Staff Training Workshops Spring 2011

Posted March 21st, 2011 in Uncategorized by William

Greeters

If you haven’t yet read about it, Free Ride needs help from staff volunteers. A bunch of awesome volunteers have stepped up to the task and taken the first step towards helping as volunteer staff. However, many have not moved beyond shadowing. The staffing skills workshop is here to help new volunteers and will cover staffing skills in a more formal setting than shadowing.

Everyone who has been to an orientation and has shadowed is encouraged to join us for this fun and hands-on workshop. Please RSVP using the form on the staffing skills workshop page.

The workshop is meant to serve as an additional resource to help new volunteers get started. See more information on the Staffing Skills Workshop Page.

Upcoming Staffing Skills Workshops:

• Saturday, April 2, 10:30am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.
• Saturday, April 30, 10:30am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.
• Saturday, June 4, 10:30am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.

If you have not had a chance to shadow, please try to fit that in before going to the workshop. Volunteers who have shadowed at least once (at least part of an open shop) will be able to get much more out of the workshop.

Mechanic Advisors

New in 2011, we want to have mechanic advisors and assistants at open shop to help people with repairs. If you are interested in helping out as an advisor, please attend the teaching skills workshop. If you plan to attend, let us know with a RSVP.

The teaching skills workshops will be held on the following days:

• Saturday, April 9, 10:30am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.
• Saturday, May 7, 10:20am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.
• Saturday, May 21, 10:30am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.

Everyone who has helped out as a mechanical assistant in the shop is encouraged to join us for this fun and hands-on workshop. Please RSVP using the form on the staffing workshops page.

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Hiring Youth Instructor Coordinator for 2011

Posted March 6th, 2011 in Uncategorized by sgibson

Free Ride is hiring an Youth Instructor Coordinator to help with administrative aspects of 2011 youth summer programs. Please see the PDF for more information, including how to apply. Application deadline is March 21, 2011.

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2011 Class Schedules are posted

Posted February 18th, 2011 in Uncategorized by sgibson

Free Ride’s 2011 Adult Bike Mechanics Classes schedules are posted.

Check out our classes page for more info on our Drop-In, Series and Advanced Classes.  Check out our calendar to see the dates when our classes are offered.

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Hiring Outreach Clerk for Summer 2011

Posted February 18th, 2011 in Uncategorized by William

Free Ride is hiring an Outreach Clerk to help with administrative aspects of 2011 youth summer programs. Please see the PDF for more information, including how to apply. Application deadline is March 4, 2011.

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Voice your concerns & opinions to the council this winter

Posted November 15th, 2010 in Uncategorized by William

This December, members of the collective council will be attending a brief retreat. At the retreat, we will discuss and address some of the organizational matters that day-to-day operations prevent us from focusing on. Since only a few people will be in attendance, I wanted to make sure everybody knows they have a chance for their opinions to be heard, if wanted

If there are issues that the collective council should be made aware of and address, please let us know. Here are a few ways you can get in touch:

• Send a message to info [at] freeridepgh.org
• Send a message through the website contact form. You can make up an email address to remain anonymous.
• Place a note in the suggestion box at the shop
• Edit the crabgrass wiki page where we are going to keep track of the
  input.
• If you want to write a letter or leave a voice mail, good luck.
  (Actually, we can check all that too.)

We will be setting the retreat agenda next Sunday, so please reply before Sunday, Nov. 21.

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Staffing Training Workshop this Fall

Posted September 20th, 2010 in Uncategorized by William

If you haven’t yet read about it, Free Ride needs help from staff volunteers. A bunch of awesome volunteers have stepped up to the task and taken the first step towards helping as volunteer staff. However, many have not moved beyond shadowing. The staffing skills workshop is here to help new volunteers and will cover staffing skills in a more formal setting than shadowing.

Everyone who has been to an orientation and has shadowed is encouraged to join us for this fun and hands-on workshop. Please RSVP using the form on the staffing skills workshop page.

The workshop is meant to serve as an additional resource to help new volunteers get started. See more information on the Staffing Skills Workshop Page.

Upcoming Workshops:

• Saturday, October 2, 11am-12:30pm. Located at the shop.
• Saturday October 9, 5:15pm-6:45pm. Located at the shop.

If you have not had a chance to shadow, please try to fit that in before going to the workshop. Volunteers who have shadowed at least once (at least part of an open shop) will be able to get much more out of the workshop.

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Taking a break this winter! Important Dates!

Posted September 14th, 2010 in Uncategorized by rachel

Hi Free Ride world -

This summer rocked and fall is shaping up nicely too. Although we have two solid months of bicycle wrenching to do, winter comes quickly so we thought we’d let you know about our winter closing dates!

This doesn’t mean we’ll be gone forever – we’ll be back in the spring. In order to keep doin’ what we’re doin’, Free Ride requires a little retreat time to mull over how we’re running this crazy machine and what fabulous improvements we can make for next year.

Our LAST OPEN SHOP will be Saturday, November 20th from 1-5pm. Open shop is when you bring your bike in to fix it, work on your earn-a-bike, and get new/used parts.

Our LAST VOLUNTEER NIGHT will be Tuesday, November 23rd from 6:30-9:30pm. Actually, this will be more of a clean-up night, and we can use all the help we can get!

Check our class schedule for any classes that you may have missed! Wasn’t it your goal to learn how to true a wheel before New Years? DO IT!

Thanks for a rad 2010! It’s not quite over yet…

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Date changed! – Upcoming Advanced Class on Bottom Brackets

Posted August 30th, 2010 in Uncategorized by sgibson

Due to Construction Junction’s annual fund raising party occuring on Sat, September 11th, we are going to move the scheduled 10 am class for the same date to:

10 am to 12am   Saturday, September 18th

Sorry for any inconvenience.

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Bike to Work Day 2010! Biker Breakfasts all around town!

Posted May 19th, 2010 in Events by rachel

Bike to Work Day is this Friday, May 21st!

Repost from the Bike Pittsburgh Blog -

Six morning locations available to grab a light bite on your way to work and get your Car Free Fridays discount voucher!

At BikePGH we’re pretty excited about this year’s Bike to Work Day. We’re seeing more organizations and people interested every year in supporting the choice to bike commute.  Now on the heels of Pittsburgh’s 28th ranking as most bike-friendly U.S. city and recognition as a bronze level bicycle-friendly community more Pittsburghers  are trying bike commuting than ever before.

When you bike commute you’d be surprised how many people notice and wonder .  .  .  . mmmmmmm, could I do that too?  It’s a fun way to do something for yourself and your community.  If you’d like to give it a try, but remain a little reluctant check in at work to see if someone wants to “bike pool” with you, and be sure to check out our Bike Commuting 101 Guide.  The guide is a great way to learn about the ins and outs of bike commuting in a fun comic-book style format.  The BikePGH Messageboard is also great place to meet fellow commuters for advice and/or finding a riding buddy.

Biker Breakfasts and Car Free Fridays registrations around town . . .

This year Bike to Work Day and the first Car Free Fridays of 2010 happens on the same day.  Visit the following stations to grab a free bite, receive a voucher for discounts from local businesses, and be entered into a raffle for a bunch of great prizes.

DOWNTOWN (Main Event): 7:30am-10:00am – At Agnes Katz Plaza Downtown on 7th St and Penn Ave, join the Bike Czar Stephen Patchan and BikePGH head honcho Scott Bricker for a biker breakfast.  A bus mounted bike rack will be on display to experience what it’s like to go MULTI-MODAL.  Ted from Ted’s Excellent Bike Repair will be available for minor repairs. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Trek Development Group will be there too, along with Commute Info in celebration of the new Bike Commuter Center.  Only five of twenty-six spots remain available at the new center.   Verde Good Bean and Whole Foods Market will be providing some food and drink.

OAKLAND: CMU – 7:30am-10:00am – If you’re in Oakland be sure to stop by Carnegie Mellon’s biker breakfast at Merson Courtyard just outside the University Center.  Eryn Hughes from Velomuse will be on hand. Eryn’s organization is working to create more bicycling events and activities focused on youth and women. Chris Beech from Thick Bikes will be there to offer minor bike repairs and answer some questions as well.

PITT – 8:00am-10:00am – The University of Pittsburgh and OTMA will host a Bike Appreciation event at Posvar Patio between Hillman Library and Posvar Hall, including free bike inspections and a breakfast.

SOUTH SIDE: 7:30am-10:00am – Be sure to swing by the Southside Works to grab a quick biker breakfast at REI.

EAST LIBERTY: 7:30am-10:00am – Whole Foods Market will host their annual bike commuter welcome station.  Trek of Pittsburgh will be on hand to provide their bicycle expertise.

MOUNT LEBANON: 7:30am-10:00am – In conjunction with Car Free Fridays, the municipality of Mount Lebanon will be hosting a biker breakfast courtesy of the East End Food Coop and Aldo Coffee at the clock on Washington Road in front of the steps to the Mount Lebanon T platform.

A surprise guest has also tentatively agreed to join us at Agnes Katz Plaza downtown, but his identity will remain anonymous until Friday.  We hope to see you there!

Bike to Work Day is a signature event of Great Outdoors Week. Check out all the great events going on!

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New! Advanced Classes beginning May 27th

Posted April 30th, 2010 in Uncategorized by sgibson

Free Ride is now offering Advanced Classes.  Six individual classes that offer an in-depth look at Single Speed Conversions, Bottom Brackets, Headsets, Frames and Wheel Building.

Single Speed Conversions

Want to strip down your multi-speed bike to one gear?  Learn how to measure and align your chainline, re-spacing your rear hub and dish your rear wheel.

Bottom Bracket

Learn how to measure all aspects of the bottom bracket for compatibility.  We will remove and replace cartridge bottom brackets and re-pack adjustable bottom brackets.

Headsets

Learn how to measure and cut a fork to fit and how to repack and replace both threaded and threadless headsets.

Frames

Learn how to measure and correct bent drop-outs and asymmetrical chainstays and how to recut and re-face bottom bracket shells.

Wheel Building 1

In the first class we will measure hubs and rims to determine spoke length, order class materials (hubs, spokes and rims) and review basic principles of wheel construction to prepare for the second class.  All students will need to either bring their own class materials, order them, or find appropriate used class materials at our shop in preparation for the second class.

Wheel Building 2

In this 3 hour follow-up we will lace up and tension the wheels.  All students will need to either bring their own class materials (hubs, spokes and rims), order them in the first class, or find appropriate used class materials at our shop prior to this class.

Schedule 2010

Saturday, May 27th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Single Speed Conversions

Saturday, June 12th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm Bottom Brackets

Saturday, June 26th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Headsets

Saturday, July 10th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Frames

Saturday, July 24th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Wheel Building 1

Saturday, Aug 14th  @ 10:00 am -1:00 pm  Wheel Building 2

Saturday, Aug 28th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm Single Speed Conversions

Saturday, Sept 11th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Bottom Brackets

Saturday, Sept 25th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Headsets

Saturday, Oct 9th  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Frames

Saturday, Oct 23rd  @ 10:00 am -12:00 pm  Wheel Building 1

Saturday, Oct 30th  @ 10:00 am -1:00 pm  Wheel Building 2

Registration and payment

A 2 hour class costs $15 or 2 volunteer hours.  A 3 hours class costs $25 or 3 volunteer hours.

To register for a class, simply go to Free Ride’s Advanced Classes website and pay in Google Checkout or come in and volunteer.  Once you have completed your volunteer hours a staffer will record your registration.

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