Shift Happens
This was an email originally sent to all subscribers on 9 April 2025
Fellow bike nerd,
It’s official, I’ve now handed all the keys (door and hex) over to the team at Broad Bikez.
I just had my first weekend off with no impending LBK work since 2012. Sure, I’ve had time off here and there, and there was that stint during Covid when I was teaching from home. But for most of my time since 2012 I was working weekends. This new use of my time felt foreign and, dare I say…delightful?
Anyhow, this is more a notice than a newsletter because I’ve got some announcements that may be of interest to y’all.
1. Herne Hill Velodrome is hiring an Events Manager
I can vouch for HHV being a great place to work. The team gets along swimmingly (cyclingly?), and no two days are alike. There’s a combination of desk and outdoor work. If events are your thing and you love cycling, check out this job posting. Deadline Friday 11 April.
Also - Broken Spoke Bike Co-op are also hiring!
2. There is a waiting list for the saddle library
The saddle library will get back on the wagon in May.
Sign up here to be notified first!
3. I am looking for some mechanic minded volunteers
I have a fleet of bikes to manage at HHV but only 2 hands. My dream is to create a team of people to come in once a month, and we’ll clear out one of the containers (about 40 bikes), do an M-check on each one and make sure it’s safe. Tighten up the chain (these are fixies), pump up the tyres, and then put them back in the shed. If they need more attention or parts replaced, they get sent to the workshop shed. You will be paid in pizza and drinks. Depending on how many people are there, it should take a couple hours.
Short survey on mechanical skills here, to sign up.
Can you recognise play on a bearing system?
Can you judge if a wheel is out of true?
Do you know how to use a chain checker?
Have you ever tensioned a single speed chain?
If you answered yes to all these questions, we could use your help.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about or don’t know how to do these things yet but want to in the future, don’t fret! I will be doing free trainings in the future on how to check track bikes. More details to come down the line.
If you’ve made it down here, I’ve got a secret to share with you: the name of this newsletter is changing to Spanner in the Works 🛠️ Next newsletter will be more of an explainer on why and what I hope to do with it. I just have to change the Substack domain to my own name first (I am terrified of doing this, I keep thinking something will go wrong or that it’s so narcissistic to do so - but it’s the easiest way to have a central location for my writing! I’ll promise I’ll get over myself.)
Love, peace & bearing grease,
Jenni x
ps. Keep BDS’n! I enjoy watching Japanese restaurant “get ready with me” shop videos to wind down at the end of the day, but these youtube ads for McDonald’s, Booking.com, HP, M&S, and Wix are getting out of control (that and the super scammy crypto / weight loss ones). I hope this means that the boycotts are working and these guys are trying to salvage their image. Don’t buy it! 🍉
Also - in these two videos I watched recently, both owner/operators say they price their food low because they just want to break even. You can tell that they are enjoying what they do like this obachan and her okonomiyaki. There’s no stress over making rent because they have their needs covered. I personally believe that meat is a treat and not something to eat every day (or even every week), but another world is possible!