[YellowBike] a volkstrailer?

[Aaron Wieler]

hi tommy.

I don't know if there's anything worthy of a nervous tick of glee, but I am
working on community bike stuff, and low-cost, simple trailer stuff.

I'm writing a zine about building trailers, and it has a little bit about
car-free politics. that's pretty much where I'm at these days, and
supporting local economies though taking initiative with the technology that
we use. 

this list, yellowbike, is about the community bike program that we have
here. we get donations of bikes, buy some parts, and fix the bikes up. we
paint them yellow, give them a name, and release them to the campus. we're
at hampshire collge, which is 3 miles from town, so it's an effort for the
bikes to ride off to town, especially since we singlspeedify them as much as
possible.

hey yellowbikers, what is your take on bike culture around here, either at
hampshire or in the valley?

the zine about bike carts isn't ready for distribution yet, but it will be
soon. I would be happy to send you a copy when it's done. I think I'll put a
pdf of it online too. maybe through microcosm too.

we had a bike cart building workshop here last weekend. we worked on 3 carts
for the campus house offices. eventually, over 1000 people will have access
to these carts, to borrow with a bike, for their bike, or to push by hand.

the cart is made from 1/2" EMT conduit, either recycled or new. do you have
a picture of your tallbike? I built one this summer.

picture here:
http://stout.hampshire.edu/~afw01/pictures/tallbike1.jpg

do you know that welding galvanized steel (conduit) releases zinc oxide,
which can make you sick?

pictures of the carts here:
http://stout.hampshire.edu/~afw01/pictures/cart1.jpg
http://stout.hampshire.edu/~afw01/pictures/cart2.jpg

the carts weigh 15 to 20 lbs and cost about $25 to make. if you're familiar
with the fabrication, they take...maybe 6 hours? to build.

cycle circus has a cart design from bike parts. it's at:
http://www.cyclecircus.org/images/colortrailer5.gif

so, what are your bike parties like? your bike encouragement sounds great.
tell me more...

rubbersidedown, yellowside up.

-aaron 


On 11/23/04 4:39 PM, "mywildstove" wrote:

> Hello!
> I met ruthy in knoxville on her way to the superhero ride a month ago or so.
> She told me about your graduate work and I instantly developed a nervous tick
> of glee.  There's an underorganized bicycle community here.  My friend and I
> just created the university's first known tall bike, and there's no coop or
> bike lanes.  We're encouraging people to ride everyday, by lending, fixing,
> and throwing bike parties.  I'd love to hear about bike culture in your neck
> of the woods and if you are willing, I'd love to hear about how to build bike
> trailers with found objects.  We used conduit for the tall bike, is that part
> of your formula?  Pedal to the Metal!
> Tommy
> 
> 
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