Bike Collective Network

The mission of the Bike Collective Network is to strengthen and encourage communication and resource sharing between existing and future community bike shops. Collectively we can improve a bigger wheel as opposed to re-inventing smaller ones.

The Bike Collective Network was created as a result of Bike!Bike! ideas and the demands of Bike Collectives.  The goal is to help Bike Collectives communicate and through that sharing allow them to improve a bigger wheel as opposed to re-inventing smaller ones.

What is a community bike shop?

In compiling these pages, these are some of the criteria that we looked for:

—Non-profit bicycle organizations
—Bike shops that are accessible to people without money
—Shops that have an educational focus, teaching others how to fix bikes
—Shops that are volunteer run
—Organizations that ship bikes to communities suffering from first world colonialism & its effects
—Shops that provide free or low-cost services to the community
—Organizations that recycle bicycles and parts

Who put this together and Why?

Every spring, starting in 2004, a different community bike program has organized a conference called "BikeBike!", which brings together volunteers and staff from non-pro.t community-oriented bicycle repair and bicycle recycling projects from around the US and Canada. The conference in 2004 was held at Plan B in New Orleans, and 2005.s conference took place in Tucson at BICAS.

It was at this year's conference that the participants expressed a need to have a better directory of bike projects to encourage communication, skill-sharing, and comraderie between good people doing good things.