Our Mission: Serving the community while
inspiring people to learn the art of bicycle repair.
Quick Answers
Location: 3961 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, 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
Volunteers of the Month: The Move Crew
- Details
- Written by Jonny Jonny
- Published: 03 January 2019 03 January 2019
On Saturday, Dec. 1st a group got together to sort through our inventory and cull out some of the things that we were never going to use. Then, we packed everything into new crates and hauled it over to the new digs. Some things, like tires, had already left, but there was still tonnage to go through. I worked with 2 other volunteers on derailleurs. One box each for road and mountain bikes, front and rear. Then I went into the warehouse and packed up chain rings, crank arms, and complete assemblies. Some of it was so old the dates were written in Roman numerals.
Outside, everyone was busy sorting and packing and tossing away. Then we stopped for lunch. Lots of folks brought tasty treats and casseroles and we ordered a few pizzas. A sumptuous feast was had by all.
Join us in Palo Alto this month! We hope everyone had a great holiday season.
We Have Moved!
- Details
- Written by Dave Fork Dave Fork
- Published: 04 December 2018 04 December 2018
Starting with our January 2019 events, Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange will now be operating at 3961 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto. Please let your bikin' buddies know that we are no longer at 2566 Leghorn Street in Mountain View.
Our new location is courtesy of a temporary lease from Google. We're grateful for our new temporary home as we continue operations while looking for a permanent home. With much more indoor space, we look forward to experimenting with new methods and new programs. Join us!
Volunteer of the Month: Kim Y
- Details
- Written by Johnny Johnny
- Published: 03 December 2018 03 December 2018
One of the ongoing partnerships we have at the Bike Exchange is with the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto. We regularly donate bikes to the vets and often have some of them visit us on our work days. A while ago I had a long conversation with one of the vets who was working on his high-tech hand-pedaled trike. It was an impressive bit of kit and he was notable as well. Today he was back again helping out and I sat down with him for a chat. Kim Y grew up in Hawaii on the Island of Oahu, joining the Army in 1969 where he served as an Army Ranger until 1991, when a combat injury brought him to the Palo Alto VA hospital. While there he hooked up with the therapy program, which eventually brought him to the Bike Exchange.
He has been using the knowledge gained here to encourage other disabled vets to get into cycling for therapy and fitness. Kim rides his trike twice a week with the San Jose Breakfast Group and says riding helps him overcome the demons of PTSD. Asked if he has any words of wisdom he would like to share, he says “Whatever struggles you are going through in life, try something new to help you see things from a different light.”
His motto: “Laugh, to keep from crying.”
Volunteer of the Month: Tobi
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- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 November 2018 01 November 2018
Tobi has been volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange for about a year. He found out about the organization through the Google website, as an employee. When he chooses a bike to repair, he often picks one that looks cool, but those seem to be the ones with lots of repair challenges. His specialty is fixing the crank/bottom bracket (how the pedals attach to the bike). He's gotten a lot of practice adjusting it so that the pedals turn easily but aren't wobbly.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Tobi moved to California 3 years ago. When not working or fixing bikes, he enjoys working out with weights and playing chess and computer games. He says the most interesting place that he has traveled is India for work - there were lots of people and amazing food.
Bicycle Exchange Finds Temporary Home
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- Written by Carol Mattsson Carol Mattsson
- Published: 01 October 2018 01 October 2018
Bicycle Exchange has found new space in which to continue its operations. Located at 3961 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto, the industrial office space is only a temporary solution, but for now it allows us to continue providing bicycles to the less fortunate. Read more in this article that appeared in the Palo Alto Online September 20.
We expect to continue holding our workdays and receiving donations at our old location, 2566 Leghorn Street in Mountain View, at least through December. Note our last donation workday for 2018 will be December 1, at our Leghorn location.
Volunteer of the Month: Jerry
- Details
- Written by Johnny Johnny
- Published: 30 September 2018 30 September 2018
Jerry, 29, hails from St. Louis originally and like so manyof this country’s best and brightest, he found his waya year ago to our beautiful state, and more specifically, here in Silicon Valley. And, where would you guess he wound up working? Google, of course, where he is a Software Engineer on the Google Maps team.Jerry got an email recommending he check us out, and recently he volunteered with us for the first time. When not working, he loves playing soccer and riding his Norco road bike around our beautiful valley. He has done some 50-milers and wants to do more.
Help Us Find a New Home
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- Written by Jack Miller Jack Miller
- Published: 02 September 2018 02 September 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: Chris
- Details
- Written by Lauren Z. Lauren Z.
- Published: 01 September 2018 01 September 2018
Chris is originally from Wales but moved to the US, first Colorado then California, 14 years ago. He commutes daily to work via bicycle, taking the direct route to work, then the nice Bay Trail and Stevens Creek Trail for the ride home.
He's been volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange for about a year. When choosing a bike to fix, he likes the adult bikes because they are easy to test-ride, but the kids’ bikes are typically easier to repair. While his specialty is fixing tire problems, bent derailleurs are his biggest challenge.
He enjoys running (5K and 10K races) and swimming as well as riding. He loved visiting Paris for the architecture, cafes, and walks. And the most unusual thing that he has done is that he milked a cow in Denmark - ask him about it!
Volunteer of the Month: Eduardo
- Details
- Written by Johnny Johnny
- Published: 31 July 2018 31 July 2018
Today I want you to meet Eduardo. He is one of the veterans we serve who heard of the good work we do from Rebecca, the Veterans Administration Coordinator, and decided to come out and volunteer. Eduardo served 'hardship duty' in the Signal Corps in France from 1960 to 1963. He was a 19-year-old from Texas who had seen little of the world, and he loved it there. Being fluent in Spanish, he had little trouble with the language. A great dancer - especially the Tango - he was the life of the party and never lacked for dance partners.Back in the USA he was a bookkeeper and eventually pursued his dream of opening a Mexican restaurant, using family recipes to the delight of his customers. Eduardo is now retired. He does yoga three times a week. He works with horses and is currently preparing for an 8-day trail ride in Idaho.
His advice to the youngsters: “Keep moving and keep your head held high.”
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.
Open Volunteer Positions
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- Written by Carol Mattsson Carol Mattsson
- Published: 04 June 2018 04 June 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)
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.
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. Volunteer of the Month: Lucy
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- 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.
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
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- 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