Bikes Not Bombs
Jul. 23rd, 2004 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidWednesday night I went with PMD (People Making a Difference) to help out at Bikes Not Bombs. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd be doing, but figured I'd learn a bit more about bikes. And I did.
I spent a bunch of time taking apart 'melted' or otherwise no longer useful wheels. I took the tires and inner tubes off, putting them with other tires and inner tubes. I got the gears off (back wheels), and put them in a reusable parts bin. Next, I used huge snippers (almost as long as my arm) to cut all the spokes, to get the hub out. I put all the bits of spokes into the steel recycling, the rim into the aluminium recycling (the wheel band went into the trash), and the hub into the reusable parts bin.
I helped strip a bike (bike pr0n!), while others were either stripping bikes into component parts, or getting bikes ready for shipping overseas (pedals on inwards, to save space, and handlebars turned 90 degrees in the frame, pointing along the front wheel, also to save space. Apparently containers have about 500 bikes each, so any space saved is useful.).
The coolest thing I did was true a wheel. It was a steel wheel, not aluminium, which meant that the slight curves in it might be rectified by changing the tension on the spokes. After the volunteer coordinator set up the wheel in the truing calibrator, I tightened spokes opposite the side where it was most out of true. And I got it almost to the point where it could be shipped overseas (he finished up the last bits). Huzzah.
I got my hands incredibly greasy (so much so they started getting cleaner at some point), which meant that it was a challenge when my glasses almost slipped off, due to the heat (they had a fan or two running, but it was still pretty hot). The strange part (for me) was that I didn't mind it as much as I usually do. There was some of the scrubby stuff to clean off with later, and knowing it was there was good enough.
And it was incredibly satisfying to be doing useful tasks, with visible accomplishments. I don't know whether the bikes we worked on will be shipped to Ghana for transportation, or somewhere else, for human-powered projects, but it's helpful either way.
Bikes Not Bombs has a regular Wednesday night drop in and help out sessions. I think I'll go back some Wednesday.
I spent a bunch of time taking apart 'melted' or otherwise no longer useful wheels. I took the tires and inner tubes off, putting them with other tires and inner tubes. I got the gears off (back wheels), and put them in a reusable parts bin. Next, I used huge snippers (almost as long as my arm) to cut all the spokes, to get the hub out. I put all the bits of spokes into the steel recycling, the rim into the aluminium recycling (the wheel band went into the trash), and the hub into the reusable parts bin.
I helped strip a bike (bike pr0n!), while others were either stripping bikes into component parts, or getting bikes ready for shipping overseas (pedals on inwards, to save space, and handlebars turned 90 degrees in the frame, pointing along the front wheel, also to save space. Apparently containers have about 500 bikes each, so any space saved is useful.).
The coolest thing I did was true a wheel. It was a steel wheel, not aluminium, which meant that the slight curves in it might be rectified by changing the tension on the spokes. After the volunteer coordinator set up the wheel in the truing calibrator, I tightened spokes opposite the side where it was most out of true. And I got it almost to the point where it could be shipped overseas (he finished up the last bits). Huzzah.
I got my hands incredibly greasy (so much so they started getting cleaner at some point), which meant that it was a challenge when my glasses almost slipped off, due to the heat (they had a fan or two running, but it was still pretty hot). The strange part (for me) was that I didn't mind it as much as I usually do. There was some of the scrubby stuff to clean off with later, and knowing it was there was good enough.
And it was incredibly satisfying to be doing useful tasks, with visible accomplishments. I don't know whether the bikes we worked on will be shipped to Ghana for transportation, or somewhere else, for human-powered projects, but it's helpful either way.
Bikes Not Bombs has a regular Wednesday night drop in and help out sessions. I think I'll go back some Wednesday.
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Date: 2004-07-23 09:42 am (UTC)