F.A.Q.
General
- What is a co-op?
- In this case, being a cooperative (“co-op”) means that everyone who works at Free Ride is volunteering their time and energy to keep the shop running. The “collective” part of Free Ride Bicycle Collective means that our shop makes major decisions by participating in collective decision making. We try our best to work as a group to make decisions that help our organization’s future and improve the shop for all.
- What are your hours?
- Open Shop (buy stuff, donate stuff, work on your bike) is 10:00 am to 2:00 pm every Saturday and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Tuesday .
- Volunteer Night (help us keep the shop going) is 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Mondays.
- Why aren’t you open more?
- We’d love to be open more, but since we’re all volunteers, there’s a limit to what we can do. As our group of staff volunteers expand, we may be able to be open more hours.
- Do you teach classes?
- We will be teaching and hosting classes Spring 2024! Please follow our social media pages for the latest information on classes.
Repairs
- Will you fix my bike?
- For the most part, no, we will not fix it for you. There are some great bike shops in the city that will fix your bike for a reasonable rate. Our mission is to put the tools in your hands and provide support so that you can learn to fix your own bike. Come to Open Shop on a Saturday, and for a $5 suggested donation you can use all of our tools and ask our staffers for help!
- Can people under 18 use FreeRide?
- We welcome young cyclists to come into our shop, as long as they come with an adult guardian who can supervise them.
- Can my kid hang out while I work on my bike?
- Only if they’re hanging out with you while you work. It’s great when kids come in with family members to learn about bikes, but for everyone’s safety, you’ll need to supervise them while you’re in the shop.
- Can I store my bike at FreeRide while I’m working on it?
- Yes, ask us about our “Rent a Hook” policy.
Buying and Donating
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Cash and credit/debit cards. You can also use volunteer credit to buy used parts, bikes, and to cover the shop fee (see “Volunteering” section for more info).
- Do you accept returns or exchanges?
- Do you buy bikes/parts?
- No, we only take donations. We will provide a tax receipt.
- How many bikes can I buy?
- You can buy two bikes per Open Shop.
- What does “suggested donation mean?”
- It means that used parts don’t exactly have a set price. We want this ecosystem of bike parts to keep circulating in a way that is affordable to everyone, so if you want to suggest a different donation amount for something, go for it. That said, if a used bike is priced at $500 and you want to pay $5 for it, expect staffers to steer you to one of the less expensive bikes.
- I’ve got some good parts sitting around, can I trade them for other ones?
- No, but you can donate them and then buy some other ones for our normal low prices!
- I have this rusty old bike behind my house- do you want it?
- Yes please! Even if it’s not rideable, we can still redirect it to metal recycling instead of a landfill.
- I have the fancy carbon road bike that’s barely been ridden- do you want it?
- Yes please! Please know that we sometimes sell fancy bikes on Craigslist and eBay, which helps us cover things like rent, electricity, and upgrades to the space. Please attach a written history to the bike or let a staffer know if the bike has been in any crashes or if there is any damage to the frame that we should know about. This helps us keep everyone as safe as possible.
- I have a car that I want to get rid of- do you want it?
- We will likely not be able to take your car. That being said, if you have a fully functioning van or truck that you’d want to donate, please reach out to us in advance and we will get back to you!
- Do you have/want e-bikes?
- Yes, if the bike/battery is well functioning. Our main concern with e-bikes is the lithium batteries, and if that is in good condition, then we’d be happy to take the bike.
- Are there things you don’t want?
- Large amounts of bike parts that are no longer usable. We recycle tires, metal, and a couple other materials when our shop deems parts unusable. If you want to recycle your own parts please reach out to us so we can point you to resources or approve your drop off. Due to our small space, we cannot take large quantities of unusable parts.
- Furniture or housewares- you can drop these donations off around the corner at Construction Junction if you have them.
- I have a garage full of bikes/bike gear that I want to donate- can you come pick it up?
- Talk to a staffer! We don’t own a truck, so we need to figure out if it’s worth renting one and coordinating volunteers.
Getting Involved
- I come to Volunteer Night a lot- can I help out with Open Shop?
- Please speak to a Free Ride staffer at a volunteer night event to sign up for staffer training.I’ve been to Volunteer Night, but how do I become a staffer?
- Please speak to a Free Ride staffer at a volunteer night event to sign up for staffer training.
- Can I run a bike-related event at FreeRide?
