Hey ya’ll,
So, the polar vortex has come and lucky for us, is on its way out. An Ethernet cord that supplied Back Alley Bikes with internet (and out phone) went from The Hub, outside our building and back into our BAB offices. It has been hanging out there for about 5 years now. Turns out you shouldn’t run those cords outside. It totally died.
So Back Alley Bikes is currently without a phone. Work with us as we fix our internet situation. Everything is still working at The Hub, so still call them if you need. We are hoping to have a BAB phone again by next week.
We were removing the busted cord while The Hub was attempting to get their heat to work yesterday. Eventually we got the old cord removed and the heat back on…just in time for the water main in our building to burst. Our building owners, The Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation, acted quickly and things are no longer leaking. Of course this was at the same time that a nearby freeway was flooding from a broken water main (that wasn’t us, I swear). It seemed like the world was falling apart yesterday for us.
But today it is time to get focused again and I’m asking for all of your help. You see, being a bike shop that is open year round in Detroit isn’t easy for anyone. It is even harder for us as we are essentially two bike shops being supported by one. Not only is our retail shop open year round, but so is our programming. So keeping the lights on is an issue, but so is the trip to NYC for the Youth Bike Summit we are going on next month. In other words, we need some money.
First, I should mention:
Yeah, BIKE THE BLIZZARD. On Sunday, January 26th, a bunch of us are going to ride as many miles as we can over a 24 hour period. Why would we do this?
– Well you know we are already raising some funds for Back Alley Bikes educational programming and operations
– We are going to show folks that biking in the winter is a viable option for some of us. It seems like all those articles about Detroit being a bike city and all those huge rides are winding down. This is our way of helping to keep it going a little bit during the winter.
– Also, it may not sound like it, but this is super fun.
So how can you play into this? Select a rider to donate to. You can make a flat donation or contact a rider to pledge per mile. Make them work for that money! There is one team providing incentives to donate to them. So check that out. Of course I would recommend this rider though.
So if you aren’t riding this winter and you feel ashamed every time you think of your bike in storage, maybe you should donate a little to one of us and we’ll put in a few miles for you. Kind of a way to get miles in during the winter without actually getting out in the cold. Give us a few bucks and when you are wrapped up in a blanket doing nothing on the 26th you won’t have to feel bad about it!
As I’ve said many times, winter is a tough time for us. Winter is also the best time to buy a bike. To be blunt, we need money more than bikes at this point – now is the time to negotiate a deal. We currently have over 100 bikes for sale.
But maybe you aren’t thinking about biking right now. It is pretty cold outside. On Tuesday, my nose kept trying to freeze shut every time I would breathe in. Wasn’t the best day for riding if you aren’t bundled right. But you still like bikes right? That is why you are at this website right? We have some bike themed art for sale. In December we had a bunch of artists donate their talents to an art show and we have a few pieces left over. Won’t you help give them a home?
Do you know what day it is right now? Really? What day of the week is the 4th of July this year? Sure you are saying “I can just look that up on my phone thing” but some of us like being able to write all over a calendar to keep our dates straight. We are hoping you are the same way and want to pick up a 2014 Back Alley Bikes Calendar to add to your workbench. These suckers are only $10 at The Hub of Detroit. Or if you want to just order one online and get it mailed to you, that’ll just be $15 at our website.
We’ve already had a bunch of folks donate to us this winter and we appreciate it so much. Hopefully one day, staying open in the winter won’t be such an ordeal, but until that time it’ll keep us busy. As all cyclists in Detroit know – you gotta keep hustling to stay alive.
So please consider donating, shopping or coming to a class. Youth Earn-a-Bike and the Adult Mechanic Class is still going through the winter every weekend (except for the 26th when we are biking the blizzard).
See ya’ll soon!