Living Car Free - List of bike co-ops, collectives and bike kitchens

Dublin, Ireland

Rothar is the irish for bike.

http://www.rothar.ie/about_us.html

Berkeley,CA has the Missing Link Bike Coop: http://www.missinglink.org/
Really nice people to ask for advice. They also have a tool sharing area (you need ID for that).

Here is an inspiring short-documentary about the magic that happens in bike coops for anyone who has 7 minutes to spare:

http://www.americarecycled.org/?p=293

Here is an inspiring short-documentary about the magic that happens in bike coops for anyone who has 7 minutes to spare:

http://www.americarecycled.org/?p=293
That's a pretty cool project/ site. Thanks for posting that movie- Matty seems like a really cool soul.

Any bike co-ops im the miami/kendall fl area ? Sorry if its already been posted i don't have the time to go through 54 pages.

New collective in Boston:
www.thecommunityspoke.org
http://www.facebook.com/thecommunityspoke

Any bike co-ops im the miami/kendall fl area ? Sorry if its already been posted i don't have the time to go through 54 pages.

Bike Broward in Fort Lauderdale. www.bikebroward.org

Any bike co-ops im the miami/kendall fl area ? Sorry if its already been posted i don't have the time to go through 54 pages.
Actually it's less than 3 pages. But if you'd rather have somebody else take the time to do your work for you, that's cool. I'm sure your time is much more valuable than ours. :rolleyes:

I manage the work area of the Mt pleasant Bike Co-operative (Central Michigan). We have lots of scrap bike parts, and all the tools you would need to work on your bike. If your touring and need company and a place to stay, I would love to help you out.

We're located in the basement of Justice Records. (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=justice+records+mt+pleasant&fb=1&gl=us&hq=justice+records+mt+pleasant&hnear=Mount+Pleasant,+MI&cid=3256135495306449965)

My cell-phone number is at the shop, so if you need anything give me a call!

If there are any lansing Co-op people or any other Bike co-op people in MI, shoot me a PM! i would love to discuss events/fundraisers.

Actually it's less than 3 pages. But if you'd rather have somebody else take the time to do your work for you, that's cool. I'm sure your time is much more valuable than ours. :rolleyes:

Sorry i could have sworn it said 50 something pages :twitchy: I probably got it confused with another page i had open.

Anyone know of any in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area????

http://www.recycleabicycle.org/

http://times-up.org/

Asbury Park Bike Church:
http://www.secondlifebikes.org/
Youth-oriented, but adults can volunteer, donate, *possibly* buy bikes/parts?

For those of you in the Tampa Bay area, there is the Tampa Bay Bike Co-Op.

http://tampabikecoop.wordpress.com/

If you're in the South Bay of San Francisco, then it's tough living for bike co-ops. The closest thing is in Santa Cruz which is the SC Bike Church.
http://bikechurch.santacruzhub.org/
They have a very knowledgeable staff, plenty of workspace, and well organized bins stuffed full of all those little parts that your LBS just can't track down.
Currently, though, in San Jose we don't have anything that's an official bike co-op, as strong as our bike community may be. There are some shops that are nice enough to show you a thing or two, and let your borrow their tools.
http://www.bicycleexpress.net/
Bicycle Express is probably the best shop for this. You can't go in and be all like "yo, show me how to build my bike" but if you have a basic understanding of frames and components, then they can help out here and there.
Also, Faber's Cyclery is a bicycle museum/pick n pull, and Alex who runs it is more than happy to help you track down parts and show you how to install them. Not quite a co op, not quite a shop, but somewhere in the middle where you can get your needs met if you're patient.

It is in my strong opinion that our community is in great need of a community bike co op, but until then this is what we'll have to settle for.

Spokeland (http://www.facebook.com/spokeland), 1121 64th St in Oakland near the borders with Berkeley and Emeryville.

(wow, we've entered the era where organizations only have facebook pages! yikes)

Milwaukee has a few:

Milwaukee Bike Collective: http://bikecollective.org/

Liberation Bike School: http://liberationbikes.tumblr.com

Querencia
http://qcbs.wordpress.com/
Denton Texas area

In Buffalo, NY there is Buffalo Blue Bicycles. It's a co-op/bike share sort of deal. Don't know much about it myself, but it's been around for a little while now.
http://www.buffalobluebicycle.org/

Now, it's been enveloped in Green Options Buffalo, with their Community Bicycle Workshop:
http://greenoptionsbuffalo.org/programs.php?recordID=6

The Hub bicycle co-op in Bellingham, WA:

http://myweb.wwu.edu/~browna30/index.html

I just moved here so I don't know a whole lot about them. I stopped in there last week and it seemed like a great place. Tons of old frames hanging all over the place, bins of parts everywhere, and seemingly very helpful and knowledgeable staff. It looks like a good place to be.

Any in Bristol,VA/TN?

Here's a new co-op in St John's Newfoundland. Saw a pretty good idea for a stool, which never occurred to me before. I'm hoping to visit this week.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oNpDrRG_KaU

http://www.ordinaryspokes.org/

BICAS - Out of Tucson, AZ. (http://bicas.org/)

Bicycle Inter-Community-Art/Salvage


Brief History

BICAS started in late 1989 as an organization called Bootstraps to Share. A group of like-minded community members came together to assist and empower the homeless population in Tucson, helping folks attain work, shelter, food, and transportation. Over the next few years, the organization focused on sustainable transportation as a requisite for sustainable work, determining their greatest impact was to provide recycled bicycles and the skills needed to maintain them. In that same period, youth became interested in the bicycle mechanics programs. Thus, BICAS in the way we know it today came into existence around 1994, although the name “BICAS” wasn't used until 1996. We have since extended our bicycle recycling, advocacy and education programs out to the entire community. Since our founding, we have trained thousands of youth and adults in the trade of bicycle repair, maintenance and safety, and restored thousands of bicycles, saving them from the waste stream.



A wonder of a place.

Dublin, Ireland

Rothar is the irish for bike.

http://www.rothar.ie/about_us.html

Looks like they modified their website and removed the link. However, here's the home page.

Rothar (http://www.rothar.ie/)

I just started reading this website, and I think the concept of bike collectives is a great concept that should occur in all major American cities. I live in the DFW area, and a friend, bike wrench and former LBS co - owner (they closed because business was slow, they said) wanted to establish a bike co - op, but, due to forces that drove them put their idea of a bike co - op on the back burner (lack of business, and the need to sell bikes because a small minority of people use bicycles as transportation) they were steered away from establishing the first bike co - op in Fort Worth, Texas. Sadly, the store went out of business. It was a shame because he and his business partner have great karma which led to establishing one of the nicest LBS' in the city.
I later asked co - owner Mike if the bicycle commuter community in Fort Worth grew in numbers, thereby, making it a stronger, significant transportation community would their LBS remain open? His answer, "I don't know."

Albany NY area.

http://troybikerescue.org/

Here in Lincoln Nebraska we have the Near South Community Bike Kitchen (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Near-South-Community-Bike-Kitchen/153313044705451)



About
1720 S.15th st.SUNDAYS 12-4 Mondays 5 p.m.~9 p.m.402-915-BIKE(2453)`SPECIAL THANKS TO: Carol Smith for the use of building.

Description
Bicycling is not only great exercise.It is great for the environment,awesome transportation.Bicycling brings community together.There are great trails throughout Lincoln.Not everyone can afford a new bike.Thats where a community bike shop comes into action.We can help each other by volunteering in the shop.Help others by teaching them how to fix their bike,providing bikes to those that need to get to work,school,etc.Need a bike?Bike repair?Volunteer a few hours.We are not a "BIKE SHOP"That takes in bikes for repair.Volunteer hours are required.Have an extra bike?Donate it.See you soon.
Website http://lincolnbikekitchen.blogspot.com

I volunteer there when I can and fixed up a few of my bikes there. The people are great and they even have women's night two weekdays a month.

I manage the work area of the Mt pleasant Bike Co-operative (Central Michigan). We have lots of scrap bike parts, and all the tools you would need to work on your bike. If your touring and need company and a place to stay, I would love to help you out.

We're located in the basement of Justice Records. (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=justice+records+mt+pleasant&fb=1&gl=us&hq=justice+records+mt+pleasant&hnear=Mount+Pleasant,+MI&cid=3256135495306449965)

My cell-phone number is at the shop, so if you need anything give me a call!

If there are any lansing Co-op people or any other Bike co-op people in MI, shoot me a PM! i would love to discuss events/fundraisers.

UPDATE:

This bike co-op is now shut down.

Currently in Mount Pleasant, MI (Central Michigan University) there are still many of the people who were helping with the co-op in town. We now have the Mount Pleasant Bike Collective (http://www.facebook.com/groups/190977434307498/).

Feel free to join the group if you are in the area. There you will find rides posted, fun bike internet finds, movie nights, and can also be used as a way to ask questions / find spare parts / bicycle help. So in short, the permanent physical location is gone, but the friendly bike people are still around. We just now have to gather at each others houses / apts.

.Chris

UPDATE:

This bike co-op is now shut down.

Currently in Mount Pleasant, MI (Central Michigan University) there are still many of the people who were helping with the co-op in town. We now have the Mount Pleasant Bike Collective (http://www.facebook.com/groups/190977434307498/).

Feel free to join the group if you are in the area. There you will find rides posted, fun bike internet finds, movie nights, and can also be used as a way to ask questions / find spare parts / bicycle help. So in short, the permanent physical location is gone, but the friendly bike people are still around. We just now have to gather at each others houses / apts.

.Chris

I see that you live in both Wisconsin and Michigan. Where do you stand in the great Mitten War?

For the Fargo, ND area: http://www.fmbikeworkshop.org/

Freewheelin Bikes in Indianapolis
http://www.freewheelinbikes.org

If you're in Grand Rapids, MI visit Boston Square Community Bikes (http://www.oakdaleneighbors.org/bikeshop):

http://www.facebook.com/BostonSquareCommunityBikes.

Two great lists of bike co-ops and community bike programs are HERE (http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organizations&Itemid=100015) and HERE (http://ibike.org/encouragement/freebike/directory/index.htm).

I go to BluSci which is in the Old Trafford area of Manchester.

They fix bikes for free if there are no parts needed and just charge for any parts that are needed and dont charge labour.

If a member of BluSci the repair charges but if not then they do appreciate a small donation towards their operating costs as the service is entirely voluntary.


http://www.bluesci.org.uk/category/chainlink/

http://bikesiliconvalley.org/blog/2012/01/san-jose-bike-clinic

Just an update... there is one in the works here in San Jose... and about time

is there any around Pennsville, New Jersey?