Happy New Year!
We’re just a few weeks in and we’re already gearing up for another year of outdoor adventures on bikes! Here are just some of the ways we’re working to make cycling more accessible in 2025. I’m sure you’ve noticed but we’ve updated our website. We hope this will help us better serve our community by offering sliding scale pricing and an opportunity for existing customers to “Pedal it Forward” with our giving program. To participate, just visit our “Give” page and make a donation. Through your generous support, we’ll be able to remove financial barriers and provide bicycle repair to even more folx. Stay tuned for more updates and event announcements!
New Merch is on the Way
That’s right! I am proud to announce that we have ordered our first batch of Artemis Cyclery tee shirts! These shirts feature the artwork of Latina printmaker and illustrator Grechel Rosado. These shirts will be part of an ongoing project. I’ll announce more about that later. Meanwhile, stay tuned for updates about when and where you can get your hands on one of these fantastic shirts!
To learn more about Grechel Rosado and her work, visit www.yosoygrechel.com or follow her on instagram @yosoygrechel.
Artemis Cyclery is Open for Business
It’s official! Artemis Cyclery is fully built out, stocked, and ready for business! I’m quite happy with the way it all came together. There are still a few tweaks that need to happen here and there, but the shop is ready.
Last week, I had my first wave of service appointment and it felt so good to get back to working on bikes. I completed three tune-up, replaced three chains, and fixed one flat. Thankfully, my first customers were my friends, which took the edge off of my nerves a bit. I’m looking forward to meeting new folks and maybe turning some customers into friends!
The next steps will be to spread the word about Artemis Cyclery. I’m working on getting us a Google listing, making flyers, pins, and stickers — Oh my! I’m also he’s at work making more social media posts and organizing my grand opening celebration. I plan on launching a series of grand opening pop-ups and group rides in May to coincide with MassBike’s Bay State Bike Month. So stay tuned for that announcement on our Facebook and Instagram pages @artemiscyclery!
Another Successful Build Day
I spent the day framing out the van walls and getting them ready to install the cabinets. The outside temperature was in the 20’s I worked through it and accomplished the mission.
Shop Update
Good morning, friends of Artemis! This is your official van (Artemis 1) update. Like I said I’m a previous entry, I’d like to keep things as transparent as possible as things develop.
While we are technically open for business, we still have some work to do on the workspace inside Artemis 1. We have the workbench, tools, and cabinets. Now we need to frame out the walls and secure the furniture. I hope we’ll be able to do all that today, but it’s snowing. So, we’ll see.
Meanwhile, Ian at What If 3D Designs is working on our exterior decals. They should be ready soon and they look fantastic!
Rest assured, the shop will be up and running by the end of the month and we can start those early spring tune-ups and planning our grand opening celebration!
It’s all coming together!
Today I met with my good friend Ian (photo) at What If 3D Designs. He is making the vinyl decals for what I’m now calling the Artemis 1, or the van that is Artemis Cyclery mobile bicycle service. Ian brought over a sample of the logo decal before he starts work on the larger ones that will go on the side doors. They look absolutely amazing! I’m so excited and can’t wait for the final reveal of Artemis Cyclery!
A Proper Introduction
Good morning friends of Artemis! I started this blog yesterday and just jumped in like you knew all about me. That’s silly. You don’t know me. Some of you know me. Anyway, let’s change that with a proper introduction.
My name is David Civitarese but you can call me Civi. I’m the owner of and lead service technician for Artemis Cyclery. Artemis is a mobile bicycle repair service and pop-up shop, serving South Coast Massachusetts, including Bristol and Plymouth Counties. I’m a lifelong cycling enthusiast and enjoy organizing community events that not only help people but remind them of the joys of riding bikes with friends.
I’m the founder of the New Bedford Starchasers, your friendly neighborhood cosmically inclusive bicycle gang founded in 2012. The Starchasers are a division of SCUL. We build weird and fantastic bikes we call “space ships” out of mostly repurposed materials and take them on rides that we call “missions.” Sometimes they’re silly and arbitrary, but sometimes we find ways to help our community and it always focuses on joy. One of those missions is Operation Cranksgiving, a bicycle powered food drive to collect food and supplies for people in need during the holiday season. The Starchasers are and do a lot. If you want to learn more, follow them on Instagram @newbedfordstarchasers.
I’ve been repairing and rebuilding bikes for a long time, and in 2022 I became a UBI certified professional bicycle technician. Over the years, I’ve worked in a few bicycle shops, from community repair shops to neighborhood bike shops to high-end professional adaptive shops. What I’ve discovered is that I love connecting with people over bikes, where they can take us, the ways they can be used, and how they can at once keep us connected to the world but make us feel like we’re flying through space!
Through Artemis, I look forward to building a stronger connection to my community, get more butts on bikes, and help people find their bike joy. In a future post, I’ll share some ideas on how I plan on doing that. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful day.
New Year and New Beginnings
Good morning friends! It’s my birthday and you know what that means. Right? No. Of course you don’t. We’ve only just met, after all. It means that it’s time to set some goals for the new year. Oh! You think setting goals and resolutions are just for January 1st? No way! While I truly believe in the idea of New Year’s resolutions, I also know myself well enough to know that I’m slow to start these kinds of things. I need to be mindful, set the stage, and wade in gently. So, my resolution is always to spend the first ten days of the year meditating on my goals, spending some time with myself to reassess and re-evaluate who I am and how I want to express that in the coming year. Here are some of my goals for this year:
Spend more time with friends & family
Yoga 3 days each week
Drink enough water
Ride my bike on every street in the 02740, 02746, and 02744 zip code areas
Make Artemis Cyclery an awesome business that serves the community
Blog at least one paragraph at least once a week.
Be patient with myself and forgive myself if I fall short of these goals
This may seem like a lot but I believe in myself and respect myself enough to try. And I believe in you. You’re more powerful than you know. So, get out there (or stay inside) and try something. The starting date is arbitrary. Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to express your power.
This blog won’t always be about me. It’s mostly about Artemis Cyclery, how it gets started, and how it’s going. I want this project to be as transparent as possible and share our success and even our challenges. It’s going to be quite the adventure and we’re already off to such a great start. I hope you’ll join me and as always, I hope you enjoy the ride.