I've Found Yet Another Way To Get Dirty!

I decided on Friday to check out the other bike co-op in Ottawa, and was quite impressed. I met some great people who are interested in cycling, chatting, being helpful, and helping the environment by recycling bicycles. They even seem to like getting dirty like me! Please check them out at http://www.recyclore.org/ This is a small, but dedicated group of volunteers in Bells Corners, Ottawa, on the outskirts of the city. I've gone twice now, and enjoyed the cycling to and from, about twenty km each way. They sell bikes and parts at VERY reasonable prices and do quality work. They are in their second year, with the possibility of being open over the winter for the first time. I am sure they will find success in a short time. They seem well managed and know where they are going for a volunteer group. I've had fun here and want to go back. I just wish they were closer to Toronto. Maybe there's a move in my future??? I wish these community groups were more widely publicised so people could find them easier. Unless you know what you are looking for, you'd never find them. So, for all you community groups that benefit society in your own way, please lobby your local city to pubicise you more and get you more exposure, as you definitely save the community more in the long run in many ways. I should add that my last post about re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op is equally good in all the same ways I've mentioned about Recyclore, only that they are in downtown Ottawa, and have a larger facility and are accessible on more days a week. re-Cycles has been around for over 10 years, I understand, and Recyclore is based on the same theme in a different neighbourhood. This is what I could see myself doing in the long run as I get more experience, and with the help of the government amending the ODSP legislation toward funding education for people of differing abilities, possibly getting my certificate at http://www.winterbornebikes.com/pro-bike-mechanics . I also biked back along the Ottawa River Trail, at the suggestion of one of Recyclore's volunteers, Craig, who cycled with me about 2/3 of the way back downtown to show me where to go. He had some great info and advice on things to do. I want to take some pictures next time I go on the trail. He is off today to a conference of bike co-ops in Montreal today, so I wish him well on his journey. I hope to see him when he gets back. I am thinking of staying to at least October 4, when they do their Poker Bike Ride with salmon dinner for $20! The dinner alone is worth it, I'm sure, but the fun is an added bonus. I may even try to attend the Critical Mass for the first time here on the last Friday in September.