cycle saloon community cycle workshop

8/2/2019 Cycle Saloon Community Cycle Workshop

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CYCLE SALOONCommunity bike workshop of the West

IntroductionThe Cycle Saloon is a proposed community bicycle workshop which would promotecycling in Melbourne's Western suburbs by teaching people how to repair bicyclesand getting more bikes running safely.

Aims of the workshop

To share a bicycle workshop with the community and give professionaladvice and guidance to allow people to repair their own bikes

To teach new, practical skills which empower people and raise confidence intheir abilities

To recycle bikes and bike parts from transfer stations and other sources in thearea

To serve as an information hub for cyclists in the Maribyrnong and MooneeValley region

To encourage more people to cycle, more often

Workshop Operation

The workshop would be open to the public every Sunday from 9am til 5pm. Duringthese hours any person would be welcome to either bring their own bike in orpurchase a used bike from the workshop. They would then be able to use thefacilities, tools and parts provided by the workshop to repair their bike. They wouldalso be given instruction on how to repair their bike. All of the work would be doneby the owner of the bike. The workshop volunteers would strictly not provide anyfree servicing of bicycles as this undermines the bicycle industry who rely on thisservice for their business.

Location and Layout

The workshop would occupy the paved area (see Photo 1, below) at the Northern endof Pipemakers Park by the Maribyrnong River. This space would be weeded andmaintained by the workshop volunteers. Four removable umbrellas would be set upto provide protection from the elements with 3 designated workspaces between theumbrellas. Each workspace would have a bike workstand and a tool bench. All ofthis equipment would be stored in the worker's shed (Photo 2, below) along with acollection of basic bike parts. Donated bikes would be stored behind the bluestonebuildings on the Van Ness Avenue side where they would be out of sight. If the

project proved to be a success then one of the bluestone buildings could be cleanedand decontaminated to be used for storing bikes and parts.


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Photo 2: This worker's shed is currently unused and could be used for storing tools,parts, benches and umbrellas

Photo 1: The paved area to the right of the bluestone building could be used as the

workshop space


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Photo 3: This paved area could be weeded and serve as the workshop space.

Removable umbrellas could provide protection from the elements.


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Photos 4a and 4b: These old bluestone buildings could be cleaned up and used for storing

bikes and parts


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Maintaining the history of Pipemakers Park

Pipemakers Park is an important part of the region's history and the essence of thepark should be preserved as a testament to the industrial entreprenuity of ourancestors. The proposed workshop would respect this space, keeping a minimal

profile. It would also continue the industrial tradition of the factory by encouragingpeople to get their hands dirty and to create something with their own abilities.

Benefits to the community

This workshop would allow local people of all ages and backgrounds to learn new,practical skills which can be applied not only to bicycle repair but to a wide range ofmechanical work. The training would serve as a practical grounding in the use of arange of tools and general mechanical principles. Particularly young people and longterm unemployed would be encouraged to get involved to develop self-confidence in

their abilities and pride in craftsmanship.

The workshop would offer advice to cyclists on a range of other topics including:

finding the best and safest cycling routes

choosing the ideal bike for each rider's needs

buying the right clothing and accessories to make cycling safer and morecomfortable

This would be of immense value to cyclists in the community, improving theircycling experience and encouraging them to ride further and more often.

The workshop would promote cycling in the region by getting more bikes

roadworthy and giving people the option to cycle. Cycling increases fitness andsocial interaction which is good for the vibe in the community.

Developing real skills

It is evident that many young people are not suited to a standard Australian educationin which the student spends most of the time sitting in a classroom. Many of thestudents who struggle in the classroom environment would excel in real life workwhich keeps them occupied both physically and mentally and where the fruits oftheir labor are quickly realized.

The workshop would provide this experience to young people and could offer atraining day for school groups. School coordinators could encourage participationfrom students who they believe would benefit most from this training.


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Fundraising

All people using the workshop would be required to sign up as members with anannual fee of $10. There would also be a recommended donation of $1 for everyhour of worktime spent at the workshop. There would be used bikes and bike partsfor sale aswell. All of these income streams would allow the workshop to purchase

more tools and contribute towards the lease of the space. The aim of the project is tobecome financially self-sufficient.

Respecting local bike shops

The workshop would strictly not provide any free servicing of bicycles as thisundermines the bicycle industry who rely on this service for their business. Theworkshop would offer only access to tools and instruction to complete the work. Itwould not encroach on the market of the bike industry which is primarily the sale andrepair of bikes.

There are 2 ways in which this community bike workshop would benefit local bikeshops:

(1) Cyclists who visit the workshop can have a free safety inspectionperformed for their bike. If any problems are found and they do not wish todo the work themselves then they will be directed to one of the local bikeshops.

(2) People who start riding regularly on secondhand bikes which theyhave repaired themselves may look to upgrade to a higher quality bicycle in

which case they will be directed to one of the local bike shops. The quality ofmost bikes donated to the workshop is expected to be far below that ofquality, new bikes.

About me

My name is Glen Mason. I have been running a bicycle repair business in Fitzroy forthe past 2 years and have worked another 2 years in bicycle shops. My business focuses onrestoring used bicycles and I take great pride in getting old bikes running like new. Cyclingis my primary mode of transport and is a great source of joy in my life. My motivation instarting this project is to get connected with the cycling culture in the Maribyrnong Riverregion where I live and to enhance that culture.

cycle saloon community cycle workshop

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