The Shop.

Here is what our shop look like at UMass. Good times, small space.

A bit about Work. And commute.

The UMass Bike Coop, a small, narrow high ceiling room in the University's Student Union. We try and make it work but space is an issue, to get an idea of the space its about two and a half bikes wide and maybe eight long, we have one stand which two mechanics can work on at once. But with the weather becoming nice here in Western Mass, the bikes are coming out. We do have a small storage space outside under an over hang. We are the underdog student business on campus, we are stereotyped as the goofs and underachievers, I can say we work hard to keep this shop going and as one of the two businesses that is not food oriented its hard for people to understand just what goes on in running things. For the most part, people bring in bikes saved from yardsales or attics, left in snow and rain or was their bike as a kid. Some bring in their trusty commuter, their weekend road bike or mountain bike. No matter what we fix it, we have to, in some cases we should just tell them to put it in the dumpster like some shops do, but they are just riding from their dorm to class of to the store downtown, let them ride what they want. Bikes are like people and people are like bikes. We all look at a bike and judge it, just like we do with people, so in a sense we judge a person by their bike. This is human nature and we can all get past this. I enjoy working on every bike that comes through the doors of our shop, no matter how shitty. Its great to see people ride away, being happy about their bike.

Maybe I care a little too much at times, I love my bike, I put just as much care and effort into others bikes when I fix them as I do my own and hope that when it leaves the shop they care for it just as much. It really is a bummer to fix up a bike and put alot of time into it and then see it back in the shop a month later mangled and rusted, all your hard work ruined. I tell people to treat their bike like a cat or dog, you wouldnt leave your dog or cat outside over night, leave them out in the rain or not give them the things they need to survive. A bike is the same way, if its neglected it will rust and components may stop working, you need to give it lube, air, and attention. Take care of your bike, bottom line.

Thanks Tyler

Heres some writing from my friend Tyler, I wanted to get other people i ride with to just write what ever comes to their mind, here is his, enjoy......

First off, you'll have to forgive the lack of direction with this post. I knew I wanted to write something, just not exactly what, or where I wanted it to go. I don’t know why I ever stopped riding. It seems that once I hit 14 I forgot about bicycles in general. I don’t particularly know why it happened, but here I am six years later feeling like I have rediscovered something great. When I was young, my bike was my only transportation. In the summer both my parents would be working for the majority of the day, leaving me home with no real way to get anywhere. If I wanted to head over to a friend’s house (more specifically a friend with a pool) I couldn’t ask for a ride, I had to pedal myself over. Georgetown had a small bike shop, and if I had some time to kill I was riding down, and would walk aimlessly around the shop (trying to appear as if I was looking to buy something, but secretly watching the mechanics work on bikes and trying to figure out what exactly they were doing, then going home and trying to do the same to my own whip)I think that bicycling is something I associate with my childhood. I can remember doing countless laps up and down my street, and going OTB when I tried riding no hands and no feet down my hill. Some of the first good friends I made were neighborhood kids who happened to be out riding one day, there was an impromptu game of red light green light, and then contests to see who could make the longest skid in some sand with their coaster brake. (So young and already having basic trackstand and skid comps!) To me, it’s not just the riding that makes bicycling so much fun. It’s the sense of community surrounding the activity itself. There is energy. It could be felt last Friday at critical mass. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you were there I think you know what I'm talking about. You could see it on the face of the little kids we slowly paraded by through Amherst Center. You knew that if they had their streamer rocking, top tube pad wearing, baseball card spinning bikes right then, they would have joined the fray. Our critical mass wasn’t as much of a protest, as it was a large group of riders looking to go for an easy ride with some friends. I like going. Nowhere in particular, just riding. It’s like going for a relaxing cruise in a car, but a bit more energizing and open to your surroundings. There have been several nights at 1 or 2 when I’ve gotten some funny looks as I walk my bike down the hall and out into the (until recently) cold frosty nights. I'm just going for a ride to clear my head and get out of my stuffy dorm room. Last night I gave a friend a call around 3:45 and we both went out for a short lap around campus. (I didn’t realize quite how tired and under the influence I was until we hit some moderate uphills- sorry if you were looking to ride around longer man!) Friends down the hall will ask 'Where are you going?' I just smile and respond with 'Just Going.'

Just Whats on my mind.

The warm weather is on its way and bikes have been rolling in to the Coop. It feels good to have black hands at the end of the day. People have been coming in with their bikes that have been left on racks all winter, or the yard sale bike they got over break. Its great though, not all people are into riding year round and that's cool. As long as they are riding I am fine. What I don't like however, is when people are embarrassed of their bike. I guy came in with a Huffy mountain bike(not sure of model or year) and was apologizing for how crappy it is. Its fine, your twenty something and cant afford a good bike, does it get you from a to b, yes, good. Having a good bike takes time, its a slow process and should be. When I was a kid I had a BMX, it was right off the show room floor and a rode it for a few months then found something new to keep me occupied. It was not until years later that I started to race Mountain Bikes for the school I was attending, again the bike was handed to me. I learned nothing, I let other people work on it for me and treated it like shit. Then when I was a sophomore in High school I got a yellow Raleigh Sprite 27, for 5 bucks, I fixed it up and rode it until college. On this bike I learned respect for bicycles, I had to work hard to keep it in riding condition and had to work to ride it, it was a piece. College comes and I leave it at home, I entered UMass in the middle of the winter, here is where I began to get into road bikes and track bikes. I am now a mechanic and ride everyday no matter the weather. But it takes time, you cant go from one extreme to the other in a week. So don't be embarrassed of your bike, learn from it, take care of it and progress.

So, the forecast looks good for tomorrow and its the last Friday of the month so you know what that means, Critical Mass. Now, being out in Amherst Critical Mass may just be more of a nuisance than a way to help bicycle awareness. But, to me its a time to ride with my friends and acquaintances in a pack and have a good time. This is how I look at it, when I ride by myself I am aggressive and will let cars know I am there and to give me some room, but when you are riding in a Critical Mass there is no need to be aggressive and yell or punch at cars. During a Critical Mass people driving are aware of you they see 50 or so people on bikes and will get out of the way, this ride is more to express a point that we all ride everyday and cars should be aware that in a group of two or fifty we deserve the same respect.

My commute is short, 2miles, and I get through it with ease every day. Though the mornings suck all up hill the first half. But its quiet and not much traffic. Until the second intersection. Every morning I roll up to it and there is little room between me, the cars and granite curb. In this small space there are pot holes, sand and chunky pavement. On most mornings I slip through and race the cars into campus, this morning however I got pushed into the curb and jumped around a bit. I didn't fall over but it sure as hell woke me up. I gave a friendly tap on the passenger window and relieved myself of some saliva, she looked scared having not seen me, so I smiled and moved on. If you let them know your there, smile and give a wave, they are more likely to remember to give cyclist room. She pushed me a little so I pushed back, this is not eye for an eye but an exchange of "Hello", I am here you are here, we are both on the road so lets share it.

First Things First

So, there is a group of riders, mechanics and all around bike nerds that attend The University of Massachusetts Amherst and get together every friday night to ride. I am one of them, a mechanic at the University Bike Co-Op. It is a very small student run Co-Op that helps the University and local bike community for a little to no money ethic as well as build a strong group of friends and over all bike community. This blog does not however speak for the whole group, I am a single person who is involved with this community and feel that writing about my time and adventures with these people helps to take a weight off of my mind. As well, document a part of my life that is important to me and many other people apart of this community.



Along with telling stories of the FGDT (Fixed Gear Drinking Team) I may tell some more personal stories about my life and its relation to bicycles. I may even say a few words about some things in Bike Culture around the world, who knows I am using this forum to get things out and relate them in some way to a big part of my life, bikes.