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Support Bike SLO County’s Women’s Program

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This week we’re highlighting 5 different Bike SLO County programs and efforts that need your support. Our 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign concludes on Friday June 16th and we still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000.

Women's Program

Day 4: Women’s Program

In 2016 Bike SLO County received a request to host a weekly Women’s Night in our Bike Kitchen. Although we didn’t have the capacity to staff Women’s Night, we worked with a team of dedicated volunteers who cared enough to donate their time and energy to take Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen from a great idea to an even better reality.

Fast forward to 2017. In response to a continuing need, Bike SLO County created a part-time staff position to coordinate and run Women’s Night, hiring Women’s Night superstar volunteer Audrey Surprenant. In April Audrey and a team of 3 Women’s Night volunteer mechanics wrenched at two different stops on this year’s Eroica California, the first women to ever provide mechanical assistance at any Eroica ride.

The successes of Women’s Night led to the creation of our new Women’s Program. In July Audrey will take over running the Bike Kitchen from departing Operations Director Tyler Jamieson (farewell Tyler!) and move ahead with our Women’s Program, working to build a strong, safe caring community for women who bike.

Please support our Women’s Program – your one time donation of $100 or more will significantly help the Women’s Program grow and reach more SLO County women. Donations of any amount a greatly appreciated as we strive to reach our goal to raise $30,000 by Friday, June 16th.

Click here to make a one time donation.

Prefer to make a recurring monthly donation? Click here to make a monthly donation.

Already support Bike SLO County? Thank You!

Bike Donate

Give Your Old Bike A New Life: Donate It!

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Donate Your Old Bike Today!

If you listen to KCBX or any other public radio station, you’ve probably heard announcements asking for donations of old cars to help sustain their programs. You donate a car, it gets sold at auction, a percentage of the proceeds go to your favorite public radio station (and you get a tax break).

It may surprise you to know that Bike SLO County has a similar program – but instead of cars, we accept bikes. When you donate your old bicycle to Bike SLO County, your gift works in a number of ways:

  • By donating your old bike instead of throwing it away, you’re helping the environment by keeping it from heading to a landfill before its time.
  • Your bike will be tuned up and given a new life, giving someone else years of joy and transportation.
  • Your bicycle may be sold to someone looking for a gently used bicycle. The proceeds help Bike SLO County fund our other programs (Bike Education, Bike Valet, Bike Advocacy, Kidical Mass)
  • Your bicycle may be donated to someone through our Ride Well program, which serves SLO County families and individuals in need, for whom a bicycle may provide much needed mobility.
  • You get, at your request, a receipt of your gift that allows you to deduct your donation on your taxes.

Bike DonateWill We Accept Any Bike?

Great question! While we do accept most bikes, we can’t accept all bikes.

  • We do not accept “department store” bikes (Next, Roadmaster, Magma, modern Free Spirits). Why not? These bicycles are often constructed with very low quality parts in non-standard sizes and are not designed to be serviceable. Due to their limited compatibility, we are not able to make sure that they are safe to ride.
  • We do not accept bikes that are beyond help. That rusted bike that has been buried in wet leaves for the last 3 years? No thanks! Use your best judgement. When in doubt, call Michael at 547-2055 and ask us if your bike sounds like a good candidate for donation.
  • We do accept most other bicycles and will repair them (or use them for spare parts). “Old” does not mean we won’t accept it – it’s about quality, not age.

What’s The Next Step?

Ready to give your bike a new life? Bring your bicycle to the Bike Kitchen, 860 Pacific St, Suite 105, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (map) any Friday, Saturday or Sunday between the hours of Noon – 5 PM.

Thank you for helping make SLO County an even better place for bikes!

 

Donate Your Old Bike

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Every year our Bike Kitchen helps thousands of people learn to fix their own bicycles. We’re able to accomplish this because we have all the parts, tools and knowledge that people need to get the job, whatever it is, done. We can teach people to build a bike from the ground up, to fix the junker they found at a garage sale, or to simply tune up their bicycle or fix a flat. We serve all types of people, and are committed to creating a safe space for everyone.

Bike Kitchen Hours ExpandOne of the ways the Bike Kitchen earns enough money to continue to provide these services is through the sale of gently used bikes. All of the bicycles we sell are bikes that have been generously donated, by people just like you. When a donated bike arrives we get to work, tuning it up with care so that it’s in the best possible shape when it gets back on the road (or trail).

Who Donates Bikes?

All kinds of folks donate bicycles to us. Sometimes when someone buys a new bike they think of us and donate their old one. Every now and then we receive bikes from people who are getting on in years and are focusing on other interests. Many bikes come from people whose eyes are bigger than their storage (too many bikes, not enough space).

Regardless of who you are, we hope that you’re someone who will donate your old bicycle to the Bike Kitchen. We’re usually able to offer a wide variety of bikes for sale, but every now and then donations slow down and the number of bikes for sale dwindles. This is one of those times. Please consider a donation to the Bike Kitchen, and remember that your donation is tax deductible. Just ask us for a form and we’ll gladly provide one to make your write-off as easy as possible.

We accept most bikes, other than “department store” bikes like Next, Roadmaster, Magma, and modern Free Spirit bikes. These bicycles are often constructed with very low quality parts in non-standard sizes and are not designed to be serviceable.

Ready to donate? The Bike Kitchen is open from Noon – 5 PM, each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Have questions? Call us at 805-547-2055 during Bike Kitchen hours or email tyler@slobikelane.org.

Like Bikes?

Become a member of The Bike Coalition – it’s free to sign-up and we’ll keep you informed every month about bike events and issues in SLO County. Click this link to join: I Like Bikes!

Help Expand Our Bike Education Program with a Year End Gift!

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2012 has been a year of incredible progress for the SLO County Bicycle Coalition. With 641 members and growing, the voice for bicycles in SLO County is the strongest it has ever been. This 20% increase in membership comes in tandem with an increased public interest in bicycles and the role they play in SLO County. We know that our work is certain to inspire more people to take to the streets on two wheels and we welcome everyone into our joyful community.

In our ideal world, people aged 8 to 80 would feel comfortable riding on streets and paths designed specifically to help everyone ride their bike more often. This is our vision, but we also know that knowledge is power. In 2012 over 30% of our members told us they want more bike education to empower people with the confidence to ride on our existing roadways. Help us expand our Bike Education program by making a year-end gift to the Bicycle Coalition.

The Bike Education program is our longest standing program. It has brought the message of safe riding to thousands of people through community workshops, business lunches, and school assemblies. Our plan for a bigger and better program has been in the works for months and recent developments have assured us we are on the right path. The Bicycle Coalition recently received numerous local grants, bolstering our ability to reach high-risk groups like college students and low-income communities. Your additional contribution will empower us to capitalize on the momentum created by grant funding.

We have ambitious plans for the Bike Education program in 2013 that will have a long lasting impact for bicycle riders of all ages and abilities in SLO County.
     ENHANCING the educational element of Kidical Mass will help make smart riding a family activity giving more moms the confidence to ride with her kids to the park.
     INCREASING educational efforts to Cal Poly and Cuesta will make incredible safety improvements for the age group that is most likely to be involved in traffic collisions resulting in injury or death.
     IMPROVING our existing materials and resources so they can be shared across language and socio-economic barriers to deliver important information to underserved populations.

Your donation will make you an integral part of the legacy that establishes bike education in schools, businesses, and throughout our great community. 

Our ambition, innovation and drive are on behalf of our members; we can’t wait to make you proud again in 2013.


Dan Rivoire
Executive Director

Click here to make your donation online, and to find information to mail your donation. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

5% Day Raises Over $2,500!

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Paula Sigman [Bicycle Coalition Board Member] Dan Rivoire [Bicycle Coalition Executive Director] Dusty Colyman [New Frontiers]

Special thanks to all of you who did some shopping at New Frontiers last Wednesday, through their 5% day we were able to raise a whopping $2,900 for the Bicycle Coalition!!!

Bike Month continues… and we appreciate everyones support and excitement about bicycles in SLO County!