We Love BiCyclists! | Visit Us Online

We Love BICyclists. || Click Here for Press Materials!
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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Happy Holidays and Blessed New Year!


Whether you celebrate Kwanzaa, Christmas or the Joy of Life, A Tran's Bay Bike Shop wishes you the Happiest of Holidays and a Blessed New Year.



'







Bike with care and let's have fun out there!

 - A Tran's Bay Bike Shop

Friday, December 20, 2013

Santa Would LOVE This Kind of ELF!


Dig On This!
The Velomobile ELF electric assist recumbent three wheeled bicycle...

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New way to go Electric-assist trike sports solar panels, cover and a trunk



The ELF, which comes with two cloth shopping bags to hang in a carrying compartment in the rear, weighs less than 150 pounds, carries a load of up to 350 pounds, travels up to 20 mph on battery power, recharges in less than an hour by charger or seven hours by sunlight, and has a battery range of 20 miles. Organic Transit’s logo on the back of the oversized tricycle even makes it look like you’re taking the T when you’re riding in it.

“You motor to work, you don’t get there all shvitzy, and on the way home have your workout,” said Rosenberg. “That’s the thought behind it. How brilliant.”

To get started, you climb in over the aluminum frame, which supports a recycled-plastic shell, and climb into a slung seat which puts the driver about level with automobile drivers. Since there’s no reverse gear, backing up means using your feet on the ground a la Fred Flintstone, then start pedaling and click on the battery to boost as needed.

Goldman, who also ordered her green ELF on Kickstarter, found Rosenberg and Talmage realizing that shipping the velomobiles in protective crates was seriously driving up their costs. She tracked down others that could be delivered to Pennsylvania and New England on a truck with the vehicles tied on back, and as soon as hers was delivered Wednesday, she loaded it down with bread for the Amherst market.

“It’s fun,” said Goldman, who on Thursday used it to get to the South Hadley farmers market, then to a concert in Northampton, and finally back to Amherst, learning the need to maneuver around potholes and bumps, for which her mountain bike is more forgiving.

[Peter] Talmage, an engineer who’s had electric bikes to ride to his teaching job at Greenfield Community College, said, “The ELF offered the opportunity I could use in all sorts of weather. I’m amazed at what they put together, and at the completeness of what they offer.”
The trike comes with a 10 amp-hour, 48-volt battery, that’s one-third the weight of a car battery with a little less storage capacity, but should lasts 10 times longer, Talmage said. And the vehicle’s 60-watt solar panel is lightweight and replaces a roof panel “as a simple way to regenerate a lot of electricity while you’re just parked in a parking lot somewhere.”

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Transbay site work reaches milestone




Sixty-five feet below ground level between Mission, Howard, Second and Beale streets, crews working on the Transbay Transit Center project reached a quiet milestone.


A 10- to 12-hour concrete pour completed Saturday was the last one necessary until excavation wraps up early next year. That makes 10 mat slab pours to date, each between 4,000 to 6,000 cubic yards of concrete. Rail tracks will eventually sit on the slabs.

“This is achieving a big milestone for our project,” said project superintendent Jordan Smith of Webcor/Obayashi, the general contractor, at the site Wednesday. “Essentially half of the project has mat slab. What that allows us to do is continue on schedule on the walls and columns and rebar on one side.”
Construction has made good time, with the foundation for the western half of the 600,000-cubic-yard hole in the ground already set with mat slab.

The multilayer process started in early September and involved drilling 65-foot-long micropiles on the dirt base to anchor the coming structure, four inches of concrete slab, a waterproofing layer, another 4 inches of concrete slab, rebar reinforcement and finally 5 feet of mat slab that Caltrain and high-speed rail will arrive on.

Dirt is still visible in the easternmost portion of San Francisco’s biggest hole in the ground, with excavation slated to end in mid-January. The final mat slab pours will occur in mid-February.

Read more at SFExaminer.com

Monday, December 16, 2013

Gay Cyclist Graeme Obree Successfully Funds Kickstarter Project For Indie Biopic


The Outsider is one mans epic journey. Can a born rebel, free thinker and genius find his place in the world with a homemade speedster?

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"We welcomed one more out sports person this week when Tom Daley revealed he is dating a guy. But a few years ago cyclist Graeme Obree came out of the closet, letting the world know he was gay in 2011, having come out to his family on 2005.

He had a difficult life before that, marked by things such as the tragic death of his brother and suicide attempts. He was also married to a woman and had two sons. However, in sports he broke numerous cycling records and was known for his innovations that took the sport forward, having used bits of common machinery to re-engineer his bicycle. In 2006 a movie about his life, The Flying Scotsman starring Jonny Lee Miller, was released – although that didn’t touch on his sexuality.

Now a feature-length documentary is being brought together, allowing Obree to tell his own story in his own words, mainly covering two years of his life where as a man in his mid-40s he seeks out a new cycling project to challenge himself."

Read the rest here. 





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Congrats!

xo,
         
- Tammy
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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Love & Shelter for All: Global Shelter Project

Check out  at the Global Shelter Project!

He's doing great work to end homelessness and promote sustainability.

Here's a little bit of his writing:
"Let's promote local, regional, national and international awareness that we are all better off if all 7 billion and one of us have a dignified access to a gallon and a half of clean water 2000 nutritional calories and 200 ft.³ of secure living space.Data driven studies will provide the areas of most need as well as reflect the causes and potential solutions to this imbalance.Properly observed and engineered, methodologies can be identified and supported for whatever changes our social and environmental climate unveil to us. " - 


Visit Global Shelter Project today:

 http://globalshelterproject.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Cool Gear Alert: Zackees Turn-Signal Gloves


Zackees LED turn-signal gloves are a geeky fusion of tech, fashion, and safety.





The Zackees turn-signal gloves might be the greatest gift to cyclists since the helmet.
A unique fusion of fashion and tech, the gloves have their own arrow-shaped strings of LEDs, which cyclists can use to signal that they’re turning. They’re the sort of thing that screams “geek,” but if they keep the wearer safe, geekiness might not matter so much.
Zackees pitches the gloves slightly differently: You’ll need them for safety but wear them because they’re fashionable. That “utility + tech + fashion” combination is core to the Zackees, which were developed by a former Google engineer, a fashion designer, and a robotics specialist.

Click here to read the rest at VentureBeat


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Good Stuff Happens



Like the time when this cyclist sacrificed his track time to give a Koala bear something to drink.




Or like the time when this fan got to experience something he NEVER thought was imaginable....  Kindness proved him wrong.



Stay Hopeful and Read the Rest Here

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Bikes on BART

Bikes on BART

 

More BART riders are biking to and from stations every day.  It’s a healthy alternative and like walking it’s easy on the environment.  Almost all BART stations have bike racks, over half of BART stations have bike lockers and four stations now have Bike Stations.  Details are included below and on each station page on bart.gov.

If you are taking your bike on BART, it's your responsibility to know and follow the bike rules.  Bikes are never allowed on crowded cars. Folded bikes are allowed in all cars at all times. Use your good judgment and only board cars that can comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle.  Bicyclists must yield priority seating to seniors and persons with disabilities.

If you are leaving your bike at a BART station make sure it is locked well.  Whether you’re taking your bike on board or parking it at a station, make sure you record your bike’s serial number along with a description of the bike.  This will greatly increase your chance of recovery if it is stolen.

Find out more tips and rules at BART.gov

Monday, December 2, 2013

5 Best Places to Go Mountain Biking



Image: Keystone Travel
 
Let’s face it: We’d all like to spend days on end exploring every last spot of sweet singletrack this country has to offer. But we can’t. (I know, the truth hurts.) So, after riding and researching some of the very best mountain bike destinations in the U.S., I’ve narrowed it down to five must-see spots. Start with this list the next time you’re searching for a prime place to pedal.

Read the full story here

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Support Your Local #Trans Bike Shop: #ShopSmall Savings Extended!


A TRAN'S BAY BIKE SHOP:
 LGBQ Trans* Inclusive Mechanics and Community

#ShopSmall on Small Business Saturday
at A Tran's Bay Bike Shop!

Super-Cool Savings Through the Tra-La-La-La-Holidays, All Season Long.


Great Gifts, Rentals and Repairs for Gear Heads, Brand New Cyclists,
And All Folks Living and Loving Active Living and The Growing Trend of 
Eco-Friendly, Alternative Transportation.


Bay Area Holiday Deals: All Bike Tune-Ups Half Off: 
New Deals on New and Used Bikes and Rentals!

See You Soon,



Friday, November 29, 2013

Happy #Trans Friday and #ShopSmall Saturday!



A TRAN'S BAY BIKE SHOP:
LGBQ Trans* Inclusive Mechanics and Community

"Black Friday...Why It Gotta Be BLACK?"
                  -RuPaul

That's Right: It's Official.

Today is now TRANS FRIDAY, and that means
SUPER DEALS for you at A Tran's Bay Bike Shop!




You want coupons? WE GOT 'EM.
You want DISCOUNTS? We got em!

LGBQ Trans* Inclusive Mechanics and Community?  
That's what we're all about.

AND YOU?!



What you need to do is get some TLC for your bike ASAP, and Tammy Powers is an expert mechanic with decades of experience ready to hook you up.

Redeem this coupon below (click, print and go!) or just visit us and tell us you saw it. We honor all quoted discounts, always.
(After November, please call for all current offers and deals.)

SEE YOU SOON,

A Tran's Bay Bike Shop


Monday, November 25, 2013

Happy Holidays! Co-Cycle Vacation, Anyone?

Co-cycle participants, courtesy of Co-cycle
Co-cycle participants, courtesy of Co-cycle
Cooperative Tourism
Take a Co-cycle tour across the US while visiting and learning about cooperative working and living spaces. It's a fun, but rigorous touring schedule that's best for avid cyclists. The deadline to apply is April 8th. Or kick back and relax at Breitenbush, an affordable hot springs resort in Oregon run by a worker cooperative/intentional community that so co-op it hosts the Western Worker Cooperative Conference. While you're there, stop by Portland, Oregon to get a broad taste of sharing culture and visit local worker coops while biking around a model bike friendly town. Take a tour of the San Francisco Bay Area's beautiful coastline, hills and redwoods, and while you're there, see how many worker coops you can hit up using this map. For more participatory fun, stop by any one of the many collective bike kitchens in the Bay, and Noisebridge a famous hackerspace. If Europe is your thing, visit Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, the famous worker cooperative complex in Basque, Spain and learn how to create an autonomous cooperative economic region. See this video about Mondragon - what could be more inspiring!

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Today Is Transgender Day of Remembrance.



Today Is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Today, We Share and Send Our Love, Light and Healing Energies Around the World.









Please join us in commemorating the International Transgender Day of Rememberance for all our brothers and sisters worldwide who sacrificed for us, just for being themselves. 

Let's promote visibility, upliftment, love and peace. We live in your honor and continue to make great strides. You will always be loved and special in our hearts. 

- A Tran's Bay Bike Shop Team

Monday, November 18, 2013

San Francisco and More! Best Cities for Female Entrepreneurs

 

A Tran's Bay Bike Shop Is In the Right Place!

 Best Cities for Female Entrepreneurs

"Intuit published an infographic presenting the best cities for female entrepreneurs, as well as some interesting statistics about the state of women-owned businesses in the US. The report looked at median education levels, unemployment rates, income, population and percentage of business owned by women in each city to provide an overall score for female entrepreneurship.
San Francisco ranks number one, followed by Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis, and Portland...."

Read the rest here.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

GoPro Mountain Bike Backflip Is a Downhill Thrill



 

"Super-extreme freestyle mountain biking looks like a thrill. But it's also dangerous as all get-out, and something most of us are too scared (or smart) to try. So here's a solution: Take a virtual ride down a precarious mountain slope and even hit a soaring backflip off a clip via GoPro.
Pro biker Kelly McGarry had a camera attached to him for his silver medal run at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage competition in Utah. The resulting video hit YouTube and is embedded above. It's stunning."



Monday, November 11, 2013

Check Out the Bicycle Blue Book



From the Website:




Bicycle Database

Find Your Used Bike's Value!


 
The Bicycle Blue Book Marketplace from Bicycle Blue Book on Vimeo.
Learn how to use the Bicycle Blue Book Marketplace to sell your new and used bikes.
http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/Marketplace.aspx

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Bicycle Blue Book knows what your bike is worth. We've compiled data from years of transactions (that adds up to millions of sales) to give you the most accurate valuation of your used bike. Got one you're looking to unload, or just curious to know what one is worth? Use the filters below to find the value of your bike. Whether you're just looking for your next road bike, or the value of all Cannondale's over the past 5 years, we've got all the data tucked away just waiting to be pored over.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

November Deal: PRINT THIS COUPON



ONLY $40
for A FULL TUNE-UP


Contact A Tran's Bay Bike Shop for more info, or bring your bike in, any time in November for this awesome special!


PRINTABLE COUPON


(After November, please call for all current offers and deals.) 

 

Daily Deals In November: Buy, Rent and Tune Up Your Bicycle
| Visit Us in Beautiful Treasure Island! | A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
1 Avenue of the Palms #021, San Francisco, California 94130 (415) 678-5323 



Friday, November 8, 2013

Gay Agenda Magazine Printed My Spirit Day Story!



Thanks again, Gay Agenda!




Please click this link to see all of the press coverage about A Tran's Bay Bike Shop and myself that they've written this year.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

5 Great Apps for Mountain Bikers

Seems like everyone has a smartphone these days—and many mountain bikers are bringing the technology on the trails. If you like to mountain bike, and own a smartphone, keep reading for a list of apps that can help you navigate trails, fix your bike, track your workout and more.

1. Atomic Softwares’ Bike Repair ($3.99)

©Atomic Software
Atomic Softwares’ Bike Repair is a practical mobile app that puts bike repair back into the cyclist’s hands. Need to adjust your derailleur, fix your shifting, remove your rear wheel or bleed your hydraulic brakes? There is no need to take your bike to the shop when it’s possible to repair bike problems on your own—at home or on the trail. With assistance from the Bike Repair app, learn how to fix 42 problems yourself, maintain your bike properly and address common bodily aches and pains. Step by step guides and large photos trump long text in this useful application. Visit their website for more information.
 

Plan for THIS.


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Groningen: The World's Most Bike-friendly City


Groningen: The World's Most Bike-friendly City


Check out this Streetfilms video below to learn about the 10,000 bike parking spaces at the train station, as well as the other elements the city has put into place to create a fast, energy efficient, and low-cost transportation system with bikes at the center. Other cities would do well to learn from Groningen.

Read the rest at Shareable

Show Us Your Love and Look Hot Doin' It: New T-Shirts!


Show Us Your Love and Look Hot Doin' It:

Check Out Our New T-Shirts!

http://www.cafepress.com/atransbaybikeshop

cafepress.com/atransbaybikeshop

Are you an athletic supporter or what?
Show us our love with a brand new, smokin' hot tee. YOUR tee!



Click here and show us your tees!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Snag Your Local Bike Thief: Project Freeride

Project Freeride


If you ride bikes then you have had a bike stolen or know someone who has. This is a fact. Bike theft is rampant. This summer we have seen an elevated profile of bike theft in the local media both with police work and vigilantism. August alone saw Dunbar Cycles team up with police on an undercover operation that recovered their stolen property, police recovered seven bikes through their bate bike program, and a local Vancouver woman steal her bike back from a thief when she found it for sale on Craig’s List. And these are only the stories that have been publicized.


Items found by police in a bike thief's backpack by police.

Bike theft falls into an ugly category of property crimes, the perfect storm for thieves; it is an easy crime with a value low enough to excuse any real punishment. Theft under $5000 in provincial court will garnish a slap on the wrist for first time offenders, fines ranging from $100-$400, suspended sentences with probation, or where there is prior related criminal behavior, short periods of jail time. With the frequency and growing popularity of it, bike theft was up 20% in Victoria last year and 38% in Calgary, we have ended up in a situation where insuring for actual value or claiming with the threat of rising deductibles often leaves us bikeless and bitter. In the past, reporting our bikes stolen to the police has felt like an exercise in futility. Often dismantled and shipped out of province before you pick up the phone, the chances of ever seeing your ride again are slim to none. But with a combination of the growing popularity of mountain biking and the rising value of our bikes, the police are taking a more pro-active approach and it leaves us, the bike owners, in the hot seat. Are we helping bike thieves and hindering police work?

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More from the article:

For all of your rides, record the brand, model, color, serial number, and modifications. Lock them up, and then lock them up again. Be aware of your surroundings. Stop Stravaing your rides from your house. Be smart, think about the bigger picture. While Kayla Smith 'stole' her bike back, and we all love a good vigilante story with a happy ending, the thief has probably already stolen a few more bikes since then. Adam Mantle from Dunbar Cycles teamed up with police and using his online research they were able to arrest and charge Wesley John Devries. He has not stolen a bike since. If your bike is stolen, by all means look for it on Craig’s List, put in the time and be proactive, but team up with police when you find it. While myopic actions can be sensationalized, they will do nothing to progress a solution for our community as a whole. 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

San Francisco Holiday Deals: All Bike Tune-Ups Half Off | New Coupon


San Francisco Holiday Deals: All Bike Tune-Ups Half Off  | New Coupon


Special Offer

San Francisco Holiday Deals:
All Bike Tune-Ups Half Off In November!


Regular Price: $80
Half Off Pricing: for the Month of November:

ONLY $40
for A FULL TUNE-UP

Visit the shop for a half-off bike tune up, done by an expert mechanic, me! Tammy Powers.



Contact A Tran's Bay Bike Shop for more info, or bring your bike in, any time in November for this awesome special!


PRINTABLE COUPON


(After November, please call for all current offers and deals.) 

 

Daily Deals In November: Buy, Rent and Tune Up Your Bicycle
| Visit Us in Beautiful Treasure Island! | A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
1 Avenue of the Palms #021, San Francisco, California 94130 (415) 678-5323 



Friday, November 1, 2013

Drive With Care: Support Your Local Cyclist



From Richard Masoner and TreeHugger
Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious: " Bike Pittsburgh created this campaign and bought the outdoor ad space to remind drivers to pass with care, drive like a grownup, and take the high road."



Pretty nice campaign. Check it out at TreeHugger.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Special Deal: October is the month to get your bike tuned-up!


October is the month to get your bike tuned-up! 
All this month our complete tune-up which is regularly priced at $70 is ONLY $40 for the rest of this month. Get your bike in here and get an awesome tune-up for only a couple of twenties. (price does not include any needed or wanted installed parts) 
Please tell your friends about this super deal! — at A Tran's Bay Bike Shop.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

BART Strike Commute Alternatives: Bike-to-Bus, to Work!


BART Strike Commute Alternatives: Buses, Ferries, Telecommuting

With a BART strike looking increasingly likely, here are some alternatives for getting around.
  patch
By Sasha Lekach, Bay City News Service





With the likelihood of a BART strike effective [shortly], many Bay Area commuters will have to find alternate ways to get to and from work and other destinations with the strike possibly extending into the weekend.

BART will provide a limited number of free roundtrip charter buses at nine East Bay BART stations starting Friday morning. Buses will pick up ticketed passengers at El Cerrito del Norte, West Oakland, Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Dublin/Pleasanton, San Leandro, Hayward and Fremont stations starting at 5 a.m.

BART officials said there will be five to 15 buses at each station. The buses will drop off passengers at San Francisco's Temporary Transbay Terminal. On the return trip, riders will board buses between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the terminal. Those buses will go to West Oakland, where transfers can be made to other buses heading to various East Bay destinations.

[See Patch's list of transportation alternatives in the East Bay.]

Excerpt reblogged via Patch.com.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Great Writeup In the Small Business Bulletin!

Thanks so much--much appreciation for the OSB!

Full interview:

Client Spotlight: A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
 
Tammy Powers owns the first and only bike shop on Treasure Island, A Tran's Bay Bike Shop. Tammy received assistance from OSB counselor, Christian Murdock and sits down with us for our September "Client Spotlight"...

Q: What type of business do you own and what makes you unique?
 

A: When people ask me what type of business I own, I jokingly tell them, with a bit of seriousness, that I sell time machines. "Use the product that I sell to you and you'll feel like a kid again." Although said more precisely... I own a bicycle shop. My shop is unique for 2 reasons, first: I'm the only bike shop on Treasure Island, and second; mine is the only bicycle shop in ALL of California owned by a male-to-female transsexual.  Our slogan is "We Love BIcyclists!"

Q: How was the Office of Small Business involved in assisting you?
 

A: The Office of Small Business has been involved in helping me in just about everything! I never owned a business in SF before and I never went to business school... so I had tons of questions about what to do and where to go simply in order for me to get started. I'm an excellent mechanic who loves bicycles; and because I'm transforming my gender found it difficult to get hired. So I created my own job and am very thankful to the OSB that they helped me accomplish that.

Q: Top 3 reasons for being a small business owner in SF?
 

A: The top 3 reasons for being a business owner in SF are: 1. It's one of the greatest cities in the world and the never-ending supply of tourists who visit us are a continuous cash flow. 2. The restaurants and entertainment here are second to none. 3. San Francisco warmly welcomes ALL business owners, even those of us who are transforming our gender.
 
A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
1 Avenue of the Palms #021
SF, CA 94130
415-678-5323
http://www.transbaybikes.com/
M-F 11:00 to 6:00, weekends 12:00 to 4:00



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Get A Complete Bike Tune-up for ONLY $40 during the month of Oct.


We're giving you our Complete Tune-up for ONLY $40 during the month of Oct. 
(regular price of $70) which includes: 


Clean and lube the drivetrain, true the rims, check and adjust the cones, adjust the derailleurs, adjust the brakes, check and adjust the headset, check and adjust the bottom bracket, overall safety check and wipedown of the bike, test ride. Wow! All that for less than a tank full of gas! (check my reviews on Yelp)

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Dot429.com - A Tran's Bay Bike Shop Article



Here's the original link to the article about me: A Tran's Bay Bike Shop at Dot429.com







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A Tran's Bay Bike Shop on Treasure Island

Finding employment can be a rat race for anyone, but throwing transsexual on the top of your resume can sometimes guarantee job rejection. 
A Tran's Bay Bike Shop owner, Tammy Powers, is a transsexual woman with a mind made for mechanics. However, no one would hire her.  
Powers' resume was not the issue. She consistently received calls from companies requesting an interview, so being recognized as a promising candidate wasn't the problem.
“My resume is second to none,” Powers said in an interview with 429Magazine. "[But] I would show up for interviews and people's jaws would drop. People would say 'I didn't know a transsexual was applying for this position.'” Then they would dismiss her, shoeing her away by explaining that the position had been filled. 
This routine set the precedent for her continued job search, and Powers eventually became jobless and homeless. “I was living on the streets before I got my own money to start my own shop,” Powers admitted. 
Powers is breaking ground on many fronts. A transsexual woman and a Fuji authorized dealer, Powers owns her own bike shop, not to mention the only bike shop, on Treasure Island.
The shop, located on the Treasure Island waterfront, provides a perfect venue for bikers to buy, tune-up, or rent a bike. As a former automotive mechanic, Powers is more than capable of providing a tune-up, a complete bicycle service, or a simple pair of smooth wheels for those who want to rent for a day of island exploration. 
Located on 1 Avenue of the Palms, A Tran's Bay Bike Shop opened in February and is still in its soft opening stage. 
Power's explained that her gender identity has set the tone for the aesthetic appeal of the shop. 
“My business is prettier now, I have more of a woman's touch, I am more aware of what people are seeing aesthetically." She continued, “I painted my work bench pink!"
A grand opening is scheduled for May. 
429Magazine

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Article Posted at Medium.com

People are taking an interest in the shop and in my story.



Check out the link to the original article at Medium.com and let me know what you think.

Tammy


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Help an Entrepreneur: Please Visit, Donate @ A #Trans Bay Bike Shop

A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop Is Cycling to Thrive!


I am an avid bicyclist and an excellent mechanic. I am also a 
male-to-female transsexual. I opened my own bicycle shop on 
Treasure Island (in SF) because of the prejudice I faced when 
applying for bike mechanic jobs….I have sacrificed much to
be in business for myself. I am an example to all people that 
transsexual persons are not freaks, but are very capable of 
being productive in society… we can even be business owners.”
- Tammy Powers
#GoFundMe | Donations Needed: A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop Is Cycling to Thrive
Tammy Powers is a full-time bicycle-healer and all around superhero.
Recognized in her community as a well-liked, respected, resilient, talented fix-it expert for bikes, cars and all things locomotive (please check out the recommended links below), Tammy’s given so much to folks in the Bay Area. As she continues to get those kudos and provide that top notch service, now she’s working on ways to fully monetize her value and bake that into longterm success for her bike rental and repair business, A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop.
As she launches her GoFundMe donation campaign for A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop this month, Tammy set aside some time to chat about how she got started, her love for making things work, her expertise in bike service and repairs, and ultimately, her ever-inspirational self-love and respect.
On Resilience: Q & A with Tammy Powers
Jaye: Tammy, thanks so much for setting aside a few moments to connect. What inspired you to open your shop, and what inspired the name A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop in particular…rather than Tammy’s Uber Cool Bike Repairs and Gear, for instance?
Tammy: (Laughs) Well, as I’d said in an earlier interview, the name of my shop is a clever one, because “TransBay” is a popular term in the Bay Area,because of all the commuters who travel back and forth across the Bay Bridge.
TransBay is very familiar for everyone from San Francisco to Oakland. You know, there’s the TransBay Express, so it’s not uncommon to hear that. And hey—I’m a transsexual! I just did the double enendre so people would go, “Huh…?” and not really get it until they walk into my shop and see that I’m a tranny. (Laughs)
Jaye: I see. So people have responded positively once they get that automatic enlightenment, huh?
Tammy: Yeah. People like that. One person was like, “I didn’t understand the apostrophe in Tran’s, until I walked into the shop.” People give me kudos for showing that we can be business owners and productive people in society. People still…they don’t expect to see a successful transgender person, so it’s always cool once they get it.
Jaye: One enlightenment at a time, then (laughs)!




Folding Strida Bikes Image from Strida.com

Well, as for your shop, what types of bikes and gear do you sell primarily? Is it a specialty shop only?
Tammy: I do service any type of bike. Tuneups, repairs. And I’m an authorized Fuji Dealer. I also sell Strida folding bicycles. They’re very convenient and useful—I sell folding bikes with commuters in mind. Actually, I refurbish and sell a full array of used bikes: BMX bikes, low-riders. I have anything in stock that’s common for the best bike shops: chains, sprockets, anything I’d need for instant repairs and help
If a customer has any specialty repairs or parts needed, I can order anything they need from my wholesaler, and get the parts by the next day.
So I have a full fleet of rentals, and Treasure Island is the place in the Bay to come bike around the island and see all the views of the Golden Gate Bridge—it’s great!
Jaye: Yes, so gorgeous. Gotta get back there soon, it’s such a beautiful place.
I understand you’ve connected with some TV producers who want to develop a show around you and your team of mechanics and salespeople there…reality TV. The fact that you primarily hire trans* women and men to work there is so meaningful and important. Do you have a sense that they’ll portray you, your crew and your shop in the right light?
Tammy: Yes—the whole thing about hiring transsexual employees, it was entirely from my own thought process. The producers, they’re very excited about it. Thinking of other “reality shows” like “Duck Dynasty” (and I don’t watch much TV, but they said I need to watch more, because they want me to see the difference between that and TV with more substance)…we want it to be very different.
I mean, I also do standup comedy—so, comedians will come visit me too.
I thought, what would make the show so appealing to the audience they would just have to tune in? So I thought about those ideas, because in my world all my friends are transsexuals. And people visit the shop, and some people, they have a bent view or they’re not too sure…they have questions. I was like, how great would it be to have a staff full of transsexual people, either this way or the other way. (Laughs) So I told all my friends.
Jaye: Good to know you have a lot of creative input with the project.
Tammy: Yeah: the director’s coming back to have lunch with me, and we’ll shoot more video later in the month. It’s been so weird how it’s happened. I met a person who knew a producer…it blows me away. It’s just amazing.
I’m so thankful people notice me and say something positive. Like, someone will see this story and mention it, and someone else will find their way to the bike shop.
Jaye: Have you had much luck recruiting mechanics? Just wondering how much training is involved in the job. Or are you looking for people who have that specific skill set, and they’re ready to go as soon as they’re hired?
Tammy: Quite a few transsexual women, MTF friends of mine I meet, they’re cyclists but they’re not mechanics. So they’d be great on the sales end or rentals. So that’s falling into place.
I’ll also be going around to some of the nonprofit bike shops that teach people how to fix bikes. We have so many here. Usually they have a femme or tranny night, so they feel comfortable there and meet up. I’m sure I’ll find people there.
And I keep hearing names, like this guy is really good or that guy…of course I mean a trans* guy. So I’ll go to those classes and probably find the FTM guys I’m looking for. It’s getting there, but you have to be patient.
Jaye: From your Facebook page, I understand you’re going to a lot of industry trade shows, and making the rounds at Pride, and so forth. So, are you looking to bring in more of the gear-heads and professional cyclists along with people who just love bikes and cycling?
Tammy: I look for people who have a common interest in cycling or seem like they want to become cyclists. My customers should be my friends and my friends should be my customers, that’s how I think about it—I’m just trying to make friends. I want to show people how excellent bicycling is. Or if they’ve never gotten into it, I want them to try it.
I’m just another bike mechanic who loves cycling.
Jaye: Treasure Island, it’s also kind of a pit stop locale for commuters or people on a long ride, so it seems like it’s really ideal! Has the foot traffic been good for rentals and so on?
Tammy: It’s picking up. The new span of the Bay Bridge is complete, and the bike lane is 90 percent complete, so in the next few months it’ll get even better. I’m settled here, the shop is right here. So when that bike lane opens on that bridge, there’s going to be hundreds of commuters a day coming on their bicycles. I’m finally at the right time at the right place in life. It’s all about persistence. You just keep hanging in there.
You know, I started with absolutely nothing.
I used to own my own shop when I was a dude. When I transitioned, it was really hard. I was even homeless for a while. Right now, I’m barely making it. But still, if you come in my shop I’ve got 20-something bikes.
I hustle and I sacrifice, and I have tenacity. I love what I do, and I make it happen.

After the interview, Tammy mentioned that she’s working extremely hard to keep the shop open, and even though she’s set herself up for success, she’s still a one woman show. She’s working hard on repairs everyday, and the bills are stacking up—keeping up with them is unspeakably challenging (the shop has only been open since May, and its official launch since then is barely over).
Please connect with Tammy to show your support, share her story with others, and visit her shop: it’s the only bike repair/rental/trading shop of its kind in the area, and Tammy’s a well-trained, highly-experienced car and bicycle mechanic.
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Tammy will be speaking at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 2:00 PM. Please check out the links below for more information.
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And again, PLEASE show your love, and visit/donate at Tammy Powers’GoFundMe campaign page for A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop. She also has aPayPal button on her website for direct donations.
Help Keep A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop Open and Thriving!
Click Here to Visit A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop at GoFundMe:http://www.gofundme.com/ATransBayBikeShop
Visit A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop on Facebook Hereand send your tweets of support to @transbaytammy.
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Or, please Donate via PayPal and visit Tammy’s website at:

Please note: I am aware many people find the term “tranny”(and also “transsexual”) to be offensive and I have some understanding as to why this is the case. However, if a trans* woman uses this language to describe herself it’s not my desire to correct her, and it’s not appropriate (in my thinking) to correct her.