Falling into winter at FBL

What a busy late summer, fall, and early winter it's been at the Falmouth Bike Lab! Where to begin?

In August and September we held some truly massive Open Shops. On some of our warmer evenings we were bursting at the seams, with volunteers and patrons spilling out into the driveway learning, repairing bikes, and having fun together. We also started our successful Volunteer Orientation Night series to help get our new volunteers up to speed. Check back for more of these in the new year.

October was a momentous month for the Falmouth Bike Lab. Our founder Jeremy Tagliaferre headed west to take a job with a fantastic community bike shop in Seattle, Bike Works. Just to prove that we still had it in us after Jeremy moved on, FBL hosted a great bike event in conjunction with Teaticket Elementary School. In addition to hosting a bike rodeo, we gave away over 30 bikes in a single afternoon to kids and families who wanted them.



In November we launched our new website, www.falmouthbikelab.org. Check it out for all the latest news and information! We hosted a table at the JWUMC Christmas Fair as well, which generated much interest and conversation with the community. We also ordered a new batch of FBL business cards and stickers. Keep your eyes peeled around town and you just might see them where you least expect 'em.

In December we held some great Open Shops where several folks went home with new-to-them bikes, and several more got help fixing up their own rides. We also teamed up with some generous folks at WHOI to help raise funds for the Falmouth Service Center.

On top of all the great stuff above, we've continued to hold weekly Volunteer Hour and Open Shop on Thursdays, and Open Shop on the first Saturday of each month. Our group rides are on hiatus until Daylight Saving Time begins again. Be sure to check out our website and like us on Facebook for our calendar and the latest FBL news.

Thanks to everyone who has interacted with the Bike Lab--as a patron, volunteer, supporter, or friend--over the past couple months. We couldn't have done it without you!

Best wishes for a happy holiday and peaceful new year.

July Happenings at the Bike Lab

July at the Bike Lab

Wow! July has been a very busy month here at the Bike Lab. The month started out with a Learn-To-Ride program we did in partnership with the Cape Cod Child Development Program. Youngsters in the Pre-K program came over to the Bike Lab and practiced balancing on bikes, as well as learning some basic rules of the road. (Pro Tip: When teaching your child how to ride a bike, try to avoid using training wheels. Training wheels teach kids how to ride a bike with training wheels. If you can, just have them push their bike with their feet while sitting on the saddle. Do this on a gradual downhill so as they pick up speed and confidence, they can lift up their feet and balance on two wheels.)

We also had two full sessions of Earn-A-Bike. Kids in grades 2-9 learned all the rules of the road and basic maintenance skills they need to ride their bicycles around town and keep them running smoothly. It was a fun two weeks, and some of us got to ride to Woods Hole and back twice! And eat ice cream, twice!

And during the last week in July, we had kids from John Wesley United Methodist Church and the First Congregational Church come in and take bike apart for parts. We had a large supply of bikes that needed stripped down so that we could save the good parts and make room for incoming donations. They were a huge help!

Thank you to everyone that came in and helped this past month. August is jammed pack full of stuff too, including Volunteer Orientation on the 18th, two Earn-A-Bike sessions, and numerous Volunteer Hours and Open Shops. Email jeremy.tagliaferre@gmail.com or check out our website for more information or to volunteer to help out.

Click here for more photos

Bike Fest 2015

It's Bike Month and We Know How to Party!

May is Bike Month and this year we celebrated in conjunction with the Falmouth Bikeways Committee, The Falmouth Police Department and Cape Cod Healthcare. Over 100 people attended Bike Fest where we handed out free helmets, held a bicycle rodeo, and took a group ride around town.

The helmets were donated by Cape Cod Healthcare and members of the Bike Lab and Bikeways Committee were on hand to make sure they properly fit their new owners. Additionally, we offered free tune-ups, so everyone could walk away ready to ride for the season.

As we waited to build a critical mass, kids and adults were able to practice their rules of the road in our Bicycle Rodeo. Eventually we gathered the group together and road from the Bike Lab to Main Street and back. It was a wonderful feeling to see 28 cyclists riding down Main Street comfortably and confidently! And the motorists and pedestrians seemed happy to see us too.

The bicycle movement in this town is growing, and it was great to get everyone together to celebrate cycling in Falmouth. Let's keep the moment rolling. Join us for Open Shop, every Thursday 7-9pm and the first Saturday of the month from 10am to 1pm. Or come by for a group ride on the First Friday at 5pm.

To view more photos of the event click here.

Biking and Walking Survey

Lawrence Parents, We Need You!

If 67 more families fill out this survey, the school receives $250 from the Safe Routes to School partnership! The survey is about traveling to school and only takes a few minutes.

CLICK HERE

Volunteers of the Month for 2014

Fall Volunteers of the Month

As we hunker down for another winter storm, we would like to look back on less snowy times and honor all of those people that helped to make the fall such a wonderful and fun time for the Bike Lab. So please join us in thanking the following individuals for all their service to the bicycling community of Falmouth.

September - Bob Porto

Bob is an avid rider and can be found
riding all the way up to the canal

Bob Porto is the 8th Grade Engineering Teacher at Lawrence School and is widely considered a bicycle guru. Among his many accomplishments, has worked to install the HUB system at Lawrence which tracks mileage ridden and walked by both students and faculty alike. Bob encourages folks to use people-powered transportation as much as possible and rides his bike often. In recent years, he's logged over 2,000 miles a year and enjoys participating in the Bike MS Cape Cod Getaway ride each year with his wife, Janice Lewis.  Bob volunteered this fall as the Bike Lab Ambassador for Lawrence School which included team teaching the Earn-A-Bike session and acting as liaison between the Bike Lab, Parents, Students and Lawrence School. Without Bob, the Lawrence Earn-A-Bike would simply not have happened. Bob continues to work tirelessly towards getting more people riding bikes and we look forward to working with him in the future.

October - Dusty Fauth

Dusty Fauth is a 3rd Grade Teacher at Mullen Hall School who acted as the Bike Lab Ambassador to the school and team taught the Earn-A-Bike Program in the fall. Having spent a year living in the busy city of Istanbul, Dusty really appreciates the open spaces and comparatively low traffic we have here in Falmouth, especially during the off season. You will often find him cruising up and down the bike path with his young son in tow. The bike path is a great way to enjoy the beauty of Falmouth, and both of the Fauth boys enjoy the scenery. He enjoys teaching at the Bike Lab because of all the active learning that takes place. It is a great break from the paper and pencil of the classroom for both the kids and their teacher. Dusty is proud to live in a community where something like the Bike Lab can exist. "It takes a lot of good people coming together to keep something like the Lab running!" Dusty is definitely one of those people and we thank him for all he does for the people of Falmouth and Cape Cod.

November - Calebe and Maria

Our November Volunteers of the Month are also our youngest VOMs yet. Calebe and Maria are siblings that come in to Open Shop just about every Thursday and help us tinker on bikes. Maria is a 3rd grader that enjoys volunteering at the Bike Lab because it gives her an opportunity to learn new things. The Bike Lab is the perfect place for her love of both learning and bicycles. "I like bicycles because they can take you wherever you want," she told us. And being able to get out of the house is a good thing when you have 4 older brothers! One of those brothers is Calebe, a 4th grader who, in addition to riding bikes, also enjoys playing football and soccer. Calebe's favorite thing about bicycles is how fun they are to ride and he enjoys riding his bike to the Rec Center. Both Calebe and Maria bring a lot of positive energy into the Bike Lab and we thank them for all their efforts!

December - Brennon Kulis

Brennon Kulis has been volunteering regularly at the Bike Lab during Open Shop since the summer. He also works at Corner Cycle doing sales, rentals and repairs and is an avid cyclists. Whether it be at Otis, Trail of Tears in Hyannis or Long Pond, Brennon is first and foremost a bike rider. But Brennon explains, "As any cyclists knows, you better get good at fixing your ride if you want to stay on the trails or road." And over the course of a few years, Brennon has picked up many valuable skills from wrenching on his bike that he enjoys utilizing in the Bike Lab. "I like being able to use what I have learned to help other people out. It's a good feeling to get a bike up and going and know I made the owner happy as well." Brennon is not only a great mechanic, but a great guy too. He is patient and kind to everyone that walks through our doors and we are very excited to see how many bikes he can help get running in 2015!

Run Forward, Give Back

Run Forward, Give Back...

To the Falmouth Bike Lab

The race will take place on Sunday, April 12

The Falmouth track club has announced the charities that will receive funds from the Cape Cod Trail Race and they include the Falmouth Bike Lab! The Cape Cod Trail Race is a Falmouth Track Club sanctioned event that features a 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50k in the beautiful Crane Wildlife Sanctuary. Not only is it an environmentally friendly race, it is also one that supports many community endeavors.

Tagliaferre running in
the 10k race in 2014

This year, the Bike Lab's very own Jeremy Tagliaferre has registered to run the 50k race. This will be his first attempt at an ultra marathon. Please support him and the many other runners that have chosen to "Run Forward, Give Back." You can visit capecodtrailrace.com to learn about all the events surrounding the race like a potluck dinner, fitness expo and the schedule for race day. You can also learn how you can volunteer to help out, and even register yourself for the race!

The race is scheduled for April 12th at the Crane Wildlife Sanctuary, located just off of route 151. Mark your calendar and come out to support the runners that are supporting the Falmouth Bike Lab and many other charities.

Parade Recap

Bicycle in Bethlehem!

It was a cold cold morning, but our intrepid cyclists were up to the task. Thank you to everyone who helped out with the parade efforts. We even won 1st place in our division!