Author: Ian

Summer 2022 Update!

Common Cycle – Spring & Summer, 2022

The season is in full swing! A roundup of how Common Cycle is available to help you work on your bicycle and keep rolling through spring and summer, 2022 is below:

Volunteer Orientation – Saturday, 6/25/2022, 2-4 PM
416 W Huron St

CC Volunteer Orientation

Would you be interested in volunteering with Common Cycle or getting a little more involved? If so, this is the place to start!

We’re hosting a volunteer orientation to help folks learn about our workspace, our approach and find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities. No bike repair experience required!

If you plan on attending one of these orientations, please RSVP by emailing volunteers@commoncycle.org or via the Facesbook.
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Public Hours
Our workshop, tools and volunteer mechanics are available on Sundays from 11 AM-3 PM.

FTW (Femme/Trans/Women/Non-Binary) Program (~Monthly)
This program is an effort to build community and increase access to knowledge around bike repair amongst women, trans, femme and non-binary riders. Most months, we host a dedicated workshop on a particular topic, and the shop is reserved for women, trans, femme and/or non-binary folks who need some workspace and/or repair support. If you’re interested – send a note to info@commoncycle.org and we can add you to the FTW mailing list!

Community Events / Mobile Pop-Ups
Updated 6/22/2022
May and June are looking quite busy – in addition to our regular programming, there are a number of community events we’ll be supporting, each of which is an opportunity to come hang out and work on bikes –

Day/TimeEvent, Location, & Volunteer Signup
Saturday, June 25, 2-5 PM2022 YMCA Block Party

COVID Precautions
Updated 6/22/2022
As the county COVID transmission rate has dropped to “medium”, masks are welcome and encouraged when making use of Common Cycle resources, but are no longer required of volunteers nor visitors. All of our volunteers are fully vaccinated and will have received at least one booster shot.

Thanks for reading; hope to see you around!

[Call for Applications] Spring 2022 Maintenance Course

We are delighted to open applications for our bi-annual maintenance course. Please read the information below and submit an application at the link below if you’d like to take part.

Common Cycle’s maintenance courses are intended to help train current and future volunteers and community members by providing hands-on experience and general knowledge about fixing bicycles and assisting people who come to our bicycle co-op.

Common Cycle’s Fall 2021 Maintenance Course will be held on six consecutive Mondays from 6:30-8:30 pm, beginning April 11th and concluding on May 16, 2022. We cover a range of repairs and maintenance from basic (e.g. tube change, brake adjustment) to advanced (e.g. hub overhaul, wheel truing).

Spring 2022 Course Schedule:
Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM

    • April 11, 2022
    • April 18, 2022
    • April 25, 2022
    • May 2, 2022
    • May 9, 2022
    • May 16, 2022

Address:

416 W Huron St, Suite #11
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

The course has a cap on student numbers so that everyone will have some time and space to do hands-on work, and current volunteers will be given precedence. No knowledge of bike repair is required – just an interest in learning more and helping others.

COVID Information:

    • Only fully vaccinated and boosted individuals will be accepted into the course (you will be asked to affirm your vaccination status in the application).
    • We will follow all state and local guidance related to masking and other public health and safety measures.

Although this is a low/no-cost course, we ask you to respect the demand for this course and the large amount of volunteer work that goes into coordinating and teaching the course. Specifically:

    • If you are enrolled, we expect you to attend the majority of sessions (4+) or make clear in your application that you will not able to attend all sessions.
    • If selected, we ask that participants volunteer at least two Common Cycle events over the subsequent 6 months (these can be while you’re enrolled in the class as a way to compliment your work in class).

Application link: https://forms.gle/B6HXFnxFChJnvc1B6

Applications close Friday, March 25th at 11:59 pm. Please send any questions to info@commoncycle.org.

Looking forward!

Wheel Truing, 2022

POSTPONED by 25 Hours: 2021 End-of-Year Celebration

POSTPONED to Sunday 12/12 at 3:30 at 416 W Huron

We are POSTPONING due to high winds to tomorrow / Sunday, December 12, at 3:30 and CHANGING the location to the Common Cycle space at 416 W. Huron St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. The end-of-year celebration will closely follow weekly public hours (11 AM-3 PM as usual + 30 mins for setup).

Public Health Info

    • We will be in the Common Cycle space and garage area – there will be room to spread out
    • We are asking all attendees to be vaccinated
    • Please mask while not eating or drinking
    • The space will be ventilated and we will run our filter fan to circulate air
    • If you have questions or concerns about anything, please email info@commoncycle.org

We’ll still have pizza (including a vegan option), cupcakes, and other refreshments available, but there will, unfortunately, be less bonfire (no bonfire if we are doing things properly). But you being there will make all the difference – please join us!

Public Workshop Hours – “Closed Door” Season

UPDATE: 2/13/2022: Following a short hiatus in early-2022 due to the public health situation, Weekly Public Hours are back on Sundays from 11 AM-3 PM. Please feel free to drop by for any assistance with your bicycle – hope to see you soon!

During the remainder of the winter months, weekly public hours will continue with our “Closed Door” safety protocols in mind toward keeping CC users and volunteers safe while everyone turns some wrenches –

(1) MASKS REQUIRED: Our masking policy will be updated to “Required, Regardless of Vaccination Status” – i.e. no mask, no entry (but we’ll provide folks with a mask if they don’t have one).

(2) SOCIAL DISTANCING ENCOURAGED: Social distancing will be encouraged.

(3) VOLUNTEERS FULLY VACCINATED: In-person volunteers will be expected to be fully vaccinated according to CDC guidelines; in-person volunteers are expected to have received a COVID-booster by 2/6/2022 (or as soon as eligible thereafter).

(4) CAPACITY LIMIT: Our workspace will include both Suite #11 and the Common Bay, but we will maintain an overall capacity limit of 12 persons total (including volunteers and visitors) at any one time. (We may revisit this, depending on demand and level of comfort with this number of people in the space at once.)

(5) ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATION: We’ll deploy additional artificial circulation, running 2-3 MERV-filtered fans during public hours.

We hope this is a reasonable balance of safety and feasibility. Looking forward to continuing to work with everyone as we enter the season of cold-weather riding and winter maintenance.

As always, if you have any questions or thoughts, please send us a note at info@commoncycle.org .

During public hours (Sundays, 11 AM-3 PM), this magnetic sign will be posted on the door.
If you see this sign, please ring the doorbell on the far right and a volunteer will let you inside.

[Call for Applications] Fall 2021 Maintenance Course

Applications are now open for our bi-annual maintenance course.

Common Cycle’s maintenance courses are intended to help train future volunteers and community members by providing hands-on experience and general knowledge about fixing bicycles and assisting people who come to our bicycle co-op.

  • Six weekly sessions on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM
    • October 6
    • October 13
    • October 20
    • October 27
    • November 3
    • November 10

Location:
Common Cycle Co-op, 416 W Huron, Suite #11, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

We cover a range of repair and maintenance from basic (e.g. tube change, brake adjustment) to advanced (e.g. hub overhaul, wheel truing).

The course is capped at 15 students so that everyone will have some time and space to do hands-on work. No advance knowledge of bike repair is required – just an interest in learning more. Students may bring in their own bikes which we will diagnose as needed and use for demonstration.

Although this is a low/no-cost course, we ask you to respect the large amount of volunteer work that goes into facilitating and teaching the course. If enrolled, we expect you to attend the majority of sessions (4+) or make clear in your application if you will not able to attend some sessions.

If selected, we ask that participants volunteer or apprentice at at least two Common Cycle events over the subsequent 12 months (these can be while you’re enrolled in the class as a way to complement your work in class).

Application link: https://forms.gle/og9Vo81Tw5zi6uZP7

Applications close Friday, September 3 at 11:59 PM. Any questions are very welcome – just shoot us a note at info@commoncycle.org.

Ride on!

Public Workshop Hours – 2021 Relaunch!

Common Cycle - 2021 Public Hours Relaunch

Weekly public workshop hours are back on Sundays from 11 AM-3 PM. It’s been a while, and we’re glad to be back at it.

As always, all are welcome during public hours to work independently, to make use of the CC workbenches and/or to seek help from a volunteer mechanic. We can help to get an old bicycle road or trailworthy again, provide guidance in looking over a new (or new-to-you) bike, just chat, or leave you to get your hands dirty.

Hope to see you soon!

Note (July, 2021):
Our building’s parking lot is under construction through late-July; for the moment, vehicle parking is limited to short-term (sub 1-2 hour) periods only. In the meantime, if driving in, please park at either:

  • The West Park parking lot on Chapin St. or
  • The parking lot behind New Hope Baptist Church (also on Chapin St.)

Winter 2020-21 Updates

We’ve missed everyone during the 2020 season and hope that folks are finding opportunities to get out and ride this this winter.

While in-person repairs continue to be limited, we’d like to list a number of resources available to keep your bike running and you riding all winter long. In addition to various self-serve pumps and toolsets around A2/Ypsi, we’re excited to be able to offer remote support sessions through the coming months.

1:1 Remote Support

If you’d like remote support help with any issues or build questions, feel free to email us at info@commoncycle.org and one of our volunteers will get back to you right away.

Even if you’re not need of advice or guidance, CC volunteers can be available to shout motivational slogans at you via video while you chip petrified grime from your frame or oil a seized chain.
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Emergency Repairs

If you’re in need of emergency repairs, please don’t hesitate to reach out (also via info@commoncycle.org), and we’ll identify a safe way to lend a hand.
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Self-Service Tools / Resources

For those with some know-how or the inclination to learn, there are a number of self-service resources around town:

    • Public bicycle pumps + repair stations
      A map of pumps and Fix-It stations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti is available here. (Also listed in the sidebar of the CC homepage.)
    • Zingerman’s Band-Aid Station, 422 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
      A box of basic tools and supplies at Zingerman’s maintained by Common Cycle; located in the bicycle parking alcove next to the deli. (Feel free to ask the Zingerman’s staff, who’ll direct you to it, if needed).
    • Bløm Meadworks Toolset, 100 S 4th Ave Ste 110, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
      Our friends at Bløm Meadworks maintain a complete toolset and repair stand available for use on their patio (business hours only).
    • Bike Build Livestream-Sundays at 2-ish streamed live on the Facebook
      A friendly plug for the ongoing bike-build series hosted by CC volunteer/board member Nate. Just 1-2 sessions remain, but please let us know on the social media whether we should go with round wheels or square wheels. #rollrectilinear

We hope these resources can help keep folks rolling this winter; looking forward.

[Call for Applications] Spring 2020 Maintenance Course

Applications are now open for our bi-annual maintenance course.

Common Cycle’s maintenance courses are intended to help train future volunteers and community members by providing hands-on experience and general knowledge about fixing bicycles and assisting people who come to our bicycle co-op.

We cover a range of repair and maintenance from basic (e.g. tube change, brake adjustment) to advanced (e.g. hub overhaul, wheel truing).

The course is capped at 15 students so that everyone will have some time and space to do hands-on work. No advance knowledge of bike repair is required – just an interest in learning more. Students may bring in their own bikes which we will diagnose as needed and use for demonstration.

Although this is a low/no-cost course, we ask you to respect the large amount of volunteer work that goes into facilitating and teaching the course. If enrolled, we expect you to attend the majority of sessions (4+) or make clear in your application if you will not able to attend some sessions.

If selected, we ask that participants volunteer or apprentice at at least two Common Cycle events over the subsequent 12 months (these can be while you’re enrolled in the class as a way to complement your work in class).

Application link: https://forms.gle/ogVwVNQEzvsHU7ft6

Applications close Friday, March 6 at 11:59 PM. Any questions are very welcome – just shoot us a note at info@commoncycle.org.

Ride well!

2020 – Public Hours and Volunteer Opportunities

 

[Updated 1/31/2020]

Common Cycle 2020

Common Cycle is a volunteer-run organization. If you’re into working on bikes, learning to work on bikes or helping to sustain an inclusive space where members of the public drop in to learn about repair and maintenance, we’d love to have you get involved.

We welcome volunteers at all skill levels and have opportunities to be active no matter your skill or comfort level.

Sign-up sheets for upcoming volunteer opportunities, including regular hours and seasonal events, are listed below.

Sundays, 11 AM-3 PM Sunday Public Hours @ 416
Tuesdays, 2-5 PM Volunteer-Supported Public Hours
[no signup needed – just drop by!]
Thursdays, 7-9 PM Public Hours (Independent) /
Donation Bicycle Work Session @ 416
[no signup needed – just drop by!]

One Year Celebration & Parts Sale – Sunday, 7/28, 4-7 PM

Join us for a celebration of our first year in our co-op space! We’ll also have some parts we’ve accumulated for sale to the public.

To help us with a headcount, please reserve a free ticket(s) via EventBrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-cycles-one-year-celebration-and-parts-sale-tickets-64483197981

The new space has allowed us to expand our programming and events, provide additional public hours, and better serve the Ann Arbor community by providing increased access to tools and expertise.

Mingle with other Common Cycle users, volunteers, and patrons over light refreshments, and learn about our newly expanded bicycle distribution program.

All are invited to attend!

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