Community Bike Projects
Watsonville Bike Shack
The Watsonville Brown Berets are collaborating with Bike Churchers to help folks fix bikes at the Bike Shack Warehouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6pm and at the Friday farmer's market in downtown Watsonville from 4 to 7pm.
ozelotl describes the project goals on the Brown Beret blog:
We have decided that the strong presence of bicycles in the community would be essential in a community with a large number of undocumented workers who cannot legally obtain a driver’s license, as well as for all the homies who can’t afford an expensive car and would rather sport a beach cruiser. Bike Church is for la comunidad by la comunidad. Take advantage!
ozelotl describes the project goals on the Brown Beret blog:
We have decided that the strong presence of bicycles in the community would be essential in a community with a large number of undocumented workers who cannot legally obtain a driver’s license, as well as for all the homies who can’t afford an expensive car and would rather sport a beach cruiser. Bike Church is for la comunidad by la comunidad. Take advantage!
Cabrillo Bike Coop
There's a new bike cooperative at Cabrillo College in Aptos! Learn more about it here.
UCSC Bike Co-op
Since 1995, The Bike Co-op has been serving the UCSC campus with full service and DIY bicycle repair. The Bike Co-op is a student run collective. It also needs your help, so get involved! It's a great opportunity. Learn more at their website: bikecoop.ucsc.edu.
Check out the short Bike Co-op documentary
Check out the short Bike Co-op documentary
Monterey Bike Coop to be
Even earlier in gestation is a bike project in Monterey, which is currently looking for space. The Bike Church has offered support and the Montereyers are ready to volunteer, so if you know of an appropriate space please contact us.
Bike! Bike!
Bike! Bike! is an annual conference of community bicycle projects from around the US, Canada, and abroad. This year, it will be hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia from June 21-24. For more information or to learn ways you can get involved, read more about it here.
Other shops in other places
There are community bike shops much like the Bike Church in many other cities around the US, Canada, and elsewhere. Looking for a shop where you live? Try looking here.
Friends and Neighbors of the Bike Church
People Power!
Since the late 1980's, People Power! has been Santa Cruz's Advocate for human powered transportation and sustainable development. Through the consistent efforts of organizers and activists, People Power! has brought us the great meadow path on UCSC, bike lanes on Soquel Ave., bikes on buses, and much much more. To learn more, support their efforts and get involved, go to the People Power! website.
Pedalers Express
Pedalers Express, a worker owned and managed collective, has been providing non-polluting, human powered delivery service to the greater Santa Cruz area since 1994. PedX is the only local delivery service to offer 1 hour ASAP service within the city of Santa Cruz. Riders and dispatchers are friendly, reliable, and experienced. Say hello to them next door to the Bike Church or learn more here.
Computer Kitchen
The Computer Kitchen was started to address two problems; potentially toxic electronic waste and uneven access to technology. Using their team of volunteers, the Computer Kitchen's goals are to:
- reduce the amount of old computers that end up in landfills
- help reduce the gap between those who have access to technology and those who have little or no access
- provide a space, tools, and advice for people to work on and learn about their own computers
- promote the use of open source software as a viable alternative to commercial software
The Fábrica
The Fábrica is a new cooperative workspace for textile arts here in Santa Cruz. The Fábrica is a place to work on projects or learn to sew, knit, etc. We house tools and materials for creating projects, including sewing machines, salvaged materials, and reference books. We offer focused topical classes, as well as open shop time to work on projects or sit around stitching with others. And we're especially excited to help people fix, re-purpose and reuse! Our current open-shop hours are Mondays 4-7pm, Tuesdays 10am-1pm, Thursdays 2-5pm, Saturdays 4-7pm and Sundays 6-9pm. Come by to pick up a calendar or check out our website! Donations of any textile arts tools/materials or financial contributions are greatly appreciated.
Frances Cycles
Frances Cycles is the project of Bike Church mechanic Joshua Muir. Josh specializes in custom frameset design and steel fabrication, as well as frame repair. Visit his website to learn more.
