Go here. They'll do anything they can to help. They are also very knowledgeable and have almost everything for you to use to get the job done. read more

Came here to volunteer & fulfill community service hours so I could graduate high school, and I left with a lifelong love for bicycles; both riding and wrenching. The Bike Kitchen is a super valuable resource for anybody in need of a bike or anyone curious on how they work. Super experienced mechanics are always around to answer questions or demonstrate things, and they have pretty much every bike part you could ever hope for. Also a great resource for those with intermediate wrenching experience, as bike tools ain't cheap and you don't have to worry about getting grease all over your apartment floor! read more

I come here to tinker on my bicycles. Great place to learn about bicycles if you are just a beginner, or to expand your knowledge base and experience if you already work on bikes. 12 work station's inside, several portable stands outside and access to all the tools. It's a mix of young and old, quirky and every day Joe's/Jane's from all walks of life. Great place to "Re-Cycle", yes pun intended. Lots of great bikes, frames, and parts. There's a little something for everyone, and you may even find a diamond in the rough if you know what to look for. The atmosphere is DIY, but there are a handful of staff/volunteers and many fellow bike enthusiasts ready and able to assist. The place is a hidden gem. Come work on bikes, make new friends, and listen to music all at the same time. read more

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Do it yourself bike repair. They give advice, you get parts, you fix it. Get to know your neighbors. In L. A there is a similar 501c3 Great resource for learning a fix-it job, be it installing a new chain, cleaning a cassette, or building a bike from parts Volunteer with them be a part of community trying to go somewhere. Do it yourself, with sound advice. read more

What an amazing place!!!!!! Run by volunteers. YOU DO THE WORK!!!!!!! The deal is that you pay a donation and can use their workshop and tools but the volunteers are great mechanics that guide you and answer all your questions!!!! I went yesterday for the first time and I LOVED IT. My bicycle now runs as smoothly as it never did before! Than you Dave! Carlos read more

Can't say enough good things about this shop. In particular, Janelle was just the best thing that happened to my decrepit old bike that i now ride all over town. She was so patient with my pos bike. Will only go back to her :) read more

HIDDEN GEM. Don't go anywhere else. Initially just needed some air for my tires, and a much overdue general tune-up which another bike shop had quoted to cost $200. With as basic bike knowledge as one can have, I was able to tune-up my Cannondale and replace a brake cable thanks to volunteer Dave! Super helpful, patient, and attentive!! The visit cost $6 (you can also purchase a yearly membership for $50 for unlimited visits) & my cable cost $3. They really treat you well here! Come hungry for bike knowledge and you're provided all the tools you can think of, a working station, pro advice, and good background music to jam to while getting your hands all greased up (don't worry they provide you with gloves and aprons). I left so excited/accomplished about the project that I got home realizing I forgot to add air into my tires - the original reason I went haha. Deffos will be back for some future bike projects! read more

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Great community/DIY bike repair shop! Bring your bike and they'll help you figure out what it needs in order to be in best working condition. They have some parts or you can bring your own and they'll help you install them. read more

The Bike Kitchen - They helped me install a new chain! - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

WOW, The Bike Kitchen is a total gem in the city! It is run completely be volunteers so the hours are in evenings, Tuesday through Thursday, 6-9 pm and Saturdays, 12-3 pm. I went on Friday evening for "WTF Night," which is for female-identified people. I was greeted warmly by Tracey and Nasa. It was my first time at the shop and I immediately felt comfortable and at home, even though I am a complete newbie to working with bicycles. I paid $6 for a day pass although it makes total sense to sign up for the $50 membership if you visit at least nine times or more in a year. Tracey and Nasa both helped me assemble the last pieces of my bike that I bought for Burning Man. They were both super encouraging and by the end of the evening, I had a brand new bike assembled and some new-found confidence with my handy skills! I will definitely be back in the future - what an amazing place in the city! read more

The Bike Kitchen - my new Burning Man bike all beautifully assembled thanks to Tracey and Nasa at the Bike Kitchen! - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I found what I needed for my gravel bike, then asked about tires... I got NEW TIRES 700c x 41, for ONLY $15.00!!! NEW TIRES FOR ONLY $15.00 !!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT !!!! Good used tires, too!!! Vintage bikes and parts !!! read more

The Bike Kitchen - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Helpful staff helped me replace my headset. I struggled to loosen the lock nut. Phillip came over to offer help. He gave it a go, but asked for backup because my headset was not typical. The staff stayed passed closing time to make sure I could ride off safely. Store is well stocked of tools and workspace tables. They noticed all the stations were occupied and quickly set work stands and tables outside for newly arrived repairs. Great community space for not having to buy a tool for a one time use. read more

Was turned down by multiple shops to adjust the gears on my bike. Rode into this place, paid $6, and Ken hooked me up by showing me how to adjust my derailleur. Bringing your bike to this shop is a no brainer, crazy value for service in the city. read more

I went to this place yesterday, they did nice job . Only 6$ for using their tools . They helped me to fix my bike . Didn't charge any fees . I bought 2 stuff only costed 7$ . Amazing!!! A local store was charging 90$ . I'm so glad I found the bike kitchen. Saved $$$ , plus people are friendly read more

The Bike Kitchen - Bike kitchen - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I literally haven't been here in like two years, but they still have the place up and running! Lou was a Og that helped me with so much great advice and all around good dude with a great sense of humour and he even gave me a helmet read more

It's almost hard to believe this place even exists, it seems way to good I be true when you look it up online. I recently bought a bike and brought it here and for like 6 bucks they looked over my bike and showed/helped me fix it. In the time I was there I pumped up the tires, fixed my back fender, replaced my back break line, and tightened my breaks. Everyone there knows what they are doing and is super friendly. They even recommended a great Mexican place nearby that I rode to after I was done working on the bike. (El Farolito) GO HERE! read more

Ken was very knowledgeable and taught us how to maintain and fix our bikes. Definitely will come back if my bike has any issues. Highly recommend to fellow bikers in SF! read more

I just built a bike. A real, actual, rideable bike. Not just rideable - beautiful (if I do say so myself). And it's all thanks to the wonderful staff at the Bike Kitchen I'm getting into bicycle touring, with the goal of pedaling cross country at some point, and I decided that I wanted to learn as much as I can about my bike by building it from scratch. But I was also on a budget, and know that building a bike from scratch can often be more expensive than buying new. Bike kitchen to the rescue! I was able to volunteer to earn a membership with them, and then volunteer some more to earn credit for parts to go on my bike. Then over the course of several weekends I coaxed my dream machine into existence. They taught me everything from putting the frame together to building the wheels (from separate hubs, spokes and rims), installing the drivetrain and adjusting the brakes. They gave lots of helpful tips about selecting components, and they didn't take away one bit of work from me - they TOLD me how to do everything, but I had to do the wrenching myself. I recommend their wheel-building class taught by Llana. She was a great teacher, has a lot of experience, paced the class well, and helped me make two perfect wheels on my first try. She also stayed THREE EXTRA HOURS after class with everyone, ON A SUNDAY, until we all had at least one decently true wheel. I challenge anyone to find that kind of dedication and service at a for-profit bike shop. One word of warning is to not judge the whole Bike Kitchen by your interaction with the first mechanic you meet. All the mechanics I've met were knowledgeable and helpful, but they have very different personalities. Some can be very personal and welcoming, while others can be downright distant and especially off putting to newcomers. My personal go-to mechanic was Jim - the oldest mechanic at the Kitchen, he worked most nights I was there. I'll now take a moment to say that, despite the above gushing, the BK is not perfect. They have had some staffing issues, sometimes making them open late, and recently forcing them to reduce Saturday hours permanently. But then again, the mechanics are VOLUNTEERING their time to help people with their bikes, so I really can't complain about a little inconsistency. Also, while they have a wonderful parts room with every kind of bicycle part you could want, you really have to work to find it - and sometimes, depending on the flow of donations, you may just need to buy new parts elsewhere. In the past I also would have said they REALLY need to work on their organization, but they just did a large scale purging of outdated and unusable parts that has really helped the situation. It's an ongoing process - if you really care, take an evening to volunteer and help them get things in order! read more

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I love the Bike Kitchen. Such a cool community based program and space! It's one of the main places I miss now that I've moved to the East Coast. Let me tell you all about it. For just $40, you can sign up for a full year of access to the kitchen. You can also pay just $5 per day if you wish. I decided to take a chance on a friend's super old, junky bike for $25 and brought it to the Bike Kitchen to fix up. I recommend getting to the kitchen right when they open to make sure you get a work station. If they're full, you're out of luck, though sometimes people are there for just a little while and stations open up throughout the 3 hours they're open (6pm-9pm weekdays). I made the most of each visits though, and took 5-6 full 3 hours sessions to take my project bike from completely unridable to a pretty decent ride! Now let me tell you why they get 5 Stars. VOLUNTEERS. My goodness, the volunteers at SF Bike Kitchen are super great and knowledgeable. It's all about learning there: You're expected to do your own work, but it doesn't mean you're on your own. Volunteers roam the shop, constantly organizing parts, stripping donated bikes and frames, and making themselves available to answer questions. I especially want to give a shout out to Esther, JP & Robert (AKA Edward) who were there with me along the way as I learned all about how to fix up my bike. I went in knowing pretty much NOTHING about the inner workings of bikes and left each session feeling empowered and that I'd had a successful session. In the relatively short time I've had with them, I grew quite fond of the Tuesday night team. I really miss them! Do you know about bikes? Do you want to learn more? YOU can be a volunteer! And when you dedicate enough hours to volunteering at the shop, you can actually earn building your own bike for FREE! To sustain the community model of this non-profit, it takes sharing tools (and skills) of the trade with new volunteers who can carry on the work and keep the Bike Kitchen open. I plan to volunteer whenever I'm in SF and encourage everyone in the area to get over there and learn about bikes! read more

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A local bike shop quoted me $300 to fix a used bike; at Bike Kitchen, I was able to get it running for $26. The Bike Kitchen is a great place to learn how to fix your bike and get expert advice and help from volunteers who work there. read more

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Awesome place to go I took on a whole bike restore but didn't know much on my 18 speed. Louie is the man he helped me with my bike to get it atleast rolling which was a huge project. We did both brake sets, both gear sets, and adjusted the derailer. I couldn't believe the knowledge and know how that he had to get my bike rolling. Great place to take your bike if you need a hand and/or any tools. It was really cheap and the help you get is priceless. read more

Hands down the best place to be if you have a good bike and don't want to pay big money to fix it and you get free help... YES!!! It's FREEE HELP and you get to use sort of expensive tools to get the job done. Either pay a day-use fee ($5) or become a member ($40-$80 sliding scale or volunteer six hours). This gives you access to our tools and advice from our volunteer mechanics. We have an inventory of used parts and basic new parts for sale, or you can enter our digging rights / earn-a-bike program. I have brought my bike many times to learn how to repair and tune my bike to get it running good. Having a bike and not working properly is no fun and i doubt you want to pay a lot to fix it. They also have parts you can use from recycled bikes for cheap and they have new tubes, tires, shift cables, brakes cables at affordable price. It is located at 650H Florida between 18th and 19th. Hours are Tue-Thu: 6-9pm Sat: 12-3pm Overall great staff and volunteers and great tips and help offer. It is a first come first serve basis to work on your bike or the volunteering for membership. The best part you learn how to fix it on your own and save money. **parking** Outside between 18th / 19th street **cash** only for bike parts... read more

The Bike Kitchen - Bike on rack - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Thank you to the wonderful volunteers at WTF night! Tracy, Wendy, Blase- I hope I got all your names right You are awesome, especially with klutzes like me, ( I dropped a large box of bolts on the shop floor, it was a mess!!!) You were patient and kind. Plus, the shop has used parts which we can purchase, I found a much-needed kickstand for $3 And although the kickstand on my bike ended up being too short (my bike slants ridiculously to the left). I had a great time! I will be back. (I have to get a longer kickstand ) read more

The Bike Kitchen - how I love thee. The place rocks. My seven year old had outgrown her bike. I decided to take her here and have her build one with me. Membership at the place is free if you are a kids (under 18?) and also free for the accompanying adult. The staff is super helpful and very nice. One of the female volunteers skillfully talked my daughter into a blue frame as we couldn't get parts for the one she'd chosen. She even offered to order up some streamers for the thing. The only downside of the place is if you are building a bike for a kid the pickins are slim as the place is most used by six foot tall men. read more

I hesitate to write a negative review for the Bike Kitchen, even though I had a negative experience. I want to support this place. I want people to go there. There should be a volunteer-run community bike shop in every city. However, if they're going to do it, they should do it right. This would be a great place for someone who knows what they're doing to go and have access to lots of tools and used parts for cheap. However, for folks who don't know what they're doing and want to learn, you might have a rough time of it. Also, I think they should try and have a female volunteer on staff at all times because I felt some majorly sexist condescension coming from some (not all) of those dudes. The volunteers need to work on their people skills. I dealt with three different volunteers, and nobody was willing to stick with me and follow through to the end. The first guy was great, but had to leave before the job was done, and left me in the hands of someone else who seemed annoyed to have to pick up where the other guy left off. He basically wandered off to work on his own bike and I was left flailing. I understand that they are busy and have a lot to deal with, but a little grace and patience can go a long way. It can be a daunting task to take apart your bike and put it back together again for the first time, and any newbie would need a lot of guidance and reassurance to feel comfortable. I actually had to argue with the guy and say "if you're not able to walk me through this, perhaps you can point me towards someone who is, because I have no idea what I'm doing." At one point, I felt like I was going to cry, frustrated with the state of my disassembled bike and the complete lack of attention or compassion I was getting from the people who "helped" me take it apart. By the time it was back together, I was eager to get out of there as quickly as possible, and now I feel like I need to take my bike to a regular bike shop for adjustments because there are rattles that weren't there before and I have no idea why. I would have had just as much luck reading a book about bike repair and then going to the Bike Kitchen to use their tools. I don't want to have to deal with those guys again, even if I did learn something. read more

Dear Bike Kitchen: In theory, I'm so glad you're here, elevating bike consciousness. In practice, I really wanted to love you. But I got passive aggressive, non-informative service and will think twice about going back or supporting the organization. I arrived at ten after 4 on a Saturday (they close at 5). As a former waitress, I'm pretty sensitive to the annoyance of patrons showing up near closing time, expecting the royal treatment and oblivious to the business hours. So first thing, I ask the volunteer I track down whether there is time to help me replace my rear (cantilever) brake pads. I'd never done it before and heard it could be a little tricky to align everything correctly. She looked at the clock, said yes and said I have twenty minutes before clean-up. So I thought she meant it would be okay? There didn't seem to be any stands available, so she set me up in a corner by the bathroom. By the time I paid, she had already taken off the old pads. I tried asking a few questions about how she undid the cable release. She kind of mumbled a non-answer. She seemed incredibly annoyed. I asked why the pads weren't symmetric (with the bar in the middle of the pad) like the ones from before and if that made a difference in how I installed them. Again, no real answer that I could discern. Then she said, "I need to go start clean-up. You'll be fine." Um, okay, although everything I'd read indicated the trickiest part was what was left to do: getting the pads aligned with the rim, setting up toe-in, symmetric clearance, etc. No mention of any of that. So I struggled to try to do it, with the bike leaned against my shoulder since I had no stand. It seemed once I adjusted something one way, things would move so I needed to adjust something else. I looked around to see if anyone would be able to give me some pointers. Then I realized the pads were marked L & R and we had put them on the wrong sides. At this point, she had yelled at people several times to stop working and start clean up. Fine, I can work more comfortably at home without getting hit by the bathroom door every few minutes. So I left there with my brakes improperly installed and not really functional. Granted, it was pretty busy, end of shift, and she seemed stressed about making sure everyone cleaned up on time. So maybe on a different day, my experience would have been better. But that's why I ASKED if there was time to get help. Please just say no if you're going to be pissy and unhelpful about it. Also, brakes are a SAFETY issue. If you're going to agree to help someone, there is some level of responsibility for making sure they are properly installed and aligned. Boo, for my first experience at the Bike Kitchen. Hopefully it's not standard. read more

Rolled by here. Great place. I need a few more times to get the hang of when's a good time to find a non-chaotic moment and some space to get things fixed. My condo space is too small to effect quick and dirty repairs. I'm lining this up for getting things fixed before or after work. Just a matter of time to figure out how that'll work. I read some less than stellar reviews. Most people seem to be "getting" it that this is a work spot with volunteers. A few people are not getting it. They're hoping for "service" of the retail variety ... nope. Not Macy's. Not an upscale bike shop. It's work space. I expect a steep learning curve both for a new bike I've got with quirks I'm not used to as well as a steep learning curve for figuring out how Bike Kitchen will serve my needs. Should be fun. I like lab work and kitchen work. So far I like Bike Kitchen. For those who claim this is only for people who know what they're doing, it's clearly for people who want to learn and can figure out how to relate to the volunteers and to the space. I'm a college science instructor ... which is practically like being a volunteer. Maybe a third of my students actually want to learn science and have patience and the time set aside to do so. I don't envy the volunteers here at bike kitchen. But I'm glad they're there. This is close to where I work in the daytime, so I'll be coming by from time to time. read more

On Sunday, Oct 19th the San Francisco Bike Kitchen held an event titled "Tour De Cupcake". Loads of women, men and children came out to support this amazing cause and of course ... EAT CUPCAKES. $5-10 minimum donation. At the beginning of the registration period we started to wait, no problem ... we chilled with a man who lived on a boat and talked shop about bikes, the East coast and how Berkeley is overrated. After 35 minutes of waiting we were handed the directions of the Alley Cat race and set loose. The challenge was that because they were so UNDER ORGANIZED they had prepared for only 75 people to show when in all reality there was more like 4-500. Glancing over the checkpoints we set off. 1. Library - done ... loooked up author of first cupcake book 2. Name of Pastry Chef on 4th and Bryant .. done 3. 17th and Wisconsin .... NO CUPCAKES ... blasphemous 4. Trader Joes ... angry workers yelled our trivia answer and told us to leave .. .cool but lame at the same time 5. Bow and Arrow art ... tired .... NO CUPCAKES ... grrrr 6. Fort Mason ... super dog tired ... dude waiting YELLS at us and says "NO CUPCAKES, give us your paper" Okay, before this gets too boring, let me explain. The race was meant to allow for slower folks( read people without $2,000 bikes and speedo outfits) to compensate by eating cupcakes and getting 2 minutes off total time. These guys wouldn't even deduct time for us, even after shamming us out of the cupcakes. Needless to say we bailed and realized that Bike Kitchen needs the money to hire a true organizer. I love their mission, I love their place, but TOUR DE NO MOTHER FUCKIN CUPCAKE .... pretty much sucked. read more

I gave them two stars, one because I guess it's a good idea for people who know about mechanics and have a space to do their own repairs and two because I am nice. but that's it. go only if you know how to repair your bike, they say they have people there to help you but they barely paid any attention to me, they were all your typical hipster-I am too good to be true "helpers" but I think it is because they are volunteers which is cool, thanks for the free "service" but maybe because they are not getting paid they are more picky about who and when to help somebody. meh, waste of 2 hours of my time. read more

I have such mixed feelings about the bike kitchen..... I am very happy that it exists! I wish there were more places that were run by volunteers and basically free to use.... $5 for using tools and their knowledge isn't a whole lot to ask! I always feel good about going there..... The concept is great! But, today I went in to the new place to do some work. It's in a MUCH smaller location... I wish they'd have held out for a larger location... This was my first Saturday visit, but it was PACKED... It seemed like some people were really getting good help.... but they were piled on top of each other. I got there and 2 volunteers were outside talking to each other... I stood there for a minute, neither of them moved so I could enter the shop or even looked at me to see if I would want some direction or help. I know the drill. I went inside, signed in and gave the very nice girl at the counter (!) my 5 bucks. I went outside b/c there were a few stations set up out there. I asked those 2 for some help. The guy was nice. But I don't know that much about bikes... I know what needs to be done, but it's the minimum and only b/c I consistently have the same problems w/ the shifter tension. He showed me a few things... and helped get me started on truing my wheel, inside where I felt like I was stepping on people. I had to ask someone else for help too. I've had better experiences there tho... very conditional! One guy showed me how to true my wheel before and he was REALLY helpful... I've gone in w/ my bike and a Male friend who was also showing me some stuff and had the volunteer (also male) spoke to him like it was his bike and I was just some girl standing around. I want to know more about my bike. Every time I go here I think I'll leave having learned something and that isn't always the case. I feel like if I knew people here then I'd be more comfortable learning more.... or asking for more help b/c a lot of folk seem like they're busy or don't want to give you their full attention for a few minutes to make sure you're getting things right. I really give it 3 stars b/c although my experiences are kinda poor they are doing this thing that no one else is doing and it's a valuable service to the biking community. That rocks. read more

~ My brother brought his bike to Valencia and Now Valley Cycleries and both told him that the frame was totaled. We took it to The Bike Kitchen and they showed him how to fix it himself. ~ This place has saved me so much money and made me so much of a more capable person at zero (well, you could even say "negative") monetary cost to me. The mechanics who volunteer to help novice bike repair-ers like me out are all super helpful and most of them know when they're out of their league. BUT WAIT! They don't just leave it at "oh, I don't know how to fix that" (which is already a huge step up from "oh, that can't be fixed") to, "let me go ask _____." 99% of the time someone there can make your bike all better. Oh, and did I mention that when your broke as f*uck (hello college tuition, goodbye savings account) they still won't turn you away? Everyone, really, everyone has a space to work here. read more

simply put, if you want your bike fixed but you can't or don't want to pay hundreds for minor fixes then come to this place, they have all the tool you need to fix it on your own for only $5. i'll start with the staff, they are very friendly. just ask any questions and they will help you. they have any tool you need to fix you're bike. they have a huge used items bins incase you need any bike parts for dirt cheap; some of the stuff are really good quality if you look hard enough. they have any tool you need to fix your bike. my only complaints would be that the place is very crammed and which makes it hard to move around with your bike and that they have very very short hours and days that they open. read more

I love this place. I'm taking a bike maintenance class and the 2 instructors are super helpful and don't make me feel like an ass, which is how I usually feel when asking questions at a bike shop. I started looking into learning how to fix my own bike because of 3 reasons: 1) i like to figure out how things work 2) the asshole at Freewheel on Valencia who told me my other bike wasn't worth their time to work on 3) because I don't want to be one of those kids that rides a fixie but doesn't know anything about it - I bought it so I could learn about it and the Bike Kitchen has been the perfect solution. I understand the previous complaints about room and service but I don't think that they are fair, far from it actually. If you want more room and more hours and blahblahblah then donate more than your yealr $30 membership fee (which is nominal really for what you get in return) or your 5 bucks to use their tools. They assure the low cost strictly by offering classes, memberships, and so forth. If its that big of a deal then be proactive and do something about it - like donating parts and money. All this and after just one class. Damn - the next 3 classes are gonna be interesting. read more

Went here for the first time tonight. !!! Immediately upon entering the door a very nice girl (Courtney you're rad!) asked me if I needed help, which I said yes to because I am bike-mechanically retarded. We basically had great giggly conversation while I learned a lot. Everyone else who worked there was uber friendly too; I would SO volunteer there if I knew more about bikes! If anyone wants to have a rockin' good time with bikes you should volunteer here, then it could potentially be open more often. They also have all these buckets and pockets and drawers full of random ass parts so if you're missing a weird randomly sized part they'll probably have it so long as you're willing to dig a little for it. French parts too for all of you who suffer from their egotistical way of creating their own measurement system. I am happy to report that my cute little ladies' style beach cruiser now has a totally awesome jerry rigged rear hand brake (instead of those annoying coaster brakes), and hell yeah it looks good too. Don't get me wrong, coaster brakes are cool too. If you live somewhere flat like Portland or Philly. Here, not so much. Oooooh she DID! Sorry to all of you fixed gear riders, I'm a wuss. read more

I went here for the first time on Friday to see my friends band EMPTY ROOMS play. The premise of the spot is interesting: bike workshop during the day,available for shows at the night . The sound leaves a lot to be desired, I would suggest keeping towards the back if you want to hear vocals . the people working the place seemed really cool.the crowd was not sloppy and out of control. I have very mean things I do want to say about the breed of people that frequent this place but I will try to keep positive and besides ive overused the words "hipster" and "scum" far too often in my writings...oh and "fixedgeardouches". byob ...sounds like a plan to me. I am starting a band myself, it is called ARTISTE because I am one. Or maybe I'll call it YUM YUM PIE and it will be a bootsy collins inspired funk band. Maybe I will play here with that music and scared the fixed gears away...far far away read more

Warning- some of the volunteer mechanics are annoying as hell. this one guy with a moustache and short hair is a great example. saunters around with an air of deep self-satisfaction for his oh so sexy and amazing bike mechanic skills and is relatively useless when asked for help. I am pretty sure hes just in there to try to pick up girls (i doubt the moustache or self-involvement helps out in the real world). My girlfrend went in recently and said he seemed preoccupied more with her ass than her bike. On the other hand, some of the other mechanics are totally awesome and for five bucks you will learn (the hard way but with help) about the intricacies of bike maintenance, plenty of used stuff to rummage too. I give it a 4 because in general the Bike Kitchen rocks, but the attitude of some of the volunteer mechanics sucks- too proud of themselves for being a bike mechanic much less one who volunteers three saintly hours a week! read more

What a wonderful organization! Right in the heart of the Mission, Bike Kitchen provides a cheap, well-equipped and volunteer-staffed DIY bike repair shop. For 5 bucks you can use the tools (they have EVERY tool), rummage through and take any parts you need (read: build a whole bike!), and curbside the volunteers with questions unless they approach you first after seeing the stupid look on your face. It's tough to find, even with google, but a great hidden treasure. read more

So whenever I rode my bike and pedaled, somewhere near my crank arms and bottom bracket there was this really really annoying creaking. So a couple friends referred me to the Bike Kitchen for a DIY session with some bike experts instructing you and with all the tools and used parts to use all I wanted for a $5 single session or a $30/year membership which I went ahead and purchased. Another big bonus of being a member is that one could build their own bike from scratch from all the used parts they have at the shop. It's a small danky shop but it has all the tools and parts one would need to fix their bike. So if you're like me, who likes to fix things on their own with some good instruction from experts, then definitely come to the Bike Kitchen if you have any issues. The experts will help you ranging from simple tune-up to major issues where you'll have to completely take your bike apart. So Josh, who was very friendly and helpful by the way diagnosed that the problem with my bike was the lower bracket. Not that it needed to to be replaced but that it just needed a little jerry rigging. When I mean jerry rigging, I was to wrap some teflon tape on the threading of the lower bracket to alleviate the creaking. Josh, my instructor told me this was the 1st time this issue has come to the Kitchen so he was excited to see the results. Unfortunately, with aluminum framed bikes, the creaking of the lower bracket is a frequent issue. So Josh showed me how to remove my pedals, crank arms, and finally the lower bracket. I cleaned everything thoroughly with a rag and taped the threadings of both brackets 1-2 times around. I put everything back together and checked for the creaking....bam! It was gone....and hopefully it stays that way. Thank you Bike Kitchen and thank you Josh. I'll be back. read more

This place is the anti-douche of bike shops. Most places I feel like the employees look at me like an asshole if I don't have a custom fit Bianchi, and everything's too expensive. Not at the Bike Kitchen-- they taught me how to true my wheels, change tires, fix my brakes, tape my handlebars and replace my shifter cables. The staff were super friendly, informative and generally rad. They have a selection of spare parts that they sell for cheap, and add a nice flair to your bike (check the seats and handlebars, for sho). I say never go to a regular bike store for repairs ever again-- bike kitchen kills 'em. Bonus: they occasionally throw sweet shows, including ones for Antelope and the Fucking Ocean. High fives. read more

When I moved to San Francisco, one of the first things I did was join the Bike Kitchen. It's a great community resource for anyone who wants to work on a bike, regardless of skill level or experience. The volunteer mechanics are happy to give you pointers on anything from changing a tube to overhauling a bottom bracket and truing wheels. And even if you don't need help from a mechanic, it's great to be able to work in a fully stocked shop where you have access to just the right tool at your finger tips. All this for just 40 bucks a year (or 5 bucks for the day)! They also sell small parts and accessories like tubes and cables for very reasonable prices. It can get crowded, but if you arrive early, you can usually stake out a repair stand without too much trouble. Also, try to avoid coming too close to closing time, because repairs always take longer than you think they will and the volunteers want to go home. Get out and go to work on your two wheeler! read more

This place is awesome. I walked in with a broken crank bolt (not that I knew what it was called) and walked out with the problem solved in ten minutes costing seven dollars (two for the bolt and five for the day use). I knew/know nothing about bike parts or tools but somehow everything fell into place. One of the volunteers laid out the process at a high level and let me to it. The stations were really well organized, at one point I jammed my crank on to the bottom bracket just to test out a replacement crank bolt and realized I couldn't pull it off so I looked over at the tools and of course there's a tool called a crank pull which made it easy as pie. Things like that just kept happening. Maybe I was just lucky. The volunteers seemed really friendly. The tools were great. The parts seemed as well organized as you could expect given the rummaging that must go on. I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly the place was running. read more