Running Commentary
Recycle Bicycle of Harrisburg, Pa
Office computer died - hence I do not have complete web page update capabilities
Dec 13, 2009 Email from Russ Bahn
The next picture is of the smaller bikes 12 ", 16", 18", and 20 inch bicycles. Girls, Boys, and unisex bikes that should make some young child very happy. Most of these are coaster brake bikes with a few mountain bikes and one BMX bike.
WE NEED YOU!
Imagine: Hundreds of bicycles on the stairs of our state capitol
building in Harrisburg to promote Bike Month, support bicycle friendly
legislation, and to demonstrate our desire for better biking in
Pennsylvania.
Please come to Harrisburg on May 5th to attend the Bike Ride and
Rally 10AM at the Capitol Stairs to promote Bike Month & influence
policymakers.
The event will feature resolutions in the House and Senate introduced
respectively by Rep. Kessler and Senator O'Pake and a Proclamation
signed by the Governor.
After the event we will be visiting our State representatives to
advocate for safe passing legislation.
We are hoping that as many people as possible will be able to come out
and ride their bikes to the event. The meeting point for the ride is the
State Farm Show Complex at 230 N Cameron St at 8:30 a.m.(Driving
Directions)
Amtrak offers quick and reasonably
priced service to Harrisburg from 30th Street Station and Paoli. An
express train leaves 30th St at 7:25AM
and at Paoli at 7:51 arriving in Harrisburg at 9AM. Fare is $23 each way
which is less than half the cost of service to NY or DC. The Train
station is a
ten minute walk from the Capitol.
Only folding bikes are allowed on Amtrak. If you bring one make sure
you have this document on your person
or in your smartphone in case a surly conductor questions you (that's
another issue for another day).
This event is organized by the joint efforts of:
Representative Dave Kessler
Senator Michael O'Pake
Governor Ed Rendell
WalkBikeBerks
Lebanon Valley Bicycle Club
Bike Pittsburgh
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Bicycle Access Council
Dec. 26, 2008
Thanks to everyone who came and helped load bikes from Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg to Pedals for Progress Gettysburg.
HELP - the church supporting bike co-op needs mechanical renovation and is not allowed to use the building until code work is done. We may have to move the bikes or let them stay locked in until then - awaiting further news.
No bike co-op in December
The first two Thursdays in October will be normal hours at the Bike Co-op, but after that I go on vacation for a week and then we will start winter hours.
October HELP request from another organization check email inserted
The mission of Love INC is to mobilize the church
to transform lives and communities in the Name of Christ. Love in the
Name of Christ is a network of Christian churches and service agencies
working together to help our neighbors in need. The organization started
in the Greater Hershey Area in May of 2007 and serves anyone who lives
or worships in the Hershey/Hummelstown area and a portion of
Elizabethtown. Love INC does not give cash assistance directly to a
client, but attempts to build a relationship with the client and provide
other supplemental support like food, transportation, visitation or yard
care. Also, when
there are gaps in local services, Love INC attempts to fill the void.
Currently, Love INC
of Greater Hershey has three "gap ministries": Bicycles, Personal Care
Closet, and the Parsonage which will be serving similar needs as the
Ronald McDonald House.
We currently need help with the BICYCLE MINISTRY. The gentleman who
coordinated the ministry is no longer able to do it. We are looking for
individuals who might be interested
and have the time to work on the bicycles that have been donated to Love
INC that are in need of some tender loving care so that they are
functional for those in need of a bicycle. We have
a shed full of bikes plus more coming in that need this care.
If you are willing to help in any way with this ministry, please contact
the Love INC
office by calling 717-835-0101 or e-mail: www.LoveINCGreaterHErshey.org
August and September just flew by! Hence updating web took 2nd place
The Bike Co-op was extremely busy. I would pick up 2 or 3 community service guys, they would strip bikes and I would repair. Plus Richard Kile, Phil van der Goes, Scott Loveless, Brendan, and others would repair bikes for local kids. And then it got so busy that the community service guys got pulled to the front and started fixing bikes under our supervision. AND neighborhood people joined in to help and then could earn a bike. The Co-op has been busy.
Plus one Saturday we had 3 different outreaches at different churches with bike dudes and community service guys at all three.
July 25,2008 Critical Mass Ride I took some quick photos and had to get to another meeting that started at 6 pm
July 3, 2008 NO BIKE CO-OP Both Scott and I are out of town
June 27, 2008
Critical Mass ride at 6 pm at Front & Walnut Sts. - Went really well.
Appox. 20 riders on & off - we circled downtown and midtown - hung out at Neato
Burito and then some at city island - mixture of fixie's, MTB, road, comfort
bikes - a do not do list was distributed to minimize drawing bad
attention and hence most of the attention we got from drivers, walkers and out
door cafe crowd was good - if the tail of ride barely squeezed thru a light -
the drivers were waved at and thanked and the drivers waved back - if the
leaders started into a light and it changed - they stopped and backed pedaled
for the whole crowd to wait together - a generally fun ride for all---------next
ride - July 25 - some pics at
http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/
June 26, 2008 Bike Co-op was busy, Scott Loveless was fixing local residents bikes and the Bradley Landis Memorial BMX group stopped by to pick up probably more than a dozen bikes to help their youth program in the Middletown area. For more info - contact Ron or Lori at 717-388-1054 or 717-648-0321
June 25, 2008 Recycle Bicycle was part of the end festivities at the Tour of Pa during the Carlisle Finish Line - We were teamed with the Harrisburg Bike Club distributing helmets freely, Cole's Bike Shop fitting the helmets and Recycle Bicycle doing safety demonstrations for which the kids earned stars in their passports to acquire prizes.
June 23, 2008 Parents sent kids back to Possum Hollow Fun Fest location (even thou it was over the day before ) hoping to have brakes put on their bikes - I obliged them and did so.
June 22, 2008 Richard Kile and friend fixed bikes at the Possum Hollow Fun Fest non-stop in the hot sun for 3+ hours.
June 21,2008 Doctor Phil and that Ross guy fixed bikes at the Neighborhood center from 11:30 am till after 5pm
June 19, 2008 Doc and his lovely wife took 50+ bikes away to Gettysburg for Ernie to fix and then they will ship them overseas by way of Pedals for Progress
June 5-12-19-26, 2008 appox. 3 pm to dark
Open house at Bike Co-op at 12 th & Magnolia Sts, south Harrisburg
Clean up (it's rough - I still have overturned car to remove) - Strip bikes for parts - Fix bikes for programs
Call Ross cell 571-2008 for exact times or info
May 22, 2008 appox. 3 pm to dark
Open house at Bike Co-op at 12 th & Magnolia Sts, south Harrisburg
Clean up (it's rough - I still have overturned car to remove) - Strip bikes for parts - Fix bikes for programs
Call Ross cell 571-2008 for exact times or info
May 21, 2008 POSTPONED
This Wednesday evening, beginning at 6:30 PM you are invited to join a “rolling tribute” known as the Ride of Silence to remember fellow cyclists and our own Janet A Pontius who have been injured or even killed while pursuing their passion for riding a bicycle. Our Ride of Silence will form in the parking lot of the Riverfront Office Building (PennDOT) in South Harrisburg. Black arm bands will be available for anyone who wishes to remember a fellow fallen cyclist. You are also welcome to recognize an injured cyclist by wearing a red arm band. Other memorials, such as buttons and small signs are very appropriate and encouraged. We will try to time our ride to pass by the State Capitol Building at exactly 7:00 PM. This will be a “D” level ride of no more than 10 miles. Our ride is one of over 300 such rides that will be happening on Wednesday to commemorate the world-wide Ride of Silence. Please join us. For more information, please contact: Bob Garrett at rgarrett@state.pa.us or 717.433.0646.
March 14 Info from Owne Moore for another local opportunity
Dear Harrisburg Bike Club,
Operation Wildcat is an organization consisting of members from the Mechanicsburg Area School District PTOs and Parent Advisory committee who are working to pool the resources of the community to help local students and families in need on an on-going basis. This is a wonderful organization that operates entirely on the generous donations of local families and businesses. If there is a family in need of assistance due to financial difficulties or unforeseen circumstances, the Operation Wildcat committee members will reach out to the families in their school asking for donations of needed items.
We have found that some of the families in our community were in need if bicycles. In some cases, they were in need of transportation. In other cases, they were in need of a form of family recreation. And in all cases, providing bicycles to families has helped to increase exercise and promote a healthy lifestyle. The benefit to children is even greater. Riding a bike builds balance, coordination, and muscle control. Studies done in California have found that physically active children perform better academically.
Volunteers are needed to help get our donated bicycles ready for their new owners. We will be having a “Bike Clean-Up Day” on Saturday, April 12 at 1:00 at the Storage Depot on Cumberland Parkway. If you would be willing to give about an hour of your time to help with such a worthwhile cause, please contact Danette Swartley at danetteswartley(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Thank you,
Danette Swartley
Feb 6
Load ‘Em Up and Head ‘Em Out
A crew of retired HBC’ers met Ross Willard’s call for help Wednesday Feb 6 to remove the pedals and turn the handle bars on about 200 abandoned bikes that the Harrisburg Police had collected over several years and were stored in the old Police Athletic League Bldg in the 1100 block of North Third Street. The crew started about 10 am and finished around 1 pm. Bikes were double stacked on a large trailer which was headed for shipping from Chambersburg and bound for Honduras. Once there the bikes will be put back in ride able condition and sold to locally in their market area. These bikes were going to need some serious work.
HBC’ers helping : Jim Harrington, George Haverstraw, Tom Helm, Jeff McPartland, Tom Schwartzer, Larry Riley, Wayne Stoltzfus, John Humphries, Owen Moore, and Ross Willard.
Jan 1 Went bike riding on Bill Engle's New Year's Day Pork & Sauerkraut ride.
It rained, it stopped raining, we rode, the sun shined down on us, we ate, we talked and laughed and then the temperatures plummeted. It was great.
Dec. 26 Looking toward the new year.
I've been talking to bikers, police officers, and pastors. We need two recycle bicycle locations in the city of Harrisburg (uptown and the hill). It can be an unheated warehouse or garage that we could store bikes in and then eventually have open shop hours to act as bike co-op. I would prefer a high kid density area.
I'm open for suggestions!!!
Dec. 13 Bike Repair Party at Willard's - Your invited!!!!
I get lots of requests for bikes for kids this time of year and I have lots of bikes in various conditions from a simple flat tire to no brakes at all. I'm having a bike rebuilding party on Thursday Dec. 13 at 6 Creekside Drive, Enola, Pa starting at 6:30 pm.
Bring basic tools or I will supply.
Bring your requests / fix'um up / take them with you and give them away.
The plan is to haul them into the house (warm) / fix them on the living room and dining room carpet (Ruth is having it renewed in two weeks) and then restack them in Ice House.
Even if your not mechanically inclined - you can be the inventory and serial number taker.
Goodies and drinks provided.
Fall 2007 - Been busy with normal fall agenda, get the bikes out of the yard before the snow comes!!!
Well the snow came and so did more bikes.
I started teaching bike repair at Wordsworth School again this year.
I'm inquiring with the City of Harrisburg if they know where we could house a bike co-op.
If anyone needs bikes for a community program - some bikes are ready to go and others you will have to wrench on.
Our policy is "Whoever needs - come and get", we ask that you somehow attach value by using it as an earn-a-bike or build-a-bike program or some community service or know for sure that it's a suitable charitable situation.
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