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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.

Join over 900 like minded individuals from over 500 similar organizations across the world on The Think Tank email list.

The Bike Collective Network also provides support for individuals and groups hoping to host an iteration of the ongoing Bike!Bike! conference series.

Volunteering for this community of communities

We are a volunteer-run non-hierarchical consensus-based community. Perks include (but are not limited to)

• Great company
• The opportunity to pursue your skills and interests, to learn, and to grow.
• You make the wheels go 'round, so please assign yourself whatever title is appropriate if you need it for e.g. a resume.
• Please also reach out to someone if you need a letter of reference. We have a nice template in the shared drive that can be edited to describe the work you do.

Contributing to the Wiki

This wiki is here to help bike collectives collaborate and share ideas. Whether you are an advocate, mechanic, or just someone who likes to ride, anyone can freely edit the content of this site. A history of all changes ensures that nothing is lost.

See FAQ about contributing to this wiki.

Lists of Community Bike Organizations

• Community Bicycle Organizations
• Social bike rides
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advocacy Organizations
• Related Organizations / "Cousins" including Tool Libraries, Repair Cafes

What is a Community Bicycle Organization (CBO)?

Community Bicycle Organizations take many forms. Organizations that operate as a Community Bike Shop are the primary focus of this wiki. This kind of organization generally provides bicycle tools, parts, used bikes and mechanical expertise to the public. This is distinct from organizations that focus primarily on Bicycle Advocacy, Group Rides, or other facets of bicycling.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at CBOs

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is an important element of the community bicycle organization culture promoted by Bike Collectives. We place these considerations at the heart of every decision, even when DEIB initially appears unrelated to the decision at hand. Please take advantage of the following resources that can help inform your organization's approach to DEIB topics:

1. Language Justice
2. Social Justice
   • Patriarchy and Bicycle Repair
   • Safer Space
   • Women and Trans Programs
3. More info about DEIB below

Common Activities of CBOs

Charitable & Community Programs

• Earn-a-Bike: Programs that allow people to literally earn a bike through learning or volunteer work, sometimes focused exclusively on youth.
  • Examples:
    • Earn-A-Bike Training Manual by Bikes Not Bombs
    • One Revolution at a Time by Recycle-a-Bicycle
    • Tools for Life by Recycle-a-Bicycle
    • Community Cycles Youth Earn-A-Bike Curriculum
• Helmet Distribution
• Women and Trans Night: Encouraging more women and trans people to get involved and learn in a comfortable space.
• Bike and Part Donations: acquisition, sorting and re-sale.

Educational Programs

• Maintenance Classes, with related Teaching Resources
  • Park Tool has a nicely pre-packaged program called the Park Tool School.
• Safety Education: The League of American Bicyclists has a nicely pre-packaged program called Smart Cycling which includes a Bike Rodeo Kit.
• Proper Bike Fit

Advocacy

• Bicycle Advocacy: Many Community Bicycle Organizations concentrate on the grass roots elements of educating and getting people on bikes. Some CBOs, or at least some of their members, are also involved in traditional Bicycle Advocacy alongside dedicated bicycle, pedestrian, and non-motorized transit advocacy organizations.

Further Program Offerings

• Bicycle Art: Following Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle old bikes and parts are turned into works of art.
• Valet Bike Parking: Providing corralled areas where volunteers watch your bike while you enjoy an event.
• Commercial Bike Racks: Providing outdoor bike racks and installation local businesses and cities.

Community Bicycle Organization Starter Kits

Just starting out? Looking to expand? Before you do anything crazy, start planning! Set clear goals and the path to meeting those goals will also become clear. Follow hundreds of similar organizations by using and contributing to these free online resources...

En Español: Suggestions for starting your own community bike shop (in Spanish): http://lafabricicleta.blogspot.com/p/un-taller-en-tu-barrio.html

1. Starting a Community Bike Shop
   • Over 300 examples of Community Bicycle Organizations and International Bicycle Aid Organizations.
2. Organizational Models
3. Legal Filings

Further Considerations for Starting & Operating a CBO

Administration

1. Staffing
2. Volunteers
3. Rules
   • Volunteer Handbooks
4. Hours
5. Fundraising
6. Capital Improvement Plans
7. Software
8. Accounting
9. Insurance
10. Publicity

Bike-Shop Specifics

1. Shop Location
2. Shop Layout
3. Shop Organization
4. Shop Manual
5. Shop Recycling
6. Tool lists

Academic Publications about Community Bicycle Organizations

There is a maintained list at https://bikeworkshopsresearch.wordpress.com/publications/

Conferences/Gatherings

Bike!Bike!

Bike!Bike! West 2026 is a regional conference of nonprofit bike collectives and other bicycle projects. The next Bike!Bike! will be in Oakland, California from June 11-14, 2026. (Bike!Bike! West 2026)

Youth Bike Summit

• Youth Bike Summit is organized by Recycle-a-Bicycle in New York City every year.

Past Conferences

• Many past workshops are posted on here on archive.org.
• Previous Bike!Bike! Events with Details (2013 events and later)
• Bike!Bike! Everywhere! is a virtual, international Bike!Bike! online.
  • Note: there were some workshops whose recordings failed or were randomly lost, and some that weren't recorded.

Getting Involved with Conferences

• Bike!Bike! Everywhere! Volunteer Roles
• B!B!E! Meetings and minutes

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

We constantly strive to do better at Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. When volunteering, please keep that in mind. Some specific strategies include:

• Make Space / Take Space
  • Make Space for newer volunteers and people from marginalized communities. Sometimes this may involve taking a back seat and/or letting go of responsibilities you would otherwise take on.
  • Take Space to share your perspective - especially if it is underrepresented here - and to make your needs known.
• Be conscious of your power and privilege.
  • Have you historically been in some sort of leadership role in the bike collectives community?
  • Are you in a position of relative social privilege?
  • This community has historically been very US-centric.
  • Bike collectives, like the broader US cycling community, often skew white, male, and abled.
• If you are in a position of relative power or privilege, try to center other voices.
  • Make space
  • Mentor or support new volunteers
  • Make introductions - connect new volunteers with others who can support them
  • Ensure that everyone can participate in conversations

We are all learning these things together. Please try to be as kind and patient with each other as you can, and also bring up issues and concerns when you notice them so that we know where we need to improve.

Also, the last two bullet points (and sub-points) were written by people in positions of power and privilege so if someone wants to add some points from the perspective of the "take space" component, that would be awesome.