Programs
Wondering what happened to the AMS Bike Co-op? Don’t worry, we still exist! We’re the Programs Office for the Bike Kitchen.
Check out what’s cool stuff is happening on this page!
Calendar
Join a volunteer orientation, drop-in events, or register for a class. Find out where and when we are boothing across campus. We also share partner events and special events, as well as upcoming shop closures.
Access Nights
During Access Nights there will be 4 repair stands open with one participant assigned to each stand, and we can accommodate 4 other folks in the space to be pumping up tires/oiling chains or browsing new/used parts. This will allow for social distancing and a reasonable staff-to-participant ratio. Participants will be asked to limit repair stand time to approximately 60 minutes so as to share the space with other visitors. Repair stands will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals waiting for a turn will be asked to wait in the hallway to minimize shop crowding.
Please help protect your community by staying home if you have any symptoms indicative of COVID-19, or you have had COVID in the last 2 weeks. We provide masks free of charge to anyone who wants one.
Tool rental rate will be $0/hr rather than the usual $12/hr
Accessibility Information
Access Nights will be sensory-friendly. Shop lights will be dimmed and music will be kept at a low volume or turned off completely. Participants are also welcome to make requests for other specific accommodations in the space and staff will do their best to meet them.
The closest accessible entrance to the Bike Kitchen for users of mobility aids is on the north side of the UBC Student Life building, across from the North Parkade. Signs will be posted on Access Nights to direct visitors to the shop space. Full details on accessibility can be found here.
WTQ Night
when
Wednesdays
6:15 pm - 9:00 pm
*check instagram for last minute cancellations
where
The Bike Kitchen
Room #36 @ UBC Life Building
6138 Student Union Blvd.
Vancouver, BC
Women Trans Queer Night (WTQ) is a monthly Access Night for cis-women and trans and/or non-binary people of all genders to use the Bike Kitchen’s shop space and tools, supported by informal mentoring.
The purpose of the night is to offer a more welcoming, safer atmosphere in which people who are typically marginalized within the cycling community because of their gender identity and/or expression can work on their bikes, learn mechanics, and form connections. A staff mechanic and volunteer aligned with the night’s target demographic will be available to empower participants in performing their own repairs.
Community outreach
Kids Bike Library
The Kids Bike Library (KBL) is similar to a regular library, but with bikes! During the summer kids and youth can come trade a bike they have outgrown for one their size (includes bikes with 20” wheels or smaller). Unlike a regular library, you can keep the bike for as long as you need it without having to worry about renewing. With the support from UBC Campus & Community Planning, KBL will be starting up again in May 2024, subscribe to our newsletter to hear the latest updates.
Don’t have a bike? No problem! We provide bikes to children and youth by-donation, even if you don’t have one to swap. We also offer by-donation tune-ups for kids bikes at our weekly booths, check the calendar for dates starting in May.
Applications for KBL Summer 2024 is now over. Thanks everyone!
Get Involved
We’re always looking for bike donations and volunteers to help us build bikes and provide tune-ups. If you’re interested in supporting the Kids Bike Library or have questions about the program, please contact programs@thebikekitchen.ca
when
May to August, subscribe to newsletter for updates
where
UBC Life Building
6138 Student Union Blvd.
Vancouver, BC
Contact
programs@thebikekitchen.ca
604-822-2453
BICI LIBRE
The Bici Libre initiative recycles bikes and rebuilds them for the use of migrant farm workers across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Farm workers that come from other countries via the Temporary Foreign Workers Program often live at the farms on which they work, far from town centres and with limited access to basic necessities.
Their time off is limited and with mobility restrictions, workers often face difficulties accessing services like banking, medical care and groceries. Our goal is to support workers during their stay and to ensure transportation is not a limitation in their life in Canada. A dedicated team of volunteers helps us provide free bicycles, locks, lights, helmets and bike repair services.
Get Involved
Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates about how you can be involved.
Donate directly to the Bici Libre project fund and help us supply bikes, lights, locks and helmets to migrant farm workers.
When
Volunteer Nights and ad-hoc
WHERE
Bike Kitchen
6138 Student Union Blvd.
UBC, Vancouver
Cycling Resources Centres/Outreach Booths
Our Cycling Resource Centres (CRCs) are a one stop shop for all things relating to bicycles. We go outdoors to places where cyclists and would-be cyclists already congregate and provide a one-stop-shop to answer any bike related questions they may have.
We provide:
Basic adjustments/tune-ups by donation
Tutorials on bike mechanics
Cycling route maps
Interactive educational resources
Resources from local cycling + advocacy organizations
Information about upcoming events
Through the support of UTown@UBC, we offer free CRCs on campus from spring until fall every year. Drop by and get a basic bike tune-up and other cycling resources likes maps and guides.
Book Us
We can bring our CRCs to you! Book us for a CRC at your event, festival, party, workplace or school.
WHen
They are scheduled regularly!
Check out our events calendar
Skills Night!
Registration no longer required!
Skills Night takes place every Tuesday evening. During this time, beginners can join our staff and board to learn about bike mechanics in a safe and welcoming environment, absolutely no experience is needed. The bikes we work on during Skills Night either get recycled, or re-used through one of our other programs, such as the Kids Bike Library, Bici Libre, or Bikes for BIPOC.
Pizza is not provided.
when
Tuesdays, 6.15-9.00pm
where
UBC Life Building
6138 Student Union Blvd.
Vancouver, BC
Workshops
Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates about when registration opens for our various workshops.
Intro to Bike Mechanics
check the programs calendar for dates and registration!
During four interactive sessions, you’ll learn about bike tools, parts and the inner workings of our two-wheeled friends. Workshops run for four weeks on a set days.
Knowledgeable mechanics will guide you through the basics of repairing and maintaining each system on the bicycle. Demonstrations are provided in a friendly and supportive environment with small class sizes.
Everyone is welcome! No bike or previous experience is required! If you do own a bike, the skills you learn in this class on our demo bikes will be transferable to your own bike. We feel confident that you will feel confident to repair your bike in our shop after you take this class!
Please note we do NOT cover hydraulic braking systems, shocks, tubeless tire set-ups, etc. If you have questions about the curriculum please email us at admin@thebikekitchen.ca
when
changes monthly, check calendar for details
price
4 Workshops
UBC Students $100
Non-UBC Students $150
Bike Basics
WORKSHOPS OPEN: check the programs calendar for dates and registration!
Bike Basics is our most beginner level workshop. This is a great workshop to begin to learn how to maintain your bicycle and get to know the Bike Kitchen and the services we provide. Using demo bicycles, we will be covering a range of topics to assist you in preventative maintenance of your bicycle - knowing the basics will help you save costs in the long-run and have a more enjoyable and smooth ride.
How much air should I put in my tires? Why is my chain squeaky and what can I do about it? What is this knocking sound coming from my pedals?
If these are some questions you’re asking yourself, then Bike Basics is a great first step into the wonderful world of bicycle maintenance!
WHEN
changes monthly
Price
2hr workshop
UBC Students $25
non-UBC Students $40
Book us
You can book the Bike Kitchen to present a customized workshop for your organization, club, staff, or any group that wants to learn more about bikes and cycling! Please note that anything with 6 participants or more will have limited-to-no hands-on components.
To request a workshop, please contact admin@thebikekitchen.ca to start the conversation.
bikes for bipoc
This is a bike redistribution program for UBC students who are Black and/or Indigenous and/or People Of Colour to promote access to bikes as a mode of autonomy, safe and reliable transportation, health and joy. The aim of this program is to support BIPOC students and address inequalities of material wealth and access to transportation. We approach bike distribution with a Racial Justice lens and seek to provide accessible transportation to folks who are typically not prioritized in the bike industry.
Cycling as Resistance
Join us in raising funds for the Gaza Sunbirds–a para-cycling team based in Gaza that for over a year (since the intensification of the genocide of the Palestinian people) have directed all their resources to providing community-led mutual aid. The event will include an art sale featuring local artists, as well as a panel discussion on the topic of 'Cycling as Resistance' and what that may look like for different communities and people.
The bios of our panelists are included down below. If you have any questions for the panel, let us know via the RSVP form! RSVPing helps us know the number of people to expect.
This event is by-donation and 100% of donations and proceeds from the art sale will be going to the Gaza Sunbirds' mutual aid efforts.
To avoid processing fees, we've made registration free but ask that donations be made to the Gaza Sunbirds' Mutual Aid Fundraiser directly. If you are unable to donate online, will also be collecting cash donations at the event.
Location: Red Gate Arts Society, 1965 Main St.
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Masks encouraged. We will provide KN95s at the door for free for folks who wish to wear one.
Panelists:
- Byron, from the LatinXVancouver4Palestine collective, arrived in Canada twenty-six years ago, fleeing persecution for resisting inequity and State violence in Guatemala. Currently he is the organizer and outreach coordinator for the BC Federation of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Centre’s Migrant Worker Program in Vancouver. He is also an active member of the Sanctuary Health Collective and Migrant Rights Network, a grassroots collective advocating universal access to healthcare, education, and social services for all. His passion to build a society rooted in equity, human rights, dignified working conditions, and high quality of life has led him to organize grassroots community efforts to ensure that essential needs of the people are met and services are provided.
- Jeanette Steinmann (she/they) is a PhD Candidate in Sociocultural Kinesiology at UBC. They use qualitative, justice-oriented approaches to study urban mobility, transportation, and environmental issues.
- Bevan Bartlett is a history student, a musician, and a carpenter who, in the aftermath of October 7th, felt awakened to his responsibility to resist Israel's genocidal occupation in Palestine. He has been a part of vanBike4Palestine since its inception in November 2023 - an initiative aimed at bringing the local biking community together in solidarity with Palestine, spreading awareness about the ongoing genocide, and supporting the local Palestinian liberation movement
- Manav is passionate about advocating for vibrant, accessible, and prosperous cities. Growing up in the so-called Metro Vancouver region and the Greater Toronto Area, he has experienced a variety of urban and suburban environments, observing communities that have varying visions about transportation outside of a car and the design of accessible public spaces. He is part of the ‘bottom-up revolution’ in our community to advocate for transportation justice, accessibility, and social equity.