens between the ages of 15 and 17 with job opportunities during the summer months. The Boston Youth Fund participants work in a variety of jobs within community, faith-based, and government agencies, including Bikes Not Bombs. To Be Eligible for the BYF Summer Employment Program, You: MUST Turn 15 Years Old – On or Before July 7, 2013, CANNOT Turn 18 Years Old – On or Before August 16, 2013, MUST be a Full-Time Resident of the City of Boston, MUST be Legally Permitted to Work in Massachusetts & The United States. Visit the Boston Youth Fundonline to enroll.

The Boston Phoenix is collecting nominations for its annual Best of Boston Awards. It only takes a minute to vote! Visit their online ballot and write in ‘Bikes Not Bombs’ for Best Bike Shop and Best Local Non-profit!

BNB is thrilled to announce that Ashley Leary has joined Hub Staff as the Chain Reaction Coordinator. Ashley joined BNB in 2008 as a participant of the first all girls EAB and soon became a instructor in the program. She completed our Vocational Education program and soon after joined the staff at the Bike Shop. Ashley joined BNB’s Board of Directors in the summer of 2010, a role she held until joining staff. Ashley will coordinate all aspects of Chain Reaction, BNB’s after-school, mobile, youth-run bike shop, which will be located at the Yawkey Club of Roxbury, from April through June. She is also studying sociology at Northeastern University and in her spare time she is usually shooting hoops or listening to music.

The Bike-A-Thon is a great opportunity for local businesses to get some awesome publicity. For as little as $25, or as much as $2,500, you can become a Bike-A-Thon sponsor. Your name will be listed on outreach materials, and the BNB website and, for larger sponsors, the back of the 2013 Bike-A-Thon t-shirt. For info about the different levels please contact Sarah Braker at 617-522-0222 x104 or[email protected].

The Bianchi Camaleonte, now available at the BNB Bike Shop

The Bikes Not Bombs Bike Shop has been busy refurbishing bikes for the Spring. Although not always the best weather for a test ride, Winter is a great time to stop by and check out what we have for bikes. Every week there are about 20 new bikes to come see. We also have our first new bike model of the year! The Bianchi Camaleonte (Italian for Chameleon) is a versatile and adaptable flat bar road bike. It’s well suited as a fast commuter with disc brakes, all the mounts for racks and fenders, comfortable 32mm tires and a wide range of gears. But it would also function well as a purely recreational bike for spirited weekend rides. We currently have a few sizes built up for test rides. Come down and check them out!

Although the cold and snow will give every reasonable cyclist doubts about when and how often (and in what weather) they venture out, we do stock many accessories that can make mild and extreme winter riding a possibility. If you have any questions about increasing visibility, keeping your hands warm, better fender coverage, tires that can handle icy roads, or even what to use to get all the road salt off your bike, feel free to stop by.

Does your municipality conduct a multiple-item collection event in the spring and/ or fall? Bikes Not Bombs participates in events in Andover, Acton, Arlington, Ayer, Billerica, Concord, North Reading, Mansfield, Medfield, Melrose, Northampton, Tewksbury, and Wrentham, collecting hundreds of useful bikes. If your town (or an organization within your town) conducts one of these events, and it is not on the list above, we want to know about it. If you have contact information for an organizer, that’s great, but if you do not, even knowledge that an event exists is useful to us. Email[email protected].

Keemo White is the January 2013 Youth Employee of the Month. Originally from Jamaica, Keemo came to Bikes Not Bombs in 2012 with one thing in mind, fixing bikes! Since then, he has become a respected leader among his peers and has sought out many opportunities to develop new skills. He takes initiative, works independently and with his peers to achieve goals, is focused and has a calm leadership style that people have responded well to and respect. Keemo is also fun to be around, and he motivates his peers to be successful. While he has a steadfast belief in his own ideas and opinions, he is always willing to adhere to the group process. Keemo has also increased his participation in the Youth Jobs Coalition by playing a role in setting goals for the coalition, helping with campaign strategy, and mapping and strategizing ways for the groups to reach those goals. Congratulations to Keemo!

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Livable Streets Mega Update

Got this in the email, lots of good stuff in here.

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Wednesday, November 28th, 7-9 PM, is our next StreetTalk with City of Cambridge Transportation Demand Guru, Stephanie Groll.

Then on Thursday, November 29th, 6-9 PM, we are bringing back our popular Networking Night.

Save the dates. More details coming soon.

Is your business, firm, or group interested in getting involved in these events? Become a sponsor. Email [email protected] for more information.

Italians buy more bikes than cars for the first time since WWII     Bike sales see big increase in Italy. Photo Source: The Christian Science Monitor  Last year 1.75 million bikes were sold in Italy, compared to 1.748 million motor vehicles, according to The Christian Science Monitor. Contributing to this trend are rising fuel prices and hefty costs associated with keeping a car on the road. Gas prices recently hit €2 a liter ($9.50 a gallon), and the average cost of ownership is estimated at around €7,0000 ($9,000) a year. The fact that it’s quicker to get around Rome by bike, makes it no wonder that bike sales are increasing.   Antonio Della Venezia, president of the Italian Federation of Bike Lovers, told Italian paper La Republica, “People who have only ever driven cars are changing their thinking. I don’t think Italy will go back to the levels of car sales that we saw before 2008.” In addition to new bikes being bought, an estimated 200,000 old bikes have also been restored for regular use. Read full article here>>

LivableStreets to speak at NACTO Designing Cities Conference in New York City   Streets and sidewalks comprise close to 80 percent of a city’s public space. These streets not only represent essential corridors of commerce and industry, they serve as front yards, playgrounds, and theaters which showcase the expressions of urban life. While the public must decide how it wants to use this wealth of space, city leaders can inspire us to imagine all the possibilities.   Designing Cities: Leading the Way to World Class Streets is an opportunity for elected officials, transportation leaders, and key stakeholders from the public and private sector to forge a common vision for cities to achieve national objectives for healthier, more sustainable, equitable, and efficient cities of tomorrow. NACTO is the National Association of City Transportation Officials.   Speakers include US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and NYC Transportation Commissioner & NACTO President Janette Sadik-Khan.   LivableStreets Executive Director Jackie Douglas will be moderating a panel on data and community-driven action to create safer streets with leaders from New York City and Seattle. Though walking, biking, and transit access are keys to a sustainable city, every year over 5,000 pedestrians and cyclists are killed in traffic nationwide, and at least 18,000 are severely injured. The panelists will focus on how they are decreasing crashes with the ultimate goal of zero road collisions. > For more information about the conference, click here >> > Follow LivableStreets on Twitter to get live updates from the NACTO Conference.

Remembering Danny O’Brien  Good friend of LivableStreets and “Godfather of rails to trails” The Cape Cod Rail Trail, one of Danny O’Brien’s crowning achievements.   Danny O’Brien, a good friend of LivableStreets, passed away this past summer after a long battle with cancer. Danny was the director of Greenway Planning at the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and known to many as the “Godfather of rails to trails” in Massachusetts. We often forget that behind some of the greatest things in our built environment is a passionate and dedicated champion within government. Danny is one of those people. Take a few minutes to celebrate what he has given to us by browsing some photos of the  Cape Cod Rail Trail, a crowning achievement of his.

MassDOT holding series of statewide transportation conversations

September 27 – November 29, 5:30pm-8:00pm

@ Major cities & town across MA 

MassDOT is holding a series of public meetings to help determine the future of transportation in MA. Attend and make your voice heard to help shape our state’s transportation system. Framingham, Mattapan, Medford and Boston’s meetings will be held in November. Check out full details of meetings here>>

Bowker Overpass/Storrow Drive Viaduct Repair Work Contract Public Meeting 

Monday, October 29, 6:00pm

@ Mezzanine Conference Room, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St

For more information>>

MassDOT Boston South Station public meetings

Monday, November 19, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Tuesday, November 20, 8:00am-9:15am

@ Atlantic Wharf, 290 Congress Street – Fort Point Room, 2nd floor

MassDOT is leading an effort to improve and expand Boston South Station for the future, and wants to hear your ideas. MassDOT is providing two meeting times for convenience, the same content will be shown at both.

The New Urban Interface event forum

Mondays, October 29 through December 3, starting at 5:00pm or 6:00pm

@ MIT, exact room location varies week to week 

MIT Department of Urban Studies and Visiting Scholar Aaron Naparstek are hosting weekly events showcasing new directions in urban design and planning. Topics range from NYC’s New Public Space Vision to Public Transportation for Personal Freedom.

For more information and time/location details, click here >>

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Bikes Not Bombs Mega Roundup

BNB is an amazing program, below is a giant roundup of what they are up to. They do so many things that I have decided to put it all into one uber post instead of flood the site with the ten posts I want to write about them.

Check it out!

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Bikes Not Bombs Releases First Ever Annual Report It is a pleasure to share Bikes Not Bombs’ first ever Annual Report with you. We hope you enjoy it! In this report, you’ll get a snapshot of the programs we run and what we’ve been up to this past year. You’ll also see a financial summary and a list of our staff, board, key contributors, and partners. 2011 was an extremely successful year for Bikes Not Bombs, but none of it would have been possible without the steadfast dedication of thousands of individuals and community partners. No matter how you contributed to the effort, we are deeply grateful for your support. If you have any questions about our Annual Report or would like to receive a paper copy, please contact Allie Hunter, Director of Fundraising & Events, at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x106. Thanks!

May 7 – June 14, 2012
(Mon – Thurs, 3:30 – 6:30p)

Girls In Action is BNB’s all-girls program. Just like our co-ed Earn-A-Bike program, Girls In Action combines bicycle mechanics and riding and is a great way for girls aged 12-18 to learn new things, make friends, get active and earn a bike of their own! In addition to mechanics, GIA offers fitness, safety, and environmental activities, as well as weekly workshops or field trips! You might visit an urban farm, learn how to do henna tattoos, or do community service, all while meeting other cool girls and learning how to completely rebuild a bike.

This program runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 6:30 pm each day. Youth without schedule conflicts are given preference. No experience in biking or mechanics is necessary to apply and as with Earn-A-Bike, every program graduate will ride away on her very own refurbished bicycle!

Applications are available online. We can also email or mail applications to you or you can pick them up in person. Read more online. If you have any questions please contact Elijah Evans, Youth Programs Director, at 617-522-0222 x101 or email [email protected].

Register Now!

For our June 3rd Bike-A-Thon this year we have a new 40 mile route! Perhaps you’ve already ridden the 25 or 15 mile Bike-A-Thon route in past years and now you’d like to push yourself to ride a little further! Or maybe you’ve done the 65 before and you’d like to get back to the festival earlier to see more live music! Or, for the few of you out there that have not yet ridden in this fantastic fundraising bike ride, this new 40 mile route will be a great way to dive in!

Route maps are now online for all four routes!

We’ve designed this new 40 mile ride to be as scenic as possible. It heads straight out west to the Farm Pond area in Dover and Sherborn. Avid roadies from all over Boston know this area as one of the best places to find smooth roads and beautiful views. At the midpoint of the route you’ll have the pleasure of visiting the Peace Abbey for a quick snack and water refill. Along the way you’ll ride by sweeping fields, babbling brooks, and shady groves. The route will take you back to the Green Roots Festival in Jamaica Plain via the same path as the longer 65 mile ride.

All four rides give you the opportunity to support the amazing work of Bikes Not Bombs by fundraising $150 or more using our easy online fundraising system. You can also form a team with friends or as a group from your work or other organizations, and we give out prizes to recognize top teams. Register nowand ride with us on June 3rd!

Photo by Wayne Chinnock

Come help out at our annual Bike-A-Thon and Green Roots Festival this year on June 3rd, with a rain date of June 24th. We need over one hundred volunteers to make this huge event happen! Sign up to volunteerand you could end up doing all sorts of fun stuff like: biking along the route to help riders, setting up tents and banners, supervising festival activities, and more! Note that you can sign up for June 3rd, or June 24th, or both — and we even have some tasks that you can help out with before the event too! Volunteers get special access to free food at the festival as well as a new 2012 Bikes Not Bombs shirt! Get your friends to sign up too and we’ll do our best to give you tasks that you can do together. Join the team!

Photo by Wayne Chinnock

We need more folding tables and pop up tents for our Bike-A-Thon and Festival in June! Do you have access to these? Would you be willing lend them to us, or even donate them?

• Folding Tables: would ideally be 6 or 8 feet long, thick plastic tables with fold-out legs. Other varieties may be useful too.
• Pop-Up Tents: must be free-standing, should be at least 10 feet square, heavy-duty preferred.

If you’re able to lend or donate some of these supplies to us it would be super helpful! Contact Sean Madsen at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x111.

Have a Mac that you’re no longer using? Donate it to BNB and alleviate the headaches that many of our staff face when trying to use current software with out-dated hardware! To arrange a donation, contact Sean Madsen, our IT manager at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x111. As long as your Mac is Intel based, we want it! If you’re not sure, call Sean and he’ll help you figure it out. If you are sure that it’s Intel, then feel free to bring it to either of our locations or any of our upcoming bike drives. If you live close to JP, we may even be able to come pick it up!

The Bike Shop is hosting Free Clinics coming up. On Friday 4/13, from 8-9pm, we’ll be doing a basic maintenance clinic. Learn some maintenance basics like lubing your chain and airing your tires, as well as things to check before going on a ride. Come prepared with any questions you’ve been dying to ask – no judgments here! On Monday 4/23, we’ll also be doing a free flat fixing clinic. Learn to take tires on & off, analyze & diagnose flats, and patch tubes. No reservations are required for the free clinics, but do be sure to show up on time!

In non-education-news, we’re still doing some spring cleaning around the shop, which means some great markdowns for you. A few more Ortlieb panniers & handlebar bags as well as Baileyworks messenger backpacks and some Nutcase helmets. Whoa! Come buy your new commuter bike and get it fully outfitted so you can avoid the infamous Sweaty Back Syndrome this summer!

Announcing our new Same-Day-Wednesday repairs! Now that we’re open 8am-9pm on Wednesdays, we’ll be offering some same-day repairs. If you schedule the repair in advance, you’ll be able to drop off your bike on your way to work in the morning (before 10am) and pickup on your way home (after 7pm)! Amazing!

Finally, the Bike Shop needs donations of rags! We want cotton cloth (can be old clothes, etc) cut into pieces – 6″x12″ is a rough guide. Bring these to our 18 Bartlett Square location. If you can’t cut them before donating, contact us first to talk about much quantity you’d be bringing. Contact Drake at 617-522-0226 or [email protected]

A bike drive is an event, often organized by a volunteer, to collect bicycles for Bikes Not Bombs. Large drives will sometime bring in over 200 bikes! These drives help us extend our network of bike collection beyond our two locations in Jamaica Plain. If you have a bike to donate, you can always bring it to Jamaica Plain, but if you live further away, then hopefully you’ll be able to find a bike drive that is closer. Some upcoming drives:

• Durham, NH on Sat, Apr 7th
• Southbridge, MA on Sat, Apr 14th
• Newton, MA on Sun, Apr 15th
• Franklin, MA on Sat, Apr 21st
• Lowell, MA on Sun, Apr 22nd
• Winchester, MA on Sat, Apr 28th
• Watertown, MA on Sat, Apr 28th
• Billerica, MA on Sat, May 5th
• Medfield, MA on Sat, May 5th
• Andover, MA on Sat, May 5th
• Acton, MA on Sat, May 5th
• Natick, MA on Sat, May 5th
• Concord, MA on Sat, May 5th

Full info on these and more bike drives online.

Want to help bring Bikes Not Bombs’ bike collection to your town? We’d love to have your help to organize a bike drive!

Ronald is one of the longest tenured Youth Instructors and it shows. He’s stepped up in amazing ways to help his fellow Youth Employees learn new skills and has been taking a step back to watch them shine. When there’s an opportunity to take initiative – like helping pick out bikes for Earn-A-Bike – Ronald can be counted on to be there. Ronald makes a real effort around BNB and is always happy to lend his mechanics expertise to someone in need. It’s been so amazing to watch Ronald grow and change and the Hub wouldn’t be the same without his sense of humor. Congrats to Ronald on a well deserved and much overdue award!

Earn-A-Bike Summer Session #1: July 4, 2012–July 20, 2012
Application Deadline: June 27, 2012

Earn-A-Bike Summer Session #2: July 25, 2012–August 12, 2012
Application Deadline: July 18, 2012

Bikes Not Bombs is currently enrolling applicants for the Summer 2012 sessions of the Earn-A-Bike Program. In the program you’ll choose a bike and learn the skills to not only build it up, but maintain it as well. At the end of the program, once the bike is built, it is yours to take home! Additionally, we go on bike adventures to explore some of the fascinating places Boston has to offer, and look into various environmental awareness topics.

There are a limited number of spots available. Applicants are chosen based on application date, and the applicant’s availability and willingness to commit. To qualify for enrollment, BOTH the application (filled out) and payment (cash, check or money order) need to be submitted. If you (student) are not accepted into the program, you will be notified and your program fee will be returned.

If you have any questions please contact Elijah Evans, Director of Youth Programs, at 617-522-0222 x101 or email [email protected]

Applications are available online. Mail or deliver the application & fee to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Mark your calendars for this fun movement-building event! Celebrating its 5th year of fun and awareness, the Green Roots Festival has become a staple of sharing ideas to make our neighborhoods and the world a better place. The Green Roots Festival is an outdoor celebration with food, live music, exhibitors, vendors, and interactive children’s activities, put on by Bikes Not Bombs! The Festival takes place Noon – 5:30 in the park adjacent to the Stony Brook T Station in Jamaica Plain. Each year we continue to grow and expand with a diverse selection of exhibitors and interactive activities. The festival is free and open to the public, and we welcome everyone to enjoy an afternoon in the park!

An of course, if you are riding the Bike-A-Thon, this festival is the afterparty for your ride!

Read more online about the festival, how to volunteer (including yoga, massage, and children’s activities volunteers) and how to apply to be an exhibitor or vendor.

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