The Davis Bike Collective is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bicycle organization. We provide a public DIY shop where folks share tools, skills, and knowledge about bike maintenance and repair. Our aim is to empower confident and committed cyclists through education and community building, and to encourage more cyclists by making bikes and bike maintenance, fun, safe, and accessible for everyone.
How It Works
To fix and build bikes and get more people confidently on the road we provide tools, workspace, and recycled parts and you provide the human-power! Volunteers of many experience levels are ready to answer your questions and demonstrate maintenance and building techniques. We do charge a reasonable amount to Repair or Build a bike in our shop as we’d like to keep the doors open. If you’d like to support us beyond the cost of your day pass or new wheel, check out our Volunteer and Donate pages. Either way, we’re always excited to teach people how to fix and maintain their bicycles the DIY way, so thanks for coming by!
Location
The Davis Bicycle Collective is located in the courtyard at the northwest corner of 4th St and L St in Davis, California. If you are leaving donations while we are closed, please neatly place them in the designated area near the roll-up door.
History
From 2004 to 2009, we operated the Davis Bike Church at the Domes on the UC Davis campus. We taught thousands of Davisites the way of the spoken wheel and pedal wrench, in a quest for for community liberation, love, peace and sustainability through appropriate technology and self-empowered transportation (i.e., bicycles). In 2009, we organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with fiscal sponsorship from the Solar Community Housing Association. The new shop was named Bike 4th or Bike Forth, depending on who you ask, and it continues today at its location on 4th Street, just before the intersection with L.
A Davis Bike Church Documentary with Chris Congleton (YouTube).
A video about bicycling in Davis featuring the Davis Bike Collective (YouTube).
Collective Organization
The Davis Bike Collective is run via consensus, discussion and voting as set forth in our Bylaws and Volunteer Handbook. Everyone is welcome to attend and lend us their ideas and opinions, though only inducted Ministers can vote. Our meetings generally occur every second Monday of the month, though location varies so you should check our calendar.
Collective Roles
Minister
A Minister is one of the core volunteers that run the Davis Bike Collective. If you are interested in running a shift, you first have to learn the ropes and shadow other Ministers for a while. Ministers open and close the shop, teach folks how to fix their bikes and coordinate volunteers during the shift.
Volunteer
There is always much to do around the shop besides being a mechanic. We need help organizing the space, making signs, cleaning up, taking out the trash and recycling, triaging through bicycle parts, stripping bicycles for parts, etc. Show up at the Collective and ask the Minister on duty what needs to be done that day.
Patron
An individual who supports and uses the Davis Bike Collective. We’re so glad you’ve found the Davis Bike Collective useful!