Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange

Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (BikeX)
Website	http://www.bikex.org
Email	info@bikex.org
Founded	1993
Location	Palo Alto, California, USA
Language	English;
Services Offered	DIY Repair Services; Pay Repair Services; Women and Trans Programs;
Mission Statement	Serving the community while inspiring people to learn the art of bicycle repair.
Phone	(650)691-5989

Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is a non-profit community organization in the California Bay Area that refurbishes and donates bikes to children and others in our community who need them. In operation for over 26 years, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange, also known as BikeX, has taught hundreds of volunteers the art of repairing bikes. We also sell used bikes and new and used parts and accessories. The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity.

Hours of Operation

As of February 2020, SVBE workdays are:

2nd and 4th Saturday, 10am - 3pm
First Sunday, 10am - 3pm
Every Wednesday, 10am - 3pm
1st and 3rd Monday, 7pm - 9pm (Women only)

Hours are subject to change. Updated information can be found on the SVBE Calendar

Contact Info

Website: https://www.bikex.org

Location/Mailing Address: 3961 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA

Email: info@bikex.org

History

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (SVBE) began in 1993 repairing bicycles for clients of the Mountain View Community Services Agency (MVCSA). With donations from Xerox Corp., the SVBE began renting a small workshop at 2566 Leghorn Street in Mountain View and set up a workshop and regular volunteer workday events to receive and repair used bicycles. Over the next 14 years, the program repaired and donated bicycles and helmets to low-income individuals through its partnership with MVCSA. In 2007, the SVBE became a program of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. In 2014 the SVBE was granted IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status and began operating as a separate entity.

The SVBE has developed partnerships to donate bicycles and helmets to more than a dozen organizations throughout Silicon Valley, California; these organizations include social service organizations such as Sunday Friends, the Bill Wilson Center, the Sunnyvale Community Services Agency, and Samaritan House. Currently, the SVBE also donates bikes to the Menlo Park Veteran’s Administration Hospital and supports the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Safe Routes to School Program by donating bicycles for its skills training classes.

Throughout its operation, the SVBE has maintained a strong educational component, teaching bicycle repair skills to hundreds of volunteers while refurbishing bikes to donate to charity. The SVBE accepts volunteers on a walk-in basis and also hosts volunteer groups from a range of service organizations such as Hands-on Bay Area and Young Men's Service League at nearly every workday. In 2012, the SVBE also began organizing bicycle safety classes for bicycle recipients. In 2014, the SVBE launched a Bicycle Exchange program in Santa Cruz. As of 2014, the SVBE has donated over 3700 bicycles to over a dozen regional non-profit social service agencies and governmental entities.

In 2019, Bicycle Exchange moved to a new temporary workspace at 3961 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto.

Services Offered

SVBE and its volunteers refurbish and donate bikes through local partner social service organizations to individuals in the community who need them most. SVBE holds regular workdays, as well as hosts corporate bike repair events.

SVBE also sells a portion of refurbished adult bikes at workdays and bi-annual bike sales. We also have a nice selection of affordable new and used parts and accessories including lights, locks, helmets and flat tire essentials.