Tonight a bunch of volunteers got together and did a lot of work. We are finally at a stage where we can put all of the bins of brake parts together, and all of the bins of cranks together, and so on. It gives us an idea of just how much stuff we have. We tossing some of it. We’re all learning about pieces. And the progress we’re making is remarkable. Some photos below.
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New shelving for clearly labeled containers of bits and pieces.
The Albany Bike Rescue has been busy sorting and organizing pieces and parts.
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Albany Bike Rescue will be closed tomorrow due to the bad weather. We will be open next Tuesday evening from 6-8 pm for our regularly scheduled bike repair workshop. Happy Halloween!
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Some of our volunteers from ABR will be at the Upper Madison Street Fair this Sunday (9/23) from 12-5 PM. The Street Fair will be held on Madison Avenue between S. Allen & W. Lawrence streets. We will be teaching how to do basic bike safety checks and minor tune-ups and adjustments. The street fair is a family-friendly event, so bring the kiddos! There will be music, dancing, art, food and fun. One of the highlights of the event is the Exotic Bicycle Show that Albany Bicycle Coalition is holding. There may still be space available for you to enter your unique and interesting bike, check the links for more details. See you there!
It’s mid-july which means we are halfway through the summer and the year is halfway over too! It has been a busy season for our volunteers who have been consistently teaching & assisting over 30 people with bike repairs and maintenance each Tuesday evening. We hope you are enjoying this beautiful hot weather on a bicycle.
For the remainder of the summer, our workshop hours will be Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00.
If you have been putting off those bike maintenance tasks, come and learn from our mechanics how to do it yourself! We are always looking for energetic, enthusiastic new volunteers to help out, so come check out our spot before the summer’s over!
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This Sunday, May 6th is the 2nd Annual Albany Bike Expo! The event is being organized by our good friends at the Albany Bicycle Coalition to promote cycling and celebrate the arrival of May which is Bike Month.
BIKE EXPO 2012 will be held at the Lakehouse in Albany’s Washington Park from 10AM to 4PM.
From ABC: “The Bike EXPO will feature a family-friendly ride on car-free park roadways, a guided tour of Albany’s bicycle amenities, exhibitions, free tech advice, refreshments, raffles and prizes. Vendors and tables will include bike shops, bicycle clubs, and advocacy organizations. The event is free and open to the public.”
More info is available at albanybicyclecoalition.com
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For the next seven weeks, the Albany Bike Rescue will be holding a series of instructional workshops that will cover a host of topics in bicycle repair & maintenance techniques. These workshops are open to the public and all ABR volunteers. Each week will feature a new topic taught by one of our mechanics. There is no charge for attending but your donations are always welcome and help to sustain our all-volunteer organization. All classes begin at 6:00 PM.
Jan 31 – Rules, Tools, Safety, Tire Removal and Flat Repair
Flat repair involves removing a wheel, using tire levers to remove tire from rim, finding and properly repairing the hole and then putting everything back together. Inflate tires to proper pressure.
Feb 7 – Brakes and Cables
Identify types of brakes (caliper, coaster, cantilever,v-brake). Adjust and repair brake pads and cables.
For example: remove and replace a caliper cable and demonstrate the use of a third hand tool for brake pad adjustment. Show the difference between the adjusting nuts (which hold the caliper arms together) and the “main” nut (which holds the brake onto the frame.)
Feb 14 – Hubs and Bearings
Take apart wheel hub, remove, clean, and repack bearings.
Feb 21 – Headset
Learn the functions of the headset. Learn how to select and properly use correct tools needed to repack bearings. Remove/replace handlebars, remove and repack bearings of a threaded headset. Demonstration of the differences between a threaded and threadless headset.
Feb 28 – Bottom Bracket
Learn the functions of the bottom bracket. Learn to identify a 3-piece cotterless crank, a 3 piece cottered crank and an Ashtabula, or 1 -piece, crank set. Learn how to select and properly use the correct tools needed to remove and replace a bottom bracket. Identify the difference between a bottom bracket sealed cartridge and a cup and cone style bottom bracket. Remove, clean and repack the bearings of a cup and cone style bracket.
Mar 6 – Derailleur and Chain
Learn how a bike shifts gears with a derailleur. Adjust and replace cables of a front and rear derailleur. Clean and lubricate the chain. Learn how to check for chain wear, remove and replace chain
Mar 13 – Basics of wheel truing
Learn why we true bicycle wheels and become familiar with Truing, rounding centering and dishing, pull of spokes, spoke nipples, spoke wrenches
The bike rescue will be closed for the next 3 Tuesdays to allow for our volunteers’ holiday travels and plans. We will re-open to the public on Tuesday, January 10 at 5:00pm. Have a safe and happy holiday season and we’ll see you in 2012 !!!!
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