Spring News from Bike Edmonton

April 28, 2023

Bike Edmonton has been in the news this Spring! (See below.) Plus, we’re kicking off Bike Month in June with a fundraiser at Metro Cinema. Also, we’re hiring bike tune-up mechanics and changing our shop fees, membership fees, and course fees. Check out this Spring edition of the Bike Edmonton newsletter to find out more.

Bike Edmonton Featured on CBC

CBC’s Our Edmonton TV program featured Bike Edmonton on a recent episode of their show. The episode was recorded at both community bike shops and features comments from Kelly Granigan (president), Jan Przysiezniak (bike mechanic), and Greg Glatz (executive director). If you don’t have time to watch the whole 45-minute episode, check out “Our goal is to get bums on bikes” and “Springtime bike tune-ups taking on a whole new meaning with this master mechanic”.

Parts of this Our Edmonton episode also got picked up by CBC’s radio, web, and social media platforms. Check out the Roll with Soul story on CBC Edmonton’s website and the behind-the-scenes video featuring mechanic Jan Przysiezniak on the CBC News YouTube channel (3.2 million subscribers).

The Big Spring Bike Sale

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Bike Edmonton Big Spring Bike Sale at our downtown shop on Saturday, April 15. We sold almost 60 bikes, which means all these refurbished bikes have new owners who are going to have a great time riding this year!

Special thanks to Bike Edmonton staff and volunteers who refurbished bikes and organized the sale. Great work! Thanks also to CBC, CTV, and Global who came out to cover the event.

Check out media coverage by CTV Edmonton: Bike Edmonton helps refurbished bikes find new homes.

UPDATE from the President

As we welcome the warmer weather of spring, and easier riding, here is an update on what the Bike Edmonton Board has been up to. — Kelly

Financial Sustainability

There was a very real concern that Bike Edmonton would run out of funds during the slow season. I’m happy to report that Bike Edmonton successfully made it through the slow season, and we expect income to increase as the busy season is starting. Thank you to staff and donors who made this possible.

The 2022-2023 budget was passed at the Special General Meeting in March by the membership. The process taken to develop the budget, involving discussion with the entire board and the staff, made for a better budget that people could accept. We plan to initiate 2023-2024 budget discussions in August to allow time for thorough discussion before the AGM in October.

Relationship Building

There was an error with how reports were posted to the Wiki. We apologize for this error. This should be mostly fixed now. If you are having any trouble accessing our reports or minutes, please let us know. Thank you to those people who pointed out this error. We want to ensure transparency and openness.

We are initiating a review of the future of the South Shop as our lease is up on November 30 and the building has recently been sold. Our lease continues until November 30, and is not impacted by the sale. An ad-hoc committee will be discussing and researching all potential options with the board and with the staff to ensure all voices are heard, and the best decision for Bike Edmonton can be made. We welcome input from everyone on the future of the South Shop. You can contact me directly at [email protected] regarding this.

Governance

The board vacancy was filled by Stephen Paskaluk at the Special General Meeting. There was a competitive vote. We are grateful to all that put their name forward for the position.

Thank you for your continued support of Bike Edmonton. Please contact me at the email address below if you have any concerns or questions I can help with.

Kelly Granigan, President
[email protected]
Pronouns: she/her

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Bike Tune-Up Mechanics

Bike Edmonton has a growing number of invitations from businesses and community organizations that want us to host bike tune-up events at their facilities. These events give their riders a free inspection/minor tune-up, provide revenue for Bike Edmonton operations, and support our vision of making cycling safe, widespread, and accessible to people of all comfort levels.

We’re hiring bike tune-up mechanics on a casual contract basis to work at these events. (In past years, we’ve paid an honorarium to volunteer bike mechanics, but none have stepped forward this year.) Intermediate to advanced bike mechanic skills required, as well as the ability to interact with the public and represent the Bike Edmonton vision of safe, widespread, and accessible cycling.

Wages: $17-$22/hr (DOE/DOQ), including set up and take down time.

Please contact Greg Glatz (Executive Director) if you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity: [email protected] or 825-777-7345.

New SHOP fees

Our community bike workshops are the centre of Bike Edmonton operations. They are where you can buy a bike, learn to fix a bike, and find a community of people who love bikes as much as you do.

Starting May 2023, we’re expanding the service we offer at the shops. We’re introducing a new Do-It-Together (DIT) category of service, where our volunteers or staff will answer questions, make suggestions, and lend a helping hand as you work on your bike. When you book this new DIT service, you can opt for “a little help” or “lots of help” … with a corresponding sliding scale fee for the level of help you choose.

We continue to offer the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) service option for those who need no help from our staff and volunteers.

Along with the new service options, we’re introducing new fees for all our services. As always, being a Bike Edmonton member gets you a discount on shop rates so sign up if you don’t have a membership yet!

Member Rates (Discounted)

• Do-It-Together w/ a LITTLE HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $15-$25/hr ($20/hr recommended)

• Do-It-Together w/ a LOT OF HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $20-$30/hr ($25/hr recommended)

• Do-It-Yourself w/ NO HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $5-$15/hr ($10/hr recommended)

  
  

Non-Member Rates

• Do-It-Together w/ a LITTLE HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $25-$35/hr ($30/hr recommended)

• Do-It-Together w/ a LOT OF HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $30-$40/hr ($35/hr recommended)

• Do-It-Yourself w/ NO HELP from us
  Sliding scale – $15-$25/hr ($20/hr recommended)

  
  

Full Service Rates

We do it–you watch!

• 15-minute service
  $14 (members) / $20 (non-members)

• 30-minute service
  $28 (members) / $40 (non-members)
  
  
  

Roll It Forward

We want our community bike workshops to be affordable and accessible. We’re encouraging Bike Edmonton supporters to roll it forward by making a contribution to our “suspended service” initiative. Your suspended service contribution of $10, $25, $50, or $100 will be used to reduce/eliminate service fees for those who can’t pay to use our shops. Please email [email protected] to find out more about making a Roll It Forward contribution, or speak to one of our shop staff.

NEW Membership Fees

Buying a Bike Edmonton membership is a great way to support Bike Edmonton and add your voice to a growing number of bike riders who want a city where cycling is safe, widespread, and accessible to people of all comfort levels. Our membership fees have remained unchanged for about 20 years and we’re making changes to better reflect the cost of running our community bike shops and community outreach. (Please note: our low-income membership rate will not change.)

New membership rates

• Individual (1 year)
  $35.00 + GST

• Household (1 year)
  $70.00 + GST

• Low-Income (1 year)
  $15.00 + GST (unchanged)

• Corporate (1 year)
  $30.00 + GST per member
  
  

New membership rates come into effect June 1, 2023.

We will also introduce new course fees at that time: Bike Maintenance 101 will be $50 and Bike Maintenance 201 will be $65.

Kick OFF Bike Month!

SAVE THE DATE! To kick off Bike Month in June, Councillor Michael Janz is hosting a film & community conversation on June 3 at Metro Cinema (8712 109 St NW). This event is a fundraiser for Bike Edmonton and will feature a screening of Motherload, a thought-provoking documentary with a clear message: the time to normalize cargo bikes is now.

Admission by donation. All proceeds to support Bike Edmonton.

Saturday, June 3rd, 2023

2:00 PM | Cargo Bike Show and Tell
2:45 PM | Doors
3:00PM | Presentations & Film

Movie info. Motherload’s director, Liz Canning, has a personal connection to cargo biking and the film highlights how it has changed her life for the better. Opening with her own personal experience of body image and expectations, she shares how biking transformed her physical and mental health. After her twins were born in 2008, she fell into a depression that was lifted once she discovered the joys of cargo biking. As Ms. Canning discovered the ability to bike with her kids in tow, she began to feel like herself again. The film covers the history of the bicycle and its unique role as an equalizer for disenfranchised groups like women, racial minorities, and the impoverished.

Alberta Bike Swap

This year’s Alberta Bike Swap is Saturday, May 13, 2023 at MacEwan University, NORTH SIDE underground parking lot (10803 105 Ave NW).

8:00 AM | Consign your bike: (till 2:00 PM)
2:30 PM | Buy a bike: (till 4:00 PM)
Donate your bike from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Farewell to Suzane

We are sad to say farewell to bike builder, Suzane Couture. Her last day of work at Bike Edmonton is May 5. Many of the beautiful refurbished bikes you see on the pathways and roads of Edmonton are Suzane’s handiwork. Suzane has accepted a position with the City of Edmonton and we wish her the very best in her new adventure.

Thank You for Your Support

A note from the executive director.

Thanks to the generous support of our members, the insight and dedication of our staff, and the oversight of our board, Bike Edmonton is making its way into the busy Spring/Summer bike season. We’ve passed a budget, are completing an audit, and reviewing our operations to make Bike Edmonton sustainable.

We appreciate your support. You can make a donation easily using PayPal or via our website. You can buy or renew a Bike Edmonton membership. You can support Bike Edmonton by using our community bike workshops ... often! The shops are a great place to meet other bike riders, make new friends, learn how to fix your bike, and even be an encouragement to others who want to make bike riding a bigger part of their lives.

If you have input or ideas on how to make Bike Edmonton more effective, I’d like to hear from you. Please contact me at [email protected] or 825-777-7345.

Thanks for your support. Have a great Spring. Enjoy the ride!

(Dr) Greg Glatz, Executive Director
[email protected]
Pronouns: he/him/his

This newsletter was edited by Greg Glatz, executive director of Bike Edmonton. Questions, concerns, comments? Contact Greg at [email protected] or 825-777-7345. Want to meet with Greg? Use Calendly to set up an appointment.