Fawcett Garage 8 workshop is closed for the holidays - HNY 2012

The workshop is closed for the holidays and is reopening on Tuesday 24th January 2012 - TUESDAYS will be the new Thursdays in 2012 at the Fawcett Youth & Community Bike Maintenace Club :)

In case you're stuck; how to fix a puncture...

► 2:26► 2:26

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntYIITLp90k

Magnificent Revolution's power surge

Magnificent Revolution are getting behind CC Hackney, Interlinkx CiC and Cycling Uganda.

After visiting lead person Adam Walker at Mag. Rev's base on Hackney City Farm.  It was agreed that there is plenty of potential for interesting and productive partnership work in all three linked projects.

Adam presented me with one 24v motor to take to Cycling Uganda in the capital Kampala. It's ready to use, complete with the aluminum contact point for the rear wheel's tyre to spin that thing. This motor is the type used in electric scooters and can produce 300w of DC power (the scooters are not so challenging in my eyes now:))

Power produced in this way has many applications including, LED lighting, computer/phone charging, sound and vision.

New at Fawcett Youth & Community Bike Club will be our own rig; a pedal generator and LED lights. We can charge members's phones and power our radio - self sufficient in 2012.

Planning for partnership work and increased learning opportunities into 2012 with Magificent  Revolution; this is something interesting to look forward to, happy new year in advance.

Keir Apperley

 

Wednesday 14th December 2011

Look Mum No Hands

CCH club fellows; Shaveh and Jace Daley joined in by revving the Magnificent Revolution generators to supply electricity for the Gorilla Film Magazine's short film night at LMNH. The evening was entertaining, thought provoking and pleasurable as well as being a bit of a work out for those who donated their leg power in watts for conversion.

L-R  Adam Keir Shaveh Jac 

Geoffrey Butler gets on with the BUZZER

Our main 'man' 11 year old Geoffrey Butler is getting on with the programme, he's started work on one of the supply of 2nd hand kiddies bikes we have in store. These are for local families once they've been checked over by our own capable young mechanics. This one's a Raleigh Buzzer and is destined to be handed to a young relative of Geoffry's from Fawcett Estate.

Pedal puddle power @ Fawcett YBMP 03.11.11

Young regular Geoffrey Butler tests his bike in the water during tonights session.

Pleased with the performance, it's time to chill. Our lad is set to join De-shaun Hughs this Saturday morning on the way to check out Cycling Club Hackney's youth training session, he's sure looking forward to that. 

The gloves pictured bellow are specially designed for protecting and keeping hands clean whilst doing mechanical work. They are modeled by long time member De-shaun Hughs who purchased them for a small fee from (i believe) the best pound shop in Hackney on Chatsworth Road. FYI it's the one across the road from the Too Sweet Caribbean food place. Also featured in D's hands are a pair of Park Tool cable clippers - essential kit for any decent bike fixer.

Marcus says good bye - Michael says hello, pregnant worms and other talking points...

Previous lead worker Marcus Ahmad has moved on to a new job in Bristol but passes his best wishes to all he knows at Fawcett YBMP. Michael Binnie has stepped up to replace him, you can see Michael signing in above. Another new addition is our own Kevin Cabey who will be another friendly face and helping hand for those youngsters in need of bike fixing advice and guidance. Also new to sign in is local young resident Babette Holden, who comes on site as a volunteer person available to help her peers with tasks such as form filling, applications and tests.

Following a similar pause for thought, caused by the amusing bulge that often occurs in a pumped up inner tube, members went on to consider is there such a thing as a pregnant worm?

Youssuf tries out a bike to see if it will fit

Gabrielle hard at work

Cleaning out the bike shed

Everybody helps out to clean out the bike shed ready for the arrival of some more bikes

Future Plans

We are now offering members of Fawcett Bike Club AQAs in First Aid and basic Bike maintenance. As well as Cytech Level 2 for our more experienced mechanics, a great assett for anyone wishing to get a job in the bike biz.

If anyone out there has any old bikes that they wish to donate bring them along on a Thursday evening and we'll gladly make use of them,

New Member at Fawcett

Youngest

Jamals back again posing for another unmissable photo opportunity! That boy sure does like pumping tyres. Thats his dads bike by the way - Yussuf. I also teach his daughter cycling at Southwold Primary School in Hackney. They have just won the National Hill Climb Championships Team Award, a great achievement.

Summer

Summer is here - working outside, loads of bike fixing, new members of the club and new friendships being made. Brilliant

Brothers

Gabriel and his brother steaming in to their latest project.

New Members

Here we see Gabriel at work fixing a puncture. He is a regular attendee at the club, I have never seen anyone fix up bikes as quick as Gabriel. He is also very willing to help the older kids fix their bikes too!

AQA

Here are Robert and Hasib completing their AQA's. Hasib is fixing a puncture and Robert is checking the brakes on a bike he is building and then donating to the club.

Arty film...

Arty Image!!

Ato getting down with a brake cable.

Thursday 10th Feb

Electricity back on and milder weather = great turnout for the club. Hurrah

Stephen 'Ace' Doyle - Nightingale project

Stephen Doyle standing by his bike, supplied again courtesy of Interlinkx CiC and Stoke Newington Police station. This was done under the agreement that young Stephen would take responsibility for his new bike and keep it long term by using the lock supplied with it in return for him being a good volunteer and supporter of the Nightingale bike project. Stephen attends with regularity and is always helpful and respectful to the club, it's members and staff. He has managed to keep the bike in his possession for a record length of time and aims to keep this up because he has become...'too attached to my street machine'

Don't rush!

The evidence above shows that youth bike maintenance clubs are not just about learning to turn spanners and pump pumps. Jez Peter from Nightingale's bike club bears witness to this, the positive change in him of late is distinct and clear.

Alfie and Jez stand by the bike they have got together that was donated to the project by Stoke Newington Police Station. Alfie is a good young bike mechanic who helped his friend Jez get this bike in a fit and road worthy condition.

New Year clear out

Its time for a bit of a sort-out at Fawcett and with the help of Chloe, Geoffrey and Cyra we all got stuck in sorting out punctured inner tubes , derailleurs and brakes.

Visit to the London 2012 Olympic site

December 30th 2010

On a murky and misty Saturday morning, members of the Fawcett estate youth bike club; Shannon, Chloe, Sean and Marcus met up with their counter parts from Nightingale estate; Mahmoud, David and project leader Keir. This was for a cycle ride from Springfield Marina, down the tow path beside the River Lea, all the way to Hackney Wick and onto the Greenway from where progress was observed on the London 2012 Olympic site. After congratulating the workers on doing such a great job it was off for a celebratory cafe lunch in jolly Hackney Wick. Despite the weather a fine day was had and after the ride it made us all think we should be doing more of this sort of thing!
Expect news of more bike riding trips as the year unfolds.

Marcus (Tutor & cycle coach)