BikeWorks South Temporarily Closed

BikeWorks South (10047 80 Ave) will be closed until further notice due to a burst water pipe. Please check back for updates, as we hope to up and running again in a few days. In the meantime, please visit us at BikeWorks North 9305-111 Ave for all your community bike shop needs! BikeWorks North will be open Wednesday & Thursday from 6pm-9pm, and  Saturday & Sunday from 1pm-5pm.

,

Racks for Cars

,
Racks-For-Cars-dot-Com-transparent.png

Thule Pack n Pedal Tour Pannier Rack Racks for Cars offers 10% off all products in the Thule Pack 'n Pedal line.

You can purchase Thule Pack 'n Pedal products in-store at both locations by presenting your EBC member card.

For online orders, check your member status for the web coupon code, which you can use on the checkout page of the Racks For Cars website to apply the discount. Orders can either be picked up in-store at either Edmonton location, or can be delivered (freight charges may apply).

,

Pogo CarShare

,
pogo-logo-sq.png

Pogo is a carsharing service that gives members 24/7 access to a pool of vehicles located within a defined, central Zone in Edmonton. EBC members can use their member promo code POGOBIKES to sign up for a free Pogo membership (normally a one-time fee of $35; there are no annual fees) and 30 minutes of free driving time.

When parking a Pogo vehicle, you don't have to pay for parking at most metered parking spots, and some lots at the University of Alberta and MacEwan campuses. That's right: free parking at the U of A and free parking downtown. Check the Pogo website for full parking rules.

Use Pogo vehicles to commute, run errands, head out for a night with friends—you decide! You only pay for the exact amount of time you use the vehicle. Gas, insurance, and parking are all included, and one-way trips are allowed.

Pogo CarShare gives you access to convenient transportation, when and where you need it.

Sign up at www.pogocarshare.com.

Alberta Bike Swap 2014

ABS-bike-5w-web.png

The Edmonton Bike Swap, a non-profit annual one day bike buy & sell, is happening Saturday, May 10, 2014 at Glengarry Arena (13340 85 St)! Bring your bike to sell it. Or come buy a bike if you don't have one! Or both.

All bikes in the swap should be able to be safely ridden away, so they will be checked by EBC's volunteer mechanics for safety.

Buyers

Bike sales runs from 2:30pm – 4pm. Admission is $2 per person, children 12 and under are free.

You don't need to sell a bike to buy a bike. Sales are by cash or debit (no credit, sorry).

Sellers

Bike intake is from 8am – 2pm.

Sellers pay a $15 racking fee for each bike on-entry, and then an additional 12.5% if their bike sells. Show your AMA card to save $5.00 per bike off the rack fee.

The racking fee is due at drop-off time. You set the price for your bike. Alberta Bike Swap handles everything else: the mechanical checks, questions from the public, sales transaction, etc., and mails you a cheque after the event. Bikes are sold by consignment: once you have dropped off your bike, you do not have to remain present to sell your bike.

It costs Alberta Bike Swap about $38.00 per bike before it gets on the rack. That's why we have selling fees. Any bike brought to the swap should be ready to ride away when it is bought. Bikes must be worth a minimum of $50 and pass our basic tech check. If your bike doesn't make it into the swap, we'll accept as a donation to the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society community bike shops, BikeWorks.

90% of bikes sell. In the rare chance yours doesn't, we'll call at 4pm and let you know to pick it up. Please ensure that you are available if you wish to keep your unsold bike, unsold bikes must be picked up by 5pm. Any bikes that aren't picked up will be donated to the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society (EBC). EBC appreciates these donations, and will ensure that your bike finds a new home, so you are welcome to simply leave your bike for EBC.

Example:

  1. You price your bike to sell for $400.00
  2. You drop off your bike any time between 8-2pm and pay the racking fee of $15
  3. You leave and go enjoy the rest of your day (if you want)
  4. We sell your bike for $400
  5. We mail you a cheque for $350.00. Sweet.

Alberta Bike Swap racks

About the swap

More details about the swap, including what happens if your bike doesn't sell, fees, etc. are available on the Edmonton Bike Swap website and the Alberta Bike Swap FAQ.

The Edmonton Bike Swap is presented by the non-profit Alberta Bike Swap Ltd., where 50% of the proceeds go to support cycling based initiatives in transportation, health, and recreation, including significant support for EBC. (The rest is used to fund the event.)

EBC also needs volunteers for this event. You don’t need any bike knowledge to help out (we have positions for everyone). If you're able to volunteer, please contact us. You'll also get first pick & purchase privileges.

Alberta Bike Swap is a registered non-profit. Its goals are to:

  • Give used bike sellers a safe and convenient venue for access to thousands of buyers
  • Give used bike buyers access to hundreds of safe bikes in one visit
  • Bikes purchased can be safely ridden away from the swap
  • Generate some funds to support local safe cycling initiatives

,

Jingle Ride

,
christmas-bike-2003.jpg

Thursday December 13th, 7-9pm Starts at BikeWorks South (10047 80 Ave - access through alley only)

Deck your bikes with LED's... Join us for a casual winter ride to check out some of the most spectacular light displays in Edmonton, followed by hot drinks & skating. There will also be a prize for the best decorated bike.

Be sure to dress for the weather, bring a hot beverage and a snack if you like, and don't forget your skates!

Complete Streets Strathcona November 2012 Open House Summary Report

The next meeting of the Complete Streets Strathcona working group will be on Tuesday, December 11, at 7pm at the Old Strathcona Business Association Office (#202, 10345 Whyte Ave). Please go to http://edmontonbikes.ca/strathcona for full details. On Thursday, November 8, 2012, the Complete Streets Strathcona working group hosted an open house at the Strathcona Community League Hall from 7-9pm. The working group collected design ideas and feedback from members of the public, focusing on ideas to make the Whyte Avenue area friendlier to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Representatives from the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society, Strathcona Centre Community League, the City of Edmonton, and the Old Strathcona Business Association, as well as University of Alberta students and community residents are all involved in the working group.

You can download a PDF version of this summary report here:


View Complete Streets Strathcona - Public Input Map in a larger map

 
Please add your feedback to the interactive map. A free Google Account is needed. To add markers to this map, log in to a Google account, click here to view the map, and then click "Edit".

Background

Complete Streets Strathcona is a multi-stakeholder working group that formed after the tragic death of Isaak Kornelsen. A number of group rides, forums and meetings have been held since then.

The purpose of the November 8 Open House was to seek input from the public and interested stakeholders on the priorities of the working group as well as to solicit specific road design features in order to advance the group’s vision for the safest and most comfortable bike infrastructure in the Old Strathcona area.

Process

Complete Streets Strathcona, with the help of Tyler Golly from the City of Edmonton’s Transportation Services department (Sustainable Transportation section), provided large maps of the entire area (from 114 St to 92 St, Saskatchewan Dr to south of 76 Ave) as well as large maps of 82 and 83 Ave from 114 St to 92 St, including road and lane widths. Images of various kinds of cycling infrastructure (though without detailed text descriptions) were also available. Representatives from the City and Complete Streets Strathcona were available to answer questions.

Members of the public were invited to provide their feedback in provided comment sheets, as well as directly on the maps. Over 110 pieces of individual feedback were received from roughly 25 participants. This report contains a summary of feedback received during the open house, grouped by location, as well as an appendix of all feedback received.

Most of the feedback listed in the appendix has been copied verbatim from notes written or attached to the maps, with some clarification added and descriptions of illustrations written. Locations of the feedback have been recorded as best possible. The source material may be made available by request. An interactive version of the map, including feedback, is available at http://edmontonbikes.ca/strathcona/

Findings

The feedback described in this document does not necessarily represent the views or the position of Complete Streets Strathcona and its stakeholders. It is simply a summary of the feedback we received during the November 8 Open House.

There were four important, major trends that were identified in the feedback at the open house.

Focus on 83 Avenue

Over 80 per cent of the feedback received was placed on or written about 83 Avenue. Most of the rest was concerned with the conversion of the 104 Street northbound bus lane into a separated two-way cycle track between 76 and 83 Ave.

Reduce traffic volumes

Reducing automobile traffic volumes makes roads more comfortable and safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Comments included but are not limited to:

  • Designate 83 Ave as one-way street
  • Restrict parking to permit-holding residents
  • Install traffic diverters

Reduce car traffic speeds

This was another common theme. Suggested measures in this realm include:

  • Install single lane traffic circles
  • Installation of traffic diverters
  • North/south stop signs on streets that intersect with 83 Avenue

Make cyclists feel welcome and wanted

Participants generally felt designing a street that caters to cyclists means more than signage and painted lanes. Ideas brought forth during the open house included:

  • Separated cycle tracks
  • Bike buttons
  • A safe way to cross 109 Street
  • Bike corrals on and next to Whyte Ave
  • Priority bike signals at relevant traffic lights
  • Bike boxes
  • Connecting fully with other bike infrastructure at 112 Street, 106 Street, the 104 Street counter-flow bus lane, 97 Street and and the bridge across Millcreek Ravine in order to connect to the Faculte St. Jean campus

Select Locations

Most comments were related to 83 Ave. Some comments were also received regarding 82 Ave as well as 104 St. A summary of comments near some of the major intersections follows. This does not cover all of the feedback received; please see the appendix or online interactive map for full details.

83 Ave

Comments extending the length of 83 Ave mostly relate to:

  • limiting parking to permits, metering parking spaces, or removing parking
  • one-way traffic and contra-flow bike lanes
  • one-way bike lanes
  • two-way bike lanes
  • disallowing automobiles

83 Ave and 109 St

The majority of comments surrounding this intersection focused on traffic controls, including:

  • traffic light controls, either synchronized with Whyte or cyclist- and pedestrian-controlled
  • reversible centre lane for 109 St to provide space for bike lanes
  • prohibiting taxis from the bus/bike/taxi lane between 82 and 83 Ave

83 Ave and 107 St

Comments indicated traffic diverters and N-S stop signs at this intersection, as well as N-S bike lanes along 107 St.

83 Ave and 106 St

Yields and mini traffic circle were suggested to make a strong connection here with the existing N-S bike lanes along 106 St.

82 Ave and 106 St

Bike buttons were noted here to facilitate N-S movement across Whyte. There is an existing pedestrian-controlled crosswalk at this intersection, as well as a short-term loading zone on the northwest corner.

82 Ave and 104 St

Many comments in this area related to turning the 104 St northbound access road into a 2-way cycle track. Feedback included:

  • 2-way cycle track from existing 76 Ave bike lane to Saskatchewan Drive
  • bike-advance signals for crossing Whyte
  • moving the #52 bus route to Gateway Blvd
  • utilizing the space for food trucks and other street-life amenities

83 Ave and 104 to 103 St

This section, in the heart of the theatre district and passing in front of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market received a larger number of comments.

  • diverters to prevent pass-through automobile access
  • lower speed limit
  • bike & pedestrian priority
  • restricting all automobile traffic from 104 St to 99 St along 83 Ave

83 Ave and 103 St

  • traffic diverters to limit access to 83 Ave
  • bike buttons
  • 4-way traffic lights

83 Ave and 102 St

  • remove boulevard and widen lane
  • traffic diverter
  • N-S stop signs

83 Ave and 99 St

  • bike buttons
  • traffic diverters to limit 83 Ave access
  • church parking access required
  • 4-way traffic lights

83 Ave and 96 St

  • signage to connect to Mill Creek Bridge
  • limit access to 96 St from Whyte

Conclusions

This open house is among the first steps in a consultation process that Complete Streets Strathcona is embarking on. These collaborative activities help provide direction as we work with the City and other groups toward safe, comfortable cycling infrastructure in the Old Strathcona area.

,

Retroreflective Craft Night

,
retroreflective1b.jpg

Being visible doesn't have to mean looking like you're doing highway construction. Drop in to EBC on Monday December 10th and add retroreflective trim & designs to your favourite riding clothes that will help keep you visible through those long winter nights and make accessories for yourself and your bike that can't be missed. Bring clothing you want to embellish (cotton & other natural fibers work best), design ideas & inspiration, accessories you want to turn shiny, and things you want to turn into shiny accessories. A little retroreflective sumtin-sumtin makes a great gift for the cyclists in your life. This will give you an idea of the type of things we'll be creating: Retroreflective Goodness

Pre-register by emailing [email protected]. You can come for an hour, or stay all evening. Cost is $5 for EBC members and $10 for non-members, and covers as much re-purposed retroreflective material as you can use as well as other craft supplies. Imagine a basket decorated with retroreflective flowers, or a row of retroreflective magnets on a steel frame, handlebar, or fender. Or howabout a patch on your jacket, skirt or pants that can be seen a mile away? Only your imagination will limit how you use the high tech materials.

Winter trail conditions

Need to know if your route to work or for your afternoon run is clear? Use the #yegtrail tag on Twitter! You can also pick up copies of the City of Edmonton's River Valley Trail maps (East, Centre, and West) at both BikeWorks North and BikeWorks South for free. These maps show trails that are supposed to be kept clear in the winter.

Get involved: bike infrastructure in Old Strathcona

IMGP0346.jpg

The Edmonton Journal recently published an article on the inadequacy of sharrows. You can get involved now to help us get better, real bike infrastructure.

C2C Forum on Bike Lanes

Campus 2 Campus, a group of public health student advocates concerned about safe cycling infrastructure in our university community, invites you to a forum on safe bike transport between Campus Saint Jean and North Campus.

On Friday, November 2, from 1pm-2:30pm, in the Alumni Room in SUB, at the University of Alberta, we will be joined by City Councillor Ben Henderson; Chris Chan, Executive Director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society; and Kim McRae, a U of A medical student.

This forum is open for all students, staff, community members, cyclists, and aspiring cyclists. The forum will be an opportunity to collaborate, learn and share ideas to address the problem of the lack of safe and inclusive cycling in our community.

Complete Streets Strathcona Action Plan

Saturday, November 3, 2012 9:30am until 4:00pm Room 251, School of Business Building, University of Alberta https://www.facebook.com/events/122515454569348/

After the tragic death of Isaak Kornelsen, a working group has formed to create the best bike infrastructure for the Whyte Ave area. It's a coalition of people and groups that includes the Old Strathcona Business Association, Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society, and the Old Strathcona Community League. It also consists of concerned citizens who enjoy riding their bicycles around Old Strathcona safely.

We need you to help shape the goals, objective and vision for Complete Streets Strathcona. These core ideas are crucial to providing structure to the group, creating momentum and giving new members a foundation based on shared goals and principles.

Objectives for the meeting:

  1. Define the project, including goals, objectives, scope, and deliverables.
  2. Develop the action plan!
  3. Reach agreement on vision and name.

In a general sense, objective #1 will be the first half of the day and objective #2 will be the second half of the day. Vision and name will be the last half hour or so, as a wrap-up.

We will provide coffee and morning and afternoon snacks. We will break for lunch at noon.

The event will be facilitated by Robyn Jacobsen and Kaylyn Airey.

Please RSVP to [email protected].

Bike Lanes For Whyte Ave - We Want Your Input

Thursday, November 8, 2012 7:00pm until 9:00pm Strathcona Community League Hall (10139 87 Ave) https://www.facebook.com/events/286361728142099/

The City of Edmonton is planning to improve the streets in and around Whyte Avenue and this is a public opportunity to offer suggestions and ideas for how to improve them for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.

The Complete Streets Strathcona working group will be collecting design ideas and feedback from members of the public on what would make the Whyte Avenue area friendlier to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.

We will provide large printouts of the routes being addressed and representatives from the city and Complete Streets Strathcona will be there to take questions.

Edmonton deserves better streets for everyone and this is a chance to have your say.

,

Ride Your Bike This Winter

,
20110304_75a.jpg

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you have to stop riding. Let EBC show you how to make winter cycling fun and easy. Winter Cycling Workshop - Friday November 2, 6:30 - 9:00pm

Tire Studding Workshop - Friday November 16, 6:30 - 9:30pm

Full details on both workshops below:

 

Winter Cycling Workshop

Friday November 2, 6:30 - 9:00pm, BikeWorks South 10047 - 80 Ave (entrance through back lane)

A workshop on in the basics of winter cycling. Learn how to prepare your bicycle, body and mind for the unique challenges of riding a bike in the winter. Includes tips on maintenance, clothing, gear and riding techniques

If you are new to riding your bike in the winter, this class is a great way to get some pointers to help you gain confidence on the road.

And if you’re an experienced winter cyclist, this is a good opportunity to learn new tricks and share your experiences with other winter riders.

Cost: $10 for EBC members, $15 for non-members
Register by emailing [email protected]

Tire Studding Workshop

Friday November 16, 6:30 - 9:30pm, BikeWorks South 10047 - 80 Ave (entrance through back lane)

Studding your own tires will save you money and help you grip the snowy roads this season. This is a hands-on session to prepare a studded tire for winter cycling. Learn how to put sheet metal screws into your tire and add a layer to protect your tube from being popped by the screw heads.  We’ll discuss how the studded tire works for you and whether you should do one or both tires.

Bring your own tires, buy some used ones from BikeWorks or buy new ones. Tire cost is extra (i.e. not included in course fee, but most used tires cost just $5).  Screws will be provided.

Cost: $15 for EBC members, $20 for non-members
Register by emailing [email protected]

 

,

Winter Clunker Sale

,
Looking for a winter beater or something that bike thieves won't take a second look at? Right now at both BikeWorks locations we have no shortage of ol' clunkers, bikes that weren't the nicest bikes in the world to start with, but with a little bit of TLC could be back on the road. So instead of leaving them out in the yard to rust all winter, we're having a sale! All kids' bikes for $5  (20" wheels or smaller, unless other wise marked)! Adult bikes from $10 - $50 (applies to specially marked bikes only, bikes sold as-is)! Sale starts Saturday, October 27th.

Trailers needed for Campus Food Bank Trick or Eat

Every year, EBC participates in the University of Alberta Campus Food Bank's annual Trick or Eat food drive on October 31 for Halloween. We cycle around with bike trailers, retrieving food from other volunteers (who go door-to-door on foot) and ferrying it back to campus for sorting. This year, Sustain SU is also partnering with us. If you have a bike trailer that you'd like to lend us for the event, or you'd like to ride yourself with your trailer, please contact us. It's both terrifc fun and for a great cause (and there may be some candy).

Bus bike rack demos

We will be hosting a bus bike rack demo from 1pm-1:30pm on Friday, October 5 to try out a new bus bike rack design. The bus will be parked on 99 St, just south of Whyte Ave (at the CIBC bus stop). Come down with your bike (big bike, little bike, light bike, heavy bike, fat tires, skinny tires, 20" tire folding bike) and try out the new bike rack before ETS makes its final design decisions.

General Meeting called for run-off election

Thanks to everyone for attending our AGM and for the 14 candidates that put their names forward to run for our 2012-2013 Board of Directors. The results are as follows:

Continuing

  • Chris Corrigan
  • Duncan Kinney
  • Lee Vilinsky
  • Micah Cooper
  • Neil Carey
  • Paul Govenlock

Elected

  • Adam Burgess
  • Anna Vesala
  • Bernadette Blakey (incumbent)
  • Justin Bartlett
  • Leila Sidi

There was also a tie for the final position on the board, between Matthew McCrank and Sarah Harold. We will be holding a run-off vote at a general meeting to determine the sixth and final director on October 17 at 6:30pm at the University of Alberta Law Building (88 Ave and 111 St), room LC 101.

You may review the bylaws of the Society on our website. The agenda for the meeting is available here.

,

Get to Know Your Bicycle This October

,

If you want to start learning about working on your own bike but aren’t sure where to start, we have a workshop for you! We're bringing back the popular "Get to Know your Bicycle - An Introduction to Bicycle Maintenance" class with two dates to choose from: Friday October 19th, 6:30pm - 9:30pm at BikeWorks South (10047 80 Ave, access through rear)

or

Sunday  October 28th, 1:30pm - 4:30pm at BikeWorks North (9305 111 Ave)

You'll learn how to fix a flat tire at home or on the street, how to keep your brakes working flawlessly and your shifting smooth. Find out how to save money by spotting small problems before they turn into big problems and by learning how to clean and lube your bike, you’ll learn how to extend the life of your bike while improving its performance. Bring your own bicycle so you can learn specific techniques that work on your components, or learn on one of the many EBC yard bikes.

Space is limited, and these courses tend to fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.

Pre-register by emailing [email protected], and don't forget to mention what your preferred date is. Online pre-payment is encouraged (we’ll send you a link when you register). Please note that if you register without pre-paying but don’t attend the class or give 24 hours notice, you will not be eligible to register in future classes.

This is an introductory course. If your bike has a problem that is not covered by the scope of this course, we probably won’t have time to fix it, but you can always come to BikeWorks during regular drop-in times and one of our volunteer mechanics can help you.

Cost is $20 for EBC members and $25 for non-members.