It’s getting chilly out there but that won’t stop us! The next shipping party will be to our friends at CESTA in El Salvador. CESTA is the only one of our international partners that accepts full-suspension mountain bikes, so we’ll be clearing out our reserves in the basement. Come lend a hand Friday and Saturday from 12pm-4pm!
This Saturday! Working Bikes is bringing the Cycle of Peace from Over East, to Out West, Down South and even Up (near) North! Please join us at these great community events or at the shipping party in the Heart of Chicago!
This is #summertimechi #cycleofpeace. It is an insane, all-city celebration of so much we love, but is totally inconceivable without the energy, time, and love of volunteers! Please, if you would like to attend or assist with any of these events, email [email protected]. It is never too late to begin volunteering!
9am
St. Sabina Day of Service kick-off Rally. 9am
1210 W. 78th place, Chicago
It is Saint Sabina’s annual Day of Service in which all members are asked to volunteer (“Be blessed and be a blessing”). Following the rally a group of volunteers from Saint Sabina will join us for our shipping party to Malawi.
10am
Shipping party begins at Working Bikes at 2434 S Western. We will be completing the second day of loading bikes to donate to our partners in Malawi, Africycle!
12noon-4pm
Bughouse Square Debates!
901 N Clark, Chicago
Our favorite freaky marching band, Environmental Encroachment will be kicking off this celebration of free speech at noon. Rick Kogan will be hosting and WB will be tabling.
1pm-5pm
2nd Annual Paradise on Merrill Block party
7000 S. Merrill, Chicago
We will be supporting the work of the awesome organizers and gardeners of the 70th and Merrill Community garden by donating bicycles to the children of South Shore. Our friends from Blackstone Bicycle Works will be joining us as well to make sure that all the kids have access to working bicycles.
2pm
Working Bikes After School Matters Apprentices present at
Closed Loop Forum and Fest @ The Plant, Chicago
1400 W 46th Street
It’s hard to believe, but our After School Matters Summer Apprentices are almost finished with their program. They will be leading a flat repair workshop at The Plant Chicago’s amazing Closed Loop Fest. The fest goes from 9am-7pm and tickets are $15. Our Summer apprentices will be leading their demonstration around 2pm.
3-8pm
Poetry Block Party at Austin Town Hall
5620 W. Lake Street, Chicago
Working Bikes is exceptionally proud to be asked to join The Poetry Foundation at their annual Poetry Block Party. We will be providing free bicycle repair and donating children’s bikes. Eve Ewing, Joseph Chillums, and avery young are all performing!
and an early warning!
on Saturday 8/11 we will be at Lagunitas Beer Circus! We’ll need volunteers starting at 9am, but the fest is from 12-5pm.
Can’t wait to see everyone out and about this weekend!
Peace + bike grease,
WB Crew
Earth Day season is one of our busiest times of year!
If you live in any of the locations where we’ll be collecting bikes, encourage folks you know to pull those unused bikes out the garage and give them to a good cause!
For those not able to get to any of the locations below you can always send bikes to any of our drop-off locations.
To kick off our spring international donation, we’re having back to back shipping parties this month and we need your help!
From noon to sundown April 17/ 18th and April 24/25th we’ll be preppin’ & schleppin’ bikes to ship to Ghana and Jordan!
No experience necessary; we love teaching folks the ropes.
Questions about shipping parties or how you can get involved? Call (773) 847-5440 or
email us at [email protected]
Want to hone your mechanical skills? Have trouble with bottom brackets and need a little practice? Want to uncover the mystery of wheel truing?
Working Bikes is very excited to offer Winter Workshops from January through March 2018. Each workshop covers a specific topic from our Bicycle Repair Checklist.
Workshops are broken into 7 classes:
Class 1
Fix-a-Flat
Check Frame Alignment
Clean Bike
Class 2
Grease Seatpost and Stem
Headset Overhaul
Class 3
Check Chain
Bottom Bracket Overhaul
Class 4
Hub Overhaul
Class 5
Wheel True
Class 6
Servicing Brakes
Class 7
Servicing Shifters
Before signing up for any workshop you must attend our orientation, Brandon’s Basics.
Working Bikes Members receive one free workshop per year and may pay for ensuing workshops with points. Each workshop is worth 15 points. Non-Members pay $15 per workshop.
Check out our calendar for scheduled workshops. Space is limited. RSVP or send inquiries to [email protected].
Starting in 2018 Working Bikes will offer a monthly orientation called Brandon’s Basics. So what’s the benefit of knowing Brandon’s Basics? It is a great introduction for volunteers who want to learn about bicycle mechanics. This is also a requirement for those who wish to sign up for any of our Winter Workshops.
To help folks get a jump start for the year, we’ll be offering orientations twice a week for 2 weeks, before offering (our surprise) winter workshops!
The schedule is as follows:
Sat 01/06 @ 11am
Wed 01/10 @ 6:30pm
Sat 01/13 @ 11am
Wed 01/17 @ 6:30pm
Sat 01/20 @ 11am
Print the flyer above & tell your friends offline!
We’re another year older and thankful to still be here to help the community after 18 years. Please join us for our annual fundraiser as we celebrate the work we’ve done, honor our wonderful donors, and make new friends! Join us Monday, November 6th from 5:30p to 8:30p at Lagunitas Tap Room in Pilsen.
We’re dedicated to recycling previously owned bikes and using them as a vehicle for empowerment in global and local communities. Since 1999, we’ve donated over 50,000 bikes to people in Africa, Latin America, and Chicago. The bikes we provide can be life-changing for those who need it the most by improving their mobility and access to education, employment, healthcare, and other basic necessities.
Admission is $35, which includes food and entertainment. There’ll be a silent auction and drawing. Tickets can be purchased here.
Drinks will be sold for $5 each at Lagunitas Taproom. You must be 21 or older to attend.
100% of the proceeds from the event will go towards supporting Working Bikes global and local donation programs. Sponsorship information can be found here.
Note that this event is for women, trans, femme, and gender non-conforming folks.
Working Bikes’ WTF! Night* Presents: Breaking the Cycle of Street Harassment (flyer can be found here), a screening of the Ovarian Psycos documentary and a discussion on harassment in public spaces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcCfTK5KZVo
The Ovarian Psycos is a bike group based in Los Angeles run by women of color whose mission is to use cycling as a way to heal physically, mentally, and spiritually by addressing issues in their community.
After the screening, there will be a discussion on people’s personal experiences with street harassment and ways the public can be better educated on the problem. Please note not everyone is required to contribute to the conversation. This is a safe space where everyone’s comfort level is respected.
This is a free event, but donations are suggested with all the proceeds going directly to support La Conxa, a community space run by the Ovarian Psycos.
*WTF! is a weekly volunteer night held at Working Bikes every Thursday from 5-9 p.m. for womxn, trans, femme, and gender non-conforming folk, offering them a space to learn how to fix bikes without judgement.
This event is a part of International Anti-Street Harassment Week.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
