Bikes Not Bombs Bike-A-Thon Moved To June 19th

from BnB.

Bike-A-Thon, now on June 19th! With the rainy weather on June 5th, our 29th Annual Bike-A-Thon is now on Sunday June 19th! We’re planning on making the best of the next week and a half so please join us! If you are now able to make the ride, you’re in luck!We’re offering half-priced registration untilmidnight tonight! Already registered? Take these extra days to raise your fundraising goal, recruit a few more people to join your team or go out on a practice ride. Thank you to all of our riders, sponsors, volunteers and donors who have stood behind us as we hold out for a sunnier day, we will see you on June 19th! Welcome Manizha Baraki! Please help us extend a warm welcome to Manizha Baraki who joins us as our new International Programs Coordinator! Manizha recently received her Masters in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and previously has worked with UN Women in Afghanistan and New York. At BNB, she will be communicating with international partners on a regular basis, traveling to provide technical assistance to partner organizations, monitoring progress and evaluating impact. Manizha brings a wealth of experience to BNB and is passionate about empowerment of women and youth in underserved communities. Say hi to Manizha at our next container loading, or email her at [email protected]! . New Sticker! Remember back in February when we hosted a contest to redesign our sticker? The new stickers have arrived! We had a fierce competition between a number of skilled designers, but at the end chose a design that both recollects previous stickers and brings in a fresh twist. Huge thank you to everyone who submitted art, and especially to the winning designer, David Alderman. You can purchase one of our new, reflective stickers at the Bike Shop, Hub, or at the many events we attend. Summer Earn-A-Bike Know a 12-18 year old who has an interest in learning bike mechanics and safe urban riding skills? Encourage them to apply for Earn-A-Bike! We’ve got two sessions this summer, from July 5th – July 22ndand from July 25th to August 12th. Both sessions will meet Monday – Friday 2-6pm. More information and applications on our website, or available at our Hub and Shop. Happenings at the Bike Shop Upcoming Clinics: Mon 6/6 7-9pm Adult Earn-A-Bike Alumni Night Mon 6/13 7-9pm Femmechanics Thurs 6/16 8-9pm Basic Repair & Maintenance Mon 6/20 7-9pm Adult Earn-A-Bike Alumni Night Tues 6/21 8-9pm Flat Fixing Please be on time for the clinics. RSVP by 5pm theSunday ahead of time for Adult Earn-A-Bike Alumni Night. Volunteer of the Month – David Read This month we want to extend our thanks to David Read. We first met David at a Lunch Brake last May and knew right away he was going to be a super volunteer. He organized a table for our 2015 Building Momentum Breakfast even though he could not attend and has been a regular at Container Loadings ever since. Last month he organized a Bike Drive that brought in over a hundred bikes! When he’s not volunteering at BNB, he is helping to organize the Longwood Medical Area Bike Network, an effort to improve cycling experiences and keep cyclists safe in that area. David’s commitment and enthusiasm for our work, and for cyclists in Boston generally, makes him our volunteer of the month! News Outside of BNB Femmechanics The femme/trans*/women (FTW) group Femmechanics, who we partner with monthly, has a number of upcoming events this summer from camping to alley cats to social events! Learn more at their website. Lives at Stake Join the Jamaica Plain Progressives for A Community Conversation On Mass Incarceration. National leaders acknowledge the mistake of “tough on crime” legislation, why is Massachusetts slow to respond? At the First Baptist Church in JP on Thursday June 16th at 7pm. Inter-Neighborhood Ride Series: DorchesterJoin DotBike to explore Dorchester! Meet at Ashmont Cycles at 11am on Saturday July 9th. More details on Facebook!

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Bikes Not Bombs Update

from Bikes Not Bombs:

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Come Celebrate the Year With Us!

Join us to celebrate an amazing 2015! We’ll be unveiling our new video mechanics manual and celebrating the contributions of staff members David Branigan and Derek McIntire as they transition out of their roles at BNB, and Stephen Bosco who has stepped back to a lead volunteer role. All ages welcome at Doyle’s Cafe on December 16th from 6-10pm, we’ll provide light appetizers, cash bar available.

Join our Board of Directors!

The Bikes Not Bombs Board of Directors is seeking candidates to join our team! The Board is responsible for guiding and providing oversight to the organization as a whole. We are particularly seeking candidates with experience in legal services, nonprofit financial management, fundraising, and human resources. People with a strong connection to our programs, mission, and the communities we serve are encouraged to apply.

Free Clinics at the Bike Shop

 Wed 11/12 8-9pm Winter Commuting Clinic
Mon 12/7 7-9pm Tool Time
Mon 12/14 7-9pm Femmechanics

RSVPs for Tool Time are due by 6pm November 7th, please be on time for the clinics.

We’ve switched to our Winter hours and will now be open on Monday 11-7pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8-8pm, Friday 11-7pm, Saturday 10-6pmand closed on Sundays.

Help BNB Load Bikes to Kenya!

We will be shipping our second container to our new partner Cycloville in Kenya on December 13th. Please join us! Stop by our warehouse for an hour or stay all day.

This will be our last container of 2015!

Volunteer of the Month – Susan Redlich!

Susan Redlich has been an invaluable part of Bikes Not Bombs since the beginning. She started collecting bike boxes in her basement to ship to Nicaragua in the 80s, and continues to load containers to this day. She says her favorite part about loading containers is “I can see in my mind the excitement of people unloading the bikes in Ghana, Guatemala, and other partner destinations.” Here is a photo of Susan visiting Maya Pedal in Guatemala. Thank you for all you do for Bikes Not Bombs Susan!

Successful 5th Annual Building Momentum Breakfast!

On Thursday October 15th 85 people joined us at Bikes Not Bombs’ Fifth Annual Building Momentum Breakfast. We are especially grateful that over 64% of guests were inspired to support Bikes Not Bombs’ work by committing to multi-year gifts and in total the breakfast raised over $69,000 for the next 5 years. Thank you to Ula Cafe for catering, Barrington Coffee for the coffee, Cambridge Innovation Center for the space and all of our guests and table captains for attending. Check out photos from the event.

News Outside of BNB

Bike Infrastructure Planning and Design Workshop – Join the Boston Cyclists Union on Saturday November 14th from 9-3:30pm to learn how to plan and design different kinds of bike route infrastructure!.

Cranksgiving – Come join the 2nd Annual Cranksgiving ride on November 21st 12pm at Copley! Cranksgiving is a bike ride and scavenger hunt where participants ride all over Boston buying food items to donate to the Greater Boston Food Bank, Red Cross, and Somerville Homeless Coalition. Ride bikes. Buy food. Give back.

Delegation to Honduras – In January join a Witness for Peace delegation to Honduras to visit and connect with a variety of communities to learn about the struggles of Hondurans amidst unfair economic policies, repression and militarization.

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What the Boston Bicycle Advisory Group Is Up To

Got this rather awesome recap of what the BBAG is up to.

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Bikes Not Bombs Winter Update

Lots going on over at BNB, check it out below!

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Youth Programs Accepting Applications The next session of Earn-A-Bike will be March 23rd – April 30th, Mondays through Thursdays from 4:00m-7:00pm. The program is open to youth ages 12-18 who are interested in learning bike mechanics and safe riding skills. Applications are available online or at our Hub. We are also accepting applications for Adult Instructor Training. In this program, adults are taught basic mechanic and mentorship skills by Youth Instructors and in exchange, participants MUST volunteer at least one day per week in Spring Earn-A-Bike. Questions? Contact Ashley Leary, 617-522-0222 x101, [email protected]

Half-Priced Bike-A-Thon Registration OpensMarch 1st! Our 28th annual Bike-A-Thon will be held on Sunday, June 7th, with a raindate of Sunday, June 21st. We’ll have four routes – 80, 50, 30, and 10-miles. Please mark the date in your calendar and start thinking about recruiting friends to ride with you! Registration opens March 1st and is half price until March 31st. Get exciiitteedd!! Check out photos and the amazing results from the2014 Bike-A-Thon and email[email protected] with any questions.

New Sales at the BNB Shop Until February 28th our Winter Overhaul (a complete overhaul of the bike + any parts installations) is $120 plus parts, $80 less than the in-season labor rate. Stop by the shop for a free estimate. Complete Surly Bikes are now discounted $150 untilApril 1st! The bike we’re most excited about is our18″ Big Dummy Disc Cargo Bike which will sell for $1,560, 25% off the current retail price. Linus Bikes are also reduced for 2015. We’ve got 3 and 8 speed models available for test rides, and can always special order other colors or models from Linus! The next Tool Time will be on Monday March 2nd from 7-9pm, sign up by 6pm February 28th!Femmechanics will be at the shop on Monday March 9th from 7-9pm.

Seeking Corporate Sponsors for Bike-A-Thon Bikes Not Bombs’ 28th annual Bike-A-Thon is onJune 7th and we’re looking for local businesses to support the event by signing on as sponsors. Sponsorship is a golden opportunity to align your organization with well over 700 riders and volunteers on ride day, and with thousands more after the event. Sponsorship is easy, and available for every budget with various visibility options available. Check out the levels available and contact Eric Mearns at [email protected] or 617-522-0222×113 with any questions.

Volunteer of the Month – Frank Ashenuga This month’s Volunteer of the Month award goes to Frank Ashenuga – Congratulations Frank! An avid, every day and all-weather bike commuter, Frank (pictured far right) joined BNB by taking Adult Instructor Training in the fall of 2014. Since then he has consistently supported youth programs and grown his involvement with BNB. After helping out with fall Earn-A-Bike, Frank started coming on Thursdays for Bike-In to keep up his mechanics skills and help the next generation of bike commuters. In his spare time, he helped out with 2014’s Phone-A-Thon, attended the 30th Anniversary Party, and helped start the Advanced Mechanics course for Adult Instructor Training graduates. Thanks for everything Frank!

Volunteers Needed for the 2015 Bike-A-Thon! BNB is seeking volunteers with trucks or vans to help set up Bike-A-Thon rest stops on June 7th! All volunteers get a t-shirt, free food all day, and they get to meet and support all of our amazing Bike-A-Thon cyclists! If you’d like to provide support to riders on Bike-A-Thon day, contact Eric Mearns at[email protected], or 617-522-0222×113.

Steve’s Great Divide Ride Steve Reynolds, a BNB volunteer, will be riding 2750 miles this summer from Canada to Mexico while raising funds for BNB, and he’s looking for other cyclists to join him! The route was planned by Adventure Cycling and travels substantial distance off-road. Feel free to tag along for one night or the whole 3 month trip. Reach out to Steve directly with any questions atstevesgreatdivideride@gmail.com

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MassBike Announces A New Executive Director

I look forward to seeing what the new executive director of MassBike has to offer.

From the press release:

Experienced Promoter, Announcer, and Journalist Will Lead Statewide Advocacy Group As Bicycling is Growing in Popularity.

BOSTON (Jan. 6, 2015) – After an extensive search and interview process the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) has named Richard Fries to serve as its new executive director. His appointment comes as new investments in infrastructure and education have encouraged more people than ever to explore bicycling as a safe, healthy, accessible transportation option.

“I’ve never been so excited about a professional opportunity before. From its compact urban centers and world-class transit system to its beautiful countryside, Massachusetts has all the ingredients we need to build a truly first-rate bicycle culture,” said Fries. “Whether you’re starting a new bike business, riding for the first time, or logging your thousandth mile, we can all work together to build a state where everyone has access to a safe, smooth ride.”

Fries’ experience in the bicycling community is both broad and deep. For the past eight years he has served as the marketing director and later the cycling experience director for Best Buddies International, where he helped promote as many as four charity cycling events per year. He has also served as a development advisor for People for Bikes, where he helped launch Tim Johnson’s Ride on Washington, and he spent two years as the director of the Bicycle Leadership Conference.

“Richard comes to MassBike with the perfect blend of advocacy, leadership, and industry experience that, combined with his passion for cycling, will help us continue to make bicycling better in every corner of the state,” said Jim Bradley, President of MassBike’s Board of Directors.

Fries is co-founder of the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival, which has grown to become the largest cyclo-cross event in America and one of New England’s largest cycling events. Fries will stay on as director of that event, now known as the KMC Cyclo-cross Festival.

Having raced at the pro level both in America and Europe, Fries left racing to become a journalist. He co-founded The Ride Magazine, a regional cycling publication that focused on all facets of bike culture in the Northeast. He also developed a reputation as both a live announcer and a television commentator. Fries has called countless national championships and several UCI World Cups and the UCI World Championships in both road and cyclo-cross. He has been an event consultant for the past five years.

Fries will join MassBike on January 15 and succeeds David Watson who held the post for eight years. “I am honored to be joining MassBike at such a critical time, and that excitement only grew when I dug into the details of how well David Watson ran this organization,” said Fries. “I could not have received a better lead-out. This board, this staff, this membership, and many of our strategic partners have set Massachusetts up to become the gold standard for bicycling in the United States. ”

A native of Pittsburgh, Fries received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Florida, and a masters degree in journalism from Northeastern University. A passionate bicycle commuter, Fries lives alongside the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in Lexington, Mass. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children.

Read a Q&A interview with Richard Fries about his appointment.

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