Bikes Together

Bikes Together is a nonprofit organization that offers a full-service bike shop, community workspace, mechanic classes, and various in-shop and offsite charitable programs in the metropolitan area of Denver, Colorado.

The organization prioritizes inclusivity, especially among populations historically excluded from cycling culture, including women, transgender & femme people of all races, and Black, Indigenous and People of Color of all genders. Bikes Together also prioritizes sustainability by refurbishing donated bicycles; offering an extensive selection of used parts for purchase at pay-what-you-can rates; providing knowledge, tools, and space to repair patron's bicycles; and recycling any bicycles and components that cannot be otherwise re-used.

Bikes Together

Website	https://www.bikestogether.org
Email	info@bikestogether.org
Founded	2008
Location	Denver, Colorado, United States
Language	English
Services Offered	DIY Repair Services Pay Repair Services Mobile Repair Services Bicycle Courses Women and Trans Programs Free Repair Services
Mission Statement	Bikes Together uses recycled bicycles as a vehicle for equitable social change; collective and individual wellness; education and empowerment; and connection.
Phone	(720) 403-8757
Other Contact Info	https://www.facebook.com/BikesTogether, https://www.instagram.com/bikes.together/

Programs

The headline programs offered at Bikes Together include the following:

• Learn & Repair (formerly Fix-Your-Bike): Learn & Repair sessions are open to anyone regardless of mechanical knowledge and are designed to help the participant learn about their bike, diagnose common or complex issues, and make repairs at low or no cost. Participants work with a mechanic to perform repairs, and may receive help to select components from the shop's inventory of used and new parts, if needed.
• Bike Repair Clinics (formerly Mobile Repair Clinics): these sessions offer a similar experience to Learn & Repair, but take place in an off-site location. Availability of used parts is limited, and the repair options focus on minor tune-ups. Participants with more intensive bike repair needs will be referred to the in-shop Learn & Repair appointments.
• Gender Equality Mechanics (GEM) Night: Gender Equality Mechanics (GEM) Night features open shop hours designated specifically for folks who are marginalized by bike culture due to their gender. This definition is meant to be expansive and includes (but not limited to) women, trans folks of all identities, girls, gender-non-conforming folks, two spirit and femmes of all stripes. Participants are invited to attend these sessions to work on bikes in a shop full of other women, girls, and trans folks!
• Mechanics Classes: Bikes Together offers a 4-part Mechanic Series, taught by experienced mechanics and talented instructors. Scholarships are available in most cases: students can inquire using a form on the Bikes Together website. Bikes Together occasionally offers specific classes for certain populations, including a womens/trans/femme/nonbinary course under the GEM banner, and a class for BIPOC students.

Retail & Bike Shop Services

In addition to the programs listed above, Bikes Together operates a more traditional bike shop, with new components and refurbished bikes available for sale, as well as repair services available at market rates.

• Refurbished bikes: Bikes Together stocks a large inventory of professionally refurbished, used bikes for sale. These bikes are sold with a limited warranty and are available at a variety of price points. The best way to review inventory is to visit the shop, although some bikes are photographed and listed on the Bikes Together website.

• Repair services: Bikes Together offers drop-off or while-you-wait service on customer bikes. Turnaround time on bike repairs is based on staff availability and complexity of the repair.
• Project bikes: If customers are working on a more limited budget, or want to use their bike purchase as an opportunity to learn or practice repair skills, Bikes Together offers as-is "project bikes" for sale at a donation-based rate. These bikes are inspected for safety before being offered for sale, and come with a basic diagnostic checklist of known problems.

Organizational History

Park Hill Bike Club

In the mid-1990s, a group of residents created the Park Hill Bike Club in the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. These residents wanted to use bicycles to create alternatives to youth gang involvement and substance misuse while promoting a culture of friendship, mutual respect, and diversity. The club offered recreational, educational, and employment opportunities for youth. In 2005, LiveWell Colorado's Park Hill Thriving Communities grant program began exploring opportunities to lessen the health disparities that existed in Park Hill and identified the Bike Club concept as a pathway to effect positive change in the neighborhood.

Park Hill Bike Depot

The Park Hill Bike Depot (PHBD) was officially established in 2008, as a result of the LiveWell grant program and a community of volunteers working to promote active, healthy lifestyles among residents of the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver. The organization formed as a nonprofit and officially gained tax-exempt status in 2009. The shop operated at 2825 Fairfax Avenue. This location later closed to the public in 2020.

Bikes Together

In 2015, the organization expanded its reach into the Lincoln/La Alma neighborhood in Denver. To better communicate the organization's growing footprint outside of the Park Hill neighborhood, PHBD rebranded itself as Bikes Together. The new shop in Lincoln/La Alma began operations at 1060 Osage Street in 2015, and the Park Hill shop was rebranded as Bikes Together and operated until its closure to the public in 2020.