[00:00:21] OK.

[00:00:22] There you are. OK. Let's try this again.

[00:00:29] So sorry about that but Old Spokes Home is a bike shop and we're a nonprofit, so fifteen hundred of our customers are income eligible for our Everybody Bikes program, which means that they get all of our services that bikes, new bikes, refurbished bikes and commuter accessories as well as repair services.

[00:00:53] Basically some free or heavily subsidized.

[00:00:57] So we are open for repairs as an essential business, and a big reason for that is because a lot of our customers are relying on their bikes for transportation.

[00:01:12] And this is particularly true of our Everybody Bikes, customers.

[00:01:17] We don't look really very open, but we are because we're open under really highly restricted operations that are dictated by, obviously, the public health priorities.

[00:01:34] So as you can see, we do have a customer outside because we are doing curbside service.

[00:01:40] So customers will drop off their bikes and then we'll basically pick them up. All the bikes are sanitized when they're coming into the shop, when they're going back out to customers.

[00:01:52] Payment is done over the phone and

[00:01:59] Oh, and then the number of mechanics on site is limited, strictly limited.

[00:02:06] And again, that's to respect social distancing guidelines. Now we are doing some sales over the phone. So remote sales.

[00:02:18] Yeah, basically everything is, you know, limiting interaction.

[00:02:24] Now, who's coming in during this period?

[00:02:28] Well, again, we have some customers that are essential employees. Some of them are working up at the medical center. Some of them are in food service. And, yeah, they're relying on their bikes to get to those jobs. We are getting customers that, you know, just need to get out of the house. They want to stay healthy. They want to protect their mental health. We have families that are coming in desperate to get their children out of the house in, you know, and engaged in an activity that seems safe right now. We are we're seeing people that are now newly qualified for Everybody Bikes program because they've you know, they've lost their jobs. And we're seeing.

[00:03:18] And then we're seeing customers who are actually saying, you know,  I want to start a healthy lifestyle. I want to lose weight.

[00:03:28] And again, I think that one thing that's happening because of this crisis is, is people are starting to be hyperfocus right on their health. And we're seeing that some of the diseases that are really complicating the Coronavirus are things, you know, underlying conditions that can be addressed with an active lifestyle.

[00:03:52] You know, that is, you know, that we can bring about by riding a bike. So diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, obesity.

[00:04:03] Yeah. And in fact.

[00:04:04] So thanks, Emily, because if you are working bicycle riding into your day on a regular basis, like if you're using your bike for transportation, you can really limit your risk for these diseases.

[00:04:21] And in fact. Right. So the the Vermont Department of Health kind of coincidentally came out with a study just this past January that looked at, you know, what would it mean for our health outcomes if Vermont was to meet its clean transportation goals? Because a lot of that includes active transportation. A lot of our greenhouse gas emissions goals the plan is to reach them by by increasing bicycle riding and walking for transportation. So this is, as it's pointed out. I mean, part of it's because the air will be cleaner and that will lead to healthy outcomes.

[00:05:06] But also a large part is because active transportation would just get people being active and physically mobile. You know, for more frequently and kind of more regularly. So the recommendation is one hundred and fifty minutes of active activity, of exercise a week.

[00:05:30] And if again, if you're working that into your transportation, that's really doable. So if we look at, for example, the average commute in Chittenden County is it's six miles one way, right, a daily commute. So that's 12 miles roundtrip.

[00:05:46] If you were to do that or if anyone was to do that on a bicycle, that would take, you know, two, three days to, again, reach those those activity goals and, you know, bam, you're done. It's that easy. If you're on an electric assist bike, which makes commuting more doable for a lot of folks, then you know that that counts as well for five days a week, you know, or whatever, 40 percent, incredibly, 40 percent of Vermont's trips, car trips are under two miles.

[00:06:21] In our rural stay, under two miles is 40 percent of those trips. So and that's crazy doable on a bicycle again. Now, some of the considerations for biking, for transportation are, of course, a big one is cargo. And so I just wanted to we've got some bikes on the rack. Look at that. So this is what people do.

[00:06:45] A lot of these bikes belong to bike commuters. This is what they do for cargo. Just going to. Switch my screen so you can see.

[00:07:01] Yeah. So we've got racks with panniers.

[00:07:05] Here is another bike with the rack, here is a bike with a basket. Another option. And then this is you know, these are some of these are mechanic's bikes.

[00:07:17] So, you know, with panniers.

[00:07:20] Now, Old Spokes home is really committed to getting people on affordable bikes for transportation, and the way we do that is our bikes some of these basic bikes are refurbished. So there used bikes. These racks we sell used racks in addition to new racks, but we sell used panniers.

[00:07:44] A lot of our used equipment is all of it actually is donated. So I just wanted to thank some of you on this call who a lot of you probably have donated to us.

[00:07:55] That's really critical. That helps us keep things affordable for folks.

[00:08:00] And the other thing is there are cargo bags, right? You don't have any here, but there are bikes where you can put the kids on the back of their bikes, where you can put the kids in the front or, you know, more groceries. Some of them are electric assist so that it's easier to carry all those cargo, all that cargo.

[00:08:25] But yeah. So we have some in the shop it you know. And again, there's a lot that's available. But for us, it's about, you know, keeping it doable, keeping it affordable for folks. And then we also have.

[00:08:48] The oh, all of our bikes are in accessories again, these are all sold at cost for Everybody Bikes, customers.

[00:08:57] And we now have electric assist bikes also available for all customers.

[00:09:06] But we're able to sell these at cost as well.

[00:09:10] This is an example of an electric assist bike.

[00:09:14] And for our customers who income qualify, we're selling those at cost as well.

[00:09:24] And that is thanks to a lot of generous donors and including the ISC, who has helped us with a loan program for those bikes.

[00:09:37] So, yes, in terms of any bike. The other thing that makes it all more affordable is, for example, for electric bikes, you can still get B, D or Greenmount Power to $200 rebate at the register for an electric bike.

[00:09:53] And then and then low and zero interest loans are available through Opportunties Credit Union and Vermont and VSCCU for any bike. But you know, including the electric bikes and also all the accessories are also.

[00:10:15] So there is a lot of ways to make it doable for everyone and Old Spokes.

[00:10:23] And  we're working hard to make sure that anyone that wants to work bicycle commuting into or transportation into their daily routine is able to.

[00:10:38] Just another thing about the cost. So a lot of our customers don't have a car, so they're relying on their bicycle's.

[00:10:47] But even for folks that own a car, if you want to do a cost comparison, for example. So the federal government, when they're looking at, you know, reimbursement rates, they're figuring it costs you fifty seven point five cents a mile to drive a car. Right. So that's with gas and maintenance and, you know, the wear and tear on your car. So let's talk about that 12 mile round trip commute. Right. The average in Chittenden County. So in your car, according to the feds.

[00:11:24] That'll cost you about one hundred thirty eight dollars a month for a week of commuting.

[00:11:29] Now we can totally get most people on an electric bike for less than that. It's again, if if there is a loan required, then, you know, those monthly payments are less than one hundred and thirty eight dollars a month. So, again, it's really doable.

[00:11:47] The other consideration now is, of course, traffic considerations.

[00:11:53] And I know that a lot of people on this call and Old Spokes Home.

[00:11:59] Also, we've been working hard to make it easier to ride a bike around Burlington and Chittenden County in terms of dedicated lanes and just changes to the infrastructure that make it easier to ride a bike. Right now is a really good time to get started because the car traffic is so low. Relatively and

[00:12:32] In Burlington. Also in Burlington, we have the shared streets for social distancing program, which probably a lot of you know about, but again, because of the reduced car traffic.

[00:12:46] You know, Burlington has opened up a lot of streets to bicycle and pedestrian traffic just to help people get out of the house.

[00:12:53] But so like if you people were thinking about maybe commuting to work when they get back to work, to having to go back to the office now, it's really good time to map out that commute you know, and take it and go for a test ride or, you know, try riding a bike to the store.

[00:13:14] So it definitely takes some planning for bicycle commuting. And again, any bike shop can help with that.

[00:13:26] But at Old Spokes Home, you know, we're particularly interested in seeing people get out of motor vehicles and onto a bike. And again, also really assisting people who the bicycle is their only means of transportation.

[00:13:43] We started a online kind of a social media Q&A forum. So look for that on our Website. We'll be sending out the link. But really, it's basically it's actually going to be on social media. Sorry, but basically it's a place for people to say, oh, you know, like what's my best route from my house to my office or my house to the store? What if I get a flat? What kind of gear is best? I have a bike. How do I make it? You know, it's outfitted for transportation. So questions like that, again, a lot of people in our community already have been doing this for a long time.

[00:14:23] So, yeah, you can just throw questions up there and people will answer. Another question is, you know what? If I Iive far away too far. One thing that I do and others do is becoming more and more popular actually in cities around the country are park and pedals, right? So I get off the NSA parked my car and then ride the rest of the way. So, I mean, there's all kinds of options. You know, you just have to think about it and get creative and plan.

[00:15:00] So Local Motion has great resources for this kind of thing as well. They have a whole page on their website dedicated to kind of. They have videos for, you know, riding. I think they might have repair videos. They have routes. And then the other good resource is Go Vermont. Go Vermont. Has this really sweet program where it's guaranteed right home. So if you are a bicycle commuter and all of a sudden it starts hailing or you have to get home because you have to go to school and pick up a child or whatever, unexpectedly. They will reimburse you if you take a cab or an Uber or whatever to get home.

[00:15:49] And then they also have some other great resources around mapping and information about electric bikes.

[00:15:56] So. Yeah.

[00:16:01] You know, our big concern here at the shop is that, you know, our take away from the COVID-19 crisis, can't be that we need to, you know, ditch public transit, that we need to maybe move away from urban centers. I'm really concerned that, you know, we that we go backwards. And so I think what we really need to think about is the takeaways. Really, it should be we would all be more resilient if we you know, if we were healthier and we got to more physical activity. Right.

[00:16:47] So, you know, how can we move that forward? And then for everyone. Right. So I think the other thing that we're seeing is, again, the 

[00:16:59] you know, the inequitable distribution of resources and how this whole kind of pandemic and the economic crisis that's going with us is really affecting people at different levels.

[00:17:11] And so, you know, we really need to make sure that I think the lesson there is, you know, how can we make sure that everyone has access again to basic transportation or, you know, the opportunity for the kind of lifestyle that makes them feel good?

[00:17:30] And I mean, if you think about our essential workers again, I mean, the ones  that are customers at the shop, but everybody, if they didn't have a way to get to work, if they didn't have affordable transportation, I mean, they wouldn't be able to clean, you know, do their environmental services jobs at the medical center. Right. Or deliver food to people that, you know, aren't going out of the house or restocking the shelves at the grocery store. Right. I mean, I think the lesson learned is we all rely on each other. And so we really have to make sure that everyone's got basic access to the basic things that they need.

[00:18:16] And then also, you know, the importance of community. Right. So if you look at the feel good stories that are coming out of this crisis, it's all about neighbors helping.

[00:19:04] Sorry about that. It's also about learning technology. And how do you do two things on your phone at once? Yeah. So I think that I was just going to say, I mean, the other lesson learned that I feel like we need to

[00:19:27] keep in mind from this whole pandemic is, again, bikes are an essential service, right?

[00:19:32] They're an essential service for those of us who want to stay physically active. They're essential service for those of us who rely on them for transportation. And don't have access to an individual motor vehicle. They're an essential service to help us continue to build our community. And then, of course, there an essential service for folks who are really committed to flattening the other curve, which is the emissions and the greenhouse gas emissions and really who are committed to continuing addressing that crisis as well. And yeah. So, Emily, that's kind of what I had.

[00:20:27] I don't know of anyone has any questions about services at the shop or again, bike commuting. Yeah.

[00:20:36] Yeah. We do have one question. Have you noticed? Has anyone come to and said that they feel safer because there are less cars on the road?

[00:20:44] And what does that say for protected bike lanes? Have you noticed an increase in people feeling safer?

[00:20:53] I think we are definitely seeing families that are getting out and  and they're feeling like it's a lot more doable now. You know, a lot of our commuters have you know, they've always been commuting.

[00:21:13] And so I'm sure they appreciate this. But I have heard people say that, you know, wow, now's the time to really figure out that commute or figure out how you would get to the store on your bicycle, because, you know, again, it's a little quieter now than, you know, than it usually is.

[00:21:38] So. How has the Coronavirus impacted your shop in terms of you said you've seen less people come in, but you've seen a diversity, more diverse range of people come and correct those who may not have been biking before?

[00:21:58] Yeah. So we are actually we're not seeing fewer people come in, but we're able to service fewer people because of the restrictions around how many people, you know, how many mechanics we can have at the shop at once. But  what we're seeing is, yeah, we're definitely seeing people again, particularly our Everybody Bikes customers who are saying, you know, I need a bike. I really want to get outside. I really want to be active. You know, I want to start an active lifestyle and, you know, and so they they're looking for a bike that they can afford. And then we're also. Yeah. And then we're also seeing people that are saying, you know, asking about our Everybody Bikes program because they've recently been laid off.

[00:22:52] But, you know, regardless of your income, you still want access to a bicycle. You still want to be able to get outside in the springtime. You still want you know, you still want to be active. Right. So again I mean, it's important to us to be able to get those folks on a bicycle.

[00:23:17] Yeah. When someone comes to you looking for a bicycle, how do you decide or what are the first steps to helping them out? Just with like the different types of bicycles deciding whether they need an E bike, what gear they need. What are those first steps someone can take?

[00:23:34] Yeah. So now it's on the phone.

[00:23:37] So everybody, we're asking anyone to call us. And so they'll have a conversation with our mechanics. And in terms of sales now, what we've done is we're putting a lot of our bikes up on the website so people can see them and see what they look like. But we're really being, you know, saying, okay, what's your size? We'll leave a bike that's that size out on the rack. You can come and test ride. We give people gloves to test ride. And then. And pretty much, you know, most people just take that bike. And that's because we can't open our showroom. And people, again, especially the warmer days we've had, you know, in the recent past and the last week or so people. Just want to get outside and which is great. I mean, because the thing is we're really working with one hand tied behind our back. But on the other hand, like you really you want to meet people where they're at. Right. So people are ready to get out there ready. I mean, suddenly some people are really focused on their health. Right. And they and they want to start. And, you know, when people want to start, you want to be able to help them start and get them outside and active.

[00:24:56] Yeah.

[00:24:57] In your opinion, how can individuals in the community kind of support those who are biking in terms of like bike infrastructure, like what can someone do to help advocate for that?

[00:25:11] Well, so, yeah, I mean, get in touch with your city council member. And as you know, we had a recent vote. There was a vote recently in city council to to put a lane on Winooski Avenue, which is a critical corridor for people who commute by bike. Yeah, I would say, you know, that your city council members know that you want to see more biking infrastructure and get on listservs. You can get on ours. You can sign up for our newsletter. Bikable Burlington Now is a Facebook group. Local Motion sends out notices when, you know, when there are opportunities to advocate. And then also the Burlington Walk Bike Council is another way to learn about the city's plans for biking infrastructure and how can you weigh in on those? But the other way, really on a really kind of personal individual level is, you know, offer to go with someone because it's hard. Like, you know, some people have been bike commuting for a long time, but some of us are just starting. And it's intimidating. Right. And so, yeah, you know, I think well, Emily, you and I were just talking to some bicycle commuters and they said what really helped them was a biking buddy, someone that started out with them and someone that showed them the route, someone that, you know, help them figure out what they needed in terms of gear. So, yeah, I think that, you know, we would like to do more as a shop. But I think that individuals can just, you know, help each other out. And that's what we're hoping on this Q and A kind of resources people could just, you know, put up their oh, I need to just you know, I want to start biking from my house here to my office there. Can someone help me out? And then, you know, maybe you asked first and then someone will say, yeah, sure, I'll go with you the first time or whatever. So, yeah, I think that I think that kind of individuals can make it easier for people to start.

[00:27:32] Yeah, definitely on that kind of related note. It seems like there are a lot of people who drive during the week and then only bike on weekends.

[00:27:41] How do we encourage those people who are kind of on the cusp of like almost being full bike commuters or at least definitely using their cars less? Like how do we encourage those people to bike more?

[00:27:57] I don't know. I think well, I think safer streets is one way, right? I mean, we hear that a lot from people.

[00:28:03] I hear that a lot from people I know, particularly now with electric bikes. So electric bikes make it easier to commute, if your like, if you live in Shelburne or Essex, maybe. But really, I've had people say there is no way that I can safely get from Essex to Burlington or Shelburne to Burlington, you know? I mean, it's it's really. So I think we need to do a better job of mapping out some infrastructure for that and then making some connections. And then  the other thing is just some more of us that are out there bicycle riding, the more doable it seems. So, yeah, if people see other people out there, then I think it seems a little more doable and then, you know, cars or are maybe more aware. But what we really need is. Yes, a better infrastructure for sure.

[00:29:00] For sure.

[00:29:03] Someone there just mentioned that they really enjoy the park and pedal concept.

[00:29:08] Can you elaborate more on what that is for those who don't know?

[00:29:12] Yeah, so. Well, I live on the islands. And while some people bike from the islands to Burlington I do not do that.

[00:29:24] But so I just get right off the interstate and Winooski and park my car and then ride the rest of the way in. Now there is a park and ride that they just put in Colchester, but that's on the other side of the interstate inner section. So I haven't really parked there. I actually just park on city streets, in Winooski.

[00:29:50] But our park and rides could be park and pedals. If Again, there was some infrastructure biking infrastructure that got us from the park and ride into town. Another area is, you know if you were coming into Burlington from the south, like wouldn't it be nice if you could park in that Staples lot, which is never full and pedal into town? And, you know, again, it just it just makes it more doable. But now they have a sign you're not allowed to park there. I mean, I just feel like we need to be creative. The other thing is, if we have better infrastructure from, say, Richmond to the park and ride there, people could ride their bikes to the park and ride and then get in their carpool, you know, so when we think about park and rides, we should expand that and think about park and pedals as well. So there you know, there are such things in Boston, around Boston. They've created these facilities for folks. So, again, you know, you're living in the suburbs. You can park your car and then you can ride your bike in the rest of the way.

[00:31:09] Yeah, very cool. That sounds like. Yeah, very helpful and very good for reducing emissions.

[00:31:16] Yeah, it just takes getting creative.

[00:31:19] Yeah. Yeah.

[00:31:21] It doesn't look like we have any more questions right now. Are there any final things you want to say about your shop or about bike commuting?

[00:31:32] Maybe what are the hours of your shop right now or it's by appointment. Yeah, so it's by appointment only. We're having folks call the shop, which I don't have the number memorized.

[00:31:46] And definitely call to set up or repair. But also you could go on our website to check out new bikes and refurbished used bikes. So we're trying to take pictures of them. And but, you know, it's really what we have.

[00:32:04] And so, again, like I said, we would leave one out for folks and they could test ride. But we don't have a browsing option in the shop right now, but we definitely want to help people get back on their bikes as the weather warms up.

[00:32:22] And then obviously be able to support commuters, people that are relying on their bikes.

[00:32:29] And then.

[00:32:31] Yeah, again, thanking everyone because, you know, we're only able to run our Everybody Bikes program because so many people are donating to the shop. Our big fundraiser is the Fall Fundo, which is in October. You know, we are tentatively planning for that. If it can't, yeah, we just have to figure that one out. But yeah, I guess really I think on this call I'm singing to the choir.   But you know, just to thank everyone, you know, for continuing to support the shop and and really helping us with the equity piece. Right. So making sure that everybody that wants to get on a bike can get on a bike and then everybody that, you know, needs transportation, has transportation that's safe and reliable and, you know, when you talk about advocating for better infrastructure, that also makes our transportation system more equitable. Right. I mean, it's like biking infrastructure is not just for those of us who enjoy biking and are committed to it because of climate change. But it's also for folks that, you know, again, that biking is their option. It's their transportation. And if we have better infrastructure and I have to say better biking infrastructure, not only like, you know, along the waterfront or, you know, from from Shelburne in Essex, although that serves a lot of people, too. But we have to make sure that we're getting good biking and solid biking infrastructure from all neighborhoods. You know so that everybody has access to it. And yeah, so I should say that Old Spokes Home is working on that as well. So we're doing a mobility audit looking at how do folks in the Old North End get around and if they're, you know, for those first of all, those that are not getting around because they don't feel safe to go from their house to anywhere on a bicycle. And they don't have access to a motor vehicle. And then, you know, what would it take to improve that? And again, give people more access to transportation infrastructure, including biking infrastructure.

[00:35:09] Yeah. Awesome.

[00:35:11] Well, thank you so much for talking to us and being here on this live webinar thank you, everybody, for who has tuned in.

[00:35:21] Yeah. Great. Thank you so much.

[00:35:26] We have one comment that says we may be singing the same song, but we thank you for your work. Yes. Better infrastructure for all. So thank you so much, Laura. Thank you, everyone who's been watching and have a great rest of your Friday.

[00:35:40] All right. Thanks, Emily.