Join us for Volunteer Orientation (Monday, September 8, 7 pm)

Get oriented! Learn how to be a volunteer at Sopo. Find out how the shop works, how to help people the Sopo way, and how to get the most out of pitching in! Starts at 7:00 pm, ends around 9. Please RSVP!

A Few Sopo Updates... Confident City Cycling and Bike Repair Classes, East Atlanta Strut and Sevananda Donation Opportunities

Hiya, folks.  Happy July.  We've got a few updates for you, mostly about opportunities to learn and donate that benefit YOU, Sopo, and the entire cycling community.  For more frequent updates on all of the fun going on in the shop, check out our blog.  Don't forget...we've added Wednesday night hours (7 pm until 10 pm) for the summer (and possibly beyond).  See you in the shop!

Become a Confident City Cyclist with Atlanta Bicycle Campaign; Join Campaign at Discounted Sopo Rate

At Sopo, we know that getting and repairing a bicycle is only part of the challenge when it comes to bike commuting.  The other part is knowing how to navigate the roads safely and comfortably.

You can become a Confident City Cyclist courtesy of the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign, our bicycle advocacy organization.  ABC is a member-based organization that takes our collective pro-bicycle voice to our decision-makers, AND provides us with bicycle safetely resources, including this fantastic course that teaches you how to do just that: cycle confidently through the city!

ABC also offers a discounted membership rate for Sopo'ers since we're already working hard to make Atlanta a great cycling city ($15 instead of $30...WOW!).  If we want better policies, laws, rules, infrastructure, and landuse, then we should be a part of ABC!

(Disclaimer.. Rachael is a board member of ABC.  That's because Sopo and ABC have a great working relationship.  It's a great day for cycling when our community repair shop and advocacy organization work together!)

Learn the Basics at Bike Repair 101

Intimidated by bike shop mechanics? Aggravated by brake squeal? Sick of skipping derailleurs? Want to volunteer at Sopo but don't know the first thing about bikes?

This series of two workshops is designed to turn that love-hate relationship you have with your bicycle into 100% pure bike love.

These no-attitude workshops, led by Emily and Kira, will help you become more comfortable with basic bike repair. We will go slow and have time for questions. We will cover some of the most common adjustments and repairs, and go over diagnosing some more advanced problems as well.

Join us at the Sopo shop on Sunday, July 20, 7 pm - 10 pm and Monday, July 21, 7 pm - 10 pm for this 2-part series. Bring your bike if it's in good working order, and your multitool and patch kit if you have them. The suggested donation is $0-$10.

For a detailed list of topics to be covered, go here. Pictured above: Sopo'ers love fixing bikes!

We Need Road Bikes!

Cleaning out the homestead this summer?  We could use that old road bike of yours.  So many people on the verge of becoming commuters visit us, only to find that our selection has been picked over, and we have very little to offer.  A couple of used, decent road bikes dropped off at Sopo here and there would go a long way towards turning out more cyclists, and YOU can help!

Contribute to East Atlanta Strut Auction, Proceeds Benefit Sopo

The 2008 Strut Silent Auction is a fundraiser for Sopo Bicycle Cooperative! This year, the silent auction is full of new features, including a print directory of auction items that will list your or your company's name and contact information, and auction items grouped by category with staggered auction ending times. You can sign up to donate online!

The East Atlanta Strut is our annual neighborhood festival of art, food, music, and fun! All of this happens on September 20 in and around the East Atlanta Village.

We ARE Adding Wednesday Night Shop Hours!

The community has spoken.  We're adding Wednesday night shop hours (7 pm - 10 pm) starting next week.  Let's try it out for the summer and see where it takes us!

Of course, we can only keep it going if we have enough volunteers.  Next Volunteer Orientation is on Monday, June 16, at 7 pm, at the Sopo shop.  Remember...we're a teaching shop, so being a volunteer means allowing people to turn a wrench from themselves and treating everyone equally!

Art Bicycles For Sale!

Our Bicycle Frame Show was a big success. Did you miss it? Don't worry! We still have Art Bikes for sale. Each is one-of-a-kind, so get yours before someone else does. All proceeds benefit Sopo. Click each picture for a series of close-up shots. (Photos by Sean McGlincy.)

We need AIR PUMPS!

Wanna buy Sopo a present and help out your fellow cyclists? We need new AIR PUMPS.

We need HAND CLEANER and TUBES!

Wanna buy Sopo a present and help out your fellow cyclists? We need HAND CLEANER and TUBES! We like Organge Goop and Gojo, and lots of it! You can get either of those hand cleaners at any hardware store. We also need road bike tubes (27 in/700 c), which you can get at any local bicycle shop. Next time you're picking up a tube for yourself, consider getting one for the commnity, too! Sometimes a tube is all it takes to get one more bicycle out on the road.