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Created: Oct 17, 2009
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Back Alley Bikes

Bike Culture,Detroit, USA
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Author: Detroit Summer
 
Publisher: Catalytic Communities (CatComm/ComCat)
 
Contact Person: Ilana Weaver
 
Date Published: 2009-10-17
 
Direct Costs:
 
Direct Labor:
 
Language: English
 

Problem

As it states in Shawn Rheas article in YES! magazine, "Bootstrap economics is a part of the gospel preached to Detroit Summers young participants, who learn first hand what neighborhood-based initiatives can bring to communities." Many Detroit Summer youth go to work at such grassroots businesses as the Back Alley Bike shop. Back Alley bikes started as a Detroit summer program and metamorphosized into a self suficient business in the Cass Corridor neighborhood.

Action

Get forgotten bikes rollin again as we share the art of bike maintenance and repair. More bikes = less cars!

 

 

Services offered:   Community bike space where community members and youth can learn to tune bikes, repair bikes, and build new bikes from salvaged recycled parts

Provide information and education on bike repair

Promote creative expression

Address issues of our time through the spread of bike culture

Results

Many Detroit Summer youth go to work at such grassroots businesses as the Back Alley Bikes shop located in the Cass Corridor, an area of the city where drug trafficking is obvious, but so too are efforts to transform the community. Back Alley is one of a growing number of enterprises that are helping to reclaim and revitalize this corridor, which was once home to Motown Records and is on the edge of Wayne State University.

Limitations

Inconsistant funding have made it difficult to keep up the maintance of the Bike shop, Detroit Summer headquarters and insure human and material resources.

When to Use

 

 

What to Do

Everybody is welcome at Back Alley Bikes: whether you dont know what to do when you get a flat tire (or bad brake, etc.) dont have a dime in your pocket, and you need to get going; or you want to make a difference in your community learning new skills at the same time; maybe you are out to change the world and have dreams of a bike revolution taking over the motor city. Whatever your reasons you can come to Back Alley Bikes to use tools, get expert advice and assistance in fixing your bikes, and work on donated bikes for Detroit Summer volunteers and community groups around the city to use! Back Alley Bikes is a community bike space that aims to fix bikes, provide information and education, promote creative expression, and address issues of our time through the spread of bike culture.

Back Alley Bikes now runs Bike Repair Courses over the summer for youth to train them to be future Back Alley Bike repair specialists. They also host an Earn-a-Bike volunteer program, where bike repair volunteers can earn their own bike.

Tips

Community dedication - ALL those who work with the bike shop.

Equipment

Value:30,000
Materials:   Donated bikes, expertise, and volunteer time

Assessment

Internal evaluation
How it work:  Services expand as community need grows.

Related Resources

Outside community actors

 

Who are they:  Some University students from Michigan and around the country have become involved at various points of the project.
What they did:  

 

Inside community actors
Who are they:  Detroit community
What they did:  Offer expertise on bike repair, make donations to the project, come in to learn about bike repair, alternative transporation, lowering carbon emissions, and reclaiming our streets and city.




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