Floods, what floods? (January Newsletter)

“Bikes are for riding; they’re not car hats.” – BikeSnobNYC

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14 January TWOTHOUSANDANDFOURTEEEEEEEEEN!!!!

Unless you’ve been living in a box for the last two weeks, you know that a new year has dawned. Throw out the old calendars, hang up new ones, and make that secret resolution to stop listening to bad pop music.

The workshop has already been busy this year, especially with our new open hours (Sundays FTW!!) and other fun stuff (such as employment contracts, errr……did I say fun?). Elle is busy busy re-stocking our parts shelves and getting a brand spanking new workbench (let’s be honest, the wooden one is about as sturdy as this bridge), and Cassiope is enjoying herself with bank reconciliation and t-shirt design.

The beginning of two-thousand-fricking-fourteen also brings other news, such as new courses (keep reading!), discounts on cycle training for that friend who has never been on a bike, new Beryls’ Night topics, and incredible new partnerships around the city.

I know you can’t wait to get back on the bike, so we’ll keep this as short as possible…

Peace and bike grease,
-Cassiope, Elle, and the Broken Spoke team

New Year, New Hours!

Fridays – 12-6pm
Saturdays – 12-6pm
Sundays – 12-6pm
1st & 3rd Wednesdays – 6-9pm (women and trans-gender)
2nd & 4th Thursdays – 7.30-10pm (until March 27th)

Attention! Attention! We will be closed the following Sundays for courses:

19 January (THIS WEEK!! External Mechanics, SOLD OUT)
9 February (Internal Mechanics, SOLD OUT)
30 March (Wheel Building, still 2 spots!)
20 April (closed for Easter)

Learn to Ride!

Know someone who’s never been on a bike before? Does someone in your family feel left out when everyone else takes a ride in the countryside? Do you want more confidence on your daily commute? Why not participate in our on-road cycle training!

Thanks to a subsidy from Oxford City Council, our qualified tutors can tell you the rules of the road, boost your confidence, or simply teach you how to balance for the first time.

Sessions are only £5 (usually £35!) and can be booked online or by emailing cycletraining@bsbcoop.org.

Chains? Huh?

At Wednesday’s Beryls’ Night we’ll be “workin’ on a chain gang”! Whazzat mean? Well, we’ll demystify the correct length and wear of your chain, how to tell if it needs replacing, and why you need a special chain for single speed bikes.

You can also check out our Beryls’ Night topics through the end of April: www.bsbcoop.org/beryls-night

Is that a NEW course?

Why yes, yes it is!

On 16 February we’ll be offering our first ever Sturmey Archer Hubs course. Huzzah!

This course will be taught by London’s Tom Martin, and will use innovative educational techniques to help you learn about complicated engineering principles. Only 4 spots (2 left!) so book online today to reserve your spot.