Author: Ian

Public Workshop Hours – “Closed Door” Season

We’re well into October September2 and have enjoying (with some guilt and dread) the unseasonable warmth. Once temperatures are consistently below ~50°F, we will transition to hosting our weekly public hours on Sundays from 11 AM-3 PM with the large bay door closed at 416 W Huron.

Weekly public hours will continue as usual, and this transition will involve some revised safety protocols as we work to keep CC users and volunteers safe while we everyone turns some wrenches.

Below are the protocols we’re planning to implement once the door comes down for the season –

(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.

(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.
—-

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.
—-

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!

Bikes_Parked

2019 – Public Hours and Volunteer Opportunities

Vol_Opportunities_2019

Common Cycle is a wholly 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, 7-9 PM Update, 8/28: Tuesday public hours are finished for the 2019 season.

Thanks for everyone’s involvement in making a second day of public hours a big, dang ol’ success.
Thursdays, 5-9 PM Public Hours (Independent) / Donation Bicycle Work Session @ 416
[no signup needed – just drop by!]

Winter 2018-19 Hours & WTF Sessions

Weekly Winter Hours

Unless otherwise noted here or on the CC Facebeak page, weekly public hours on Sunday will continue through the chillier season.

Sundays, 11 AM-3PM, 416 W Huron St

[Winter, 2019] Women | Femme | Trans Sessions

[Updated 2/24 – March/April sessions rescheduled to Tuesday]

Four sessions of our WTF program have been scheduled for the next few months. A primary goal of these sessions is to provide a supportive space and to build community among people of underrepresented genders who are interested in working on/riding bikes. Of course, we welcome trans women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks to attend. Please feel free to drop in (no RSVP needed), or email us at info@commoncycle.org with questions.

Dates:
Wednesday, January 30thRescheduled to Wednesday, February 6 due to weather
Wednesday, February 27th
Tuesday, March 26th
Tuesday, April 23rd
Wednesday, May 29th

Time: 6:30-8:30 PM

Location: The CC co-op/workspace at 416 W Huron St.