Used bike repair session

DESCRIPTION: We are helping the Stafford R-Board and its partners with the repair and preparation of used bikes to be donated to those in need this holiday season.  The Department of Social Services will identify the recipients.

WHEN:  Our first work session will be on Saturday, November 15th, 8am-3pm.  Volunteers are encouraged to stay as long as they can, but feel free to come and leave on your schedule. Please register on this page so we know that you are coming for however long you can stay!

WHERE: At the R-Board offices at 473 Eskimo Rd in Stafford (the office building next to the dump  entrance).

SKILLS NEEDED:  You do not need to be a master bike wrench turner to help. We need bike washers and chain degreasers as well as at-home mechanics who are comfortable changing innertubes or adjusting brakes. We hope to recruit at least one or two serious mechanics at each work session to provide the final QA (Quality Assurance) check especially when it comes to safety. 

**You take a bike home with you to work on it there, too! 

SUPPLIES: Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own tools, degreaser, chain lube, rags, stands and anything else that might be helpful.  The R-Board will provide tubes, tires, chains, pedals, etc. that may be used for simple, cost-effective repairs on the bikes.

PROCESS: This first session will be a work-in-progress with some trial and error.  Our tentative plan is for volunteers to choose bikes (children's bikes are a priority) from the nearby storage locker which look like they have the potential to be easy fixes, clean and work on them, and identify needed parts (tires, tubes, chain, cables) on a special yellow tag.  I hope to use a single source for the parts we need rather than have someone run all over town, but that part of the process needs to be worked out.  Bikes which are good to go and ready to pass on to the gift distributors will get a green tag.  Bike which are are not economically feasible to repair will get a red tag.  The tagging system will help us to quickly identify the bikes in the shed at a later work session, if needed.

OTHER WORK DATES:  Some have requested weekday volunteer dates. Those will be set up at a later time.

WHY DO THIS:  If doing something for the needy is not motivation enough, please know we will have coffee.  YOUR favorite, of course!   

Any questions, please email President Paul Cariker at pjcariker@comcast.net.