Well, seems the past couple of weeks have just blown by, and before we know it 2012 will be upon us. Before that happens, we just want to say thank you once again to all the wonderful volunteers that help make MoBo what it is. We had a epic volunteer apreciation party 2 weeks ago, and we are just now regaining enough of our strength to finally report about it. DJ Bree kept us up dancing and singing until the wee hours of the morning, and some pretty great prizes were raffled off. Thank you to the local buisnesses and artists who donated all the awesome swag that was given away, and as always NYPD thank you for keeping us well stocked in pies. Thank you Ellie for all the cooking you did the night before, and Alex N. for the last minute save. But most of all, Thank you Cincinnati, for all the great volunteers, which without, MoBo would not be possible. From our volunteer mechanics who share their knowledge and passion of bikes with us, to all the volunteers  constantly sorting bike parts and bikes, sweeping and keeping the building up, and being the smiling face that greets every person that wanders through our doors, you guys are truly amazing. Thank you to Village Green for all you do to allow us to do what we do, and thank you Northside, for being such a great community.

Stripping Party

Join us November 5th from 10 am – 4 pm to help us strip parts off of donated bikes.

Cold Weather Commuting Workshop

Sunday November 6th we will be hosting a workshop with information on commuting in cold weather.

Join Us at the Harvest Festival

and vote in the Village Green Board Elections

Join the whole Village Green community at our annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 5:30pm! This is a joint celebration hosted by MoBo and our parent organization, the Village Green. We’ll celebrate vegetables, autumn, and each other!

We’ll also be holding elections for the Village Green Board of Directors, the formal leadership of the organization. This will be the very first such election in which MoBo members are allowed to participate, an exciting step for the organization as a whole- so show up and let your voice be heard!

All members of the community are eligible to run for VG Board positions. If you’re interested in becoming a leader in the organization, send an e-mail to northsidevillagegreen@gmail.com for more info!

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Check out the…

MoBo FORUM

2nd Tuesday of Every Month, 7pm @ MoBo

Join us for an open discussion on how MoBo works, how you can get involved, how we can be better neighbors and how to keep MoBo alive and kickin’!

MoBo FORUM is a monthly community meeting and potluck. We’ll announce upcoming events, answer questions, share feedback and get to know each other! If you want to know more about what we do here and how you can be a part of it, the MoBo FORUM is for you!

Free food/potluck!

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Meet the New Board!

The 2011-2012 crop of leaders at MoBo!

Clockwise from the top: Danny Berchenko, Laura Collins, Ian Surra, Alex Nava, Anna Geimeier, Alex Temple, Rob Grossman and Ellie Jones.

Thanks to all the members who voted! More members participated in this election than in any other in the history of MoBo, a testament to the vitality of our cooperative. We’re excited about another year and grateful for such creative and committed members willing to step up as leaders of MoBo!

As always, all members are encouraged to participate in the leadership of our organization. Board members are recognized as especially-committed leaders and are the only members able to officially vote in board meetings, but the vast majority of decisions are reached through consensus and everyone is encouraged to participate!

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Kids’ Day 2011

Our Kids’ Day program was a smash success!

One of our absolute favorite programs, Kids’ Day offers local kids the opportunity to repair, maintain, and build bicycles with one-on-one guidance from experienced mechanics. Every Monday evening during the summer we devote the shop, its tools, and our expertise exclusively to the servicing of kids’ bikes. Membership fees are waived for youth members of the Co-op, so participation in Kids’ Day is free for all youth members (aged 16 and under). Children under 6 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Additionally, MoBo collects donated bicycles and matches them with kids who need bikes. Mechanics work with each new owner to make repairs and adjustments as necessary. Helmets are distributed free of charge. Youth are served on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting area is staffed by at least 2 adult volunteers who provide supervision, games, water, and occasional snacks. Jobs such as set up, clean up, sign in, trash duty, and cup duty are delegated to mature kids so as to nurture the spirit of cooperation.

Our Kids’ Day Coordinator for 20111 was long-time MoBo volunteer Scott Pardi.

The success (and fun) of Kids’ Day depends on awesome adults willing to pitch in and make this happen! If you’re interested in helping out next summer, contact the Scott (scottpardi@gmail.com).

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Thursday Night Fairly Slow Ride

Every Thursday, 7pm @ MoBo

Are you a beginning rider? Want to learn how to ride on the road safely? You’re in luck! MoBo offers a Thursday Night Fairly Slow Ride for beginning riders. Interested in this ride? Contact us at mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com

We begin with the basics of group riding and how to ride safely in the street before heading out. Our route is chosen specifically to be easy to manage for new riders, and whenever group members have had enough and are ready to turn back, the Slower Bike Ride folks will head back to MoBo!

The Thursday Night Fairly Slow Bike Ride Manifesto:
1) We focus on building confidence and stamina.
2) We focus on teaching bike safety.
3) We ride as fast as the slower riders.
4) We focus on having fun!

Don’t forget your helmet and bike light(s)!
Visit the ride’s Facebook page for more information!

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May is Bike Month!

In case you haven’t heard, May is Bike Month in our lovely city! MoBo is teaming up with friends and neighbors all across Cincinnati for a month of bike-themed events, and we want to see YOU out there in the saddle! Check out all these events (click to enlarge)…

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Thanks for coming to the…

2011 MoBo Fundraiser Party!

We rocked it out on May 7 at our 5th Annual Fundraiser Party @ Mayday!

The first-ever Busted Bike Build-Off, an absurd competition created by our friends in the Mosh & Brew Cycle Club in which teams of local mechanics raced to build a “ridable” bicycle out of spare parts and braved a ridiculous obstacle course, was a huge success. The Held Together By Hope Trophy went to MoBo’s Angelique and Braxton, the Most Anal Retentive Trophy to the Mosh & Brew team, and the coveted I Build to Survive Belt was brought home by Scott and Michael from Team Hungry Cycling. The whole thing unfolded on a fat wave of instrumental surf rock summoned by Fronkensteen.

The Fundraiser itself followed with a night of music, food, local beer, a silent auction, and friends galore. Fronkensteen, the Cotyledons, Shadow Raptor, various incarnations of Loft Collective bands like Okay Lindon, and DJ Carl Hunt blessed the airwaves gratis, and we destroyed an epic spread of food from local eateries and the kitchens of volunteers while enjoying local brews from Rivertown Brewing Company. Dozens of artisans and merchants in Northside, Cincinnati, and beyond contributed goods and services to our silent auction and raffles, and we basked in community love from old friends, new members and generous neighbors.

Thank you for supporting MoBo in whatever form you chose, whether by volunteering to help prepare for or staff the event, donating food, drink, or items for the auction, playing music for free, becoming a member of the cooperative, making a donation, sending good vibes our way from far off lands, or simply showing up! Because of you MoBo will be going strong for another year. See you at the shop!

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2011 Bike Sale

Saturday, April 30 – 11-5pm @ MoBo

Thanks for making our annual bike sale fundraiser a huge success- we sold out in record time and gained some new members!

If you were one of the unlucky souls to arrive too late or just didn’t find the bike for you, please keep in mind that you can find a bike at MoBo all year ’round through our Adoption Program. Members can look through our selection of donated frames, claim a bike they want, and work on it at MoBo using our tools and parts until it’s ready to go. At the end of the process, we only ask that you, the member, offer a small donation or pledge some volunteer time at the co-op in return! For more info, talk to a Shop Coordinator.

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Winter Workshop Series 2011

Thanks for coming to MoBo’s Winter Workshop Series!

Every Monday night in February and March we hosted free, community-oriented, biking workshops open to the whole world!

All levels of experience were welcomed and knowledge was shared!!!

Schedule:

2/7: Brakes, w/ John Wood
2/14: Chains and Shifting Systems, w/ Marty Sanders
2/21: Wheels, w/ Michael Chewning
2/28: Bearing Systems, w/ Scott Pardi

3/7: Touring, w/ Nita Stone ***(Rescheduled for 3/22)
3/14: Living in Cincinnati Without a Car, w/ Dan Korman and Katy Crossen
3/21: Commuting, w/ Frank Henson
3/28: Dressing for the Weather, w/ Ben Nava

Looking for more? Come to our Monthly Bicycle Basics Workshop, the 1st Thursday of each month at 7pm @ MoBo!

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Northside’s Getting an Art Rack!

Thanks to You!

Our community has succeeded in raising the final $500 needed to fund an Artworks Art Rack in Northside! All told, our neighbors have pledged $2,500 toward this project, $525 of which comes from MoBo members. Artworks will be matching this with general project support. We’ll keep you updated as a location is finalized and the project moves forward, and you can definitely expect some photos in the future.

Thanks to everyone in our wonderful community who contributed, and to Artworks for bringing such a cool project to our city!

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Third Thursday? It Must be

Women’s Open Shop!

Anyone who identifies as a woman is welcome to join us the third Thursday of the month (6-9) for an open shop just for women and female identified members. This is a space for women to work on bikes without men in the shop. Women’s Night is led by Kat Smith. Whether you’re a seasoned mechanic or you’ve never picked up a wrench, this is a safe space to work. Come on down!

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Thanks for Coming to the Dirty

Hands Shindig!

The Volunteer Appreciation Party on Dec. 11 was a big success!

We’re super proud of our new space and the awesome members who worked to make it so cool. This year was the first time ever MoBo has been able to hold this yearly celebration in its own space, and it was extra special that one of the biggest causes for celebration was the building itself.

We can’t wait for you to see it for yourself! Now that we have a comfortable new shop and community space, we’ll be doing our thing all winter long, so come check it out!

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Thank You!

In the last few of months, our superhero memberss have put a MASSIVE amount of work into rehabbing the Village Green building, allowing MoBo to move into our new shop space.

We now have: a heated (!!!), insulated, and painted shop space, a finished floor, storage systems in the basement, and a shared community storefront and a separate shared office space! Our folks have done an incredible job. In the last few of months our members counted more than 600 hours of work! Way to be cooperative!

As you can tell, we’ll be continuing our work to fully move into the space and organize our shop during our regular Open Shop days and on Co-op Nights (Tuesdays from 6-9pm). We still have a lot of work to do, and could use all the help we can get from our members! If you can pitch in for an extra half hour or more next time you’re here, please ask the Shop Coordinator how to help!

If you’d like to become a volunteer, simply show up at Open Shop or Co-op Night or email volunteersformobo@gmail.com to find out about other ways to get involved!

***(MoBo is not a service or a club: It’s a cooperative. We’re all working together to make something bigger than us, and we want you to join us! It takes a diversity of skills to work the magic of a bike co-op, and we’re always open to what skills you have to offer. Everyone’s welcome. This is an inclusive community!)***

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The website is a work in progress. If you think you could help maintain or improve it, please email mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com

Test

Well hello there.

To start off, its kinda late on a Friday night, so pardon any blips in the post.  I just got back a bit ago from riding down to Main Street to see Tank Mansfield’s Robot Series at MOTR.  Excellent fun stuff.  Lots of personality and great fills.

"Perservernce" by Tank Mansfield

If any of you all want to get me his “Perserverence” as a print or a tattoo, my  birthday’s coming up.

As I was cruising south on Spring Grove Avenue (because quite frankly riding between Ludlow Ave and Hopple Street on Central Parkway is plain scary)   it occurred to me that when I was walking Chuckie the Dog earlier in the evening, the damp looking spots on the pavement were quite really slick.  ALERT!  Black ice.  Yup, that’s a good way to bash your skull.  Its like the Slow Ride the Lightning, you just don’t expect it to be what it is and it takes you completely by surprised.  The only difference is that incredibly slowed down Metallica just destroys, wiping out on black ice can just flat kill you.  Or make you incredibly miserable.  I’m willing to bet there are some of you that would say you’d rather take the wipe out.  Good luck with that.  If you don’t want to go down on ice, or wet metal, while riding your bicycle there are a couple of key elements that have been passed on to me by my seniors and my practical experience.

1.  Avoid riding on it if possible.  Wet metal is bad luck.  Really.  Manhole covers, steel plates, cheesegraters  (like on the Roebling Bridge in Cincinnati or Market Street in San Francisco).  Oh, and tracks.  Like train or trolley tracks.  Will.  Mess.  You.  Up.

2.  If you have to ride over that stuff and there’s no avoiding it, hold your line.  Stay straight and don’t waver.  I suppose you could kick the wheel out in a slide, but that’s an advanced maneuver.  Stay relaxed.  Hold your line.  Look in front of you.  See the whole picture.  Keep your ears open for vehicles behind you.  When you go down on Black ice it can be real fast and its only funny if all you end up with is a nice bruise.

3.  Wear a helmet.  Are you  trained to tuck your chin and avoid hitting your head?  Well, Mother Nature may think otherwise and She is a force to be reckoned with.  ESPECIALLY if its wet or slick out.  Tonight I got to sport my new stoopidcoolbossass Evel Kneivel helmet for the first time.  Thanks much to MoBo, Nutcase, and Park+Vine for trying to help me keep my brains intact.

Speaking of Park + Vine: owner Dan Korman has said that he will do a workshop at MoBo on the second Monday in March.  The focus will be Carless  in Cincinnati, or something like that.  If you didn’t know, Dan bikes everywhere.  In any weather.  He’s a beast.  And a big advocate for cycling, healthy living, and every great about Cincinnati.  Stay tuned for more info on this and other Monday workshops that are part of MoBo’s Winter Workshop Series.

by yours truly

That leads me on to the next thing that had popped into my mind while pedaling along on this very chilly night…. and before.  Before, as in, before I even left the house.  That was what am I gonna wear.  Yeah yeah yeah.  But really.  Dressing proper for these coldass January nights means forethought.  Key element?  Chest protection.  Something to keep the cold air off of it.  Last thing you want is a chest cold.  Or worse, pneumonia.  Now, you’re gonna be building up heat, and there’s a chance you’ll work up a bit of a sweat, even if you’re trying not to.   Moisture on the chest + cold air = Get a windbreaker, a raincoat, a leather coat, a naugahyde coat, a cycling jacket, wrap your self in plastic wrap, or poke holes in a garbage bag.  Just keep that wind off of your chest.  I also recommend a layer that wicks moisture off your body (removes – wick means removes).  Or better yet, two layers of wicking and a breathable windproof outerlayer.  You’ll be good to go then.  Those wicking shirts are getting pretty cheap.  There are a ton of brands, just look for something that says moisture removing.  Soccer shirts work.  So does wool.  That will keep the wet and the chill off your chest, as long as you’re moving.

So, to summarize… Tank draws cool robots.  Avoid riding on black ice and wet metal.  Its bad luck.  Except Slow Ride the Lightning – its crushes your skull.  Keep the chill off your chest because getting sick sucks.  And Dan Korman will be holding a workshop at MoBo on he second Monday in March.  The subject is being carless in the city.

Peace out,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Rob

This post is dedicated to Pauline Caluya 11/24/1970 – 8/25/1997  R.I.P.

Good Friday everyone!

In the last couple of months, our superhero volunteers have put a MASSIVE amount of work into rehabbing the Village Green building on site.

We now have: heat (!!&!#*^@%!$!!*@*!!!!!!!!!), a finished floor, storage systems in the basement (so it doesn’t look like a bike jungle any more), insulation (to keep that heat IN…), drywall, a shared community storefront and a separate shared office space! These folks have done an incredible job.  They’ve counted roughly 500 hours of work…which equates to about 3 months for an individual.

This weekend, we’ll be working on Sunday from 10am – 3pm to get the space finished up and ready to move in! Please come join us if you can! We’re all working together on it!  We’ll also be there from 6-9pm on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to get our new home finished.

If you’d like to help us in celebrating our volunteers, please bring them food or drink, or contact volunteersformobo@gmail.com to see how you can help with the toast we’re throwing for them next Saturday!

If you’d like to become a volunteer, come to one of the work days or email volunteersformobo@gmail.com to find out about other ways to get involved!

***(MoBo is not a service or a club:  It’s a cooperative.  We’re all working together to make something bigger than us, and we want you to join us! It takes a diversity of skills to work the magic of a bike co-op, and we’re always open to what skills you have to offer.  Everyone’s welcome.  This is an inclusive community!)***