Oakland Projects
Oakland SPOKES launch in September 2011 was in response to the community SPOKES has cultivated in many East Bay Area cities over the last three years. SPOKES has partners with a number of Oakland Community Based Bike Organizations and has for the duration of its development been involved in the foundation of the bike culture of the East Bay.
We currently incubating a project called the Family Bike Collective.
Mission:
To share active Family Cycling resources and equipment to provide ease of access to bicycles, accessories, and gear for the mobile family.
Vision:
In today’s growing economy families are learning how to save money and conserve consumption by incorporating greener ways of getting around, building homes, recycling consumables, and reusing the tools for life. The Family Bike Collective is an extended group of engaged families dedicated to greening transportation while enjoying human powered transportation. The Collective will collect, maintain, and redistribute green gear for the human powered and alternative transit supporting families.
- provide your child with a bicycle that will fit them as they grow,
- have your child "graduate" from bikes as they become better cyclists,
- stop having to store old bikes in your garage,
- participate in a simple trade in/ buyback partnership that will save you
money while giving your kid the best cycling experience,
- gift a child in need so they can get to school and lead a healthier lifestyle,
We operated from May 1, 2013 until June 15, 2013. Our Bike Lounge displayed and consignd bikes built by Bay Area mechanics as part of the campaign for SPOKES National’s Community Bike Organization Project. Our goal is to collectively advocate for earmarked City, State, and Federal funding of local community bike organizations and small bike related businesses. Oakland SPOKES community Bike Lounge had commuter accessories and bicycle service and catered café fixings of Bicycle Coffee, Numi Tea in its new Old Oakland Location at: 465 9th street Oakland, Ca. We also did custom builds and special orders.
We had daily opportunities for our *members to reserve space to do workshops and host bike-related social events. Our grand opening took place in the middle of the Bike to Work After Party and we hosted the official Bike to work “After Party -After Party” with DJ Abeldee and extended hours.
Inside the lounge had a prominent 6'x4' map of the East Bay community and small neighborhood bike shops. This map served as a visual guide to patrons of where all our member shops are located in reference to each other the hub and their lives.As a hybrid business the Oakland community bike lounge supported community engagement, alternative transportation, economic stimulation across neighborhood boundaries, diversity, and collective economy. As a community serving organization SPOKES provided services that promote human powered transportation, alternative mobility, carbon reduction, and the act local think global movement.
The Most recent shop was at 366 Grand Ave is a community commuter and family biking Boutique Bike Shop where families could enjoy member benefits to the Family Bike Collective and customers found bikes that fit people. We specialized in finding bikes for smaller people including women and children that desire weight and size appropriate bikes for every day riding. We also carried mobility bikes for seniors, tandems, cargo bikes, and family biking equipment.
Unfortunately the shop had to close due to a predatory landlord and reopened in Berkeley as SPOKES Bike Lounge.
Oakland SPOKES was a Pop-up Bike shop brought to downtown's Old Oakland Community in partnership with *Popuphood Oakland (http://www.popuphood.com/) and CAC REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT CO., INC. (www.cacremco.com).
