Celebrating Pride Month & Year-Round Support of Boise’s LGBTQ+ Community
With a break in the storm, we held our annual Pride Ride last Friday in celebration of National Pride Month. It almost seemed like the weather cleared just for us as we rode through downtown to the Capitol steps under blue skies! More than 20 people joined the ride, and we were proud to celebrate and reaffirm our support for the LGBTQ+ community. One of the ways we continue that commitment year-round is through our monthly FEM (Femme Empowered Mechanics) Night.
At BBP, we offer multiple ways for people to get involved. In addition to volunteering, adults can participate in our bike repair clinics and monthly FEM Night. These events are designed to empower people with hands-on bicycle repair skills while creating meaningful opportunities to build community through bikes.
FEM Night takes place on the first Friday of every month from 6–8 PM in our shop. This class and social hour is open to all women, trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive folks. Together, we create a welcoming space where people who have traditionally been underrepresented in bike shops can gain confidence, learn new skills, and truly make the space their own. FEM Night creates a fun and welcoming environment by playing bike games for prizes during the first hour, then holding a skill share/repair class for the second half. We also encourage folks to participate in the potluck-style snacks and drinks to get their gears turning during the evening. The games range anywhere from fishing for rubber ducks with brake calipers to doing limbo on a 16-inch kid bike. Prizes have been donated by awesome companies across the country, like Chrome Industries, Deity Components, and Pit Viper. During the evening, we ask the participants “What repairs would you like help with on your bike?” and build the hour around what they need. Additionally, if someone just wants to learn how to do something with a bike, like change a flat or align brakes, we have examples to pull from, so if they break them, it isn’t on their own bike! Overall participation in the first 6 months of the year has been up 54% compared to the same time last year - major growth to celebrate!
If you are interested in learning more about FEM Night, feel free to email Mattie (matt@boisebicycleproject.org), and they will be happy to answer any questions you may have! Additionally, if you are part of or know of anyone who would be interested in donating prizes to FEM Night, please reach out!
Our shop clinics are open to everyone and have evolved over the years from a weekly intensive format to the current monthly format with new topics every month. So far this year we have covered six topics, including wheel hubs, wheel truing, and emergency bike repair. This year's clinics will continue through October and cover a couple of new topics, but also revisit some from earlier in the year. These clinics are structured as a lecture and demonstration on how and why to do the repairs discussed. Participants are encouraged to take what they learn about and apply it to their own bike (if needed) by booking time at the shop or coming in as a walk-in. Clinics are available to the public for $10 a clinic and are completely free for BBP Members. These clinics have been a great way for folks to get a foot in the door, learn more about the BBP shop, and feel empowered that if the problem we learn about happens to their bike, they know where to start. If you are interested in learning more about shop clinics, check out our calendar or email our Shop Coordinator, Mattie, for more information!
