This document discusses organizing used bicycle parts in a DIY bicycle shop. It notes that parts often come in incomplete, worn, or damaged, and volunteers sorting the parts may not have extensive bicycle knowledge. This can result in unusable parts being mixed with good parts. The document proposes using "Part Guide Cards" to provide explanatory text, diagrams, and checklists to help evaluate parts and identify variables that affect compatibility and fit. These cards would be placed near the relevant parts to help customers and volunteers sort parts properly. Other ideas include attaching example parts or pictures to bins to identify their contents. The goal is to make key information readily available to help avoid wasted time and ensure customers can find the parts they need.

1. Organizing Used Parts
in the DIY Bicycle Shop
By Casey Mirch
Presented at Bici! Bici! 2013
April 12-14, 2013
Hosted by Spokeland

2. Wouldn't it be great if a client
could...
● Find a part they need
quickly
● Find their part once
● Avoid trial & error
● Avoid surprises: fit,
compatibility, hard-to-
see damage

3. Too bad our parts come to us...
● Incomplete
● Worn
● Damaged

4. Too bad our clients and volunteers...
● Come and go...
● Resulting in inconsistent of sorting/organization
● Don't necessarily know a lot about bicycles...
● So unusable and incomplete parts wind up with
good parts

5. What happens to a new used part?
● Evaluation: first, throw out the junk.
● Sorting: spend the time to investigate,
organize, and stow what's good.
● In actual practice, both jobs often fall to the
client looking through bins.

6. Aids to Evaluation
● Use simple language
Ohio City Bicycle Co-op Wiki, Shop Manual
http://ohiocitycycles.org/wiki/

7. Aids to Evaluation
● A wiki is great, but the shop environment is
inherently low-tech.
● Provide information where clients can see it.

8. Aids to Organization
● (Again:) Provide information where clients can
see it.
● Provide informative signage/labeling
● State your norms for sorting
● Keep instructions close to parts
● Include charts and diagrams where appropriate

9. Proposed: the Part Guide Card
● Explanatory text and
diagrams for context
● List elements to
inspect and verify
● List variables affecting
compatibility and fit
● Additional tables and
diagrams for needed
detail

10. Possible Variations on the Part
Guide Card
● A non-laminated sheet without narrative text to
affix to major parts
● Highly abbreviated “inspect + variables” labels
to affix to smaller parts or tags
● Procedure Guide Cards near tools or fixtures to
describe mechanical operations

11. Other ideas
● Zip-tie an example of a part to the outside of
bins. (Or glue examples to small part drawers.)
● Spokeland's chain-and-spoke wheel hanging
fixtures work pretty well.
● Add your own ideas!

12. Resources
● http://ohiocitycycles.org/wiki/
● http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/
(Contribute!)
● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/