Recycle-A-Bike

Open Shop

Everyone is welcome to drop into our space during our open shop hours.   Visitors can use our bike stands, specialized tools and space to make repairs or do routine maintenance on their bikes.  Used bike parts are available at discounted prices.  The price of new parts are determined by the market rate.

This is a do-it-yourself model, where we take pride in teaching visitors how to make the repairs and adjustments, instead of simply doing the work for them.  Our in-house Master Mechanics are always on hand to provide technical expertise and guidance. You don’t need any mechanical experience to join us, but do be prepared to get your hands greasy. There is a suggested donation of $5/hour.  Anyone may also volunteer during these hours, and time donated helping the shop will earn points which may be traded for parts, or shop time.

Open Shop Hours: Tuesdays 5-8pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm

WTF (Women, Trans, Femme) Nights @ RAB

The first Wednesday of every month, Recycle-a-Bike will host WTF Wrenching Wednesdays This open-shop-style space is available to people who identify as female, transgender, femme, genderqueer, trans-masculine, trans-feminine, or feel their socialization or treatment as a woman/transperson*/femme has impeded their participation in bike mechanics. If you do not identify with one of these identities, you are kindly asked not to attend this shop time.*

This night is a time to bring your own bike project to work on, pick out a project to volunteer your help with or just to tinker and practice working with the tools. No mechanical knowledge or experience necessary- just an interest in learning! WTF Wrenching Wed will maintain a pop-ed learning culture (no one knows everything and everyone knows something), so we hope to create a kind and respectful learning environment. WTF Wrenching Weds were developed in response to an expressed community need for such a space, drawing inspiration from similar programs nationally and internationally. Click here to see our upcoming WTF Wrenching Wednesdays FB Events, or e-mail Ally with any questions.

Pedal Power

Pedal Power brings bikes, helmets and qualified bicycle skills instructors to school-age children in and around the Providence area. Over six weekly class sessions, we turn kids who have never ridden or don’t feel comfortable on a bike into safe, confident and skilled bicyclists. They learn skills like turning and stopping and good safety habits like wearing helmets and signaling.

Maybe most valuable of all, we take them outdoors into nature. Most of our classes take place on bike paths, where kids are outdoors and safe. We take time to explore the hiking trails, woods and shorelines, observing plant and wildlife that we encounter.

Wrenching Wednesdays (New schedule coming soon!)

Wrenching Wednesdays are back with a twist! Throughout the year we will be getting together to work on bikes that we can use to raise money for the shop. Unlike Open Shop this will not be an opportunity to work on your own bike or to assist customers, this is a night solely dedicated to team camaraderie and earning points!

These are great opportunities to help RAB grow while hanging out and learning from fellow bike geeks. These sessions are open to bike mechanics of all levels, from absolute beginners to those looking to master these skills. Some nights may have a focus on how to repair a particular component, but in general this will be a build-at-your-own-pace atmosphere.  Shop-worthy attire and closed-toe shoes are required. Let’s build bikes and skills together!

Stay tuned for UPCOMING sessions::: but contact Gregory – the Shop Manager if you are interested

Bike Mechanics and Technology

Bike M&T builds on our past Bike Mechanics internship program, adding a complete new science and math curriculum designed by professional educators. We’ll use bikes and pedal-powered electrical generators to demonstrate and apply core concepts in physics, such as work, friction, inertia, and electricity, together with the underlying math. Along with the science and math, students will master bike repair skills in our fully-equipped Community Bike Shop.

The RI Department of Education has approved our Bike M&T curriculum and plan for inclusion in their Advanced Course Network of out-of-classroom instruction opportunities. Students from any high school in Rhode Island may apply for available spaces. Our full year classes will take place at our shop in Olneyville for six hours per week over the two 15-week school terms. Participating students will earn full academic credit toward their high school science and general graduation requirements. As they work and learn in our Community Bike Shop, students will also see the connections linking academic achievement, work habits and skills and future success in life.