Bike Farms Building Communities

Over the summer, I was interested in volunteering at a bike repair shop as a productive way to spend my time and to increase my skills as a self-proclaimed bike mechanic.

I began frequenting local bike shops and asking around if they knew of any place that was taking on volunteers. I was directed to Bike Farm in northeast Portland as a good place to start.

I did not possess the abilities or experience to take up employment at one of these shops so volunteering was my best bet. I needed a crash course in bike building and nowhere was better suited for that than Bike Farm.

Upon doing some research and looking the shop up online, I signed up to attend the next volunteer orientation night – held the fourth Thursday of the month – and waited in anticipation for the day to come. On the night of orientation, I showed up early, one among a small group of fresh faces new to Bike Farm and eagerly awaited instructions. After a brief introduction followed by a guided tour of the facility grounds, we heard an explanation of the vision and mission of Bike Farm.

Bike Farm is a do-it-yourself, completely volunteer-staffed shop dedicated to every aspect of bicycle education, from bike repair to safe commuting. Bike Farms’ mission is to offer a space where people from the community can learn about bikes and bike building, centered around promoting sustainable transportation.

BIKE FARM IS A DO-IT-YOURSELF, COMPLETELY VOLUNTEER-STAFFED SHOP DEDICATED TO EVERY ASPECT OF BICYCLE EDUCATION, FROM BIKE REPAIR TO SAFE COMMUTING

Bike Farm provides visitors with the use of stands, all the tools one would need, and guidance
from the volunteer mechanics on hand. It also features recurring special events for many groups and specific skills:

Wheelchair maintenance workshops are held every second Tuesday of the month, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Alphabet Night is a volunteer-only bike building shift focusing on underrepresented genders and sexualities in cycling, held every first and third Tuesday from 5:30-8:30pm.

In partnership with BikePOCPNW, a bike maintenance shift open to all members of the BIPOC community is held the third Sunday every month, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Monday nights are volunteer-only shifts that focus on bike building and shop organization, as in sorting of small parts, going through donations and salvaging what you can, and in general upkeep of the shop. Volunteers can rummage through the selection of donated bikes and choose a project to work on to be put up for sale when ready. Once a volunteer finishes fixing a bike, it gets safety checked by two individuals to ensure that everything is working properly before it can be put out on the floor for sale.

Over the course of the summer, contributing two to three days a week to volunteering, my confidence level and skills in bike building and repair were greatly increased, thanks in part to the hands-on, DIY mantra of the shop and the tremendous knowledge and know-how of the other volunteers. I also gained a few new friends in the process.

I wanted to learn as much as I could about bicycle repair and maintenance, but also to meet like-minded individuals who were as passionate about cycling as me. My experience at the shop has been a pleasant one and I continue to enjoy volunteering there regularly.

Whether it’s fixing or building your own bike, or lending your expertise to help others, I recommend you visit bikefarm.org to find out how to get involved.

Bike Farm is at 1810 NE First Avenue in Portland. Check its website a full schedule and its hours of operation.

Tyler Gragg