Quick Answers

Bicycle Exchange location: 3961 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA MAP.

Interested in volunteering? Explore our event calendar and visit our Eventbrite page to RSVP for upcoming opportunities. New volunteers can find details about our volunteer roles and general information.

Stopping by our shop? Make an appointment to shop for a bicycle or parts, ask us questions about volunteering, drop off a donation, receive service for your bike, or anything else! Shop Hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 12 pm - 5 pm.

Have a bicycle to donate? Donate bicycles and parts by emailing us photos and details of what you have, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We'll let you know if we need your items and get you the drop-off details. Please do not make an appointment to drop off a bicycle without emailing us photos first; we cannot accept all bicycles and parts.

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is a Section 501c(3) non-profit organization.

Have questions? Contact us.

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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and details on what you'd like to donate, and if we have a need (we likely will), we'll let you know when you can drop off your items.

The Bicycle Exchange will gladly accept most bikes and refurbish them to benefit those in need of transportation or sell them to cover operating costs. 

We refurbish donated bikes to ride like new and then provide them to those in need of transportation and independence.
We refurbish donated bikes to ride like new and then provide them to those in need of transportation and independence.

We are happy to accept your donation of complete bicycles, bicycle parts, or bicycle accessories. The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange is a Section 501c(3) non-profit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Please email us a photo of what you'd like to donate and we'll give you details of drop-off times and procedures.

Debating on whether you should fix up that old bike? Often your tax-deductible bike donation makes more financial sense than spending hundreds on repair work and parts. When you drop off your donation, you could also consider buying one of our nice, ready-to-ride refurbished bikes

Most bikes get refurbished and are then donated to our partner charities. Some bikes are sold to fund our repair parts and operations. 

Donation Guidelines

We accept bikes of all types and sizes, from tricycles up to full-sized bicycles for adults. Flat tires and broken or missing parts are no problem, as we have an extensive parts inventory. Our volunteer mechanics can fix almost anything; however, we don't restore paint and we can't reverse corrosion. We do not accept budget department store kids' or adult bikes, because they are problematic.  That is, replacement parts for these bikes are too difficult for our volunteers to find and service.

Before donating your bike, ask yourself:

  • Could an experienced mechanic make this bike functional and safe in one hour or less?
  • Is the bike substantially free of rust and corrosion?
  • Is the bike clean enough that you could offer it as a gift without embarrassment?

If the answers are all "yes" then we'll gladly receive the bike. Please clean up your bike before donating it so we can focus on repairs. We also accept monetary donations.

We refurbish each donated bike to ride like new. We donate 800 bikes a year to the local community.
We refurbish each donated bike to ride like new. We donate 800+ bikes a year to those in need through partner nonprofits in the local community. Help us set a new record in 2020 with your bike or monetary donation.

Each bicycle takes about $40 and several volunteer hours to repair and distribute. A monetary donation to cover these costs is appreciated and will keep the cycle going. You're also welcome to stay and volunteer when donating a bike. You'll learn mechanic skills while having fun and giving back.

While the vast majority of our bikes are donated to those in need of transportation, racing bikes, vintage bikes or mountain bikes are gladly accepted and could help us fund our refurbishing of many additional bikes for our partner nonprofits. 

We do not accept used helmets or cycling shorts. 

For valuable, high-end donations, we might be able to arrange a pick-up.

Where to Donate Your Bike

Donate your used bike or bicycle parts at the Bay Area's Bicycle Exchange in Palo Alto

 

When to Donate Your Bike

Please contact us with a picture and any details about your bike donation. We'll likely take it and give you details of drop-off times. We do not typically do pick-ups, but for large collections or high-value items, we may.

Contact Us

Click here to contact us, if you have any questions regarding your donation.

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