Simon is on the road, visiting workshops, with some kind funding from the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. Working to putting together a comprehensive study of best practices and aims of bike workshops by 2021. Accompanied by Mildred Locke and Matthias Kowasch.
- Bike Kitchen Lund, Sweden Kitchen was closed when I was in town, have contacted for interview
- Le Chat Perché, Lyon France 11 Feb 2020. Welding, tallbikes, but no actual cat.
- Change de Chaine, Vaise, Lyon France 12 Feb 2020 [prix libre – no fixed prices for membership or parts. over 800 members. ]
- Le Cyclub, Villeurbanne, Lyon France 13 Feb 2020. 650 members. One is a cat.
- Unis Bike, Villeurbanne, Lyon 13 Feb 2020 [training social enterprise to re-enter employment, s/h bike sales, has NGO support-Unis is right across the road. We went to the open day, it was opened in 2020]
- Etablicyclette Lyon, 13 Feb 2020. Met Guillaume, who also told us about the rise and eventual closure of Le Recycleur where he used to work, which was pretty much the oldest workshop in France and which lost a battle to keep its premises (1994-2017). He duns this hybrid enterprise that also does commercial fixing.
- uN p’Tit véLo dAnS La Tête Grenoble [one of the very oldest, and biggest] 16 Feb Merci Yannick. Membership has dropped at this well known and established workshop, mostly because the city has introduced over 8000 city bikes in recent years, available on long term lease to individuals. The first time we heard of ateliers affected by good bike policies (they had to let go their paid staff).
- Heureux Cyclage , Grenoble 15 Feb [national association for workshops that have bike self-repair/autoreparation]. Merci Celine & Mattieu
- Café Vélo Grenoble. OK so really were were there for lunch, but we did ask some questions. Nice cafe linked to a small workshop that fixes people’s bikes and sells, but does not do autoreparation sessions [too small].
- Heureux Cyclage office, Grenoble
- L’atelier solidaire, Grenoble 15 Feb. This one is under reorganisation and has bikes as one method for social development in the quartier. We received a great welcome. They have a dog not a cat.
- Vieux Biclou Montpellier, 18 Feb. Montpellier has some strong bike politics, but little action from the mayor in recent years on infrastructure. People are annoyed. Lobbying by this two-workshop association and other organisations is helping.
- À Bicyclette Tulle, 19 Feb. Laurent is the founder and only employee, and has large storage area and a small workshop in a poor part of town. Tulle has one cycle lane. Merci Laurent
- Vélorution Périgourdine, Périgueux 21 Feb. Relatively young workshop and activist group in a non-university, relatively compact town that could have far more cycle facilities around its cute pedestrian zone. Amazingly, the association operated from a free, three storey house donated by the city council. Merci Bertrand et al.
- Récup’R, Bordeaux. 22 feb. One of the established workshops. Has a sewing/recycling arm on first floor. Building destined for demolition along with the whole quartier to create ‘Euratlantique‘ and its regeneration agenda. Some of the fanzine Chasse goupille comes from here.
- 23 Feb, Paris en passant. Matthias did an interview at Cyclofficine http://cyclocoop.org/
- Julian House Bike Workshop, Bath 24 Feb – to fix my bike and get some workshop spares
- Bristol Bike Project, Bristol UK 25 Feb 2020
