Free Bike Loan scheme

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:14 pm

We are about to revive and reinvent the Forest Free Bike loan scheme.
Stage one is to get hold of some adult sized bikes in a reasonable state of repair.
Eventually we will have free to use workshop facilities and free workshops on basic bike repair etc.
I propose Saturday afternoons noon til 3 as the time to do bikey things, starting Saturday 15th September, ask for me.
Use this thread to suggest places to get bikes, offer to help out etc etc etc.
I will also post this on the people's forum.

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:10 pm

This is awesome. Yay!

There are/were a number of bikes in the garden. Check 'em. There is also a bike in the workshop, which may or may not be salvageable.

Jake volunteers at the Bike Station and is going to see if we can get some stuff from there - maybe a bike stand, parts, bikes, tubes, etc...

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:46 pm

A guy at work has offered a bike which I will pick up one night this week.

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:14 pm

big up G!

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:06 pm

Now four bikes and counting! Folk may drop bikes off at the Forest and we will need somewhere to store them.

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:30 pm

Temporarily on the balconies?

bill · Post by **bill** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:16 pm

really temporarily?

also my bike is in the workshop. it has sweet pegs and says boss british eagle on it. i ahve had since i was 14 and hope it is still there when i return in a few days

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:23 am

I want to unbrand the bikes by repainting them, this would make them less attractive to thieving scumbags. I would like our bikes to have eye-popping paintjobs or perhaps some wise words. We can name them.

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:34 pm

Temporarily for now.

nix · Post by **nix** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:04 pm

yo, yo..

I have a couple that could go in ....

.. and loads of expirience painting bikes and doing "cool paintjobs"..

also, G, is it wise to do it on sat morning from 12 wich is when the Bike Station is open for "fix your own bike"

I would love to bwe part of this project.

Peace.

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:33 pm

Bill, your trusty steel steed is safe and sound on the big shelf thing half way up the hall staircase.
Nix, please consider yourself part of the project, the more the merrier, do what you can when you can.
All who are interested can discuss when would be a good day/time for workshops etc., Saturday afternoon was just my initial suggestion as I'm usually in the cafe anyway.

Jane · Post by **Jane** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:41 pm

If anyone has some bolt cutters there is a bike next to my house which I can't find the keys to unlock. It could be fixed up and used and my neighbours would be happy to see it leave. It may be wise to do this at nighttime.

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 1:23 pm

Sadly, Jane's bike has already been removed.

I have a tire pump that I will put somewhere safe in the office (top secret). Go banana.

Wills · Post by **Wills** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:39 am

i've got one bike that can be donated.
sorry i've been a bit slow on the uptake of the whole BB thing.
i can keep the boke untill a good time, or is it better to bring it to forest?

will

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:39 pm

Hey Will, just bring the bike in whenever you can.
The Kitchen Managers know where the bikes are stored or you can bring it in on a Saturday between noon and 3 when I plan on being in the cafe to do bike stuff.

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:30 pm

We have 7 bikes and the promise of a few more.

People we know and trust have already been borrowing bikes on an ad-hoc basis.
A volunteer has been taught how to ride a bike on one.
There are low-key workshops happening on Saturdays where we have been doing basic maintenance with people.

We are cleaning and fixing the bikes, Nix is painting them, some need things replaced before they are fully fit to ride.
I will put a worksheet on each bike showing what if anything needs to be done.

Now that the workshop is tidy there is enough room for 3 or 4 bikes and all the tools and bike related stuff to be kept there.

We need to think about how the loan scheme will operate regarding ID and deposits, there will be a bike loan book.
We also needs locks for the loan bikes, I think combination locks (with changeable combinations) would be good as there would be no keys to lose.

Jake is speaking to the bike station to see if there is anything they are willing to give us, work stands etc.
When we know what we have we can work out what we still need and if necessary apply for a grant from the Forest.

Any comments?
Any ideas?

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:45 pm

I know this is a loan scheme and all, but I really like using my bike and don't want to give it away! haha. however, its a bit broken and things need looking at and fixing. I could take it into a bike shop but i would love to learn how to fix things on my bike for the future. Will you guys be running a bike fixer upper workshop thingy majig? Because that would be ace...really want to get riding my bike again but can't until i do something or other to it to make it work! Help me please....I will buy you a donut or something

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:07 pm

Andy, the bike station run a fix-your-own-bike thing on wednesdays and saturdays, 3 quid an hour for a stand and tools and grease and expert advice.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:19 pm

Just to clarify I'm mentioning that to Andy in case it's useful to him, not to say that there shouldn't be forest ones. Though I think some thought needs to go into how a workshop will fit in to the local picture alongside the bike station, and if free how to keep it sustainable and not abused.

Graeme, I have an old bike which is currently sitting in the corner of a glider hangar in Fife, I'll bring it back across to Edinburgh next time I have a chance.

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:19 pm

Yes, I think in the long-term that we should do the bike maintenance workshop on a different day than the bike station. For now, while things are getting off the ground, Saturday is good because it's convenient for Graeme.

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:38 am

I am going to do bike stuff on Saturday(12-3) as there are a couple of newly donated bikes that haven't been looked at yet.
This is work that has to be done anyway and having it as a workshop will allow folk to come, help and learn.

How should it be advertised?

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:48 pm

A poster would be good. Maybe put it out on the forestspeaks??

Forest BB

Free Bike Loan scheme

Free Bike Loan scheme

KM heads up

i got bikes

A wee update on how things are going...