Bike Donation in San Francisco to Benefit a few Good Causes

1] Community Give Back:

Four times a year, Columbus Cyclery donates back a Quality Bike to the community through a lottery.  Check out the pictures of all the lucky winners and their bikes:

 

Participate in this “Give Back” by donating a bike:

No Appointment or Call Needed !

Just bring the bike at 2011 Mason Street [@Columbus Ave.], 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm.

We accept ALL donation bikes. ALL !

If the frame is not cracked or bent,  we can  replace  EVERYTHING  on  the  bike and  put  it  back  on  the  ROAD!  If the frame is damaged, we will salvage the components and recycle the metal of the frame.  Nothing goes to Waste!

2] Paid Bicycle Mechanic Training Program:

Columbus Cyclery has partnered with Street Soccer USA to process its San Francisco bikes donations. This national non-profit uses community-based soccer programs to teach life and professional skills to at-risk youth and homeless adults.

Columbus Cyclery has developed a specialized Bicycle Mechanic Training Program for Participants of Street Soccer USA in the Bay Area, helping them to further their life goals. After completing the paid 15-week program, each participant will receive a bicycle mechanic certification from Columbus Cyclery and a free bicycle with a lock and accessories!  The participants to this program often work on your donated bike.

Donate a bicycle to this program!

Columbus Cyclery – Street Soccer USA Bike Mechanic Program

Program Overview

The Columbus Cyclery-Street Soccer USA Bicycle Mechanic Skills Academy provides an opportunity for homeless adults and at-risk youth in Street Soccer USA’s soccer-based life skills program to gain practical and professional work experience through Columbus Cyclery’s 15-week bicycle mechanic training course. This training course is a paid opportunity for Street Soccer USA program participants to apply the “Street Skills” that they have learned through their practices, games, 1-on-1 sessions with coaches and mentors, and national tournaments to the professional workplace. During their training, participants receive professional work experience, bicycle mechanic skills, and upon completion of the course, a certification from the bicycle shop, and a free bicycle.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of the Columbus Cyclery-Street Soccer USA Bicycle Mechanic Skills Academy are:

1. Gain knowledge and understanding of the organizational and operational aspects of a professional workplace.
2. Integrate, and apply knowledge and understanding from Street Soccer USA’s sport for social change program and other life experiences to the professional environment.
3. Discover strengths to be developed and weaknesses to be improved.
4. Develop professional skills that are commonly used in professional workplaces including: communication skills, organizational skills, analytical and research skills, planning and problem solving skills, adaptability skills, and interpersonal skills.
5. Formulate goals and measurable objectives to be accomplished while participating in the bicycle mechanic skills academy.
6. Acquire the skill set of an experienced bicycle mechanic for employment in the skilled trades, automotive, or mechanical engineering fields.

Program Requirements

1. Attendance– Each participant in the Columbus Cyclery-Street Soccer USA Bicycle Mechanic Skills Academy is required to attend every bicycle mechanic course once beginning the program. The Street Soccer USA program teaches “showing up” as its first “Street Skill” to be learned by participants. “Showing up” manifests itself in attending every session on time and following through on commitments during the program.
2. Bicycle Assembly & Disassembly Project– Each participant in the Columbus Cyclery-Street Soccer USA Bicycle Mechanic Skills Academy is required to successfully deconstruct and reconstruct a bicycle as part of the completion of the 15-week bicycle mechanic training course. This project serves as a final evaluation that participants need to fulfill to complete the program.

List of Street Soccer USA Street Skills & Description

1. Showing Up– “Is the action of ‘being here, being ready and knowing oneself.’ It is about a player’s basic acceptance of their current reality, attendance, commitment, preparation and, both on and off the field. This is about showing up mentally and physically, and taking care of the basics you need to ‘get in the game’- you can’t get the job if you don’t have you ID or Social Security card. Showing up is also about recognizing when you are not showing up. Nobody is perfect and we all have times when we don’t show up. It is up to us to acknowledge when this happens- to ourselves, to our team and to other important people in our life” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 16-17).
2. Playing with Heart– “is the expectation that every player and coach will put their ‘heart’ into their participation on the team. This ‘heart’ that they put into the team is about understanding their motivation/passion/intention, contributing to a loving and safe place on the team, treating each other with respect, taking care of their physical health as well and truly connecting to the ‘best you’ that is inside of you. Playing with heart also means that you take care of your self physically and emotionally. You can’t play the game with an ‘unfit heart’” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 17).
3. Looking Up– “You cannot succeed on the field if you don’t pick your head up and ‘see the field.’ The same thing applies in life as well. In order to succeed, you need to understand your surroundings and options, recognize your own feelings and thoughts, and manage all of it in a way that lets you figure out what to do next. But if you don’t ‘check yourself’ by looking up from your situation, you will never make a move to make it better” (Street Soccer USA, Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 20).
4. Taking the Space– “In order to make progress you have to be able to identify and even create opportunities around you. You have to take up open space on the field to create opportunities for yourself and your teammates. In life, you have to ‘claim your space’ in life by speaking what is on your mind and in your heart, by taking real responsibility for your actions and by thinking practically about where we want to go – on and off the field” (Street Soccer USA, Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 20).
5. Building your Triangle– “Though this is a technical term in soccer it serves as a powerful connector to the life skills we want to impart in this teamwork level of our program. Moving the ball down the field as a team happens when players ‘build passing triangles’ in which the player with the ball always has two options for passing, thus forming a triangular shape between the three players involved. At the heart of teamwork on and off the field is the ability to ‘build your triangle.’ To do this you have to be willing to give and receive help, work through conflict and still be there for your teammate and have a level of trust and loyalty” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 24).
6. Praising Great Play– “On and off the field, this act helps build up our team. ‘Play’ does not necessarily refer to great ‘plays’ a player makes or the quality of their performance. Instead it references something much broader. ‘Great Play’ is anything that a player does that is praise or support-worthy. This could be a specific level of performance but also includes their effort and/or attitude irrespective of outcome and their learning and growth. There are so many things our players and teammates do that are deserving of great praise. We want to build a culture within our team that is ‘praise and support heavy’” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 24).
7. Playing the Plan– “In every match we will formulate a plan for how to play. This plan will be based on our skills, the other team’s skills and the type of strategy we want to play. In life, as well, we are constantly creating plans for how to ‘play’- for job interviews, for rebuilding relationships, for achieving our goals. This Street Soccer Skill helps us to constantly be thinking about creating plans and then playing to them” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 27).
8. Adjusting your Plan– “This means sometimes you will need to adapt and adjust your ‘play.’ The game and life never go exactly the way you plan it. So, for as much as it is critical to have a plan, it is as important to be prepared with a back-up plan, to anticipate challenges, and to know that you have the resilience and ability to manage yourself throughout the ups and downs of ‘play’” (Street Soccer USA Coaches Guide, 2012, p. 27).

List of Professional Skills & Description

1. Communication Skills– effective communication among co-workers is essential to the success of any organization. Participants in the program will develop their listening and verbal communication skills when working with instructors at the bicycle shop.
2. Organizational Skills– efficiency with tasks is essential to completing them on time. Participants in the program will develop their organizational skills so that they can fulfill the program requirements within the 15-weeks.
3. Analytical & Research Skills– challenges often require analysis and research before deciding on how to approach them. Participants in the program will develop their analytical and research skills by having hands-on experience with the bicycles and using their instructor as a resource for questions.
4. Planning & Problem Solving– most solutions require a plan of execution in order to reach a successful outcome. Participants in the program will combine knowledge and experience acquired through the training program with their organizational skills to develop a plan of action and overcome challenges.
5. Adaptability– being able to adapt quickly is essential for taking advantage of opportunities and avoiding blank. Participants in the program will learn to quickly adapt to different learning modules when going through their bicycle mechanic training program.
6. Interpersonal Skills– being able to understand relationships in the organization and manage interactions with those that you work with is essential for success in the workplace. Participants in the program will learn how to navigate the intricacies of organizational structure through their training at the bicycle shop.

Course Outline

Week	Bicycle Topics Covered	Applied “Street Soccer Skills”	Applied Professional Skills
Week 1	Maintenance & Cleaning– degreasers and lubricants for components, tools to use when cleaning components	#1,#2,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Showing Up”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 2	Tires & Tubes-Changing tubes and tires, valve types, tire types, tire pressure	#1,#2,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Playing with Heart”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 3	Rims & Spokes– Trueing wheels, spoke lengths, spoke tension, dishing	#1,#2, #3, #7,#8 Emphasis on “Looking Up”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 4	Axles & Skewers– axel overhauls, axle length, through vs. solid axles, ball bearings, skewer types	#1,#2, #4, #7,#8 Emphasis on “Taking the Space”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 5&6	Brakes– re-cabling, housing length, cable length, brake systems, brake pad types, replacing brake pads/systems	#1,#2,#5, #7,#8 Emphasis on “Building your Triangle”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 7&8	Gears– re-cabling, housing length, cable length, shifting systems, derailleurs, derailleur and hanger adjustments/replacement	#1,#2,#6, #7,#8 Emphasis on “Praising Great Play”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 9	Chains, Freewheels, & Cassettes– chain types, chain length, freewheel types, cassette types	#1,#2,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Showing Up”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 10	Bottom Brackets (BBs), Cranks, & Pedals– BB types & sizes, measuring BBs, replacing BBs, Cranks, and pedals	#1,#2,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Playing with Heart”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 11&12	Headsets & Forks– headset types and sizes, threaded vs. non-threaded, fork sizing, suspension vs. rigid	#1,#2,#3,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Looking Up”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 13	Review– preparation for Bicycle Assembly & Disassembly Project	#1,#3,#4,#5,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Taking the Space”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 14	Bicycle Assembly & Disassembly Project Begins	#1,#3,#4,#6,#7,#8 Emphasis on “Playing the Plan”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6
Week 15	Bicycle Assembly & Disassembly Project Ends– stand and test ride inspection	#1,#3,#4,#6,#7, #8 Emphasis on “Adjusting you Plan”	#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6

For more information, questions, or to donate a bicycle to this program, please call (415) 561-9999.