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Extra Extra: Bike Program Needs Bikes!

2012-03-23T19:20:46Z

Stock photos? Oh yes, please.

As cheesy titles go, that is one of the more true and to-the-point ones.

Yes, Charlie's Freewheels needs bikes, but the question is, why help?

Chances are, there's a broken down old bike in your garage, or maybe several of them in your building storage. Rather than letting these things get thrown in the dump, why not save the world some time and let it go straight to the 'new bike' step of the process again?

What am I talking about? Well, again, chances are, if it goes to the dump or gets recycled, it's going to be scrap metal. Scrap metal gets sold and reused, and that will be reformed... yada yada metal for a new bike. Clearly, I haven't done thorough research in the whole recycling process.

What's more important is that, you'll be helping kids like me, or rather, kids like who I was. It'll be three full years this coming summer since I built my bike. Sure, it was a useless-looking piece of frame, but it became a very useful tool in my life. As a student, and human being in general, I like saving money, which is why I'm extremely grateful as to how much Charlie's Freewheels helped me in this regard, and this isn't the only way that they have helped me.

Yes, I have a sustainable, cheap, form of transportation which I enjoy using. It gets me from point A-B very quickly.

I have saved a lot of time and money going to and coming back from class. Either I would spend $3, and a lot of time waiting for the TTC, walk for about thirty minutes, or bike for ten minutes. Biking would win every time.

As for how else they have helped me: Well, I'm here now, dong something I enjoy. I went from being a fairly quiet and shy individual, to not as quiet and shy of an individual. The Charlie's Freewheels program showed me that it's okay to take chances, and in fact it's encouraged, because you never know what opportunities are waiting behind the door. I've gain so much experience, that I'm able to write down "Shop Administrator" and "Web Administrator" on my resume. They took chances with me, something that very few people would do.

I get compliments about the experience that I have on my resume, but the fact is, if CFW wasn't there, where would I have gotten it?

How would you help a youth with that, just by donating a bike? You'll be apart of the process. You can say you'll be taking on a sort of Batman-esque or superhero persona where people wouldn't know who helped them. Heck, I don't know who donated my bike, the beauty that it has been rebuilt in to, but I still thank them.

This will also help the folks at CFW concentrate and worry about other important stuff, like actualy getting youth since we have enough bikes for them to choose from.

Of course, that isn't the only way you can help. If you don't have a bike to donate, you can do other things like helping with snacks or using your bike expertise to help youth.

You can contact us using the contact form, or call the bike shop at (416) 546-2200, where you can leave your info so someone from the program can reach you.

Film & Food Fundraiser Part III

2012-03-02T20:35:18Z

Charlie’s Bike Shop presents its THIRD Film-Food-Fundraiser event. This month we’re setting the table and screen with a Mexican spectacular, guaranteed to seduce all the senses! All proceeds from this event will go to Charlie’s youth bike programs.

WHEN: Friday March 2, 2012
Doors open: 6:45 pm
Food served: 7:15 pm
Film starts: 7:30 pm

WHERE: Charlie's Bike Shop
242 1/2 Queen Street East
416 546 2200

TICKETS: Tickets are pay what you can, with a suggested donation of 20$.

Please RSVP on facebook or by email at charliesbikeshop@gmail.com. We have approximately 30 spaces for dinner, and limited rush seats will also be available at the door. To the vegetarians: When RSVPing, please let us know if you are interested in the veggie sopa option – we need to make sure we have enough for all to enjoy!

Wheel Chair accessibility: There is one step at the door and the Washroom is located in the basement.

FILM: Like Water For Chocolate (1992), Produced and directed by Alfonso Arau

A funny, touching, sumptuous, and incredibly romantic ode to the joys of love and food.

An internationally popular romantic fable from Mexico which centers on a young woman who discovers that her cooking has magical effects. The tale's heroine, Tita, is the youngest of three daughters in a traditional Mexican family. Bound by tradition to remain unmarried while caring for her aging mother, Tita nevertheless falls in love with a handsome young man named Pedro. Pedro returns her affection, but he cannot overcome her family's disapproval, and he instead marries Tita's elder sister. The lovestruck young woman is brutally disappointed, and her sadness has such force that it infects her cooking: all who eat it her feel her heartbreak with the same intensity. This newly discovered power continues to manifest itself after the wedding, as Tita and Pedro, overcome by their denied love, embark on a secret affair. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/like_water_for_chocolate/)

FEAST: Main Course: Sopa Azteca (Aztec Soup) – an authentic Mexican soup with a long-simmered smoked pepper broth, garnished with avocado, Oaxaca cheese, crema, and topped with fried tortilla and pasillia pepper bits (chicken and vegetarian options available, please specify if veg)

Dessert: Fresh Churros – mmmmm!

Drink: Horchata Cash bar

That's How I Lost All My Hair

2012-03-02T20:23:34Z

Jane sent me this picture via email today. Lovely, isn't it?

When working in a bike shop, you run in to a lot of interesting people and things. I already made a post about things I learned by working at our shop.

Another thing I learned is that, the bike world is an entirely different one. When you hang around with bikers, work in a bike shop, bike everywhere, it feels like you've stepped in to a portal and entered a different dimension. Drivers hate you (usually), and you (at least I do) feel like a healthier individual who's living a cleaner lifestyle. Walking feels too cumbersome and time-consuming after this. It takes a lot to get back in to walking, because I used to enjoy doing that a lot before.

What interesting thing did our mechanic, Jane, find? Hair. She found hair in, and interestingly enough, the freewheel of a bike. As she tells me, it's a rite of passage to find it there.

Cars Kill Cities

2012-02-17T19:43:19Z

This article is three weeks old. I read it when it was posted, and I happened to remember it.

Last week I spoke about our transportation infrastructure and roads. The article I shared in the link above shows how much of an impact cars have. If you don't have time to read through it, or are too lazy to do so, just look at this picture:

This Week in the Bike World

2012-02-10T22:38:02Z

Let's face it, with school and my other hobbies, I'm not as involved in the bike world as I used to be. Luckily, Ibiketo.ca has wonderful updates.

What happened this week?

New Trails Proposal

While it's fantastic that we are getting more trails, we do need more bike lanes.

Herb says in the article "In fact, the mayor has supposedly scrapped the Bike Plan because he claims that the roads are no place for bikes (or streetcars for that matter)."

I actually spoke to Gideon (one of our mechanics) about the transportation infrastructure in Toronto. I went to New York City several months ago and was astounded to see how well developed, despite their population, the infrastructure is. It turns out that the planners had great foresight, and knew the city would grow.

Mayor Ford comes from the suburbs, where, as I've noticed, most services and stores are further apart than they are in Toronto. In downtown though, cars aren't as effective. Our roads do not have enough lanes, and streetcars on major streets like Queen, Dundas and College, take up a lot of room. Throw in the fact that parking is expensive, taking a car downtown for something like going to work, or shopping alone or with one other person for a few small items does not make sense.

My idea? Well, not that anyone asked, but how about more one-way roads? I bike on Richmond and Adelaide to get to and back from College, and I love it. The traffic is much more fluid, although as a biker it wouldn't matter too much. Making left-turns, are much easier though.

As for streets that have streetcars, if Dundas just went, lets say, West, and Queen ran East, you could have one lane for the streetcar. That way, the two left-most lanes are unhindered.

Bike Around the World

This isn't exactly weekly news, but something I found. I wasn't born when Vladislav Ketov started this journey, so I haven't heard of it.

Well, I found it, and if you haven't heard of it, look into it!

What I Learned from Working at the Bike Shop

2012-02-03T21:30:55Z

Almost over a year ago, I was looking for a job to fill my summer holiday. How does a student with little experience find a job in Toronto? I could have flipped burgers, but I needed something where I would be able to grow.

Luckily, the blessing that is Charlie's Freewheels, wasn't low on generosity despite how much they have helped us students over the past few years.

I was given a bike, new friends and wonderful memories. That was in 2009, and the years following, I stuck with them to try and give back, but of course, it would be impossible. Volunteering led to greater opportunities which included planning and renovating the space we found for the shop.

Then, they hired me to be a "Shop Administrator".

Uses for Old Bikes & Bike Parts

2012-01-13T20:35:30Z

Years down the line, you still have a few bikes, mainly the ones you stole, hidden away. You can't work, because no one wants to hire a thief as wretched as you.

You don't have much in terms of possessions, except for the bicycles. What can you do?

You're in luck. I'll be sharing a few links, as well as some of my own intelligent ideas, on what you can do with those old bikes.

Household Items + Others

You can make a wonderful serving platter, it's great for those gatherings you'll never have!

My favourite one in that link is the handlebar used to hang a bike.

This one's lovely, a Bike-Rim Clock. It's fantastic for when you want to escape from the police using a witty one-liner.

Simply shout, "Looks like... you've rolled in too late!" and throw it at their heads.

Although, I'd suggest using a better line, or even forgetting the cartoonesque villianism and just use it as an actual clock.

Plus, you'd want something smaller and more painful like a bike cog clock.

One place I've found bike-rim clocks for sale is amazon although I don't like them as much as the first bike-rim clock link I posted above.

The part of the bike with the seemingly most uses is the inner tube, and funny enough, one of them is a grip for a handgun.

Although, for most of us out there that aren't thieves, using it to get in shape isn't a bad idea.

As for my own ideas, other than throwing parts at authorities, why not use a bunch of bikes to make a fort? You'll be the craziest bike thief in the world.

You can also set up traps using bikes since, well, the fort is made of bikes anyway. You'll have furniture, from the oversized chandelier to the wonderful dinner table, will be made from bike parts.

Make sure you take care of that rust though.

Looking for Volunteers

2012-01-06T23:06:03Z

These have been some slow weeks for bike news.

Although, Charlie's Freewheels will be running soon.

For those of you who don't know: Charlie's Freewheels takes youth, mainly from Regent Park through the Pathways to Education program, let them choose a used bike that has been donated, and teach them to repair bikes by working on it. At the end of the program, the youth get to keep the bike!

This can't be done without help from the community.

We're looking for volunteers, people with either bike repair skills, or people interested in making delicious (and hopefully healthy) snacks for each session.

We will be holding girl's sessions on Mondays form 5:30 PM-8 PM, boy's sessions on Tuesdays from 5:30 PM-8 PM, and open youth sessions on Thursdays from 6 PM-8 PM.

You can use the contact us form, email me at azam.charliesbikeshop@gmail.com, or drop us a call at (416) 546-2200

Prevent Theft: Register Your Bike!

2011-12-23T19:39:03Z

I apologize for the lack of update last week. I was in bed for almost a week, and had to go to the hospital for a not -too-serious/invasive slicing.

______________________________

This should have been up here sooner.

I found this website while working at the bike shop during my summer break. The idea of a bike registry came up during a conversation with a coworker and since the computer was right there, I used good ol' google and found bikerevolution.ca

I encourage everyone to spend some time and fifteen dollars to protect their investment, transportation and/or lifestyle.

Bike Revolution is a non-profit organization set up to fight and prevent bike theft.

How does this work?

Step 1: Register your personal and your bike information

Step 2: Purchase a pack of ID tags and tag your bike

Step 3: Use a smartphone app

Register

Incase your bike was ever stolen, your information would be on the bike registry website. This way, you can alert all of bikeingdom of your lost treasure.

You can register it after your bike is stolen, but it would be smart to do it beforehand. This way, you can fill in all the fine details of your bike that you may not remember, and will help your bike be identified much more easily.

Tag it and Scan it

You don't need tags to have your bike up on the registry, but it would make finding it a whole lot easier. The tags use the "strongest commercially available adhesive", so that means it will be very difficult to take off, provided you follow the steps to properly attach them. They also come in packs of three, so if one comes off, or a thief manages to take it off there will be two others to go through.

Also, tags make it so much easier to track your bike since they make your bike stand out more, if it isn't already. Since it's scannable, anyone with a smartphone and the app can scan it and easily identify the owner.

What if it does get stolen?

Report it to the police and list it as stolen on Bike Revolution.

Follow the 10 steps

All of the above information has been taken from www.bikerevolution.ca

Visit their website if you have any questions, maybe even look at the FAQs page to see if it has already been answered.

______________________________

- Azam Abowath

If you have any suggestions for topics, stories, to improve the website, or anything else you have in mind, feel free to drop us an email in the contact us page.

Alternatively you can contact me at azam.charliesbikeshop@gmail.com

No More Dirty Pants (Links)

2011-12-08T23:44:02Z

Well this is helpful

Don't know why I never added a chainguard to my bike. This would have saved me from ruining a pair of black pants that were ripped after getting caught in the chain and chainring teeth. Oh, I also could have avoided the time I ruined two pairs of lighter coloured pants.