Category: Shop News

The September shop schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays: September 1, 8, and 22 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed September 15 and 29)

Thursdays: September 10 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed September 3, 17, and 24)

Sundays: September 6, 13, and 20 – Shop open noon to 4 PM (closed September 27

 

The October shop schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays: October 13 and 27 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed October 6 and 20)

Thursdays: October 15, 22, and 29 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed October 1 and 8)

Sundays: October 11, 18, and 25 – Shop open noon to 4 PM (closed October 4)

 

As you can see from our schedule, the shop will be closed for about 3 weeks in late September and early October. One of our staff members is moving to Arizona and we will be taking an extended road trip to deliver her vehicle. Meanwhile, we don’t have enough volunteers available to open the store while we are gone, so we need to close.  However, our volunteer mechanics will continue to work on bicycles to fill orders on our wait list. We have not closed the list yet, but if we get to 60 names, then we will close it.

We have some volunteer opportunities coming up. First, we can use someone with retail experience to assist customers when the shop is open. Mechanic skills are not required (although they would be a huge help), but a love of bicycles and support of our mission is essential. Duties will include sorting and stocking used bicycle parts, retrieving bicycles from the garage for customers who are picking them up, and writing up customer sales receipts and collecting money. We hope that at least one individual will become part of our core team and be able to fill in at the front desk when needed.

The next opportunity will be to attend one of our tear-down parties. Dates will be announced, but we expect at least two during the latter half of October. You don’t need to be a bicycle mechanic, but you do need to know how to use hand tools to take things apart. We will dismantle a large number of bicycles. These are one-time commitments – ideal for trying us out.

The third opportunity will be to help us at our annual BLITZ! event on Saturday, November 28. At this event we attempt to fix around 50 bicycles in 6 hours! We especially need mechanics, but can also use people to help us serve food and clean up. Again, this is a one-time commitment. The bicycles we repair on that date are earmarked for the United Way/St. Paul Pioneer Press Holiday Wishes program. This is one of our most fun events of the whole year, and Mr. Michael will serve up some of his famous apple pie, so you don’t want to miss this.

On a final note, the bicycle count for 2015 is currently 452 given away. We are a bit ahead of where we were last year at this time. In our best year, we gave away 755, and we sure would love to top that. Last year we gave away 610. We think we can beat that, but we want to do much better than that. Our ultimate goal is to give away 1000 bicycles every year, but to do that, we will need to add some mechanics and also expand our store hours. We plan to expand hours next year during the warm weather months.

Thanks to all our loyal volunteers. We couldn’t do this without you. Please consider becoming a part of our team. Thanks.

The wait list for gift bicycles reopens on Wednesday, July 1 at 9 AM. To receive a bicycle, call 651-641-1037 any time between 9 AM and 9 PM and leave a voice mail containing the following information:

First and last name

Height

Style of bicycle preferred (road, mountain, hybrid, cruiser, etc.)

RELIABLE local telephone number to call when the bicycle is ready. Reliable means that there are minutes available, that the voice mail is set up, and that the phone will accept incoming calls. Those without a reliable local telephone number can send email to [email protected]. Those without either email or telephone service should either provide a reliable person to contact, or come to our store when we are open to discuss options.

We will keep our list open until we reach 60 requests.

The June shop schedule is as follows:

Sundays – June 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM

Tuesdays – June 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – June 11, 18, and 25 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed June 4)

We have been extremely busy at the shop these days. The repair business has grown and we are having to balance our time spent on paid repairs against the time spent to repair bicycles to give away. We also have been advertising more using local social media, and that has brought a whole lot of new people into our store. As we grow, we don’t ever want to lose sight of why we started MMRB – to give bicycles to people who need them. It is difficult to say no to someone who needs a bicycle, but the reality is that we cannot manage a wait list of more than around 60 people, so during our busy season (which is now), people sometimes have to wait for us to get caught up. We are working hard to get through the current requests, and we expect that the list will reopen on July 1 at 9 AM. As for giving away bicycles, our year-to-date total is 253! We are ahead of last year’s pace and on track to give away well over 600.  Our biggest year was in2012 when we gave away 755 bicycles.

We would like to offer some programs through our shop, but in order to do that we need to grow our income. That is where you all come in. We need more people coming in to buy stuff or pay for bicycle repairs. Spread the word to your friends that they should come to MMRB if they are looking for a good deal on a used bicycle. We have started offering more kid size bikes for sale at really low prices (like $10 to $15), so this is an opportunity for families looking for affordable options to get their youngsters on bicycles.  We still have some nice road bikes available as well. If you have not yet been to our shop, we hope you will carve out a little time to come in for a visit. We have the most fun bike shop in town.

Due to overwhelming demand, our wait list to receive bicycles is now closed. Please check back with us after July 1, 2015 to find out when the list will reopen. We cap our waiting list at 60 people and close it to allow our volunteers enough time to catch up. Thanks for your understanding.

The April Shop Schedule is as follows:

Sundays – April 12, 19, and 26 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM (Shop will be closed April 5 for Easter)

Tuesdays – April 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – April 9, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (Shop will be closed April 2)

Things have been very busy lately at the shop. The crew has already repaired over 100 bicycles to give away! This is in addition to all the paid repairs, of which there are a lot more than in the past. The bicycle give-away count (as of March 30) is 117 in 2015! We also had a major uptick in sales for March, which was badly needed as our bank account had dwindled to a dangerously low level.

We recently purchased a Worksman delivery tricycle that we plan to retrofit for a special needs person. We also have had two offers to donate adult tricycles to us, which we plan to match up with special needs folks. These items are frightfully expensive, and those people who need them most are often the least able to afford them. We feel it is important to do what we can to provide special needs people with equipment so they can enjoy cycling. If you are interested in working on a great project, the Worksman is going to take a lot of love to get it ready for its new owner.

We are adding some brand-new items to our merchandise mix. Offerings include some nice MicroShift derailleurs, Dia-Compe brakes, and some budget-priced new saddles. As with sales of all our used stuff, we give 10% of the sale price of what you buy to charity. For quarter 1, part of the charity donation is the purchase and retrofit of the Worksman, and the remainder is going to a local ministry called Shobi’s Table. This is a food truck run by a pastor.  She bakes calzones and weekly she gives them away in a low-income neighborhood to whoever wants one. We at MMRB love supporting local charities that give food directly to the needy, and this one fits the bill.

One final note – we plan to have our English Day on Sunday, April 12 from noon to 4 PM. We will have a variety of English bicycles and parts available, including some lovely ready-to-ride English 3-speeds that would be perfect to ride on the Lake Pepin Tour. Stop by and enjoy tea and biscuits. Weather permitting, we will go riding after the shop closes and stop off at a pub for some Brit-style fish and chips. Hope you can join us.

The shop schedule for the rest of March is as follows:

Sundays – March 8, 15, 22, and 29 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM

Tuesdays – March 10, 17, 24, and 31 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – March 12, 19, and 26 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Saturdays – March 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM – EXCEPT March 14 we close at 3 PM!

We have been very busy at the shop with a large order for a mentoring group over in Minneapolis. There are 56 bicycles total in this order. We are about 2/3 of the way through getting these bicycles done, and about half have already been picked up. The current bicycle give-away count year to date is 50. We are a little behind the one a day pace, but ahead of where we were last year at this time. As for sales, it has been very slow, and we are scraping the bottom of the money barrel. Next week’s predicted warm up should bring in more customers, but it also brings in more requests. We hope to stay caught up and not have to close the list, but that will depend on how fast the requests come in. We cap the wait list at 60, and when we reach that number we close the list for around 8 weeks in order to catch up. Right now we have a number of bicycles built ahead, and we hope that most of the early orders we get will match those that are available.

If you haven’t been to our store lately, we have made some changes. There are new shelving units for all those crates, so it makes hunting for stuff a whole lot easier. Second, we now have the Wheel of Winning – come in and spin the wheel and you could win 100 Grand (candy bar)! The wheel will be available until we run out of candy bars. If you have been putting off getting your bicycle ready for spring, now is the time. Once the weather warms up, shops get very busy and you will wait a long time for service. Our mini-tune special runs through Sunday, March 8 – $20 gets your bike a whole lot of love.  Come to our store soon and experience the most fun bike shop in town.

The February shop schedule is as follows:

Sundays – February 1, 15, and 22 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM (Shop closed on February 8)

Tuesdays – February 3, 17, and 24 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (Shop closed on February 10)

Thursdays – February 5, 19, and 26 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (Shop closed on February 12)

We have been busy at the shop with reorganizing the parts bins, working on bicycles for spring give-away and sales, and the usual off-season planning. January was slow for give-away bicycles, repairs, and for sales.

We have a February pre-season special on our mini-tune package.  For just $20, you can give your bicycle a whole lot of love. The price includes general cleaning, lubing the chain, adjusting derailleurs and brakes, minor wheel adjustments, checking tire pressure and wear, and up to 2 new brake and/or shifter cables.  You can’t get a better deal at any other shop, and we don’t have a long line right now, so get this done before the weather turns nice and then you won’t be waiting in line for service – you will be out riding.  Seriously, this is the best deal in town.  We love to care for your bicycles.

We are planning a class in March where we allow you to choose a bicycle from a pre-selected group, then learn to fix it, and ride it home at the end of the class.  This all-inclusive workshop will cost just $100 per person, with a limit of 5 students, so you will get lots of individual attention and hands-on training. This is the first time we have offered this class, and the spaces are expected to fill fast, so watch for the registration announcement within a couple of weeks.  Of course, if you are really interested, send us an e-mail and we will contact you when registration opens so you can get first crack at this.  Classes will be offered on Monday evenings beginning March 9.

We also are planning to offer a class on minor and roadside bicycle repair. This 2 hour class will cover changing tires and tubes, and a few quick fix techniques for needed repairs on the road.  This one will cost just $10, and the price includes the instruction and a $5 credit toward any merchandise purchase at the shop. We haven’t chosen a date yet, but it will be on a Saturday morning between 10 AM and noon around the middle of March.

We want to add value to your experience at Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles, so be sure to check the calendar for special events and come to visit our shop soon.  We have the most fun bike shop in the Twin Cities, and our crew is the friendliest. No bike snobs here.  We respect your bicycle no matter what the brand or where you bought it. You won’t find better prices anywhere else, and 90% of every dollar you spend goes toward keeping the shop open so we can give away bicycles. The other 10% is given to charity, and our volunteer shop crew chooses the charities.  Come visit us soon, we will treat you right.

Happy New Year!  Our January hours are as follows:

Sundays – January 4, 11, 18, and 25 – noon to 4 PM

Tuesdays – January 6, 13, 20, and 27 – 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – January 8, 15, 22, and 29 – 7 PM to 9 PM (closed January 1 for New Year’s Day Holiday)

This last month at the shop was busy. We prepared 53 bicycles (and two tricycles) for Holiday Wishes families. There are still a number of these folks who have not yet picked up their bicycles, so we extended the deadline and hope to see them soon.  One of the tricycles was an adaptive model that we gifted to a special needs child. This was so exciting, then on December 26 the newspaper ran a photo of this boy on his new trike. The joy we get when we can make dreams come true is why we do this.

As for other shop activity, our wait list is currently caught up, so we will start building bicycles ahead. We also will be running winter specials on tune ups, so now is a very good time to bring your bicycles in to give them the special attention that they deserve.  We offer a “mini-tune” package for $20 that includes cleaning and lubing the chain, adjusting brakes and derailleurs, putting air in the tires to bring them to their proper pressure, and up to two new replacement shifter and/or brake cables.

The final numbers for 2014 are in, and the shop income was around $19,900 and we gave away 610 bicycles.  We gave almost $2,000 to charities, which included the ALS Society, Colorado Shiba Inu Rescue, Feline Rescue, the Ann Bancroft Foundation, Sisters Camelot, and Friends of Velodrome Racing in Minnesota.  Our regular volunteers help us choose the charities to support, so if you have a charity you think we should support, tell us.  Even better, become one of our regular volunteers and then you get a vote.  We generally make the selections quarterly, but have the flexibility to change it up a little, depending on need.  In 2015 we will continue to give away 10% of all shop income to charity.

How can you support us?  Simple ways – buy our stuff, “like” our Facebook page, , give us bicycles/parts/accessories, volunteer with us, and get your family and friends to do one or more of these things.  Thanks to everyone – volunteers, customers, community partners – for a great year in 2014, and we go into 2015 with high hopes for an even better year!  See you at the shop.

Shop Hours for December are as follows:

Tuesdays – December 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM

Thursdays – December 4, 11, and 18 – Shop Open 7 PM to 9 PM (closed December 25 for Christmas)

Sundays – December 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM

Our BLITZ!! was a huge success. We completed 20 bicycles out of the 52 requests for the Holiday Wishes program. We gave away a couple of bicycles to folks on our regular list, and we sold almost $500 worth of stuff.  We also enjoyed some really great food and treats.

We now have some new merchandise for sale including valve caps with frogs, ducks, skulls, and hand grenades.  We also have bells and character horns such as a dragon, Lucky Kitty, parrot, and whale. Another great item is the Wald rear rack with folding market baskets.  We also have a selection of small tools like spoke wrenches and triple allen wrenches. There are a whole lot of great deals on some very nice used tires in several different sizes. Then there are the road bikes – we have around a dozen really nice ones for sale right now at great prices, including a couple of very short ones suitable for petite riders. These are great deals, so if you are in the market for a bicycle, you need to shop our selection.

The bicycle count for this year is currently 562 given away, but we will easily top 600 when we give away the Holiday Wishes bicycles. Although we won’t hit our number from last year (720) or our all-time high of 755, we still have had a very productive year at MMRB.  We have increased the number of paid repairs that we take in, which slows our production a little for the give-away bicycles, but it does help us pay the bills.  Of course, we can never say enough about our amazing volunteers who show up regularly and do whatever needs to be done. We are humbled by the amount of talent that has come our way. Running MMRB is truly a blessing. Want to be a part of this experience? Just show up any time that the store is open and we can put you to work. We mainly need mechanics, but even non-mechanics can help us sort parts, run the vacuum, and do other tasks (like cleaning). Our crew is like a family, but we always have room for more. Hope you can stop by the shop soon and see for yourself what makes MMRB so special.

Can you believe it?  November is here already.  Here is the November shop schedule:

Sundays – November 2, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop open noon to 4 PM (Shop closed November 9)

Tuesdays – November 11, 18, and 25 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (shop closed November 4)

Thursdays – November 13 and 20 – Shop open 7 PM to 9 PM (shop closed November 6 and 27)

Saturday – November 29 – Shop open 10 AM to 4 PM for BLITZ!!

Yes, November is here, which means to start planning for BLITZ!  This is always on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and involves repairing as many bicycles as we can on that day for the United Way/St. Paul Pioneer Press Holiday Wishes Program.  This year we have requests for 52 bicycles, so our work is cut out for us.  Actually, we will do some of these ahead of time, but there still will be plenty of them to fix on the 29th of November.  This is one of the most fun days of the whole year at MMRB, so you won’t want to miss it.  Treats will be served, including some of Mr. Michael’s famous home-made apple pie.

A couple of other noteworthy November events are scheduled for Sunday, November 23.  First, I will be competing in the Minnesota State Cyclocross Race in the geezerette division.  They don’t actually call it that, it is actually listed as women 55 and older.  The crew will hold down the fort at the shop while I go out there and give this a go.  It has been several years since I raced ‘Cross, so it should be interesting.  The other event is on that same day – Cranksgiving!  This is an alley-cat race where participants go to various food stores (like coops) and purchase healthful foods, then haul their purchases to Sunrise Cyclery where the stuff will be given to Sisters Camelot.  Sisters Camelot is an organization that uses a bus to distribute free food to needy people.  I think we have someone who will ride for us, and we are giving 10% of our shop income for October and part of November to our rider to use to buy food.  You can help by buying stuff at our shop, because for every dollar you spend at our shop through November 16, we will give 10 cents to the cause.

One event that is not at our shop is our volunteer night at Free Bikes 4 Kidz.  We will be working at their warehouse in Fridley on Friday, November 14 between 6 PM and 9 PM.  Even non-mechanics are welcome, because there are always bicycles to wash or other odd jobs to help the mechanics.  We would love to have you join us – just call me at 651-641-1037 any time between 9 AM and 9 PM and leave me a message to let me know you are coming.

The bicycle count is now at 525 for 2014.  We will easily top 600, but not sure yet if we will hit 700.  We will give it our best shot.  If you have never been to the shop, or it has been awhile since your last visit, please come see us real soon.  Have a great month.