Category Archives: meeting

Welcome to 2017!

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Welcome to 2017 PN2Kers!

In 2016 after the summer happened, our team and MIT PN2K officers received so many inquiries from you all, wondering when our next bike event will occur (OK, there was about 5-7 inquiries--which we consider a lot!) It made me realize the importance of MIT PN2K's mission of serving the biking community at MIT and the Greater Boston community (as our events are open to the public). So like any team, we had a different round of officers operating the club after last summer, and sadly, due to lack of communication, performance was low. However, we are rounding out another year and we shall learn from past experience in recruiting excited, dedicated, and high-performing individuals to our team. (I was actually just reading a post earlier today from Steli, a really charismatic fella I met at the Business of Software Conference in 2015, about hiring A+ players).

Last December 2016, PN2K was contacted by Dustin Weigl, the brother of Christopher Weigl, who was also struck in a bicycle-truck collision the year after Phyo's accident--same type of collision, also in December, also fatal. I can't help feeling inspired by Dustin's story. From his brother's accident, he started pursuing ways of making cycling safer in the city. Dustin is now a first-year master's student in the Technology and Policy program at MIT. It's a heart-wrenching story, and it took me back to painful memories of Phyo and when I had buried my head in my work with the PN2K Foundation, just to churn past that pain. Anyway, it's been fun reuniting the most committed members of the MIT PN2K Club, and we are all looking forward to hosting our next bike safety event on March 27, 2017. (You heard it here first!)

To keep up the work of the club, we are changing a few things up:

First, starting on March 2017, bike safety events will be open to members only. The services offered at the bike event require you to be a member with us, but the membership is affordable, allows you entrance to future bike events, and comes with benefits and discounts to select bike shops around town (see our Member Benefits page). Costs are $15 for students, $20 for MIT affiliates, and $25 for everyone else. (Purchase membership now)

Not long ago in January, we held our IAP social bike ride. It was great fun, and we even witnessed a car crash right in front of us! We were very lucky. Luckily, Tian and Frank (the two in the front) were alright. Luckily, Peter Cheung casually dropped in to ride with us that afternoon. Luckily, when a driver/witness next to us had said, "It was those cyclists!" Peter called that BS out immediately ("That guy [driver] ran the red light! He ran the red light!") Luckily, another witness at the intersection was part of Boston Police. Luckily, the guy who ran the red crashed into the car next to us, instead of Tian and Frank who were on the other side of the collision. The group of us talked it out and then decided to laugh it out at Bertucci's in Kendall. We had discussion from bike safety and infrastructure to politics and hiking. A great time with great friends over great food.

Not long ago in January, we held our IAP social bike ride. It was great fun, and we even witnessed a car crash right in front of us! We were very lucky. Luckily, Tian and Frank (the two in the front) were alright. Luckily, Peter Cheung casually dropped in to ride with us that afternoon. Luckily, when a driver/witness next to us had said, "It was those cyclists!" Peter called that BS out immediately ("That guy [driver] ran the red light! He ran the red light!") Luckily, another witness at the intersection was part of Boston Police. Luckily, the guy who ran the red crashed into the car next to us, instead of Tian and Frank who were on the other side of the collision. The group of us talked it out and then decided to laugh it out at Bertucci's in Kendall. We had discussion from bike safety and infrastructure to politics and hiking. A great time with great friends over great food. (Side photo: John helping to lube a cyclists' bike chain before our ride)

Join us for future bike rides and events! We're short-staffed so don't have the means to post all the exciting things we're doing on our blog immediately -- the best way to stay current is to join our mailing list (pn2k-bikesafety@mit.edu) and to join us as a member ($15-25). We're also currently building our MIT PN2K team for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. So if you feel you got what it takes to be part of an A-team, let us know what you want to bring to the table and nominate yourself (and friends) here (https://www.pn2k.org/mit-pn2k-nominate/). We need everyone to help, not just cyclists. G'luck and bike safe! 

~ Keep Calm & Pedal On 
Chief Jedi

MIT PN2K February 2017 GBM

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MIT PN2K (formally called Phyo Nyi Nyi Kyaw, MIT) is the MIT chapter of the Massachusetts incorporated 501(c)(3) PN2K Memorial Foundation. You don't need to own a bike to be a member, but it certainly does help as the MIT PN2K club holds activities that are centered around biking throughout the year (e.g., bike fests/repair events, bike rides)*.We are the first, and only club, at MIT that has ever attempted, and successfully, held student-led campus-wide bike safety rides during MIT orientation (2014, 2015). So, if you do own a bicycle (or unicycle -- we aren't picky), and/or want to get into casual/social biking as a way to explore and commute around the city, join us at our Spring General Body Meeting on Monday, February 27 at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be an general information session held at MIT, Building 1-135.  Learn how you can become a MIT PN2K member, how a membership will allow you to enjoy more benefits of biking around the city (well-maintained bikes for low-costs!), and how to join organized group rides. Note: we are not a racing club! We cycle casually, fix bikes, and enjoy post-rides over lunch at Bertucci's sometimes. Speaking of which, we'll have free pizza at our meeting. Come for the pizza and bring your friends!

You should also join our mailing list if you would like to learn of opportunities to purchase bike gear or ride bikes. Are you the leader type? See all positions that you can apply for for the coming semesters.

Safe biking, and we hope to see you there!

*Other options, if you don't have a bike: You can borrow a bike from a friend, buy a used bike from fellow cyclists, purchase a bike at a local shop or with our partners for a discount, or purchase a Hubway annual membership.