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List of bike co-ops, collectives and bike kitchens
Let's start a listing of any bike co-ops, collectives and bike kitchens. Please write about any that are in your area. Include additional information that you know, such as services, membership, costs, hours, philosophy, etc. Links to websites are also a good idea. And please feel free to update or correct any outdated information.
AllenG said that he will make this thread into a sticky thread, so let's try to make it a good permanent resource for transportation cyclists all over the world. |
This thread is now stuck.
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I was at my local bike co-op this morning and got to ask one of the volunteers who lives in Chicago about the bike co-ops there. While there are several of them, the biggest and oldest of the lot seems to be Working Bikes.
The Working Bikes Cooperative is a not-for-profit tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization which diverts bicycles from the waste stream in Chicago by repairing them for sale and charity. Working Bikes is now located in the big red brick two story building at the SW corner of 24th Place and Western Avenue, at 2434 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608. Google Maps Link Working Bikes is primarily volunteer-driven. Currently it receives no government or foundation money. All its operations are funded through the sale of bicycles at its storefront. Working Bikes uses that money to provide bicycles to charity organizations within Chicagoland and to ship bicycles to the Gulf Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, Cuba, Guatemala, and Peru. Our local co-op has worked with Working Bikes on some of the bike drives to Africa (at least, last year..). This year we've been struggling to keep up with the local demand... |
Sixty Fiver, a BF member who posts here often, is a member of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuter's Society, which has been in operation since 1980.
I volunteer and sit on the board of what may be the oldest bike co-op in North America. The Edmonton Bicycle Commuter's Society was founded in 1980 and has been operating continuously for nearly 29 years. Our mission is to promote cycling as a viable transportation alternative and we also operate a fully equipped community bike shop called "Bikeworks" where people can come in and work on their bikes for nominal amounts and purchase decent bikes for very little money. We receive hundreds upon hundreds of bikes every year... these are everything from dept store models to one of a kind hand built models to vintage collectibles. Sometime folks buy bikes that need some work and sometimes they buy bikes that our crew of volunteer mechanics have serviced... the cumulative knowledge of our volunteers is immense. We teach people how to repair and service their own bikes, do many workshops on specific topics (like winter cycling), and do community outreach in the summer time when we have several full time paid mechanics and a volunteer coordinator to organize our participation in many summer events and festivals. If there are bike racks on our buses it is because we have been a strong advocate or a royal pain in the ass for city council... it depends who you ask. |
Third Hand Bicycle Co-Op
174 E. 5th Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Open Shops: Wednesdays 6-9 PM Saturdays 12-6 PM also: Womyn/Trans Open Shop Night We are happy to introduce a new shop night, Womyn and Trans Night. This is the same as open shop, but it is only open to self-identified womyn and trans people, who are traditionally marginalized in the cycling community. It is a chance to utilize the shop in a non-intimidating environment. No matter what your level of experience, we welcome you to come work on your own bike or volunteer. Thursdays 6 pm - 9pm Mondays 6-9 Membership: 4 hours volunteer time or $25 for a year Co-op Credit For every hour volunteered at the Third Hand Bicycle Co-op you receive 7 Co-op credits. The credit earned can be applied towards up to 75% of a Third Hand purchase including bikes, parts, stand time, and workshops but excluding membership costs. For example, a member purchasing a $100.00 bike uses 10 volunteer hours to pay for 75% of the cost. Their out of pocket cost for the bike would be $25.00. Member/Volunteer Benefits Member voting rights Participate in the Third Hand Co-op meetings 1 hour of free stand time Earn Co-op Credit to purchase up to 75% of Bikes, Parts, Stand Time, & Workshops Learn skills through working with other Third Hand Co-op volunteers One free, while-you-watch bike check-up (Safety Check, Adjust, Lubrication and Evaluation) Access to the shop and tools to work on your bike Important email updates on Third Hand Co-op events, minutes, projects, and invites to workshops |
Derailer Bicycle collective in Denver. No fees, all volunteer and donations.
Also... found this online when I looked up the link for Derailer: Community Bicycle Organizations Thread closed. ;) |
Bicycle InterCommunity Action & Salvage (BICAS) in Tucson, AZ. Hours are 12-7 Tuesday-Friday and 12-6 Saturday, women and transgender only on Sunday, 12-4. Shop time is $4 an hour, never more than $12 per day. They also have classes on basic maintanence, and a complete course on properly rebuilding a bicycle. There is also a work-trade program, where you get $8 of credit for 1 hour of work.
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http://www.bikeproject.org/ New Orleans Community Bike Project (AKA Plan B) is open Monday 2-6,Thursday 4-8 and Saturday 2-6. Women and Transgendered on most Tuesdays 2-6. Plan B is a community-run bike project that functions as an open workspace for bicycle repair. The workspace makes an array of professional bike tools available for use to the public for free while volunteers offer free help in bike repair. The bike shop makes parts available at low cost or for small donations. All of the proceeds from parts sales are used to keep the project running. Bicycles in various states of disrepair are available for buildup with a final price between $25-$100 depending on quality and the work you've put in. Work-trade is available at $5/hr.
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There a few spread out in LA which is nice because a lot of people in the city has access to one.
http://www.bikerowave.org/ Just be aware that Tuesdays are "Ladies Night" so no men are allowed. http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/ http://bikeoven.com/ http://www.valleybikery.com/ The Bikerowave and Bicycle Kitchen are located across the street from LA Brakeless and Orange 20, respectively. The Bicycle Kitchen is a great place if you have very little money because they do not require you to pay for anything, but that's no reason to get greedy. Bikerowave has an agreement with Santa Monica College for stand time. If you are currently a student mention it when you log your time because SMC pays for your stand time. I don't really know anything about the Valley Bikery or Bike Oven. |
Good Life Bikes located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a not for profit bicycle co-op which is open 7 days a week.
They offer free access to the shop space, including all of the tools required to perform repairs and even assistance from experienced bicycle mechanics. The shop is primarily funded through donations of time, money, and bicycles - which are repaired and used as fundraising. The Good Life operates 2 workshops a week, ranging from basic bicycle tune ups to wheel building and suspension maintenance. The shop is located in Eau Claire market, downtown. Further information about the Good Life can be found at http://goodlifebikes.ca ! |
Des Moines Bike Collective
http://dsmbikecollective.org/sites/w...DSC_0002_h.jpg Located at 617 Grand in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, USA -- across the street from the Ruan Center. The Marriott Hotel is 1/2-block west. Phone (515) 288-8022 617 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50309 Activities: * recycle and refurbish good used bikes; provide good used and limited new parts * conduct classes in bicycle maintenance and repair; bicycle safety and training (outreach to K-12 schools, youth organizations, businesses, other public and private organizations) * provide good used bicycles available for long-term loan or purchase * distribute trail maps and information about downtown attractions * promote cycling as viable, healthy transportation; increasing numbers of bicycle commuters; getting bicycles into the hands of people who need and will use them * advocate to make Des Moines and the metro area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly * provide training and mentoring of youth in bicycle safety, etiquette, and maintenance; partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa cycling program to share access to shop and equipment * organize bicycle tune-up clinics for YMCA adult residents and Homes of Oakridge youth and families and provide information and education about bicycle maintenance and safe riding * through a partnership with Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services, provide bicycles for Des Moines refugees * provide bicycles for youth residents at the Youth Homes of Mid-America * provide part-time employment for appropriate youth and adults * organize Bike to Work Week (May 2009) |
West Town Bikes
2459 W. Division Street Chicago, IL 773-772-4870 West Town Bikes is a community bicycle learning workshop. WTB offers bicycle mechanics workshops, youth programs and special events to members of the community. WTB is also used as a creative workspace for special bicycle building, utilitarian human powered design, kinetic art, advocacy projects and all sorts of constructive creation. The overreaching goals of West Town Bikes are to promote bicycling in the city of Chicago, to educate youth with a focus on under-served populations, and to foster and serve Chicago's growing bicycling community. While maintaining headquarters and a workspace in Chicago's West Town neighborhood, WTB has become a city-wide service provider for youth programs in the city of Chicago. YOUTH PROGRAMS West Town Bikes had its start in 2004 through the flagship youth program BickerBikes. This earn-a-bike summer program teaches bicycle mechanics in conjunction with safe cycling skills. All of our youth program focus on teaching young men and women independence, professional skills, environmental stewardship and the importance of exercise and good nutrition. Visit the Youth Programs page to learn more about our Youth Programs. If you are interested in starting a youth bike program in your community please contact us. Donate to West Town Bikes to help support our youth programs. ADULT PROGRAMS In 2005, West Town Bikes introduced adult programming. We now offer classes that are open to the public everyday of the week, serving an estimated 2,000 cyclists a year. We offer a variety of classes for Chicagoans, from basic maintenance to advanced shop and wheel building. Our classes not only introduce students to a professional workshop and techniques but also encourage safe riding, support bicycle commuting, and alternative transportation advocacy for a variety of Chicagoans. Adult classes also allow WTB to grow support, advocates and identify future teachers. Visit our calendar to find out more |
There is the all-volunteer Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen ( http://sacbikekitchen.org/ ) at 1915 I Street in Sacramento. It is a bike shop where you can get help (space, use of tools, help, some materials) fixing up your bike. You can go in when they are open (which is often in the evening), you can use the tools, and folks will help/ teach you how to fix your bike. When I went in, there was a $5 dollar charge for the day. There are also periodic classes, and occasionally donated bikes for sale. I bought a fun, classic red cruiser for $40 there. The people were friendly and helpful.
I am aware of the Davis Bike Collective, or Bike Forth, http://www.davisbikecollective.org/ , http://daviswiki.org/Davis_Bike_Collective , at 1221 1/2 4th Street, in Davis, CA, but have never been there. It seems to be run on pretty much the same lines. It was previously called the Davis Bike Church, and I think the core volunteers still have churchy-sounding names, like ministry. There was a Arcata Bike Library in Arcata, California (http://www.arcata.com/greenbikes/ ). While I was living there, an Arcata resident could borrow a ridable (or nearly so) bicycle, (donated and mostly fixed up by volunteers), for six months for a $20 deposit. You could get your deposit back when you returned your bike, or, if you wished, donate the amount of the deposit. It was on 8th St, but last time I was in Arcata that location was closed. According to this person, http://www.humboldtliving.com/articl...?article_id=20 , it reopened closer to 12th and L St. However, it doesn't sound like it is up to its former level of glory and functionality. |
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http://freeridepgh.org/
214 N. Lexington St. Pittsburgh, PA 15208 412.731.4094 freeride@bike-pgh.org "Free Ride is not a traditional repair shop, where you drop off a bike and someone fixes it, but a bicycle educational facility. There is that old saying “if you give a person a fish they will eat for one day but if you teach them how to fish they will eat for a lifetime.” That is our basic philosophy at Free Ride!" Tues (volunteer night) 6:30pm – 9:30pm Wed*, Thurs 6pm – 10pm Saturday 1pm – 5pm *Open 2nd & 4th Wed only, to women & transgender folks |
Does anyone know of a collective in El Prado NM?
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Originally Posted by hairnet
(Post 9563788)
There a few spread out in LA which is nice because a lot of people in the city has access to one.
http://www.bikerowave.org/ Just be aware that Tuesdays are "Ladies Night" so no men are allowed. http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/ http://bikeoven.com/ http://www.valleybikery.com/ The Bikerowave and Bicycle Kitchen are located across the street from LA Brakeless and Orange 20, respectively. The Bicycle Kitchen is a great place if you have very little money because they do not require you to pay for anything, but that's no reason to get greedy. Bikerowave has an agreement with Santa Monica College for stand time. If you are currently a student mention it when you log your time because SMC pays for your stand time. I don't really know anything about the Valley Bikery or Bike Oven. http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/...n-los-angeles/ |
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I love the idea of the bike co-ops and collectives. How would one go about starting one? Yes I know a very broad question. I live in a small college town - 40,000 people, junior college has about 5000 students. Very non-progressive community. 1 bike shop in town and the only place to get a used bike is at the many pawn shops around. That is if you want a x-mart bike with questionable ownership. As far as supporting bike commuters - there really is nothing. Once a year they have a "bike to work day" where folks dust off their bikes and pedal down to the bank for a free breakfast and to get their picture in the paper. After that, nothing. My wife and I commute by bike, and that's about it.
Maybe a bike co-op is a lost cause on this community. |
In Phila, we have Neighborhood Bike Works: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/ They have "bike church" where you can use their shop for free and they'll help you use their tools to fix your bike. They have a bunch of other programs that I'm less familiar with.
There's also a bike shop that's a "co-op", but I don't know if it's in the same sense: http://www.firehousebicycles.com/ |
Bloomington Community Bike Project:
http://www.bloomington.in.us/~bikeproj/index.html Thought I doubt this matters much, there are a few that run it that are...ummm...bohemian, we'll say. The cops know this and will cruise by occasionally. If you dont' like cops, stay away, but if you like to watch stoners scatter like cockroaches with the light on, it's a good time. |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Community Bicycle Network (101-761 Queen St. West, west of Bathurst) http://www.communitybicyclenetwork.org
Bike Pirates (1292 Bloor St. West, east of Lansdowne) http://www.bikepirates.com
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