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WTF! Women Trans Femme Night

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WTF! Women Trans Femme Night at Bike Kitchen

Bicycle maintenance has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-dominated area. It is our goal to help teach women, trans, and femme individuals who have been intimidated or marginalized in this setting to be knowledgeable and confident working on their bikes.

On a daily basis, Bike SLO County strives to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all, while also recognizing the benefits of offering women, trans & femme-specific evening hours as a stepping stone to achieving greater confidence working in our space at any time.

Women’s Night and WTF Night are for:

Women: A person who identifies as a woman.

Trans: Transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, gender creative, anyone whose gender identity is fluid, transgressive, and/or transitioning.

Femme: A gender identity in which a person of any gender embodies a feminine appearance, expression, or identity.

Bike SLO County’s WTF (Women/Trans/Femme) Nights take place the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 5 – 8:30 PM in the Bike Kitchen at 860 Pacific St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (map).

If you are not WTF identified, please BECOME AN ALLY:

  • Respect the space: Come during our regular hours, don’t ask for an exception, and don’t hang around the entrance during Women’s Night or WTF hours.
  • Respect People: During Bike Kitchen’s regular hours, treat all female & trans mechanics and patrons as you would any other person (don’t assume they’re less knowledgeable, don’t call them “sweetie,” and NEVER take a wrench out of their hand!)
  • Get Educated: Learn about the issues facing women and trans communities.
  • Educate others: About why and how to be an ally!

(Big thanks to DIY bike cooperative, BICAS in Tuscon, AR and Sacramento Bike Kitchen in Sacramento, CA from whom some of our Women’s Night/WTF Night language was cribbed.)

Support Bike SLO County’s Women’s Program

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This week we’re highlighting 5 different Bike SLO County programs and efforts that need your support. Our 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign concludes on Friday June 16th and we still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000.

Women's Program

Day 4: Women’s Program

In 2016 Bike SLO County received a request to host a weekly Women’s Night in our Bike Kitchen. Although we didn’t have the capacity to staff Women’s Night, we worked with a team of dedicated volunteers who cared enough to donate their time and energy to take Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen from a great idea to an even better reality.

Fast forward to 2017. In response to a continuing need, Bike SLO County created a part-time staff position to coordinate and run Women’s Night, hiring Women’s Night superstar volunteer Audrey Surprenant. In April Audrey and a team of 3 Women’s Night volunteer mechanics wrenched at two different stops on this year’s Eroica California, the first women to ever provide mechanical assistance at any Eroica ride.

The successes of Women’s Night led to the creation of our new Women’s Program. In July Audrey will take over running the Bike Kitchen from departing Operations Director Tyler Jamieson (farewell Tyler!) and move ahead with our Women’s Program, working to build a strong, safe caring community for women who bike.

Please support our Women’s Program – your one time donation of $100 or more will significantly help the Women’s Program grow and reach more SLO County women. Donations of any amount a greatly appreciated as we strive to reach our goal to raise $30,000 by Friday, June 16th.

Click here to make a one time donation.

Prefer to make a recurring monthly donation? Click here to make a monthly donation.

Already support Bike SLO County? Thank You!

Bike Kitchen Hours Expand

New Bike Kitchen Hours

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Bike Kitchen Hours Expand!

Thursdays at Bike Kitchen are getting busy busy BUSY! Earlier this year we added Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen on Thursday evenings from 6 – 8:30 pm, and this week we’re thrilled to announce that the Bike Kitchen hours are expanding again.
Bike Kitchen Hours

Starting today we’ll be open for all on Thursdays from Noon – 5 pm. That means more time to fix your bike (or more time to learn how to fix your bike), more time to come in and see what gently used bikes we have in stock and yes, more time to volunteer with Bike SLO County. We’re always on the lookout for passionate volunteers – you don’t need to be a skilled mechanic to help. (Learn more about volunteering here.)

New Bike Kitchen Schedule:

Open to All:

Thursdays Noon – 5 pm
Fridays Noon – 5 pm
Saturdays Noon – 5 pm
Sundays Noon – 5 pm

Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen:

Thursdays 6 – 8:30 pm

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE!

Bike Kitchen will be closed November 24 – 27 for the Thanksgiving weekend and closed Dec 25 – January 1 for the Holiday Break.

The Bike Kitchen is a program of Bike SLO County. We have all the parts, tools and knowledge you need to fix your bicycle! We can help you build a bike from the ground up, fix that junker you found at a garage sale, or simply teach you how to tune up your bicycle. We serve all types of people, and are committed to creating a safe space for everyone. We have provided guided instruction to over 8,000 people since opening our doors in 2010. Looking to buy a gently used, ready to ride bicycle? We sell all kinds of bicycles! Come in and see us! Have a bike you’d like to donate? Your generous gifts help the Bike Kitchen thrive and give even more people the chance to experience SLO County by bike. Thank you!

Like Bikes? Join us! It’s free! Click here to join and we’ll keep you informed about all things bike in SLO County: JOIN

 

Myths about People who Ride Bicycles

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Who REALLY rides bicycles? Do you believe these bicycle myths?

The People For Bikes people recently released some results from their 2014 US Bicycling Participation Study. Those results are encouraging, because, among other things, they demonstrate that riding a bicycle isn’t an activity limited to an isolated elite. Their study found that the myths about who does and who doesn’t ride bikes are just that, myths. Here are a few bicycle myths:MorroBayGreenLane450

Not Many People Ride Bikes

The study found that 1/3 of Americans rode a bicycle at least once in 2014. That is One-Hundred and Four MILLION people!

Cars vs Bikes? Bikes vs Cars?

There is an old perception that people who ride bikes are anti-car or don’t drive cars. To the contrary, 88% of the people who drive bikes also drive cars!

Bikes are a Guy Thing

While it’s true that more men than women ride bikes, Forty-Five Million Women drove bikes in 2014. That’s 44% of all Americans who got on a bike in 2014.

Head over to People For Bikes for four more myths about people like you!

Women’s Road Skills Class

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Women’s Road Skills – For Women – Taught by Women

Sometimes women face different obstacles when choosing to ride a bicycle for fun or transportation – this workshop seeks to remove these barriers and help you feel confident on our roadways.

We’ll provide an introduction to the basic rules of the road, laws that apply to bicycles, 20120629-SLOBC-Downtown-Girl-S-1934981894-Otechniques to increase predictability and visibility, common misconceptions about bicycle riding and a review of local intersections and how to approach them. We’ll practice bicycle handling skills, then go on the road to ride, with an emphasis on predictability and visibility with all road users. Afterwards we’ll stop for a post-ride review and to listen to your reflections.

This class, originally scheduled for March 2015, has been postponed until May 16th. Due to the low response rate we’ve decided to wait until Bike Month and offer it then. Stay tuned for more info!

Women’s Cycling on Film

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Support Women’s Cycling

The fine folks over at The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival are presenting two highly acclaimed films focused on women’s cycling: HALF THE ROAD and PERSONAL GOLD.

Worldchampionships TT women 2012HALF THE ROAD explores the world of women’s professional cycling. Using race footage and interviews, this documentary offers insight into the drive, dedication, and passion it takes for a female cyclist to thrive. The film also follows director/athlete Kathryn Bertine’s quest to make the 2012 Olympics during her first year racing professionally for Team Colavita.

HALF THE ROAD screens in Paso Robles on Friday, 13 March 13 at 7 PM at the Park Cinemas, and in San Luis Obispo on Sunday, March 15 at 12 PM at the Fremont Theater.

PERSONAL GOLD is the story of four women who changed the face of American cycling at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London after the men’s team was banned following the Lance Armstrong drug scandal. The film chronicles the training program of the underfunded women’s track cycling team, which had not won a medal in 20 years. Described by film-goers as ‘one of the best underdog movies since Rocky!” this movies is full of adrenaline pumping inspiration.

personalgoldPERSONAL GOLD will screen only in SLO: On Thursday, March 12 at 7 PM at the Palm Theater and on Friday, March 13 at 4 PM at the Downtown Cinemas.

The Thursday screening of PERSONAL GOLD will be accompanied by the short film, BICYCLE. This is a splendid 20-minute story about two young shoeshine boys with empty pockets and big plans. Beautifully shot in Mumbai, the filmmakers capture the essence of hopes and dreams of young boys in India in this touching film. You’ll love the ending.

Please support women’s cycling, and this year’s SLOIFF. More information on the the festival is available here: https://slofilmfest.org/

Tammy Duckworth: Rockstar

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Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL), shares her story & belief in bicycles with us at the Women’s Bicycling Forum.

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As an Iraq War veteran, Duckworth lost both of her legs while piloting a helicopter, she truly is an inspiration to us all. On what bicycles have offered for our veterans:

“Bicycling has represented an idea of never giving up, and given us the motivation to keep going.”

“For our wounded warriors the hardest part is not being able to use your body anymore.”

Needless to say, she is a rockstar!

National Women’s Bicycling Forum!

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Women Bike, the new League of American Bicyclists program, is hosting the Women’s Bicycling Forum! We’re here all day and are so excited to see a packed house and fantastic styling – looking good League!

We’ll be providing updates throughout the week, including from our day on Capitol Hill meeting with congressional leaders.

Go bicycles!

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