SILICON
VALLEY
VALLEY
Bicycle Exchange
Topics about volunteering. See the "Featured Volunteers" category for articles about particular volunteers.
Four volunteers share what keeps them coming back to BikeX — and why a wrench, a kind word and a little elbow grease can change a life.
Twice a month the Bicycle Exchange opens up for women to wrench. This women's only environment gives us a chance to tinker and problem solve. We break down parts of the bike that we are still learning to really understand how things work. Women's Night at SVBE is looking to empower women. First and Third Mondays at 7pm. Join us!
See the event calendar for Women's Night workdays as well as new Wednesday Morning and occasional Friday evening workdays.
Individuals or groups of four or less are welcome to attend any volunteer day on our calendar.
We request larger groups to contact us first to ensure we have sufficient space and mentors available for a productive experience.
We encourage all volunteers, new and returning, to fill out our liability form in advance so we can prepare the most enjoyable and effective events possible.
Can't see the calendar? Allow cookies.
Consider becoming a Bike Repair Mentor. We'd like to have at least four mentors at our regular repair events, and even more at our special events to supervise projects and support volunteers.
All of us together are smarter than any of us alone. Let us know if you'd like to join our Volunteer Vision committee by emailing
Some of us just never get enough bike repair! There’s no need to stop fixing even after our workday events. You can take projects home with you, too! All you need to do is check out the bikes you take home and check them back in when they are returned. To enroll as a homework hero, contact us at
These volunteers work on a fairly regular basis repairing bikes, participating in repair events, and supporting SVBE in a variety of capacities. Core Volunteers receive weekly emails about upcoming events and when we need support staffing public events. There's no exact number of times someone has to attend repair events. If someone volunteers for several events and shows interest in continuing to support us, they can ask to be added to the email list.
SVBE 2025 Volunteer Sign-In Form.Just as you sign in and log your hours when you volunteer at the shop, please log the volunteer hours you contribute off site. Whether you repair homework bikes, balance our books, answer donor emails, post articles to Facebook, maintain our website or anything else, tracking volunteer time helps us to show proper appreciation to our volunteers and can even help us secure funding as a non-profit. You may log more than one day's worth of volunteering at a time.
Have you taken photos or videos from an event with us? Are SVBE photos taking up space on your device? Help us by uploading them here! Your content may be featured on SVBE’s website, publications, print materials, or social media.
Our official SVBE Photo Library is an interactive space where volunteers and community members can share, comment on and “like” photos and videos from our events. We organize images into Google Photos Albums, making it easy to browse and engage with content related to specific events, meetings, and topics like “Teaching Moments” or “Volunteer Profiles.”
To join an album, request access by emailing
Come out and volunteer with us five times or more in a 12-month period and earn yourself an official Bike Exchange hat or shop apron. To redeem your benefit, talk to the friendly folks at the
Volunteers who volunteer with us five times or more in a 12-month period may attend our BYOB days. These are workdays where returning volunteers are welcome to bring their own bicycles to the shop and use Bicycle Exchange's tools to repair their own bikes. We continue to look for skilled mentors, so we hope such volunteers will find BYOB days to be rewarding. For more information please check our calendar.
If you would like to learn more about one of these roles please contact our
We're looking for one or two friendly faces to staff our front desk on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. As our Greeter, you'll play a crucial role in our bicycle repair training events! This is a great opportunity to be at the heart of our community events, meet new people, and contribute to our mission of empowering others through bicycle repair skills!
You will be the first point of contact for new and returning volunteers, and your actions will significantly influence their experience and overall impression of SVBE. A friendly and engaging approach will help volunteers feel welcome and encourage them to return.
Help us rock our events! We’re looking for friendly volunteers to help manage our on and off site bike repair events. This is a great chance to develop your leadership skills while having fun!
Outreach events are important for keeping us in touch with the community and letting the community know about us. Having volunteers run our events makes outreach possible.
Are you excited about bikes and cycling? Do you want to make a difference in your community? Join our Outreach Volunteers and help us spread the word about Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange
Your enthusiasm can inspire others to get involved, supporting our efforts to promote cycling and bicycle repair in the community.
No experience is necessary, just your enthusiasm and a willingness to engage with people.
Drive a truck full of repaired bicycles from Bicycle Exchange to deliver the bikes to a recipient organization. Help load and unload the bicycles.
More volunteer role description coming soon.
Volunteer mechanics should be able to, at a minimum, do basic ABC checks and work somewhat independently, performing some repairs on bikes. You do not have to be an expert or have professional experience.
As a volunteer mechanic, you would also have the opportunity to take bikes home and work on them there at your own pace, and then bring them back when you are done. You would need to sign out the bike on our check-out sheet — be one of our Homework Heroes!
Contact our Volunteer Coordinator if you have questions about your qualifications,
See our frame check guide, bike repair checklist and diagram. (PDF)
Help teach and supervise apprentice mechanics, sharing your bike repair knowledge and skills.
Work with volunteers interested in improving their bike mechanic skills using the SVBE bike checklist. Share your knowledge and explain to the best of your ability how to perform repair work. Be ready to answer questions.
Skilled bicycle mechanics are the key link that enables us to achieve our goals. Mechanics repair bikes, make sure they meet our QA standards and get them ready ready for distribution. Having more volunteer mechanics will enable us to repair more bikes and meet the high demand from those in need.
See our frame check guide, bike repair checklist and diagram. (PDF)
Perform quality assurance inspection of completed bike repairs using the SVBE bike checklist as a guide. This work is important to ensure all bikes meet SVBE quality standards before they are received by our charity organizations.
Advanced bicycle repair skills
See our frame check guide, bike repair checklist and diagram. (PDF)
Support our retail and mechanic shop to improve volunteer and customer experience.
There are lots of tasks to perform to keep our shop running smoothly and we need your help! Here are some of the things you will do, but this may not be a complete list:
We want to provide the best customer and volunteer experience and to do this the shop must be organized and run efficiently.
Bicycle shop experience. Familiar with parts inventory or other related experience.
Help connect buyers with bikes. Engage with customers in a proactive and knowledgeable way, providing a positive customer experience.
Help customers pick out the right bike for them. Be willing to engage in conversation about skill level, bike functionality, etc.
Help us share the impact of Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange! We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to capture and share the amazing work we do—whether through photography, video, social media engagement, or outreach. If you have experience in content creation and storytelling, we’d love your help in amplifying our message!
This is a flexible volunteer role with no set schedule, but your contributions will have a lasting impact! If you’re ready to use your skills to support a great cause, we’d love to have you on board.
Volunteer position description coming soon. If you're interested or want to learn more, please contact our volunteer coordinator Toni, at
Join our team and help strengthen the systems that keep Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange running! As we grow, so does our administrative complexity. We’re looking for a detail-oriented, systems-minded volunteer to help build redundancy, improve financial processes and support the behind-the-scenes work that keeps BikeX sustainable. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with financial systems, organizing processes, and bringing clarity to complexity.
BikeX is at a critical stage of growth. Many of our administrative functions are currently single-sourced with no backups. This role helps build resilience, reduce risk and ensure we can continue expanding our impact without overextending staff. As an Administrative Support Volunteer, you may do some of, all or different tasks than what is described above.
Please sign our liability release form in order to volunteer at a workday. You may download, print, sign, and bring the form with you when you volunteer.
Here's a link to the form (PDF).
We're excited you’re joining us at Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange, helping repair donated bikes, and providing essential transportation to those in need through our community partners.
Information for returning volunteers
At our repair events you will be repairing bicycles for donation to the charities we partner with, while learning about bicycle repair. Bike repair experience is not necessary. Volunteering your time to repair bikes or serve in other capacities is very much appreciated. We have found that volunteering and repairing bikes offers a sense of personal achievement, growth and self-sufficiency.
3961 East Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Car parking is available by entering via Corporation Way, in our parking lot directly behind the building. Bicycle parking is available as well.
Go around to the rear of the building and check in at the front desk.
2nd and 4th Saturdays 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, rain or shine.
First-time volunteers must:
We welcome volunteers of all ages! Youth under age 18, volunteering for the first time, must be accompanied by a trusted adult. After SVBE determines they can work without adult supervision, they can volunteer independently at future events. We strongly encourage the adult to work alongside as well.
First-time volunteers must sign up for an upcoming event on our Eventbrite page. Returning volunteers can work any workday; just check in at the front desk and sign in with our Volunteer Sign-In Form to log your hours. For groups of five or more, contact us at
Volunteer tasks can include bike and parts cleaning, bike repair or tearing down bikes for parts. You'll get to select a project bike that looks like a good match for your skills. An experienced volunteer with a green name tag can help you if you have questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck or have any questions!
The goal is to pick a project bike, take it through our 22-point checklist and successfully pass our rigorous quality assurance inspections. This is usually a significant opportunity to iterate and learn about mechanical things and bicycles specifically. If you need help or need guidance, we have mentor mechanics who can help help you through the process. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck or have any questions!
Please log your hours on the SVBE Volunteer Sign-In form. You may log more than one day's worth of volunteering.
In addition to repairing bikes at our in-shop volunteer repair events, volunteering can also happen from the comfort of your home by working on "homework bikes." Contact us if you want to volunteer by working on a homework bike.
See our event calendar for more events and volunteer days.
Have you taken photos or videos from an event with us? Are SVBE photos taking up space on your device? Help us by uploading them here! Your content may be featured on SVBE’s website, publications, print materials or social media.
Watch a quick 1-minute video about the Bicycle Exchange
Please email us at
