Hello, We are Bécyks Unis de Montréal - Bikes Unite Montréal. We are a network of community bike shops. We use our acronym BUM BUM externally and in our documentation, internally we are free. We may yell BuM! bUm! Or buuuuuuum or any other spelling or 🍑🍑, as we wish, because we are aware that it is a play on words about butts. The following text is our collective agreement.

BUM BUM recognizes a community bike shop as a space centered around the ability of community members to (self-)repair their bicycle at minimal cost.It is a place where people come together to share resources, knowledge, and tools related to bicycles. These shops are typically operated by volunteers and focus on promoting cycling, bike maintenance, and community engagement. The primary goal of CBS is to provide an inclusive space where individuals, regardless of their identity or origins, can learn about bicycles, repair and maintain their own bikes, and access affordable or free bike-related services.

BUM BUM aims at being accessible. An accessible network of CBS is easy to approach, understand, reach, enter, use, or obtain. It removes barriers or obstacles, making something available to a larger and more diverse audience, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of differences, can equally benefit or participate.

This can refer to: Financial Accessibility: Refers to the affordability or availability of products or services to a wide range of people.

Information Accessibility: Refers to the availability and usability of information, ensuring that information is easily understood and navigated.

Geographical Accessibility: Refers to the ease with which individuals or communities can physically reach and access essential services, resources, or opportunities within a geographic area. It is a measure of the proximity and availability of services relative to the location of individuals or communities.

Physical Accessibility: Refers to structures, facilities, or spaces that are designed to be easily reached, entered or used by all people including those with disabilities.

BUM BUM aims to foster resilience. A resilient network of CBS describes the ability of these shops to withstand, recover from, and adapt to challenges, ensuring the sustainability of CBS operations. Resilience involves the capacity to bounce back from difficult situations or stressors while maintaining functionality, integrity, and well-being. BUM BUM seeks to be proactive in understanding the challenges faced by CBSs, sharing and implementing best practices among community organizations, and collaborating with CBSs to address these challenges. These challenges may include limited financial and material resources, struggles with volunteer recruitment and retention, volunteer burnout, or strategic planning. BUM BUM aims to advocate for and support the sustainability of CBSs. It encompasses not only enduring difficulties but also learning, growing, and adapting in the face of adversity and diverse viewpoints. Key characteristics include collaboration, responsiveness, adaptability, resourcefulness, flexibility, and social support.

BUM BUM recognizes that the land on which we operate is the traditional territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. We recognize and respect the Kanien’kehá:ka as the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work.