Thank you for making 2017 an incredible year for the New York Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op!
As we enter 2018, Mechanical Gardens (MG) celebrates our first full year of weekly Open Hours programming at our main space in Saint John the Evangelist Lutheran Church. Over the course of the year, our all-volunteer crew has empowered hundreds of New Yorkers to fix their own bicycles through these weekly workshops and at a variety of community events. We have developed relationships with local government, nonprofit, and business partners who share our values. Our members, volunteers, neighbors at St. John’s, and everyone who contributes to MG are hard at work building a welcoming, inspiring, and educational space for all New Yorkers.
Outside of Open Hours we celebrated a number of highlights, some of which you can see below in our photo gallery.
As we enter 2018, we’re implementing a new set of volunteer squads that will help our growing group of members manage the organization. Squads are forming for: Volunteer Management; Shop Management; Partnerships and Development; Finance; Programming; and Harmony. Let us know at bikecoopnyc@gmail.com if you want to squad up!
2017 In Review
- We won a generous grant from People for Bikes to bring a MG bike outpost to southern Queens in collaboration with Smiling Hogshead Ranch.
- We wrenched at the NYC Department of Transportation’s Biketoberfest event series, and other DOT events throughout the year.
- We rode to (or from) Philadelphia to visit a sister community bike shop, Neighborhood Bike Works, to learn from the pros.
- We honored the legendary mechanic Sheldon Brown on a social ride around Brooklyn bike shops.
- We accepted major donations from multiple bike shop partners like Haven Cycles, Propel Bikes, and 718 Cyclery, and thank Red Lantern Cycles and Nomad Cycles for generously donating a treasure trove of valuable tools, parts, and equipment upon closing.
- We partnered with two Cranksgiving rides to collect 65 lbs. of baby food, 95 packs of menstrual products, and 25 packs of diapers to donate to the food pantry at St. John’s Church.
- Maybe we fixed your flat at the Brooklyn Bridge Park rest stop of Bike New York’s Five Borough Bike Tour.
- We hosted our first Women Trans Femme intensive repair class series in collaboration with Brown Bike Girl, and got this dazzling write-up in Brooklyn Based!
- We represented the co-op at Bike!Bike! Winnipeg, the international conference for community bike shops.
Flat-Fixing
One of the most common things we encounter during our pop-ups: flat fixing/tube changing!
2017 Sheldon Brown Memorial Ride
If you've ever tried to fix your bike on your own, it's likely you've encounter Sheldon's website, a treasure trove of bike knowledge. In 2017, we biked to our fave LBS in Brooklyn and exchanged knowledge on bike hacks 🙂 #SheldonTaughtMe
#SheldonTaughtMe Eagles
Everyone got eagles for their helmets! Reason: there's a kooky picture of Sheldon with this eagle on his helmet and we loved it. Fun fact: The eagle's name is IGOR.
#SheldonTaughtMe Ride
As part of the memorial ride, we rode to our LBS. Here we stopped by Bicycle Roots in Crown Heights and this is Pablo pictured here.
Step into our lair
This should be a familiar sight if you've ever stepped into St John's for Open Hours. Photo by Kate Ryan.
WTFGNC Bike Maintenance Intensive 2017
Over the course of 3 weeks, we overhauled bikes together. The WTFGNC Bike Maintenance Intensive was open to W/T/F/GNC identifying folkx towards empowering and uplifting less represented individuals in the bike mechanic world.
2017 WTFGNC Bike Maintenance Intensive Graduates
Led by Sera Stravoula, the WTFGNC Bike Maintenance Intensive was open to W/T/F/GNC identifying folkx towards empowering and uplifting less represented individuals in the bike mechanic world. We are out here wrenching!!!
Bike New York’s Five Borough Bike Tour
Setting up our station at Brooklyn Bride Park for Bike New York’s Five Borough Bike Tour... right before all the flats came rolling up
Bike New York’s Five Borough Bike Tour
Even when we are doing pop-up events, we try to continue to embody the spirit of learning and community empowerment. Here, Michael shares with a rider what he sees and how they can diagnose for themselves in the future.
Basic Maintenance 101
Have you cleaned (and re-lubed) your chain?
Open Hours Bike Parking
If you've been with us from the start, you'll know this bike parking is a major upgrade 🙂
Open Hours
We encounter all sorts of issues during open hours. The fun part is diagnosing and working on it together.
Open Hours
Hands-on = Hands-on! The MGBC mechanic guides you through the steps so for those who like to get greasy... we won't stop ya!
Open Hours
Pictured here: Freddie!
Open Hours
During the summer, the youth in the neighborhood like to stop by. It's always great to have their energy in the room and when it's more than 1 at a time, it's been a great exercise for us to think about how to be engaging and share knowledge to a bigger group.
When summer rolls around
We fix outside! A change of scenery once in a while is nice.
When summer rolls around
Here's a happy biker (we hope) after coming through our outdoor open hours and about to hop back on a now fixed bike!
Mind, Body, and Health with Bed-Stuy Bikes
A great crowd and range of bikes from the neighborhood during the Bed-Stuy Bikes event in June 2017.
St John's Block Party
We set up outside St John's during the block party and got to fix the neighborhood's bikes together!
On our way to Canarsie Pier
Yup. We are a contained operation! This is Bahij hauling our gear to Canarsie Pier to fix a ridiculous amount of bikes with Recycle a Bicycle, Bike New York and DOT.
Smiling Hogshead Ranch Harvest Fest
One of our first pop-up/public events with Smiling Hogshead! Imagine what a bike outpost here would look like...
Smiling Hogshead Outpost Meeting
We won a generous grant from People for Bikes to bring a MG bike outpost to southern Queens in collaboration with Smiling Hogshead Ranch. Here is one of our early meetings together with the folks at the Ranch.
BK Cranksgiving 2017
Manifest!
BK Cranksgiving 2017
Riders dropping off their donations.
BK Cranksgiving 2017
Here's a "midpoint" of Cranksgiving. By the end of the ride, we collected 65 lbs. of baby food, 95 packs of menstrual products, and 25 packs of diapers to donate to the food pantry at St. John’s Church.
Neighborhood Bike Works in Philly
One of our first few field trips as a bike co-op – outside of NYC!
Field Trip in Philly
Biking around. Blue skies, bike lanes, and a great crew.
Biketoberfest
Happy to be part of NYC Department of Transportation’s Biketoberfest event series!
Biketober Fest
Knowing how to cleaning your bike is a simple and very doable skill to acquire. And it goes a long way.
More Outdoor Biketober Fest!
Our setup is lean and friendly.
Red Lantern Donations
Thanks to our friend Brian at Red Lantern, we got a great haul of donations from the shop AND organizing capacity in the back room. We are sad to see Red Lantern go... but also so grateful to have people like Brian in our midst (and we'll see more of at the shop!).
Open Hours - More Wrenching
If you already know how to fix your bike, we welcome you to come through to use our stands and borrow our tools! You shouldn't need to purchase a shop to be able to fix your bike.
Open Hours Volunteer AND Mechanic
You can come through the co-op and fix your bike... AND you can also be a volunteer or a volunteer-mechanic! Ask any of the co-op members for more information.
Open Hours - Wheel Truing
We have a wheel truing station!
IMG_20171127_201507
Open Hours
Here's Zach fixing up this bike for small Danny. We don't usually have kids bikes, so that was a fortuitous match.
Post Open-Hours Hangout Spot
Sometimes, after Open Hours, we hang out at our local watering hole to catch up on our non-bike lives. Wait, who are we kidding?! There is no such thing. Shoutout to Shawn at The Well!