VELO DECO

VELO DECO

All summer!!

Next installment TBA

Learn, teach & share bike ornamenting techniques. Decorate your trusty steed. Celebrate the Age of the Bicycle~

Techniques + workshops traded at VeloDecos past:
SpokeWeaving/Webbing with danger tape/yarn
Handmade pinwheels
Handlebar wrapping
Cable Beading
Bike buttonmaking
Spoke cards
Frame Wrapping with fun fur + fabric
Frame Painting
Signs + "license" plates
Helmet decorating
Bike ikebana + wreaths
Modding + hacking your lights
Fun with reflectors + reflective materials
Portable sound systems
Top tube cozies
Stencilling

Examples of recycled materials ideal for affectionate foisting on your bike:

- plastic bags in nice colours or old cassette tapes to make handlebar streamers
- fake flowers
- holiday decorations: wreaths, ornaments
- straws (great for putting on spokes or cables)
- funky knickknacks for 'hood' ornaments
- cards, pictures, vinyl cuttings to make into spoke cards (should be at least the size of playing cards)
- ribbon, danger tape, foil tape, embroidery thread etc to weave between spokes
- fun fur or other materials to wrap your handlebars/frame (long strips are best) and to make top tube cozies
- beads that will fit around your cables
- balloons to stick between spoke rows

Also useful: needle/thread, embroidery thread, scissors, scotch tape, duct tape of various colours, spray paint, box cutter.

VeloDeco: Showing your bike how gushy you are~

Cuban Bike Bee Abeja de la Bicicleta del Cubano

Cuban Bike Bee! Abeja de la Bicicleta del Cubano!

Bike Tune and Boxing for Cuba
Tues April 17 at
Pol's Place, 794 E 21st Ave
7-10:30pm

Volunteers are needed to tune up 4 or 5 bikes this Tuesday night.

These bikes will be taken to Cuba & used by Canadian students to travel around Havana. They'll be donated to locals when the students leave.

A few more basic but tallish bikes in reasonable shape are needed to make sure we have good enough ones to ready for the trip.

If you have mechanical skills & would like to help tune & package up the bikes, please contact Pol at 604-298-4767 or polbog {at} gmail.com

thanks + pictures from past bees

Whew! Another weekend of edu-ma-cation, bikes, and bread bales. Winterbee was cozy, woolly and delicious, and a blur of smiles & conversations. We look with glistening eyes toward impending sunny skies & dry roads.

***If you have photos, please share your links!


WINTERBEE
(Feb 10-11, 2007)


first photos in!! from Oker

link to high-resolution versions of the same shots


FIRST-EVER BICYCLE BEE
(Oct 20-22, 2006)

photos of a planning potluck (at spartacus books) by oker

link to high-resolution versions of the same shots

photos by the lovely & talented amy!

photos by the lovely & talented bruce!

photos by the lovely & talented ross!

please send your photos, comments & stories to us: bicyclebee AT gmail DOT com. we'd love to hear about what you learned, what you made, who you met, what you ate! or just say hey!

want to stay posted? how about joining the mailing list? if you haven't already, what about joining the mailing list? please specify whether you'd like to be on the DISCUSS list (where we talk bikebee stuff) or the ANNOUNCE list (for upcoming meetings/bikebees only). folks are welcome to sign up for both, even if they haven't made it out to a bike bee.

! HAY WINTERBEE SCHEDULE HAY !

WINTERBEE 2007

SAT & SUN
FEB 10-11

794 E. 21st Ave [map]
(one block East of Fraser)



!!! WEEKEND SCHEDULE !!!

Saturday Feb 10

9:30-11:00 - Caffeine and Set up: volunteers appreciated!

11:00 - Gathering/Best Snacks
11:45 - Welcome & Winterbee Kick-0ff
12:00 - Diagnostics with Pol
1:00 - Brakes with Lyle

2:00 - Vegantastic Lunch (provided)

2:30 - Bike Laundry (We will all be inspired to clean and fix our
bikes together, yes!)
4:00 - DIY Zine Making with Trianne (Recyclista/Bike Laboratorian from Victoria)
5:00 - Winter Wear Forum & Leg Warmers with Leanne, Elaine & Cedric
5:45 - Anti-Theft Techniques with Nick, Lyle & Ifny
6:30 - Clean-up

We will later toddle over to the Stop the Highway Party at the Waldorf
http://www.gatewaysucks.org/


Sunday Feb 11

11:00 - Gathering/Best Snacks
12:00 - Fixing Flats with Louise
1:00 - Brakes with James

2:00 - Vegantastic Lunch (provided)

2:30 - Bike Laundry including DIY Diagnostics
4:00 - Physics of Cycling with Pol
5:00 - Closing Circle
6:00 - Clean-up


ADDITIONAL INFO:

- All workshops/meals by donation; no one turned away for lack of cashola.

- Vegan lunch, snacks, hot tea/coffee provided; more snacks are welcome!

- Childcare/ASL interpretation available with pre-registration.

- If you have questions, find someone with a yellow arm band.

-Chainbreaker Jane says: "People are encouraged to bring tools to work with if they have any. Some tools will be there to borrow. Lots of rags will be provided for everybody."

-The bike etcher will be available all weekend. Mark your bike with i.d. numbers to make your bike traceable, or maybe just put little hearts or snowflakes, or TLF...

We aim to create a warm, welcoming safe space for people & bikes. Beginners & pros are welcome. Even if you don't have a bike, come eat lunch with us, or drop by to see what all the excitement is about...

See you this weekend!!!

SADDLE UP!

[click to enlarge. WARNING: it's pretty freakin exciting]

WORKSHOP LOCATIONS saturday & sunday

~PURPLE THISTLE
975 vernon drive [map] upstairs & out back

~SECRET STOREFRONT HIVE (SSH)

~ PIVOT LEGAL SOCIETY PARKADE
laneway entrance, 678 e. hastings [map]

~ SPARTACUS BOOKS
2nd floor, 319 w. hastings [map]

SOCIAL LOCATIONS friday & saturday night

~ INTERMISSION ARTISTS' SOCIETY
1009 e. cordova [map]

~ THE CHAIR FACTORY
1624 franklin street, 2nd floor [map]

fri night launch of de bee, oct 20 6pm
intermission artists' society, 1009 e. cordova
ALL ARE WELCOME
come & meet us
even if you aren't planning on taking workshops

6:00 pm potluck dinner

please bring food to share, ideally vegan/veggie friendly, & cutlery/cup/plate etc for yourself, if you can
buzz up for admission. valet bike parking provided. if you don't have a bike, send us an email & we will loan you one!

7:30 welcome

8:30 spin-off ride & bike tour of the hive
(aka workshop locations)



also feel free to loll around & watch movies with us
sat night bike movies & social, oct 21 9pm

the chair factory - 1624 franklin street, 2nd floor
(between commerical drive & woodland)
BYORefreshments, but there will be popcorn & 'brown juice' available


also:
GUESS WHAT??
THE BIKE BEE NEEDS YOU!!
~ check out the schedule above & see what we got goin on this weekend ~

& maybe you wanna roll up your sleeves & lend a paw! we've got over 50 volunteers, but with 17 workshops & 6 locations, we're still hungry for braaains! caring brains. like....yours...

[CUE MUSIC, 'Tomorrow'. ENTER BIKELESS ORPHANS.]

ORPHAN 1 [wiping nose]: you see, i used to have a bike...but it was stolen...by a kid with parents.

ORPHAN 2 [scratching]: my bike has been broken all summer, & the nuns don't have sh*t for tools. if this keeps up, i'll never be able to run away.

DON'T DISAPPOINT THE ORPHANS! VOLUNTEER!

throw your weight in anytime:
fri set up: 1pm - 5:30pm & 9:30pm til 11-ish.
sat set up: 9am - 11-ish
sat/sun all day
sun evening tear down
monday morning/afternoon tear down

FRIDAY OCT 20, starting 1:00 until about 5:30, & again from 9:30pm till 11 or so.
setup begins at 1. meet us at the pivot legal parkade (678 e. hastings, in the lane). you could show up later than 1, but maybe send us an email if you're thinking of coming down so we can coordinate with you (& get excited!).

WE NEED HELP:
-loading/unloading stuff
-moving stuff around
-making signs
-setting up tool tables
-making cozy spaces
-sorting parts & bikes

general supplies we need (feel free to bring em anytime over the weekend, preferably to the pivot legal parkade)
-arty supplies: markers, sharpies, sparkles, stickers, pencil crayons, paper, scissors, glue old magazines/newspapers for collage
-rags for dirty hands & bikes
-non-fragile cups for coffee
-portable bike stands (extra doesn't hurt!)

***the potluck at intermission starts at 6pm.

after the potluck & bike tour of the workshop locations, we will continue with the setup, starting around 9:30pm, for an hour or two

SATURDAY - HELP SET UP 9am start =o
we will meet at the pivot parkade again at 9am. in addition to the things mentioned above, we need help:
-hanging banners & signs
-moving more things around
-looking cute & rumplyhaired

***saturday workshops start at 11. sunday workshops start at 11:30.


GENERAL WEEKEND HELP -
ANYTIME SAT/SUN you can spare

some teams need a few good wo/men while the weekend is in motion. even an hour or two of your time would be appreciated. we won't let you miss the workshop/s you want to attend!

-ROVERS: help welcome newcomers into workshop spaces. if you are friendly & like people, it'll be a lot of fun. coming into a bustling hive full of busy people can be confusing or intimidating, so you & the other 'rovers' will offer resources from the info table, keep an eye out for people who look a little lost, answer questions. basically you'll be a bee interpreter. don't worry if you don't know anything about the big picture, all the rovers will help each other!

-CANTEEN: help the canteen prepare lunches & clean up from prep (late mornings or early aft). no exp necessary. good music while you work.

-BIKE TEAMSTERS: help deliver lunch to workshop locations, as well as snacks once in the afternoon. bikes & trailers provided. you help load & supply the horsepower. visit all the locations, & be greeted with huge outpourings of affection (sure it's for the food, but so what! you know you're worth it).

-SWEEPERS: at the end of Saturday's workshops, load the welding equipment for transport & safekeeping overnight, & shut down the inside of the purple thistle.

-TEAR DOWN CREW: sunday evening will be the start of teardown. we will continue monday. please, bless us with your fresh faces! we will be wearing dirty clothes & droopy eyelids.


[CUE MUSIC: '40 Acres and a Bicycle.']

ORPHAN 1 [scratching miserably]: i heard bikes are better than parents. zat true?

workshops from the first bike bee, oct. 21-22, 2006

this was the workshop action to be had during the first bike bee,
oct 21-22, 2007.

***

all workshops by donation; no one turned away

visit the info table at the pivot legal parkade,
678 e. hastings, access from the laneway.

Bike Anatomy 101 & 102 (by Leanne, Lilo & Skylar)
"What's that thingie? No, not that one, that other thingie? Well, what does it doooo?"
Learn to speak bike. Yes, you can.

Wheel Trueing (by Leo)
No word of a lie.

Bike Basics (by Jett Grrl)
For women, boys welcome too:
each session 1/2 hour, followed by questions
Bike Basics: Flat fix
Bike Basics: Drive train maintenance and assessment
Bike Basics: Brakes

Fix Your Flat (Louise)
Perhaps the most important bit of bike know-how in the history of humankind.

Cycling Rain Cape and Foot Covers (by Pol)

Workshop 2hrs. Bring fabric or paper to workshop.

This session will provide examples of raincapes and booties. Patterns for cutting and basic instructions will be provided for this beginner sewing project which will yield an excellent rain outfit suitable for the rainiest climates. If you have material you can trace the pattern directly onto it and save a step. Bring 3.5 or 4 metres of lightweight coated or water proof nylon. Recognize this type of nylon because it does not fray where it is cut and I usually buy it at Dressew for $2 to $4 per metre in the basement or more in colours you might like upstairs for more money. Or bring paper (40"x70" it is ok to tape pieces of paper to get this and newspaper even will work) to trace the pattern onto to bring home for when you get fabric and prepare to sew. The lighter and thinner the fabric the smaller the cape and booties roll up when not in use. Imagine all of your raingear being the size of a waterbottle and costing less than $10 plus your time!

Bike LED Repair & Hackorama (by Ian)
drop ins ok!

tools/supplies are available, but bring any of the following to supplement the group if you have them
-Broken / unwanted LED lights <- the more the better!
-Pencil type soldering irons (NOT the guns - too powerful)
-exacto knife, strippers, cutters, pliers / forceps
-solder

a variety of topics covered, depending on attendees area of interest. change the colour of your LEDs, extend their wires up into your helmet, repair them, etc.

Basic electronics background: Ohm's law, considerations when changing colours, current limiting, series vs parallel

About the LED: forward voltage, visually determining polarity, looking through the resin, looking at the leads, schematic symbol, handling precautions, current requirements

Soldering techniques: LED extensions (wires)

NiMH vs alkaline batteries, voltage issues, possible resistor mods for making lights work with NiMH, charging / chargers

Voltage multipliers

Exotic stuff: luxeons, lithium ion / polymer batteries, spoke POV, EL Wire

Changing light propagation characteristics: misleading published specs on bike lights (lenses increase viewing distance, but only in narrow direction), filing the LED dome off, sanding lenses

Regular maintenance and repair: troubleshooting (why does light come on spontaneously), cleaning corroded contacts, vaseline

Parts sources & resources: Digi-Key, LS Diodes, Lee's ElectronicsRP Electronics, Active Electronics, Polar Batteries, online tutorials, projects, etc, e-books (Evil Genius, etc)

Bike Repair Basics (by Omar, Liz & James)
More earth-shattering knowledge, made bite-sized & wholesome. Basics, shifters, general maintenance, brakes, tires & flats.

Driver Re-education (by Ifny)
Inside every car, there is a human being trapped inside. Can we liberate them?
Diplomacy, Propaganda, Driver Relations. A Frank Discussion on the Seduction of the Car People.
&
Share the road, assh*le!: a Road Rage Primer
Tips for dealing constructively with the angry, the sleepy & the dopey. Change comes from within (or from your friendly neighbourhood biker).

Anti-theft Techniques and Devices (by Lyle, Nick & Ifny)
Your seat. Your wheel. Your bike. Learn how to keep your bike yours. Locking technique discussed. Also covered: Changing quick release wheels to less tempting ones, & seat fasteners.

CarFree Cities Conference Presentation + Slideshow; inspired by the recent conference in Bogota, Columbia (by RusL)

Bike Art - brought to you by the Recyclistas from Victoria!

Bike Jewelry - (more Recyclista axshun)

Forum: A Vancouver Bicycle Hub, what is it & do we want it? (by RusL, Jane & co.)

Cycling Advocacy (by Bonnie Fenton)
Pothole in the road? Driver freakin you out? Dangerous intersection? Learn how to make this city better! Names, ranks, serial numbers, Bonnie (of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) has it all!

Weekend Bicycle Build-a-Thon
If you don't have a bike, or if you don't have a working bike, bring what you have, even if it's only the desire to ride. We can help set you up with everything from a wheel to a frame to a whole bike in need of love. We'll help you tune up your new pony too. Why? Cuz the road needs riders.
(Mechanics/facilitators: Leanne, Emily, Kirsten, Milo, Omar, Elaine, Androo and...?)

Weekend Custom Bike Chopperific Build-a-Thon
Ok, so here's your chance to free your inner circus. Want to make strangers giggle? Children point? Want to bring a little doubletake to the neighbourhood? We'll guide you through the design/chopping/welding of your very own custom bike.
(Welders/facilitators: Robert, Donald, RusL, Skylar, Redsara and...?)

Pre-workshop Workshop (by Omar)
"How-To-Do-Bike-Education" primer for workshop facilitators, or people interested in learning how to teach. (Please note, this workshop will be offered before the commencement of the Bike Bee Weekend, in order to give organizers time to apply these principles to their own workshops)

Riding Safe Urban Riding Skills Ride & Discussion (by Rob, Adam & Charles)

auction oct 14, workless party party

hey, we gots skillz! the workless party is having a masquerade ball, sat oct 14, at the capri hall (fraser & 20th).

we're gonna be auctioning goodies to the highest bidders. proceeds go to the bike bee weekend (duh) to purchase inner tubes, new brake cables, tires, odds n sods, travel subsidies for outtatownies, etera cet...

here's what's on the block so far:

--> three-speed mini tallbike by donald!!! coveted! unique! uncanny!

--> crayon-melting massage by the b:c:clettes, outtastic bicycle dance troopers from canvouver!

--> eastvan bike chain belt/lock by billybob!!! tough, tragic & beautiful, just like a hastings sunrise!

--> sweatshop-free bike tshirts from the soon-to-be-released you never bike alone, from director bob! (logo by garth yule & printed by david grove)

--> use of the beater truck complete with chauffeur from redsara! (OR, you can bid to prevent it from being driven instead! put your money where your mouth is!)

--> 5 hrs of professional Windows IT services from computer guru ian!!! could include hardware upgrades, router configuration, home/office networking, data backup, spyware & virus removal.

a couple hottt items, like the mini-tallbike, will be auctioned off live after the carnival band, but most items will go by silent auction. look for our pretty table to place your silent bids, or buy a wee handmade art bike, made by paul, donald, robert & friends. here's one of billybob's:

awwwwwwwwwwwww.

share your brain - share the wealth!

sharing knowledge bestows the shiniest of karma, & makes the community grow muscular & pretty! if you are interested in organizing a workshop, or helping out with one, or volunteering time during the weekend, get in touch with us!
bicyclebee AT gmail DOT com

take a look at the list of proposed workshop ideas, or come up with your own. we'll help in any way that we can to facilitate your process. we're happy to discuss/advise you during the planning stages, & will offer as much support as we can to get you up & running. for example, we can meet with you to discuss your ideas, or help with gathering some supplies. we encourage you to present your workshop with someone else; talk to us if you're looking for a partner in crime!

we're also looking for volunteers for the weekend, either with mechanical skills or not. let us know where your interests lie; we'd be happy to hear all about it! there's lots to do, but it should be a rewarding, fun, dizzying experience fer all...

to give us an idea of what your workshop will bring to the bee, we encourage you to consider & communicate to us the following information. if you don't know the answers to all of them yet, don't worry! give us what ya got, & we can chat about the rest.

consider:

1. what your workshop is about, & what it could be titled.

2. how much space you would need, with what facilities (e.g. small space, workcounter, access to a tap, bike stand/s).

3. what is the maximum number of people you would be able to accommodate during your workshop? (this number could relate to available bike stands for example, or to the amount of one-on-one instruction you intend to offer.)

4. approximately how long would your workshop be (e.g. 1 hour, 2 hours, 1/2 day etc)

5. what materials you would use. what supplies you can provide yourself, & what you might need help with (e.g. tools, fabric, inner tubes). while we encourage workshoppers to bring as many of their own supplies as they can, it is also possible for us to help with this, either by gathering them though the community, or offsetting the costs of getting them. we encourage you to be as resourceful as possible, & we can help finding ways of sourcing supplies without purchasing them new.

6. what safety concerns might there be? what safety equipment might you need? (e.g.e proper ventilation for paints? safety glasses?). safety also includes a comfortable, inclusive, supportive working environment. we will have safety marshalls on hand at all times, as well as helping "rovers" who will assist all participants in the bicycle bee in having a great experience.

please remember that workshops will be by donation; therefore we are asking workshop organizers to keep their costs to a minimum ($0 costs provides you with access to limitless hugs).

WHAT IS IT????

oO The Bicycle Bee is a community-created, peer-education event Oo

Through workshops, small-groups and one-on-one, you can learn about your bike’s anatomy, build a reclaimed bike, build a custom bike, teach others something about bikes, use bike tools, get help with bike fitting, learn anti-theft techniques, decorate your bike, & anything else people want to teach.

oO Community Created Oo

We hope you can participate by:


Oo Offering to host a workshop, or
Oo Donating / lending some bikes, parts, or tools
Oo Attending a planning potluck (the development of this project is as important as the event itself)
Oo Being involved in the weekend workshops as a participant or volunteer
Oo Helping out in some special way that only you know about!

oO Peer-education Oo

If you have any bike-related skills why not pass them on? Even patching a flat is a skill some people would love to learn. At the Bicycle Bee you are welcome no matter what your skill level…whether you just took your training wheels off your bike, or if you are a professional mechanic or welder.

oO WHO ARE WE????? Oo

Bicycle Bee Working Group is an informal alliance of Vancouver individuals and groups, coming together to create a weekend of bicycle and bicycle-related workshops.

We aim to:


Oo Facilitate an environment where people feel comfortable meeting & learning, regardless of their expertise, class, identity, race, gender, age, sexuality or ability.
Oo Build connections and facilitate networks with other local grassroots projects.
Oo More bikes! Get more bikes on the streets!

oO We can’t wait to meet you! Oo

Come to a planning potluck, ALL WELCOME!
or send us an email, bicyclebee AT gmail DOT com

Why Bike Bee?

Is it because them liddle critter is all workaday? No, the idea intended to be evoked refers to the importance of quilting bees in the past. As many of us know, women would get together & work on a quilt together.

Often the quilt would go to someone who needed it. New wives could be introduced to a group, and get to know the place they live. While quilting, any and all kinds of useful information would be passed back and forth, from solving a pesky family problem (many minds work better than one) and helping a soul realize that they aren't alone, to family herbal lore (most of which scientists are only now realizing, wasn't at all wives' tales, and in fact, were grounded in experience). Sometimes it may have been idle chatter, but even this fosters communication. A joke, a song, a quiet word of support. Because it's all about communication.



Even the nature of the quilt itself is remarkable-quilts are considered an art form, sewn out of salvaged scraps of cloth into something of striking beauty. And of course, it is great fun to produce a fairly major project with a group.

Bicycle Bee isn't about work. We will not enslave you to some dull-as-dishwater project. The idea is similar to the quilting bee -- a way to foster communication, take bike repair and building out of the sometimes offputting workshop, and into the hands of anyone who has, or wants a bike. Works in the same way as a quilting bee. A group of people get together and toss various tips and advice back and forth, in an accessible language we all use. Instead of a quilt, the project is a bike, but the process is the same.

Bike stories, hints and advice on dealing with the road, drivers, good places for a hungry cyclist to eat, best bikes, really good, incredibly cheap on the road toolkits, several different easy ways to deal with a flat, random thoughts about the universe, about how to make a group a vital, alive amazing groove, it's all there, in a pretty relaxed atmosphere. If you know nothing but nothing about a bike, well hey, we'll help you out, and you'll come away with a little more knowledge.

~by bryce

WORKSHOPS/GUIDES (EVOLVING)

POSSIBLE WORKSHOPS & THEIR POSSIBLE GUIDES

add to the list, make suggestions, volunteer to help guide. you don't have to do the talking to help with a particular workshop. propose other people / organizations with a (maybe?). if you would like to learn one of the proposed topics, encourage someone to teach it by leaving a comment!

these proposed workshops may take place at the first bee, or they could happen at subsquent bees.

-safe urban riding technique

-a sound ride (open your ears like flowers)

-making panniers out of catering pails

-weatherproofing clothing

-anti-theft devices/methods - (ifny)

-repacking bearings

-trick riding

-chopper building

-mechanical workshops

-geometry - i.e. proper riding ergonomics, seat distance, posture

-tires

-brakes

-fur seat workshop

-top tube cozies

-buddy seat for rattraps (maybe seamrippers?)

-bike anatomy 101 (maybe leanne?)

-storytelling

-stencils (maybe katy?)

-buttons (maybe chris b?)

-wheel trueing

-shopping for a bike

-workshop for kids (bike decorating? safe riding?)

-car re-education workshop (ifny)

-customizing workshop: spraypaint, decals, appliques

-trailerbuilding (maybe rusl??)

-building a fixie (next bike bee)

-and...?

THE 'STATIONS' THREAD

the bicycle bee will be geographically divided into stations. a station is an area dedicated to a type of activity. for example, socializing is a vital part of the bee, but it could distract people who are trying to learn how to change a tire. therefore, there will be area that encourages socializing organically, drawing it away from other areas like workshops. please add new ones to the list or make suggestions about proposed stations, or even alternative names for stations.

why stations? because elementary school was fun!

~~~ PROPOSED STATIONS ~~~

SOCIAL STATION aka SCHMOOZE STATION
function: to cross pollinate. to ease distractions on working groups.
possible amenities: couches, snack table, drinks. no stereo please?
location: adjacent to info & storytelling station

INFO STATION aka ORIENTATION STATION
function: resource centre for the weekend
possible amenities: schedule of individual workshops, sign up sheets for workshops, description of workshops, shop orientation/map, bike diagram with labelled parts, tool diagrams, flyers for events (bikebee & other), index cards & pens, clock, mailing list sign up, bulletiin board for messages.
location: should be the most prominent station upon entry. relatively adjacent to the social station

STORYTELLING STATION aka STORY STATION
function: to stimulate creativity. to create memorabilia. to foster collaboration & brainstorms. a place to let off creative steam. to build biker narratives. to disarm self-censorship. to entertain. to increase rapport.
possible amenities: inspiration board: e.g. big notepad on easel/huge sheet of craft paper taped to a wall. this could be used for 'one word' stories, collage (magazines, glue). whiteboard for brainstorming. puppet stage. bulletin board for messages. list of improv games/warmups, drawing games, word games. tape recorder. adjacent to the social station

DONATION STATION aka THE DONOR BIKE
fuction: to collect donations during the weekend, without being intimidating or embarrassing
possible features: secured lockbox, pretty sign (could be "bicycle bee donation station. pay what you can. no one turned away"), suggested donations rate sheet? (e.g. list of suggested donations for each workshop). will this station be staffed? needs something to get attention so that people see it (could be mounted on a sexy chopper, or an old broken down bike in need of help ("ol faithful"). could have xmas lights on it, just so people don't forget to donate, or forget to feel pretty.
location: near the exit, so that people won't feel pressured/intimidated/guilty. could be near the info station, but placed in such a way that it wasn't obvious until exiting. let's keep in mind that there are few exits. perhaps a few donor bikes (aka junky bikes) would exist, one in each workshop locale.

NAP STATION
function: a quiet corner for nappies.
possible amenities: a few little sleeping mats & blankies & pillows.
location: out of the way

SAFETY
first aid station
safety officer/liason