How Things Work at the 'Cage'

Every day that the Orioles Bike Cage is open, we have a minimum of two volunteers on duty.  One person acts as a greeter with the other on-duty volunteer(s) as mechanic(s) to help visitors with their bicycle work.

In addition to greeters and mechanics, the Orioles Bike Cage needs volunteers for various critical activities to keep the shop tidy and running smoothly.  Please let us know if you are interested in helping with general clean-up, doing call-arounds, organizing fundraisers, sorting parts, writing proposals for grants/funding, doing shop maintenance, designing logos/graphics, creating/maintaining web pages or anything else.  Contact the volunteer coordinator to have your name put on the volunteer contact list when we need help.

This guide will not teach you about bike mechanics or repair.  It's a guide to inform you about what the Orioles Bike Cage expects of its volunteer greeters and mechanics.

If you want to learn more about bike mechanics, please sign up for bicycle workshops or come by on a slow day and ask a volunteer to help you work on bikes being built for sale.

Respect for All Volunteers

As a volunteer, you have a right to be treated with respect from other volunteers and people using the space.  No one is entitled to demand to have their bike fixed for them, to jump ahead of others waiting, or to have you do work that you are neither capable of nor comfortable in doing.

What is a Greeter?

The greeter meets every visitor at the door, gives them a short orientation if it is their first visit, and hooks each visitor up with a mechanic to work on their bicycle.

The greeter does not need to know anything about bike mechanics, though it would be helpful if they can show people how to fix flats.

The greeter's job is a fun and social job and if you are considering doing it, you should be able to answer "YES" to these two questions:

• Can you deal with everyone who comes into the shop in a friendly way?

• If people are frustrated at having to wait, or with some other aspect of the shop, can you deal with them in a firm but non-confrontational and respectful way?

If you answered Yes to the above questions, then please read the next section about the Greeter's responsibilities for greeting, log sheets, coordinating with mechanics, and other activities in the shop.

Greeter Responsibilities

First - Greet Everyone

The Greeter spends their time by the front door, and welcomes anyone who comes into the space.  Ask people their name and if they have been to the Orioles Bike Cage before.  If it's their first visit, give them a copy of the Welcome pamphlet and give them a short overview of what is expected of people using the Bike Cage space (which means that you need to read the Welcome pamphlet so you are giving current and consistent information to everyone).

It's important that the Greeter talks to everyone coming in the door - people will be keen to work on their bicycle right away but they need to sign in and be hooked up with a mechanic before they start work on a bike they brought in or to build one up from 'scratch'.  Sometimes, people will have to wait until a mechanic is available to help them.

Second - Fill Out the Log Sheet

When people arrive, the first thing to do is write their information on the Greeter Log Sheet.  Remember to write the date in the space provided at the top of the sheet.  Enter the person's name, what job or work they want to do, if it is their first visit to the Bike Cage, their arrival time and an estimate of how long their work will take.  Complete the last three columns when a mechanic is assigned and when the person departs, respectively.  At the end of your shift, put the log sheet(s) in the binder so we maintain an accurate record of Bike Cage usage.

Third - Hook Each Visitor Up with A Mechanic

Everyone coming to the Orioles Bike Cage must have a mechanic responsible for them, even if they know how to do the repairs they want to do.  When a mechanic is available, introduce the person to the mechanic by name and leave them to do their work.  Fill out the log sheet columns for "Mechanic" and "Time Helped" for that person.

At some point, a mechanic may have someone set up who is able to work on their own for a while.  The mechanic will let you know that they can take another person.  Keep track of that, and when someone else shows up, you can send them to that mechanic in the same way.

Keep an eye on how full the shop is.  At some point, there will be people showing up when there are no available mechanics so they will have to wait, usually on a first-arrived first-served basis.  Try to let them know how many people are waiting ahead of them and to give them a guesstimate of how long it might be, but always tell them it's possible that they might wait all shift and still not get to do any work.

If people decide to wait, fill out the log sheet columns with them, but ask them to wait outside to keep the shop sane.  If it's inclement weather or if the person has a physical or medical condition, you have the discretion in letting them stay inside.  Their bikes need to be kept locked outside until they are able to start their work with an assigned mechanic.

When a mechanic is available, hook him/her up with the person who has been waiting the longest.  This whole process works on a first-come first-served basis.  No one can put their name on the list before the shop opens for the day, and people waiting before we open will have to remember the order of their arrival.

If two or more people arrive together (especially when it's busy), it may be best if the group works with a single mechanic on one of their bikes, and when it's finished, work on the other person's bike.  Use your discretion in consultation with the mechanic(s).

If people are upset at having to wait, remind them politely that we are a volunteer-run shop and have a limited capacity to help them.  Let them know that the more volunteers that we have means that we can help more people, so encourage them to volunteer their time.  Please remind them that to be a Bike Cage volunteer requires that they come to a volunteer night to get a proper orientation.  Volunteer nights are Thursdays from 6-9 pm.

There is one exception to the "Wait" rule.  If someone shows up to repair their own bike during a time when there are no available mechanics, the greeter has the discretion to allow them to do the work on their own but ONLY IF all of the following conditions are met:

• The person promises that they know how to do all of the work on their own.
• The person can not be building up a bike from the shop, they must have brought a bike in that they are repairing.
• The person must agree to not asking for any help from any mechanic AND to leave without argument if any mechanic determines that they are using any tool improperly, even if their bike is left in an unrideable condition.
• There must be enough free workspace in the shop.
• The person must agree to give up use of any short-supply tools if other users of the shop need them.
• The greeter must ask everyone else waiting ahead of this person for a mechanic if they are OK with this person jumping ahead.  If anyone says No, then they can not do it.  No questions asked.

The greeter has the final decision and say on in the above exception to the "Wait" rule.  No one, mechanic or visitor, is allowed to bully the greeter into letting someone jump ahead of others waiting to work on their bikes.  Favouritism is not welcome at the Orioles Bike Cage.

Fourth - When People Are Leaving

When people are done with their bike repair, complete the log sheet with the Time Finished, bid them farewell and encourage them to leave whatever donation they can.  The donation box is on the filing cabinet.  Don't make anyone feel bad if they can not donate much, or anything at all.  We'd rather have someone riding bikes than to have the parts lying unused in the shop.  In lieu of a cash donation, encourage people to donate their time as volunteers or usable bike parts.

As well, people may use one of the feedback forms to make suggestions and pass on compliments, etc.  Feedback forms can be collected by the greeter.

Last But Not Least - Other Reasons People Might Come to the Bike Cage

People might want to buy a bike from the Orioles Bike Cage.  The mechanics are responsible for showing people the bikes for sale, so try to find the least busy mechanic and ask them to show the bikes for sale.  Ideally, the mechanic will be someone who is on the core Bike Cage collective.

People may also be stopping by to donate bikes or bike parts.  Thank them tremendously when they do this, even if the donation appears to be questionable in its usefulness.

People might come to the Bike Cage just to look around.  The greeter can give them an idea of what the shop is about and a copy of the welcome pamphlet.  Let them walk around briefly if they like, but make sure that they are not rummaging for parts.  If they are looking for parts, then they need to wait for a mechanic.

If people want us to fix a bike for them, please tell them that the Bike Cage is a Do It Yourself (DIY) shop and point them in the direction of a local bike shop that does repairs.

If someone from the news media stops by, please refer any requests for interviews or stories on the Orioles Bike Cage to core collective members.

Mechanic Responsibilities

First Things First - Mechanic-Wise, Anyway

Okay, so you want to help people fix their bikes and show them how to maintain them.  Does being a volunteer mechanic at the Oriole Bike Cage mean that you have to know absolutely everything about every bike that may come into the shop?  In an ideal world, that would be great. 

Well, in the real world of the Orioles Bike Cage, volunteer mechanics should not worry too much about not knowing everything about bike repair (most bike mechanics are human, too!).  None of  the human volunteers knows everything - if someone has a bike problem that is beyond your ability, then try to have another volunteer mechanic help the person, either by asking an available mechanic to help or by trading 'jobs' with another mechanic.  If no luck with either of these approaches, then try consulting one of the repair manuals or tell the person that they will have to wait until another mechanic is available.

Second - What All Volunteer Mechanics Need to Know

There are a few things that all volunteer mechanics should know, as follows:

• How to fit a bike to someone who is looking for one (to build or buy).

• How to recognize people misusing tools that are commonly misused.

• Both of these things can be learned fairly quickly from another mechanic, and most would be happy to show you.

• Also, read the Welcome pamphlet so you know what is expected of people using the space.

Third - How Mechanic Things Work When The Bike Cage is Open

Every day that the Orioles Bike Cage is open, we have a minimum of two volunteers on duty.  One person acts as a greeter with the other on-duty volunteer(s) as mechanic(s) to help visitors with their bicycle work.   If you are a volunteer mechanic, please ensure that the greeter knows that you are there to help, and that they know your name.

At some point, the greeter will introduce you to someone want to build up a bike to fix their own.  Ask them if they have been to the Bike Cage before, or if they have ever been shown around.  If they haven't, then give them a quick tour of the space.

If the person insists that they know exactly what they are doing with their bike work, then let them proceed but stick around with them until it is clear that they do not need help.  Or, if you have shown them something and they are now mostly working on their own, you can let the greeter know that you can help another person at the same time, if you feel confident in doing so.  Always check-in with the first person you're helping to ensure that they are using tools properly and that they do not need your attention for a while.  Also, let the second person know that you may have share your time and attention between two people working on bikes.

Always keep in mind that you are responsible to each person that you are helping, so check-in with each one frequently, especially to ensure that tools are not being misused.  Chain tools are broken so often that if someone is planning to work on their chain, you should have them explain how to use the chain tool properly before leaving them alone to do it.

If a person wants to build up a bike from scratch, help them find a bike that fits them and is best suited for their needs.  Try not to impose your ideas or views of what's best for others.  Certainly, give advice if asked.

The greeter may, at their discretion, let some people in to work on their own, without the help of a mechanic, ahead of other people waiting.  People let in to work on their own are obligated to give up use of high demand tools when it is needed by another person with a mechanic.  If you see any of these people misusing tools, they should be asked to leave immediately.  Ensure that the greeter is aware of this situation, if it arises.

Fourth - How Not To Help People

Although you may be comfortable and confident working on bikes, it is easy to forget how intimidating it can be for someone with little or no knowledge of bicycle mechanics.  We expect all of our volunteer mechanics and greeters to make people feel comfortable working here. 

The Orioles Bike Cage is more about learning, sharing, empowerment, equality and respect than it is about speedy bike repairs or stroking egos.  Volunteer mechanics should use tools as little as possible to show a person how to do their bike work.  Bottom line - never take a tool out of someone's hand.  Do your best - you may want to 'help' someone by bending this rule (with their concurrence) if there are fifteen minutes left before closing and someone is close to having their bike done.  In general, it is preferred that it take longer for someone to learn a new skill than for a volunteer mechanic to fix someone's bike for them.  Pass on the proper ways of using tools, and the idea that the right tool should be used for the job.

Last But Not Least - Other Things That Mechanics May Encounter

Donations and Parts - There is a donation box that people may use, on a pay-what-they-can basis, for using the space and used parts to fix their bike.  You can encourage people to make a donation but do not make them feel bad if they can not afford a donation.  If people need any of the new parts on hand (like chains, tubes and brake cables) then they are sold at cost - the pieces are marked on the parts and are not negotiable.  Payment for new parts can be put in the donation box.  If a person does not want to pay for, or can not afford, new parts then they are welcome to make best use of the used parts on hand.

Selling Bikes - If someone wants to buy one of the bikes for sale, find a collective member and ask them to handle it.

Building Bikes For Sale - We also appreciate volunteers building up bikes for the Bike Cage to sell.  Go for it if you are so inclined.

Media - If someone from the news media stops by, please refer any requests for interviews or stories on the Orioles Bike Cage to core collective members.