• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
CalBike
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
    • Reform Traffic Policing
    • Sign Our Petition for E-Bike Rebates
    • Volunteer
    • California Dream Ride
    • Join/Renew
  • What We Do
  • Resources
    • Free Quick-Build Bikeway Design Guide
    • COVID-19 & Bicycling
      • COVID-19 Bicycling FAQs
    • Learn to Bike at Any Age
    • Map & Routes
    • Crash Help
    • Register Your Bike
    • California Bicycle Laws
  • Shop
    • Get our beautiful jersey!
    • Pre-order a bicycle-themed license plate
    • Donate
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • COVID-19 and Bicycling
  • Fact Sheets and FAQs
  • Our Video Channel
  • 2021 Legislative Watch
  • Blog

Tag Archive for: community bike shop

Posts

CalBike Webinar Elevates the Challenges for Community Bike Shops During the Pandemic

September 15, 2020/in The Latest /by Jared Sanchez

On September 10th, CalBike held a webinar that was joined by more than 25 attendees from California’s community bike shops. We put our heads together, guided by expert government advice, on how to safely continue the necessary work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the two-hour conversation was to identify challenges for community bike shops and solutions.

This conversation was catalyzed by our earlier article that lifted up what some of the leading community bike shops are already doing to weather the shutdown. Gathering participants from community bike shops across the state, the webinar gave participants a unique opportunity to share local knowledge and best practices to a broader audience. 

Community bike shops provide critical services

At CalBike, we value the critical importance of community bike shops to local communities. Community bike shops empower people to build and repair their own bikes. They are often located in disadvantaged communities and serving marginalized residents. These shops provide training, shared tools, and a supportive atmosphere, especially for those who would not otherwise have access to the knowledge and parts to keep their bikes in good working order. 

So, when the pandemic arrived in early March, we knew some of our most marginalized partners would face the biggest challenges. From the start, community bike shops struggled to figure out how to stay open and serve their communities while keeping patrons, staff, and volunteers safe. At the same time, we saw a ‘bike boom’ where a surge of ridership resulted in more demand than ever for the services of community bike shops. 

This context guided the conversation, but we also dug deeper into ways the state could be more supportive of the local shops, especially in terms of dedicated funding. Laurie Waters, from the California Transportation Commission, helped inform us of potential ways shops can connect to funding opportunities. As a group, we grappled with the limitations of mostly volunteer-run shops competing for state funding. We brainstormed ways to position community bike shops to be stronger and better resourced after the pandemic, as well.

Opportunities to help community bike shops overcome challenges

According to feedback, attendees found the discussion helpful but realized quickly that the barriers to government funding are almost insurmountable for them. Several attendees commented that their shops are not set up as advocacy organizations, so the policy and technical language and skills needed to secure state funding are out of their purview.

These comments succinctly underline the necessary work that needs to be done between and across different bike partners with different access points into the work. And this is exactly why CalBike is committed to strengthening our partnership with existing and new partners who want to advance biking in our state. It is clear that community bike shops are natural allies for advocacy organizations. These grassroots organizations are able to reach communities whose voices are too often left out of the conversation about bicycle safety. We intend to build on that. We hope you can join us.

Here’s the recorded webinar:

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Screen-Shot-2020-09-15-at-7.08.29-PM.png 519 1127 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2020-09-15 19:12:452020-09-17 16:54:14CalBike Webinar Elevates the Challenges for Community Bike Shops During the Pandemic

How California Can Support Community Bicycle Shops

June 10, 2020/in The Latest /by Laura McCamy
Read more
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Bikerowave-interior-scaled-e1591911984882.jpg 1707 2393 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2020-06-10 19:07:342020-10-30 15:04:04How California Can Support Community Bicycle Shops

Latest News

  • Central Valley Passage mapThe Central Valley Passage: CalBike’s Visionary Long-Distance Bike RouteJanuary 14, 2021 - 3:14 pm
  • federal support for bikingWhat to Expect from Federal Support for Biking in 2021January 13, 2021 - 4:33 pm
  • Cal the Cat in a maskCalBike’s Best and Worst of 2020December 28, 2020 - 11:37 am

BLACK LIVES MATTER

California will never have the equitable, prosperous and inclusive communities that CalBike advocates for until we address and redress anti-Black violence. We want to actively contribute to ending systemic racism, especially in transportation policy, and most especially in bicycling advocacy. We promise to listen and learn how we can best do this work. To our community members who experience the violence of racism on a daily basis: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

Join the movement for better biking in California

Be the first to hear about the latest news and actions you can take to help create bike-friendly communities.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DONATE

JOIN/RENEW

CONTACT US

ABOUT US

  • About Us
  • Financials & Governance
  • Staff
  • Board of Directors
  • Local Partners
  • State and National Allies
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

WHAT WE DO

  • Current Projects and Campaigns
  • Past Campaigns and Projects
  • California Bicycle Summit
  • Sign-On Letters

RESOURCES

  • COVID-19 and Bicycling
  • Fact Sheets and FAQs
  • Our Video Channel
  • 2021 Legislative Watch
  • Blog

EVENTS

  • California Dream Ride
  • 2021 Agenda Kickoff
CalBike Logo

California Bicycle Coalition | 1017 L Street, #288, Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-778-0746

Made by Zac Maybury

California Bicycle Coalition
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
Scroll to top