Tool List and Pictures from Maraba Distribution

Thanks for the eager and quick responses from my latest blog entry, very encouraging. Thanks for wanting to help and I look forward to what you all come up with. We have to think though how we will get these tools over to Rwanda. I will try to coordinate with those coming over here and you all can send the tools to them. And if you raise money we can approach Park Tools or through Quality Bicycle Products to buy them at wholesale or possibly have them donated.

The tool list is as follows. They all have addresses to the Park Tool website for visuals. Note: I do not need the specific ones that i am showing you, they are only examples.

1) A Muiti-tool is of the greatest importance. Because it has many tools into one. The main tools in it are a 4, 5, and 6 mm allen/hex wrenches. They also have flathead screwdrivers and philips head screwdrivers. Other important allen/hex wench sizes are 2.5, and 8 mm. It would be ideal for all farmers to have one of these, or if that is not realistic at the moment, which it kinda is, then as many as are possible. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=11&item=IB%2D1

-I know the above might sound pretty confusing to those that have no idea about bike tools, so the individual tools that i listed that comprise of a multi-tool can also be found by themselves. Allen/hex wrenches look like these, http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=7&item=HR%2D11 OR http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=7&item=AWS%2D1

-Of these individual tools i mentioned in muiti-tool, the 2.5, 5 and 6 mm allen/hex wrench are the most important by far. But the 5mm is the needed of these three. Then the 8 mm is the next most nessisary, then the screwdrivers.

2) Bottom Bracket Tools (the bearings where your cranks are, that make you spin your legs a'round and a'round. These tools are,
A) 20 tooth SISI Bottom Bracket tools, these are typically used for Shimano Bottom Brackets. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=BBT%2D22
B)15mm socket wrench for crank arm bolts, also called a crank wrench. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=26&item=CCW%2D5
C) Crank Pullers (a tool that pulls the crank arms off of the bottom bracket spindle). http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=26&item=CCP%2D2
D) Spanner, or a Bottom Bracket Lock Ring tool. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=HCW%2D5

3) Chain Tool - http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CT%2D3

4) Cassette Tool/shimano style freewheel remover. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=4&item=FR%2D1

5) Pumps with for Schrader valves.

Thanks all for wanting to have information to run with on this need. I hope this helps.

The Pictures: Today was a long day, I distributed 100 bicycles at Maraba. It was chaotic!!! It was exciting. It took nearly all day. These pictures are of the farmers signing the contract before receiving the bicycle, then the other one is looking out onto the distribution. Then my camera ran out of batteries so I couldn't take any shots outside. There will be outside distribution shots shortly.

I have to say that when I rode home in the back of a large truck that we used to transport the bikes to the cooperative, I was able to see people riding their coffee bikes home. They has people on the back of them. It is really cool to see.

In two days the first 500 bicycles will be built, then throughout next week we are going to distribute. Whoo Hooo!!!

Talk to you all later.

Jay