Missoula Free Cycles

I've seen the building for some time around town but am curious if anyone has been to Missoula Free Cycles run by Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation (MIST).  Does anyone know if they have bike stuff for people of all ages or is it an adults only kind of thing?

Free Cycles is amazing! I've never heard of MIST, so I hope I am talking about the right place, but if you mean the building on second street, then yes, it is absolutely friendly for kids. They even provide helmets, training wheels and, when available, sparkly handlebar streamers.

Yes that's the place!  I've been meaning to stop for ages but have had 4 kids in the car so it wasn't an option.  Now that I know it's kid friendly though, maybe I can grab the older ones and check it out.  St. Pats has a program for free helmets so I'm set in that area but our old bikes definitely need a tune up or trade in.

They have all the tools, parts, odds and ends, and help you could want. Seriously, they could build you a generator to power your (bicycle) head lamp or weld you a custom trailer. Have fun!

Free Cycles is just wonderful. Bob Giordano, the founder and owner, is incredibly helpful. I actually built my bike (Sparrow the Wheelbarrow) from scratch there. They have a huge collection of tools, spare parts and fixer-upers. You can start from the ground up or just do a little tune up and have your own bike in no time. They ask that, in exchange for all that they provide, people take a short class on bike safety and maintenance and volunteer for about two hours in the shop.
I was in there this weekend and Bob pointed out that they got a whole box of 70s stuff-- colorful streamers and grips--so now would be the perfect time to bring kids down for some fun.
They will also have a mobile bicycle tune-up cart and loaners available at the Sunday Streets Missoula Festival, next Sunday, Sept. 12, 9-2pm (and are looking for volunteers).

Here's the basic info:

Community Bicycle Shop: 732 S. 1st St W.
(3 blocks west of Orange St., just south of the Clark Fork River).

Open shop: Monday - Thursday - 3:00pm - 7:00pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm

BikeWell Class: Tues 7-8:30pm, Wed 5:30-7pm, Thurs 1:30-3:00pm

Volunteer Night: Wed- 7:00-9 pm

Information hotline: 406- 541-PATH (7284)

Email: mist..at..strans.org (replace ..at.. with @)

Are these hours the same this year?

Paul and Bob Giordano of Free Cycles talk about the shop in this podcast.

This came in my email today:

Two great bands at the Free Cycles shop this coming Tuesday:

July 22nd, 8pm-10pm
$5 at the door- includes tasty refreshments
at Free Cycles, 732 S. 1st St. west

note: a group of bicycle and musical enthusiasts are rendezvousing for a
ride to the shop at 7pm. Meet at the south entrance to Greenough Park.
All are welcome!

----------------
The H.O.B.O. Road Show brings together two bands for a summer event that
will take audiences on a musical journey. The musicians, who liken
themselves to gypsy hobos, are playing traditional venues, house shows,
festivals and other places where people gather for inspiration and
merriment.

Dum Spiro Spero, whose name is Latin for “while I breathe, I hope” is feel
good, frantic folk complete with fiddle and musical saw. There is also
some foot stomping involved. Dum Spiro Spero currently has three self
released EPs. Based in the Bay area, they have been on 5 west coast tours,
2 SW tours and 1 US tour.

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/dumspirosperomusic
Reverbnation:
www.reverbnation.com/dumspirospero
YouTube:
youtu.be/TS6FgcyQ91c

Sprouting from the fresh grave of the San Diego band Cain Street, Big Sid
and the Wiggle began its adventure in the summer of 2012. The band
effortlessly blends punk rock, hip hop and reggae, to create a rockin',
soulful sound, with a message of oneness.
Website:
www.bigsidandthewiggle.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/bigsidandthewiggle

Hope to see you at Free Cycles soon!

--
Bob Giordano, Director
Free Cycles Missoula
Shop: 732 S. 1st St. West, ph. 541.7284
10AM-6PM Tues-Sat
Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation
www.strans.org, mist@strans.org, 406-880-6834

free live music at free cycles on friday:

Free Live Music at Free Cycles

Ticket Sauce
Tajh and Diego
Three Eared Dog

Friday June 5th 7-10pm

I was looking at their website: http://www.strans.org/freecycles.html

And I see that they are working on a fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/70sws0

So I've been chatting with Bob (the founder) and Paul about free cycle's fund raiser and they've come up with a little dealio. The deets(details for you old farts):

Their Go Fund Me is Here!

Well, first I just want to talk a little bit more about Free Cycles - everyone above has said great things about them, and they are all on completely the right track. Free Cycles does SO much for the community of missoula (i fixed mine and my partners bikes there when I lived there SO I KNOW ). They are a 501(c)(3) and Paul told me they do pretty much everything they do for only $600 a month!

Here are some really great pictures of their stuff:


















Okay so now that you know how amazing this place is, I'll tell ya the deal. Here we go:

If we bring in $1000 for them, they will give ten bikes to wheaton laboratories!
If we bring in $2000 for them, they will build a repair shop with tools at wheaton laboratories
If we bring in $3000 for them, they will stock that repair shop with parts!
If we bring in $5000 for them, they will build a wheel dome, for meeting and meditation on wheaton laboratories.

Dis is a wheel dome:





source

So whattya say? Let's help out free cycles AND help wheaton laboratories get some AMAZING and necessary stuff!

Again HERE is the link to their Fund Raiser!

Here's the thing. They did a fundraiser a long time ago and it got stuck. It's been sitting at $3415 for EIGHT MONTHS! These guys barely cover their rent at $600 per month, but they've had bupkiss for EIGHT MONTHS!

So Bob and I are talking .... Bob has mountains of broken bicycles. Something like 15,000. And he has people that love freecycles so much they spend nearly all of their free time there. At the same time, they organization is perpetually broke.

So now we look at the labs: lots of ants and gappers arriving by plane. No bicycle. I like the idea that the lab becomes something of a bike community. Bob has already provided us with a few bicycles, but we already need more. Plus some of the bikes we do have now need repair ....

So I came up with this idea. And Bob quickly expanded on the idea.

If the permies.com community can come up with some fundage in one week, then freecycles keeps moving forward and wheaton labs gets free bicycles! And if there is enough, a free bicycle repair shop complete with tools and stocked with spare parts. And that massive wheel dome thing!

So I've put a hundred bucks in. And I hope that other folks will too!

Its things like this that make it easy to donate. Good people doing good stuff.

10$ from me!

Sorry, all I can give are 'flags'. So I gave 2, because this is a great project!

By the way, who took the pictures? Nice work.

I'm in! I did $25. What a great program!

I'm all in! They have a great program going. I have to say, I love that dome! Wonder who I could find out my way with a mountain of bicycle wheels? Hmmm....

I am in for $25 Paul, seems the bikes could start to roll!

Their fundraiser was stuck at $3415. So for the permies to raise $1000, we gotta get that up to $4415.

We are getting close to the $1000 mark!

I just gave a couple of buckaloo's. They're at $4,390 now. Should've chipped in another $25 to get over first hurdle, maybe later.

We hit $1000! Hot diggity dog!

So I just got off the phone with a guy who says that if the total can get up to $5415, he will toss an additional $1000. This guy has been a huge supporter of wheaton labs over the years and is one of our jet pack folks.

Yowza!

Here's the link folks! Toss in a few bucks and lets see if we can get your money DOUBLED!



https://gofundme.com/70sws0

I've just donated. Hope it helps

Donated $20.00 yesterday.

Gave a $5 last night. Hopefully yall will get one of those bike wheel domes they look pretty nice for growing cucumbers and gourds.

Support & engage! Just donated -- Another fine effort, Big Obnoxious Overall-wearing Giant - hope to see success! ^

I threw in $10.00! Hope it helps!

Ahhhh yayyy! All of you guys and gals help is so amazing and appreciated SO much!

They are up to $4,770!! Only $645 left!

Love it! I threw in another $50 so we are up to $4,830.

Also, they have a non-profit tax-id so your donation is tax deductible.
-Chris

Chris Greenfield wrote:Love it! I threw in another $50 so we are up to $4,830.

Also, they have a non-profit tax-id so your donation is tax deductible.
-Chris

YES! Super good point Chris! I totally forgot to mention that.

Kicked in $10. I really love to see these sorts of projects--not just nonprofits done right, but really integrated into their community and contributing to it and connecting people. I think that sort of building of infrastructure and social capital doesn't get nearly enough attention from people who are socially concerned in general, so I am happy to get a chance to support this project.

If we can get $325 more by the end of the day today, another permie has promised to add $1000!

$2000!

We did it! We are now past $5415. The total is currently $5640. So we have raised $2225! So with the extra thousand, that will take freecycles to $6640, and permies.com to $3225!

Of course, if we hit $8415, we get that awesome dome thing! Kinda don't see us getting that far, but it is a lovely thought.

paul wheaton wrote:

Of course, if we hit $8415, we get that awesome dome thing! Kinda don't see us getting that far, but it is a lovely thought.

It doesn't have an end date, does it? Or are you just talking about our dealio with Bob?

The dealio with bob is that it is clear that this money came from permies.com peeps. Which I think is done because he beat all the bushes he could find and the fundraiser dried up at about $3415 - and not a spec since eight months ago. So anything beyond $3415 is permie love. But anything a couple of weeks from now doesn't really count since it could be from his past efforts.

$3250

And it looks like Karl is cool with his name being public as the big donator!

This is great! I toss in a 20$ and get to be another cog in the permie wheel, crowdfunding is THE way of the future! thanks for the opportunity to support another great thing!

Threw in $10 just because it is cool to support this place. Put permies.com in the comments

I am gonna give Bob some permaculture advice about his urban two acres.  He says he wants to put in a food forest and has some toxin remediation concerns.  We will also talk about alternative energy stuff - specifically power generation from pedaling and a few other things.  

Everybody is invited.  Come by at 3pm.  This is just a quickie consultation to give some rough ideas, but folks are welcome to walk with us and maybe some folks with us will also have some good ideas!

732 S. 1st St. West