Tracker Pixel for Entry

Should Fargo have another bike co-op?

Last Word | April 5th, 2017

The answer is yes, of course it should. However, that is the simple answer. There is much more to it than that; and to understand the answer, one must understand why the last one closed.

When the FMCBW -- Fargo Moorhead Community Bicycle Workshop -- first opened it was extraordinarily political -- WAY too political. For a long time it felt like it was a Social Service agency that just happened to also fix bicycles.

Not that there is anything wrong with helping others, but as a bike shop, it seemed like just way too much attention was devoted to others’ causes, at the expense of its core mission, to get people on bikes.

The structure of its leadership presented problems. What started as a horizontal collective, where each member was equal, slowly devolved into a vertical collective with far too many “leaders,” that still tried to pass itself off as a horizontal collective when it obviously wasn’t.

If there is to be another co-op, a decision must be made at the very beginning: what will it be?

In my opinion, the horizontal collective concept just did not work. How can an organization run itself if nobody is actually in charge?

Decisions were being made by a select few members anyway, why pretend otherwise? Stick with the tried and true chain of command structure (the vertical collective) to avoid the myriads of problems the horizontal collective encountered time and time again, and the new co-op would run much, much smoother.

Another thing that was extremely problematic was the presentation of new ideas. It didn’t seem to matter how many times an idea was presented, or how it was presented, or to whom. Written ideas were simply dismissed, verbal ideas didn’t make it to the meetings, or were “shelved” for weeks at a time until they were simply forgotten. New issues would arise, burying the old ideas.

It always felt like the original mission statement (overtly political) would be the main reason for dismissing profit-generating ideas time and again.

Don’t get me wrong, the Community Bicycle Workshop did wonderful things, and helped a great many people to get a bike, but it could have accomplished so much more if it hadn’t written such a limiting set of guidelines at the very beginning. Nothing is set in stone, so why did it feel like it simply MUST be that way?

Also, while the beginning may have been one kind of community bike shop, the last days were something else entirely. It transformed into basically, a back-yard bike shop, with very limited community education, and far too much bike shop.

One of the founding fundamentals was payment for using the Workshop by volunteering one’s time there.

At the end, the work-trade aspect was all but eliminated in an attempt to sell everything simply to keep the doors open, which was so contrary to why it was started in the first place -- to help people who couldn’t afford a bike, get a bike.

So how should it be structured if another bike co-op were to get started? What would need to be different for it to work this time? The answer is a clear chain-of-command, with an actual leader who runs it for a pre-specified amount of time (one year? two years?); and separating the two distinct areas within the co-op (educational vs profit-generating) would ease the headaches all around, as some people like to show others how to fix bikes, some people don’t; some like to sell bikes, while others don’t.

Why all the overstepping of what were obvious divisions within the organization? There was a place for everyone that wanted to help until the iron-clad rule system turned so many people away with its inflexibility.

I am reminded of a quote I long-ago heard, “Sometimes the groups that proclaim themselves to be the most all-inclusive end up as the most elitist.” And yes, some of the FMCBW members fell victim to that very trait, often by employing utterly condescending “tone-policing” tactics to shut people down.

“Community” means just that, the community, not just the few that felt their vision was the purest. They were just bicycles, there was no need to take everything so incredibly “we’re-saving-the-world” seriously.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comArea children ages 10 and over are invited to join the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum to explore how rivers work at two Fargo Public Library locations this summer. Stream Table Workshops will…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

Friday, July 25, doors at 8:30 p.m.Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, Fargo"This is what you need to know about Daikaiju,” said Kelly Weidman. “They're loud. They're all instrumental (duh). And they're the band to see…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymond fargogadfly@gmail.comThere might be room for Trump on Mount Rushmore after allDuring King Donald’s first term he told Kristi Noem, then a congresswoman and now his secretary of homeland security, his dream was to be…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAri Aster’s political satire “Eddington” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May, where Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” received the prize. A…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…