Our Mission: Serving the community while
inspiring people to learn the art of bicycle repair.
Quick Answers
Location: 2566 Leghorn St. Mountain View, CA MAP
Volunteer workdays are 10am to 3pm on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of January-October. See the event calendar for November and December volunteer days.
Donate bicycles and parts after 11am during our volunteer workdays.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is a Section 501c(3) non-profit organization.
Info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More Contact info
What's New
Volunteer of the Month: Rebecca
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 July 2018 01 July 2018
Rebecca has been volunteering at the bicycle exchange for about 3 years - you will usually see her at the registration table helping volunteers, donors, and people who want to purchase bikes.
She works for the Veterans Administration as a Recreation Therapist and learned about the Bicycle Exchange through Jack, one of the founders, when he was donating bikes to the VA. Not only does she herself volunteer, but she coordinates volunteers from the VA. Volunteering gives veterans who have an interest in mechanics and want to be of service a good forum for practice and learning new skills.
Help Us Find a New Home
- Details
- Written by Jack Miller Jack Miller
- Published: 01 June 2018 01 June 2018
Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange: Relocation Needs
Situation
For 25 years, the non-profit Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange has been repairing used bicycles and donating them to social service agencies for their clients. A property situation may now require us to find a new home. We need an operating space (details within) to support our skill-sharing alternate-Saturday volunteer events. We're open to shared-use facilities (business, school, church etc.)
Contact Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (650) 691-5989.
What’s Needed
An operating space, available by July 2018. This could be a parking lot, or raw land, or unused garage or workshop space. SVBE has resources to procure and erect workshop and storage facilities as needed.
Click to watch 3-minute local news video
about the Bicycle Exchange
Space Needs
Currently Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (SVBE) has 2,500 sq. ft. of workshop, shipping container, and tented storage space behind an automotive garage, expanding into an additional 3000 sq. ft. of back parking lot to host 50-100 volunteers during weekend volunteer events.
Rental Objectives
An ideal future landlord has a shared interest in community service and education, and can provide space at below market rates. With a long-term lease, SVBE can invest in infrastructure including work and storage spaces. SVBE wants to hear from property owners, schools, churches, or businesses who have such space. Space used by SVBE may be exempt from property tax.
Volunteer of the Month: Maggie
- Details
- Written by Johnny Johnny
- Published: 31 May 2018 31 May 2018
May 5th was our semiannual bike sale and it was a smashing success. People lined up at the gate when we opened and a steady stream of buyers scored fantastic deals. One of them, Maggie M, was a latecomer and I was not sure we had anything left that she would be interested in, but she took a liking to a pretty yellow number and with a few adjustments it fit her like a glove. Maggie is a recent newcomer to Shangri-La, having escaped the mean streets of Detroit Michigan to work as an attorney for a local tech company. Although she rode with friends and family as a kid, it has been 10 years since she has been on a bike. She wants to get back into cycling and take advantage of our California sunshine and beautiful snow-free scenery. After hearing about what we do she is eager to volunteer with us. Welcome to California Maggie.
Open Volunteer Positions
- Details
- Written by Carol Mattsson Carol Mattsson
- Published: 16 May 2018 16 May 2018
Bicycle Exchange has several open volunteer positions. In many of these positions you'd be part of a small team to share the responsibilities. To learn more or to volunteer, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:
- Inner tube patching
- Craigslist sales
- Grant writing
- Contracting
- Annual analysis report
- Corporate event organizer
- Workday manager
- Receipt uploader
- Workday QA
- Board Member with finance, legal and accounting experience
- Front desk (see article elsewhere on this page)
Call for Front Desk Volunteer
- Details
- Written by Carol Mattsson Carol Mattsson
- Published: 14 May 2018 14 May 2018
Bicycle Exchange would like another person or two to join the front desk team.
The Front Desk role is perfect for someone who is enthusiastic about getting bikes repaired but prefers tasks that have a more predictable result. The main task is to accept donations of bicycles throughout the workday, so our donors feel appreciated and our volunteer mechanics can stay focused on their projects. Other duties include:
- Help volunteers sign in at the beginning of the workday
- Recruit a volunteer to collect lunch money and fetch the pizza
- Record the occasional sale of a bicycle or a part
- Greet other visitors to the workday and answer questions or introduce the visitor to someone who can help
Volunteer of the Month: Adam
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 04 May 2018 04 May 2018
Adam was born and raised here in Silicon Valley. He started volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange during the summers when he was in college - about 3 years ago. He enjoys fixing all of the bikes but especially likes the tall bikes because they are easier to test-ride. He's almost 6'5", so him test-riding the kids' bikes is comical. Adam has the patience for fine tuning derailleurs until they shift perfectly and truing wheels. He really enjoys helping the newer volunteers to fix the bikes and learn new skills. He says feel free to ask him for help.
His favorite bike to ride is a road bike that used to be his dad's - a Bianchi that is older than he is. When not volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange or working, Adam enjoys Magic: The Gathering card and board games.
Volunteer of the Month: Lucy
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 05 April 2018 05 April 2018
Lucy has been volunteering with the Bike Exchange for 3-4 years and is the person to go to if you need help with adjusting brakes or truing wheels. Her favorite ride is a Trek road bike which she rides 100 miles a week for exercise and running errands between our local cities. She grew up here in the Bay Area and worked as an electrical engineer until she retired. Lucy volunteers in environmental education in the local K-8 schools teaching a garden-based curriculum. She also enjoys traveling internationally, recently from a cruise starting here and going down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Volunteer of the Month: Greg
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 March 2018 01 March 2018
Greg has been volunteering with the Bicycle Exchange for about a year and provides a lot of guidance to new volunteers (especially since recovering from an ice hockey injury). He loves to work on the kids bikes because he knows that it is going to go to someone who really appreciates it and will smile. He also enjoys working on the bigger bikes because they are more complex. Another challenge is working on derailleurs and getting them to shift smoothly, Greg looks forward to working on hydraulic brake systems. Formerly a Chemical Engineering professor at San Jose State, he enjoys hiking, surfing, rock climbing, camping, playing ice hockey, and riding bikes - mostly around the neighborhood and on errands.
Volunteer of the Month: Gordon
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 02 February 2018 02 February 2018
Gordon and I have known each other since I first started volunteering at the Bike Exchange about 5 years ago. I have known him as a quiet, somewhat reserved individual who is always there when something needs to be done and is a dedicated member of the team. He serves on the board of directors and, among other things, is our designated eBay seller and sale bike Pricer. As he frequently says, “we have fun and we make the world a better place”.
There is much more to this remarkable man though..
Born in Southern California, Gordon has had a lifelong association with bicycles. During high school he was an avid cyclist, often riding 30 miles to the beach with his friends. In 1978, with the LA Wheelmen, he did a double century (200 miles) ride in record time. When he came north to attend UC Berkeley, he became a founding member of the Berkeley Bike Club. Over the years he has done extensive touring, including from Portland, Oregon to Washington, D.C. on the Trans-America Bike Trail.
Volunteer of the Month: Doug
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 January 2018 01 January 2018
Doug has been volunteering for the Bicycle Exchange for over 15 years. He often works behind the scenes checking our inventory of bike parts and purchasing parts from different suppliers to keep what we need on hand to fix the bikes. You'll also see him fixing bikes on our workdays and sometimes doing checkout in a yellow vest. Doug likes to ride his Rivendell road bike and has another for camping, packing his tent, sleeping bag, etc... in panniers and hitting the road for the northern coast. He also builds bikes on his own for friends who have a hard time finding bikes small enough to fit well. And his talents extend to making guitars. He currently making one of walnut, African blackwood, cherry, lapis, and turquoise. Next time you see him at the Bicycle Exchange, ask to see his photos - you will be amazed at how he takes pieces of wood and materials to form such a beautiful instrument.
Volunteers of the Month - Taiwanese American Professionals
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 29 November 2017 29 November 2017
What a great bunch of volunteers! Jessica Ken and her horde of 20 volunteers from the Taiwanese American Professionals group descended on our humble facility once again to help us fix bikes. They volunteer twice a year as part of their commitment to community service. “TAP has been around forever,” she remarked, with a commitment to professional development, community service, and building community. They also like having fun, and helping us with bike fixing fits right in with their program.
Read more: Volunteers of the Month - Taiwanese American Professionals
Volunteer of the Month: Rao
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 05 November 2017 05 November 2017
Looking around for my next person to interview I couldn’t help noticing Rao hard at work on a bike. He has been volunteering since April this year at the Bike Exchange.
A resident of Palo Alto, he is a member of the Western Wheelers cycling club, a group favored by many here.
He originally started riding bikes back in 1982 to meet people and rides his Cannondale around town frequently. On weekends you will find him in the saddle doing 50 mile rides. He loves his Trek 1200 best though.
Volunteer of the month: Rachel
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 October 2017 01 October 2017
Rachel started volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange in May and is excited to earn her work apron on her fifth volunteer day soon. She enjoys working on the adult bikes because she learns repair techniques that she can apply to her own bike. Her specialty is tuning the derailleurs. The one thing she wished she could do is turn the spokes the right way the first time when truing a wheel! She enjoys ballroom and contra dancing. As a southern California native, she enjoyed a white Christmas last year while spending the holidays in North Pole, Alaska. She took a side trip above the arctic circle where the sun does not crest the horizon for 4 months during the year.
Volunteer of the Month: Cap'n Jonny
- Details
- Written by Cap'n Jonny Cap'n Jonny
- Published: 31 August 2017 31 August 2017
Your ace reporter fell off his bike (in front of his house standing still) and broke his hip earlier this August and has been mostly house bound so has not been able to interview anyone for September’s Person of the month.
So instead, I am interviewing myself.
I grew up at a time when English racers were exotic. My gang all rode heavy weight single speed balloon tired Huffy’s and Schwinn’s. My first 10 speed was a 1962 Flandria that some kid bought and didn’t like. I was 14 years old and that candy orange beauty was my pride and joy. I kept it in my room so I could gaze on it every night before I went to sleep. I rode it everywhere.
Volunteer of the month: Calvin
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 August 2017 01 August 2017
Calvin started working at the bicycle exchange in 2014 and was promoted to QA about 6 months ago, so you'll see him wearing the yellow/green vest making sure that bikes are fixed to the specifications before donation. He found the Bicycle Exchange as he was looking for bike parts on Yelp to fix his own bike. Calvin finds truing wheels some of the hardest work on a bike, but also the most satisfying when done right. He grew up in Connecticut then Minnesota and went to college in Atlanta before coming to Stanford for graduate school in Biology. Calvin also enjoys making videos, taking photos, and cooking.
Volunteers of the Month: Kim & Jeff
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 July 2017 01 July 2017
Today we meet up with Kim and his son Jeff. Kim introduced his other son Alex to the Bike Exchange some time ago and figured that his son Jeff could also benefit from the experience, so today they are here with us working together on a bike. He and Jeff both enjoy riding their mountain bikes around the neighborhood in the Los Altos/Mountain View area, for exercise.
Volunteer of the Month: Mark A
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 June 2017 01 June 2017
Usually, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (SVBE) donates quantities of bikes to our partner agencies, not knowing the stories of the people who actually get them. Most of our volunteers don't get to see their hard work in action. On rare occasions, an agency will refer a specific individual or family for bikes. In this instance, a family of six needed transportation – bicycles for all. Due to prior commitments, SVBE didn’t have extra bikes for them.
Mark A., a hands-on volunteer mechanic for SVBE, who usually takes home a steady stream of bikes to work on for SVBE, had a good idea of what they needed and asked them to come back in two weeks. Mark then took a few bikes home with him and fixed them up before the next workday.
Volunteer of the Month: Patrick S
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 03 May 2017 03 May 2017
Patrick is a true coastie, born in beautiful San Luis Obispo, California. His family moved to Livermore in 1953, where he grew up in what then was a beautiful rural part of California with miles of cattle ranches and not so many people.
Like many others he served in Vietnam. In his case it was flying helicopters for the army from 1971 to 1972. Returning after his tour, he enrolled at San Jose State and got a degree in Geology and then went to work for the U.S.G.S. He later moved to Mountain View where he worked for defense contractor Watkins/Johnson and eventually became a manufacturer's representative in electronics sales.
Volunteer of the Month: Dave Z
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 April 2017 01 April 2017
Dave Z has been working at the Bicycle Exchange for 2 years fixing bikes. You may see him riding around on his Rivendell road bike - he's logged 100,000 miles on it. He used to go on bike tours through France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, but his favorite was New Zealand. He feels like he learns a lot by working on so many different kinds of bikes through the Bicycle Exchange. He's a native to the area, born in the east bay in a city called Alvarado which is now Union City. Dave is a retired electrical engineer and is a curious sort who likes to read all kinds of books. He also enjoys photography and riding with and editing for the Western Wheelers bike club.