OPEN SHOP: A Users Guide
Open shop is a educational and functional community service of Bici Centro. There is no charge for shop use and Bici maintains a full range of used and new replacement parts to make your repairs possible. We charge market rates for new parts and fair rates for used parts. If you are thankful for the help you may have received at our shop, please consider making a financial donation or signing up with us to volunteer.
FAQs:
Can I drop off my bike for you to Repair?
No. But we are more then glad to recommend some of the many great local bike shops here in Santa Barbara.
What if I don’t know how to repair my bike?
We will help you make it happen. We share our tools and our knowledge. If you don’t know how to do a repair, we’ll talk you through it. We maintain bi-lingual shop ‘staffing’ during all open shops.
Can I use the shop for multiple visits or multiple bikes?
Patrons are only allowed shop use for one bicycle. The intention of open shop is to help bike commuters repair the bike that the rely upon. If that takes multiple visits, fine. If however, you would like to work on multiple bikes (for family or friends) or work on aesthetic changes to your bike, we encourage you to volunteer. As a volunteer we can grant you expanded use of our shop during alternate days, because our six stands are generally full during open shop hours.
What if I don’t finish a repair, can I store a bike at Bici?
We are not a bike storage facility. If you HAVE to store a bike with us, we will now charge a $5 a day storage fee.
Can I drop off my kid at your shop to work on her/his bike?
No, and yes. Youth are encouraged to participate in our after-school earn-a-bike mechanic and safety class. There are numerous opportunities for youth participation in the shop after a youth patron has participated in our program. Otherwise youth are not allowed in our shop unless attended by an adult.
I heard I can buy bikes from Bici Centro, How?
During open shop, we host an offering of some 30 refurbished bikes for sale. These bikes have been tuned by volunteers and signed off by our master mechanic. Just remember, Bici only accepts cash and check.
I also heard that I can earn a bike through volunteering, How?
Come by during our volunteering-only Tuesday’s and we’ll get you started. We expect you to work the equivilent of refurbishing two bikes, BEFORE we’ll look at bikes that you can refurbish for yourself. If you are interested in a bike that is already refurbished, you will have to refurbish three bikes or equivilent. There are no holds placed on any bikes until you are actively working on it.