The Fargo-Moorhead Community Bicycle Workshop has maintained a community workspace since December 2007. It was formed by an array of socially conscious individuals to meet a need identified by the nation’s homeless population: transportation.
They do their part
Armed with the expedient sentiment of “Bringing pedal power to the people, in the shop and on the streets,” FMCBW collective members and volunteers have logged thousands of hours of shop time and have provided hundreds of area residents with reliable transportation, fundamental knowledge and a sense of community that may have previously been unknown.
It’s not about the money
FMCBW functions on a non-profit basis and has since its inception. The collective operates free from money-grubbing pitfalls of the capitalist structure. FMCBW espouses anti-oppression politics and maintains an anti-racist, anti-sexist, class-conscious and queer and gender inclusive community space.
Crafterday
In 2010, FMCBW introduced Crafterday, a Saturday afternoon event where patrons gather at the workshop to create. This has included but is not limited to self-sewn cycling caps and messenger bags, a variety of knitted items, and even giant-sized Scrabble pieces.
Community support
The collective held a fundraiser on March 20, at The Aquarium in downtown Fargo, that raised approximately $1,000 to benefit the workshop.
In the streets
In August, the collective partnered with Great Northern Bicycle Company and the Plains Art Museum to put on Streets Alive, a one-week event with bikes, art and community activities.
Community-mindedness
I first set foot in the workshop in mid-January 2010. I’d been lazy for much of the previous fall and decided it was time to do something productive, something to benefit the community. I was greeted by a collective member and put to work overhauling an old Schwinn Cruiser to be sold as a fundraiser bike.
Friendly faces for great photos
After a couple weeks of volunteering, I began to note how photogenic the space was. I started to bring my camera with me. On slower days I’d spend the three-hour shift shooting, but as winter turned to spring, I often put my camera down to lend a hand.
A new beginning
The collective recently relocated to 209 NP Avenue in downtown Fargo. The space is bigger than the previous one as well as more practical. Regular shop hours will resume in November:
Monday: Volunteer Night 6 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday: Women and Women-Identified Night 6 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Open Shop 6 to 9 p.m.
Sundays: Open Shop 2 to 5 p.m.
Doing it Downtown 