The Chainlink

GOT PARTS? Open call for vendor tables at the February 6 Bike Winter Swap and Urban Bike Expo


This Winter, Chicago Bike Winter is presenting the first annual Bike Winter Swap Meet and Urban Bicycle Expo on Saturday February 6, 2010 at Jak's Tap at 901 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's West Loop.

Individuals, clubs, non-profits, frame-builders, powder coaters, stores and shops, and bike fiends and friends of every flavor are welcome and encouraged to rent a table. It's cheap, it's fun and it goes to a good cause....keeping Chicagoans on their bikes year-round. Something you don't need or have too many of may be just the ticket for someone else's build. You win, they win, Bike Winter wins, the people of Chicago win, etc.

Here is the price structure:

Non-profit groups including bike clubs, locally based Individuals or companies with 3 or less employees - $25
Locally based companies with 4 to 12 employees - $50
All other companies and individuals - $100

To rent a table please send an email to expo@bikewinter.org and we will get you signed up.

Thanks and look forward to seeing you all there.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on February 8, 2010 at 12:12pm
I picked up a few great items; randonneur style rear rack, shimano 600 levers, and thought the event was pretty good.

At the check-in table the volunteers asked if we would consider donating any additional money to support Bike Winter. I understand that this was just a standard point of sale up-selling strategy. But, one volunteer asked me for $20, and the other asked my girlfriend if she would consider donating $100 to bike winter. After the event my girlfriend and I talked about this for quite a while over a beer. Neither one of us knew that the other had been asked at the time and we agreed that it was really quite an unusual and borderline offensive sales strategy, especially for this type of organization.

Did this happen to anyone else?
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on February 8, 2010 at 12:46pm
I also think there may have been some jocularity in the $100 suggestion-- it wasn't a planned strategy (most of the discussion centered around seeing if and how we could capture that nominal $5 from most visitors) and I apologize if the 'pressure' made anyone uncomfortable-- I didn't catch this happening myself, but I will say I'm damned glad we have people who are not afraid to put themselves out there for our cause. Definitely appreciate the feedback!

Kelvin Mulcky said:
I picked up a few great items; randonneur style rear rack, shimano 600 levers, and thought the event was pretty good.

At the check-in table the volunteers asked if we would consider donating any additional money to support Bike Winter. I understand that this was just a standard point of sale up-selling strategy. But, one volunteer asked me for $20, and the other asked my girlfriend if she would consider donating $100 to bike winter. After the event my girlfriend and I talked about this for quite a while over a beer. Neither one of us knew that the other had been asked at the time and we agreed that it was really quite an unusual and borderline offensive sales strategy, especially for this type of organization.

Did this happen to anyone else?
Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on February 8, 2010 at 12:49pm
Yea, that was the weird part, i didn't interpret in humor in the upsell. And i always get a little bummed out when I go to an event and "donations" seem a little more mandatory than voluntary.

I think that volunteers do indeed deserve credit, but not exactly in a monetary way. Thats not what volunteering is about. When I give to, lets say, a political organization, i give because i agree with the mission, not because i recognize that there are volunteers who work for that mission.
Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on February 8, 2010 at 1:04pm
Thanks again to all the volunteers, vendors and participants...fantastic day! Active Trans was honored to be involved (we also signed up 18 members!).

Thanks especially to Howard Kaplan, Lee Diamond, Kevin Monaghan and Mario Perez, my co-organizers who were incredible to work with. Say it with me...next year!

Ethan, with Active Trans

PS: I worked the registration table for an hour and half or so and had a couple of people say that they didn't want to donate because it was suggested and we let them right in. Sorry to hear that Kelvin had a challenging registration experience but glad the rest of the swap worked for him.
Permalink Reply by igz on February 8, 2010 at 1:04pm
when i walked up to the donation table, i was asked how much i could donate. i pulled the cash out of my pocket which contained a few $100 bills...and the gentleman next to Lauren said...jokingly..or how bout that $100. again...jokingly...to which i smiled...and handed over a $5...to which he smiled and said Thanks. i hope i didnt start the idea...but either way...it was in good fun. im sure they werent trying to intimidate or bully anyone into forcing anything at all.

if i could spare the hundo...i would offer it.
Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on February 8, 2010 at 1:19pm
I don't see what's so funny. To pay a volunteer, for a reason other than reimbursement, would sort of negate the whole concept of volunteering.

willow naeco said:
"I think that volunteers do indeed deserve credit, but not exactly in a monetary way."

Thanks for making me laugh orange juice out of my nose. You are kidding, right?
Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on February 8, 2010 at 1:44pm
Ok willow, i think we're just misunderstanding each other. I'm not trying to start rumors.

When you wrote that when I'm being asked for a donation, i need to think about all the time and money that volunteers put into their organization, i thought that was a little out of wack. I interpreted that as you saying that i should basically compensate volunteers for their time.

I was trying to say that i don't think that's right, to think of volunteers when giving to an organization, because they don't need the money for compensation. I was trying to say that people should think of the mission and products that an organization creates when giving.

I'll just leave it at that.
Permalink Reply by Gin on February 8, 2010 at 2:21pm
Just chiming in here on the $$ issue. Just to add to Willow's comments, lots of folks put countless hours and $$$ into projects like making/distributing balaclavas. All done with love and generosity. BW is a grassroots effort w/o a formal organizational structure. It happens b/c people give their time, money, time and heart. It's always appreciated when people make donations to help pay for materials. To my knowledge, no one has ever asked for a donation to compensate for time. It's unfortunate that Kelvin felt pressured to donate. However, i do hope the bigger picture is that support is always needed and appreciated. Thanks!
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on February 8, 2010 at 2:34pm
OK, time to lay off poor beleagured Kelvin :-)
I think there was some tension going into Saturday around wanting badly to hit the event out of the ballpark and now there's maybe a little extra steam needing to be released.
Any additional feedback appreciated! Creative and grandiose ideas for next year, bring 'em on!
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on February 8, 2010 at 5:25pm
willow naeco said:
Hey, it's my fault -- any time I participate in a thread, it gets messy or dies.

soundboard.com
Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on February 8, 2010 at 8:14pm
Dude: the $ did not go to the volunteers.

They asked you for more than the $5. You said no. Hardly a traumatic experience. I know of no other bike show/swap/event that collects less.

Why let this sully an outstanding event?



Kelvin Mulcky said:
Ok willow, i think we're just misunderstanding each other. I'm not trying to start rumors.

When you wrote that when I'm being asked for a donation, i need to think about all the time and money that volunteers put into their organization, i thought that was a little out of wack. I interpreted that as you saying that i should basically compensate volunteers for their time.

I was trying to say that i don't think that's right, to think of volunteers when giving to an organization, because they don't need the money for compensation. I was trying to say that people should think of the mission and products that an organization creates when giving.

I'll just leave it at that.
Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on February 8, 2010 at 10:40pm
Not to mention that if somebody only donated $5 and picked up one of the free balaclavas or scarves then they got one hell of a deal. I got one of the balaclavas at the film fest and it is awesome. I like it better than my fairly expensive silk balaclavas for really cold weather. It stays warm even when pulled over my face and I mouth breath. It doesn't get soggy.

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