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WTF! Women Trans Femme Night

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WTF! Women Trans Femme Night at Bike Kitchen

Bicycle maintenance has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-dominated area. It is our goal to help teach women, trans, and femme individuals who have been intimidated or marginalized in this setting to be knowledgeable and confident working on their bikes.

On a daily basis, Bike SLO County strives to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all, while also recognizing the benefits of offering women, trans & femme-specific evening hours as a stepping stone to achieving greater confidence working in our space at any time.

Women’s Night and WTF Night are for:

Women: A person who identifies as a woman.

Trans: Transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, gender creative, anyone whose gender identity is fluid, transgressive, and/or transitioning.

Femme: A gender identity in which a person of any gender embodies a feminine appearance, expression, or identity.

Bike SLO County’s WTF (Women/Trans/Femme) Nights take place the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 5 – 8:30 PM in the Bike Kitchen at 860 Pacific St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (map).

If you are not WTF identified, please BECOME AN ALLY:

  • Respect the space: Come during our regular hours, don’t ask for an exception, and don’t hang around the entrance during Women’s Night or WTF hours.
  • Respect People: During Bike Kitchen’s regular hours, treat all female & trans mechanics and patrons as you would any other person (don’t assume they’re less knowledgeable, don’t call them “sweetie,” and NEVER take a wrench out of their hand!)
  • Get Educated: Learn about the issues facing women and trans communities.
  • Educate others: About why and how to be an ally!

(Big thanks to DIY bike cooperative, BICAS in Tuscon, AR and Sacramento Bike Kitchen in Sacramento, CA from whom some of our Women’s Night/WTF Night language was cribbed.)

7 Days of Bike Kitchen!

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Bike Kitchen Cooking Seven Days a Week!

We thrilled to announce that beginning on Monday October 2nd, 2017 the Bike Kitchen will transition to a brand new and expanded seven days a week schedule! We’ll expand our current 23.5 hours a week to a whopping 39.5 hours of Bike Kitchen goodness. We’re also opening later on Mondays so that we can be open later for people who prefer to wrench in the evening.

Our new and improved schedule:

  • Monday: 3-8 PM
  • Tuesday: 12-5 PM
  • Wednesday: 12-5 PM
  • Thursday: 12-6 PM
  • Friday: 12-5 PM
  • Saturday: 12-5 PM
  • Sunday: 12-5 PM

Additionally, our WTF (Women/Trans/Femme) Nights continue from 5-8:30 PM on the first Wednesday of every month, as well as Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesdays from 5-8:30 PM.

We’ve been dreaming about this day for ages and are excited that the day when we’re able to help even more people keep rolling is almost here!

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The Bike Kitchen is located at 860 Pacific St, on the corner of Morro and Pacific in SLO, behind the Marsh St Post Office.

The Bike Kitchen is a program of Bike SLO County. We have all the parts, tools and knowledge you need to fix your bicycle! We can help you build a bike from the ground up, fix that vintage junker you found at a yard sale or simply tune up your bicycle. We serve all types of people, and are committed to creating a safe space for everyone. We have provided guided instruction to over 8,000 people since opening our doors in 2010. Looking to buy a gently used, ready to ride bicycle? We sell all kinds of bicycles! Come in and see us. Have a bike you’d like to donate? Your generous gifts help the Bike Kitchen thrive and give even more people the chance to experience SLO County by bike. Thank you!

Like Bikes? Join us! It’s free! Head over to bikeslocounty.org/join to sign up for our monthly eNews and we’ll keep you informed about all things bike in SLO County.

Women’s Night Moves to Wednesday

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Women’s Night at Bike Kitchen Makes a Move

Our weekly Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen has moved! Women’s Night now takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 5 – 8:30 PM.

What about the 1st Wednesday? The first Wednesday of every month is now WTF (Women, Trans, Femme) Night @ Bike Kitchen, with the same hours as Women’s Night, 5 – 8:30 PM.

Why Women’s Night and WTF Night?

Bicycle maintenance has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-dominated area. It is our goal to help teach individuals who have been intimidated or marginalized in this setting to be knowledgeable and confident working on their bikes.

On a daily basis, Bike SLO County strives to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all, while also recognizing the benefits of offering women, trans & femme-specific evening hours as a stepping stone to achieving greater confidence working in our space at any time.

Women’s Night and WTF Night are for:

Women: A person who identifies as a woman.

Trans: Transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, gender creative, anyone whose gender identity is fluid, transgressive, and/or transitioning.

Femme: A gender identity in which a person of any gender embodies a feminine appearance, expression, or identity.

If you are not WTF identified, please BECOME AN ALLY:

  • Respect the space: Come during our regular hours, don’t ask for an exception, and don’t hang around the entrance during Women’s Night or WTF hours.
  • Respect People: During Bike Kitchen’s regular hours, treat all female & trans mechanics and patrons as you would any other person (don’t assume they’re less knowledgeable, don’t call them “sweetie,” and NEVER take a wrench out of their hand!)
  • Get Educated: Learn about the issues facing women and trans communities.
  • Educate others: About why and how to be an ally!

(Big thanks to DIY bike cooperative, BICAS in Tuscon, AR and Sacramento Bike Kitchen in Sacramento, CA from whom much of our Women’s Night/WTF Night language was cribbed.)

 

Maya Pedal Association

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We’ve posted about how we think bicycles can help change the world, every now and then we are forwarded cool links that prove our point. This is no exception, and we are extremely inspired by it.

The Maya Pedal Association takes broken down bicycles and turns them into pedal-powered machines called bicimaquinas. These hand built wonders include a water pump, corn thresher, coffee depulped and so many more.

One of the best parts is that they also create and upload build instructions for some of these devices. Now anyone can go out and create the bicimaquina of their dreams with knowledge and inspiration from the Maya Pedal Association… Let’s get to building!