With spring upon us the cycling community start breaking out the hardware and traveling around in a form that doesn't require snow-tires. But like any form of transportation their bikes need maintenance, or replaced, or even just the need to buy a new one all together. Thankfully there's a community source in town looking to help you get around.
--- The Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective (a recent Best Of Utah winner) has been supporting the city in a way that your average bike shop can't compare to. Providing affordable bicycles to those who can't shell out for new or top-of-the-line who just need a one to get around, while also accommodating as a shop to upkeep their inventory and help out cyclists. A necessity these days for those not wanting to drive. I got a chance to chat with the Executive Director of the place, Jonathan Morrison, about starting up the Collective, their programs and impact on the community, thoughts on local cycling and a few other topics. Plus pictures of the place for you to enjoy!
Jonathan
Morrison
http://www.slcbikecollective.org
Gavin:
Hey Jonathan, first off, tell is a bit about yourself.
Jonathan:
I am an import from Upstate New York with a past life in software;
post the new millennium I moved here as a result of a corporate
merger. I just knew two things about Utah: (1) the people were
beautiful, (2) Moab was a mountain biking mecca, and (3) that I would
be assimilated by polygamists. Like I said, I knew two things, the
third one was something most of my friends and family concocted. Ten
sunny years later I can say I am still not part of a polygamist
compound, but the people are still beautiful and Salt Lake's
mountains rival parts of Moab.
Gavin:
How did you first take an interest in cycling?
Jonathan:
When did my addiction to two wheels begin? The first time I got
high on riding a bike was when I was too young to ride one myself,
like anyone vulnerable, I had pushers. Not only did they push
broccoli and spinach on me, my parents also strapped me a makeshift
kid-carrier-bike-rack, and would take me for seemingly endless rides
and picnics. We lived near a bike path that ran along the old Erie
Canal in upstate New York. I just remember looking up, the feeling
of flying, trees a blur and the sky steadily trying to catch us. It
has been awhile since I have let someone else steer long enough to
safely look straight up, but I have found the view from the front of
the bike is just as good. In short, like most kids, I blame my
parents.
Gavin:
What made you start taking part in the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory
Committee?
Jonathan:
Peer pressure. All the cool kids from critical mass were doing it
and I wanted to be popular. OK, so that didn't improve my ranking on AmIHotOrNot.com, but it did provide me with a productive outlet for
civic duty. The MBAC is a place where one person can make a
difference -- or vent about the lack of bike lanes and/or pot holes
patches. I have to admit, any interface with government bureaucracy
will cause you to check your watch now and again, but if you stay the
course, you will make a difference. Salt Lake City is very lucky to
have had the pro-bike mayors and city council that it has now.
Without your support this won't last not last forever, so if you
haven't been to the MBAC, it is worth your time.
Gavin:
What was your initial take on Brenton Chu's original concept for the
collective?
Jonathan:
I didn't like the font he used in the proposal, but the rest was
brilliant! Haha. Ironically I had had an experience in New York where I was
part of an automotive shop that was run by students. It was awesome
to learn how to do something from your peers using the right tools in
a supportive environment. Given my greater love of bicycles, I
couldn't wait to see a human powered version come to SLC.
Gavin:
What motivated you and the others at the time to jump on board at
the time to make it happen?
Jonathan:
I think the famous saying is, "how hard could it be?"
When you are young, dumb and fearless -- you get a lot done! Of
course we made mistakes, and many things were learned the hard way,
but we focused on our mission, and kept on pedaling our
dream.
Gavin:
How did you all get organized from that point, and what were the
early planning stages like?
Jonathan:
We met at Brewvies, only the first hour was productive until we
started meeting at the library. Funny how that goes. Regardless, we
assigned critical research to different "board" members and
met frequently, usually weekly. Tasks like, what paperwork is
required by the feds, state, and city/county to be legal? We were
flying blind, and we knew it, but if you are resourceful that
shouldn't stop you.
Gavin:
I understand it was a bit difficult in the early going to be
approved for 501(c)(3) status. What's the story behind that
process?
Jonathan:
At one point I was told the IRS receives 500 of these Form 1023
applications a day, many of them scams. So our approval process
required a sizable fee for anyone getting started ($750 now), as
well as six months from start to finish. We were very lucky to get a
$5000 check from a family foundation, but that meant we had to be
approved, or we had to give it back. It was a good motivator /
deadline to have.
Gavin:
Once everything was established, what was it like for you guys to
establish the space and gather up finding and equipment?
Jonathan:
A wild ride. Our personal tools became public tools, then we bought
out a folding bike shop's equipment. We since buy most of our tools
from various distributors just like any other shop, but occasionally
we have some generous donations from Cornwell and Park Tool directly.
Spaces have never been that easy. We started out taking any free
space we could, which put us in a warehouse near the ballpark, an
un-rentable storefront in Glendale, and a life guard tower at the
Central City Rec Center. Eventually we met a cyclist named Bill
Delvie at a presentation for an Exchange Club meeting. Bill was the
2nd of three generations that has owned Delvie Plastics, and it just
so happened that his son John, also a cyclist, had a space for rent.
We have been there ever since.
Gavin:
When you finally opened up how did that first year go for
you?
Jonathan:
If you build it they will come. So once we finally had a regular
space with regular hours, word of mouth took hold and everyone
started to come.
Gavin:
For those who may not know, what kind of services do you offer for
cyclists?
Jonathan:
For cyclists we have Do-It-Yourselfer nights at our Community Bike
Shop, where anyone can learn how to work on their bikes using our
expertise, tools, and even basic parts. We also have free formal
Park Tool School classes on every Monday night from 6-7. During the
summer we can be seen providing Valet Bike Parking services for
various community events like the Farmers' Market. Ride your bike
there, leave it safe and sound with us, and volunteers will make sure
it is there when you get back. Last summer we parked over 5000
bikes. For kids, we have an Earn-a-Bike program and a Trips for Kids
program. We partner with various after-school programs to offer
these, but the gist is simple. In TFK we bring the mountain to the
kids, and show them the natural beauty of the Wasatch front through
mountain biking. In EAB, kids pick out a bike to keep, but they have
to take it apart and rebuild it from scratch in order to earn it. Of
course we are always looking for people to volunteer for each of
these programs.
Gavin:
How did the decision come about to start up classes on bike
maintenance, as well as the Earn-A-Bike program?
Jonathan:
Education is a more fundamental part of our mission than the
Community Bike Shop, so it was a natural decision. In fact we
started doing the EAB classes before we had a Community Bike Shop.
The Park Tool School came about from people asking for a more formal
training environment.
Gavin:
When did you guys decide to expand and start up locations like
Riverside and the U?
Jonathan:
In all cases it started with someone that was willing to spearhead
it. In Ogden, Josh Jones started things rolling in 2009. In the same
year one of our Board Alumni, Clinton Watson started the
Day-Riverside location. Before that we started working with the
Bennion Center at the U in 2006, thanks to an ambition student
named Jonathan Wilkey. We are also working on one in Provo.
Gavin:
What other services and programs do you offer that people may not be
aware of?
Jonathan:
We have a Bikes for Goodwill Organizations program, where donated
bikes get repaired by learning volunteers and then given to those in
need through partnerships with other local non-profits such as the
Road Home, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the International Rescue
Committee. Depending on supply, we also give away free
helmets.
Gavin:
What's the overall goal of the bike collective right now and what do
you hope to achieve with it down the road?
Jonathan:
Like all non-profits facing a poor economy, are goal is to provide
the same great services to the community with less financial
resources. But we aren't just any non-profit, we are hoping to grow.
How so? We want to increase the number of kids in our TFK programs,
create some part-time jobs through Valet Bike Parking, and increase
the number of bikes we give away in our Bikes for Goodwill
Organization program.
Gavin:
A little local, what are your thoughts on the possibility of rental
bikes coming to downtown?
Jonathan:
The University of Utah Bike Collective actually has a rental
program. In addition, one of SLC's full time bike / pedestrian
coordinators, Becka Roolf, is exploring bike share programs such as
bcycle.com in Denver. Contact the city, give them your
support.
Gavin:
What do you think about the local bike culture that's growing,
especially in the downtown area of SLC?
Jonathan:
This is our wet dream, so "giddy" is an understatement.
We may all ride for different reasons, but the Collective is all
about more butts on bikes. When I first moved to SLC, I could tell
who was at a restaurant just by the bikes in the bike rack out front
-- it has been years since I have been able to do that. Change is
good.
Gavin:
What's your take on extreme sports and how its affected cycling as a
whole?
Jonathan:
Again, we all ride for different reasons, and that is great. I
originally came here because of the recreational mountain biking. At
the same time this provides a challenge to bicycle advocates. How do
we make a mental shift in the minds of people that view bikes as
something purely recreational and/or for kids? In commonly quoted
examples like Amsterdam, bikes are for transportation. There
aren't many cyclists, but there are tons of people that ride bikes.
The average Amsterdam bike isn't expensive, lite, or for racing -- it
is just a basic bike that you can use to get to work in your suit, or
high heals. Luckily, U.S. bike manufacturer's are helping make that
shift by producing more commuter bikes, brands like Torker, Civia and
Globe, to name a few. But as the early adopters of the transportation
revolution, we must set the example by riding bikes that anyone could
see themselves on -- and do it in mass.
Gavin:
Speaking of those sports, what do you think of the Bike Jousting
events now taking place?
Jonathan:
I have to admire the kind of courage/insanity it takes getting on a
questionably welded 10 foot tall bike with the possibility of being
abruptly knocked off with a lance. That takes something I don't
have. This is just one sect of the local bike culture that is
growing, bike polo, cyclocross, local frame builders and fixed gear
folks converting back to gears are all exploding. It is great to
see, after all, it just means there is something for
everyone.
Gavin:
What can we expect from you and the shop the rest of the
year?
Jonathan:
We have a great staff this year, so expect more efficiency and
organization.
Gavin:
Is there anything you'd like to promote or plug?
Jonathan:
Support us! If you like what we do, please open your wallets,
and/or your day planners, because we need funding and volunteers.
Not to mention we are always in need of used bikes, so if you have
one collecting dust, let us give it a good home. Visit our website
or call 801-FAT-BIKE for more info.