Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange Has Moved

This guest blog was written by Jack Miller, Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange program manager. Got an idea for a guest blog? Email Jessica at jessica@bikesiliconvalley.org.

After 25 years of operating at our Mountain View location, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (SVBE) has moved into a terrific but temporary 6700 square foot building in Palo Alto leased through the generosity of Google LLC. The new location provides tremendous new potential for extending our offerings. Our facilities now have a classroom style bike repair setting with six workbenches and 24 repair stands, each with a professional set of tools and a parts inventory close at hand. The facility is available for both daytime and evening operations. The new facility opens up the possibility of many more volunteer repair sessions as well as a range of bicycle maintenance and repair classes. Additional floor space offers the potential for other classes.

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange began as a program of the Mountain View Community Services Agency and then operated for several years under the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. It incorporated in 2013 and now processes around 900 bicycles each year. More than a thousand unique volunteers from a wide range of organizations and backgrounds learn mechanical principles and skills while repairing bicycles to donate to over a dozen non-profit agencies in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. SVBE is largely self-funded through the sales of specialty adult bicycles less-suited to agency clients.

In addition to regular volunteer workdays on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays each month, corporate groups may schedule weekday team events. SVBE welcomes volunteers of all skill levels and is always looking to recruit additional mechanics of all kinds interested in sharing their skills with others.

Please visit www.bikex.org for volunteer information, scheduling, and history.