General FAQ
Q. Do you sell new or used parts? A. We sell both! We have a wide range of used parts that have been salvaged to be re-used. They are organized into bins and crates and you are welcome to come and root through them. We try to stock all of the essential new parts and accessories that people may need at prices that are accessible for most of the people that use the shop.
Q. I am looking for a particular used part. Can I call to check if you have it in stock? A. Your best bet is to come in to the shop to root through our stock yourself. Frames and wheels are easier for us to check and quickly give you an answer, but we do not keep track of used parts and are often too busy assisting folks in the shop to dig through bins.
Q. Do you accept donations? A. Not only do we accept donations, WE LOVE THEM! Donated parts and bikes help keep our shop alive and exciting. Donations can be dropped off either at Our Community Bikes or the PEDAL Bike Depot any day between 11am and 6pm. People donating bicycles that have an assessed value (in their current state) of over 100$ can receive at tax receipt because PEDAL has a foundation and charitable status.
Q. How will my donation be put to use? A. There are several potential scenarios that donated bikes encounter. Many bikes are fixed up and become part of our Free Bike Program where they are given to people in the community who do not have access to affordable/alternative transportation. Other bikes are refurbished and sold to fund our programs (like the Free Bike Program) and to pay rent, utilities, wages, etc. Bikes in exceptionally sorry states (damaged beyond repair, very difficult and/or not worth repairing) are disassembled and recycled or re-used for parts.
Q. Do you pick up donations? A. No. We encourage people to put their bikes on the bus (so long as it has 2 wheels attached it should be alright) or find friends with vehicles capable of transporting bikes to help out.
Q. Do you buy used bicycles or parts? A. No, we do not so that we can avoid encouraging bicycle theft in the city. It is illegal for a business to sell used bicycles without registering their serial number with the police and holding onto the bike for several months. We have neither the capacity nor the desire to do these things. People (including bicycle thieves) do try to trade or sell stolen bikes to us but we never make any exceptions.
Q. Do you trade used bicycles or parts? A. Same as above answer. Please feel free to donate your parts (or bikes) to PEDAL altruistically.
Q. Can you sell my bike for me on consignment? A. We do not have the spatial (or mental, for that matter) capacity to sell consigned bikes. Our racks are full of bikes that we sell to support our organization and fund our projects.
Q. What services are available? How much do they cost?
A.Oh dear. Where to start? As a full service repair shop we offer everything from changing flat tires, pads, cables, drivetrains to replacing handlebars, frame swaps, bleeding disc brakes and forks, accessorizing, cleaning, tuning and all that jazz. We do not do welding or repair the electric part of electric bikes. Generally for us to repair your bike we charge 40$/hour. For most repair jobs we know about how long it should take us to do it and charge accordingly. So a full tune up is 50$labour, a flat tire repair is 6$ labour, 5$ for a new tube if you need it. Used parts in our bins start at 5$. We have an ample selection of new parts also. To repair your own bike and use our tools the rate is 5$/hour. To repair your own bike with verbal assistance from staff is 10$/hour. To repair your own bike with hands on assistance from staff is 15$/hour. We pro-rate the time you spend with us, so don’t worry about getting zinged at the cash register. But do keep track of your hours and parts used.
Q. How is PEDAL funded?
A. We ask ourselves all the time. The various projects in PEDAL have different methods of funding. Our Community Bikes and the PEDAL Bike Depot rent tools, offer educational services, sell refurbished bikes, used parts and new parts to fund themselves. We also receive (and are very grateful for) financial donations through the PEDAL Foundation from amazingly lovely people like you. The After School Bikes program receives grants for funding from organizations like Vancity, MOST and others.
Q. I want to build a bike from the frame up. How long will that take and how much will it cost?
A. The answer to both of those questions is “more than you expect”. Building a bike up in a day is possible. Building a bike up in a day if it’s your first time attempting bicycle mechanics is impossible. Give yourself a day and don’t get too nutty if you don’t get finished by the time 6pm rolls around. As for cost, if you do not have any parts on average you’ll spend maybe 400$ for parts and shop time. You could do it for less. It depends on availability of used parts (which are cheaper than new), what caliber of bike you are aiming to create, how much assistance you need and your mechanical aptitude.
Q. What if I don’t have money?
A. We endeavor to make all of our projects as accessible as possible to people with abilities and incomes. We have a
Free Bike Program for people that do not have bicycles and are also working with barriers in their lives. For people that have bikes that need repairs, come in to one of the shops and let us know about your situation (right off the bat, please). We have a great stock of used parts not only because it’s good for the environment to re-use instead of buying new, but also because it means we can do many repairs without the cost of new parts. We also have volunteers helping us at both shops which means even less overhead. It is almost always possible for us to work something out with very little cost, if any, when people genuinely have no money to spend whatsoever.
Q. Who is in charge?
A. Nobody and everybody at the same time! No but really, the organization has a volunteer board of directors, they make decisions about projects and funding. Members of the organization can attend and vote at the AGM for these board members. Both shops are run by the collective of staff members. Decisions are made by consensus, and there is no hierarchy of power. No managers, executive directors, bosses, supervisors… just a bunch of accountable folks coming together to make sound and creative decisions and get it all done.
Q. Do you like snacks?
A. Heck yes we do! Especially healthy ones, and potato chips. Fruit, vegetables, juice… all good things. Feel free to bring snacks in to the shop for the staff and customers to share… Everyone is happier when they don’t have low blood sugar.
OCB FAQ
Q. Do you sell bicycles? A. Yes, we sell refurbished used bicycles as well as used bicycles in as-is condition (have not been worked on). We do not sell new bicycles. The refurbished bikes come with a 3 month warranty and start at around 130$. The as-is bikes start at around 50$ and likely need a little (or a lot) of love. Bikes for sale are on display outside of Our Community Bikes, though sometimes we have a few extra in the staff only back room and at our warehouse (the PEDAL Bike Depot).
Q. Do you do special orders for new parts? A. No problem. Just come in to Our Community Bikes, find the part that you need in our catalogues, pay upfront and we will call you when the part has arrived. Please note that although some parts may take only a week to arrive, others may take much longer as we need to make orders of a certain size before they can be placed/shipped.
Q. Do you repair bikes for people?
A. We do! We are a full service bike shop as well as an education facility. Our shop rate for repairs is 40$/hour. To book in a repair please bring your bike to the shop during open hours so that we can assess it, locate parts as necessary and assign a due date for it. If it is being booked in well in advance you may be able to keep it and return a couple of days prior to the repair date to drop it off. There are times when we cannot store bikes in the shop due to lack of space so we kindly ask that you return with your bike sooner to the due day.
Q. Do you teach bicycle repair?? A. We encourage everyone to try to repair their own bicycles so that they can learn and be inspired to potentially fix their bikes in the future, feel empowered and oftentimes save money as well. But we also understand that there are many reasons why one might not want to fix one’s bike… lack of time, interest, physical ability. For those of you who are intimidated by fixing your own bike because you’ve never done it before/you don’t know how, bear in mind that there was a point when all expert mechanics didn’t know how and hadn’t fixed a thing in their lives. They had to start somewhere!
Q. Can I leave my bike in the shop overnight?
A. Most often, no. It seems that with every passing year we have less and less storage space at our disposal. All of the bikes that are on display out front of the shop come inside overnight, and our back room is full of bikes that we are repairing for people and shop builds. The only circumstance in which it is potentially allowable to leave your bike overnight is if your repair is incomplete at the end of the day and you promise (pinky swear even) to return first thing the following morning.
Q. When are you open?
A. Our Community Bikes is open every day from 11 am until 6pm. This means that on Sunday, we are open from 11am until 6pm. Please bear in mind that the shops are closed at 6, meaning cleanup starts at 5:45pm. Please do not come in at 5:30pm expecting to get out in time. We do close for some statutory holidays and the last Friday of every month we close at 5pm for
Critical Mass.Q. Where are you located?
A. Our Community Bikes is located at 3283 Main Street, Vancouver BC. The cross street is 17th Avenue.
The PEDAL Bike Depot is located at 1830 Ontario Street, Vancouver BC. The cross street is 2nd Avenue.
Q. Do you accept Debit/Visa/Mastercard?What about cheques?
A. Yes indeed, Debit, Visa and Mastercard are accepted at both locations. We do not, however, accept cheques unless they are donations to the PEDAL Foundation. For more information on how to donate, please visit our
Support page.
Q. How do I donate money to PEDAL?
A.
- Write a cheque to Pedal Foundation: This can be dropped off at Our Community Bikes! or the Pedal Depot or send it in the Mail to PEDAL Foundation, 3283 Main St, Vancouver BC, V5V 3M6
- Become a monthly donor to Pedal Foundation: You can join this program for as little as $5.00 per month that automatically withdraws from your chequing account. Just complete the monthly donor form, attach a void cheque and send or email it to the Pedal Foundation. Download the donation form here.
- Donate now by credit card using Canada Helps. Canada Helps facilitates giving to Canadian charities, has secure credit card processing and will issue you an immediate tax receipt.
Q. What about volunteering?
A.
Q. Do I need to be a member to use the shop?
A. Nope, but becoming a member is one way of supporting the shop, staying in the loop about upcoming events and opportunities, and saving a little money.
Q. How do I become a member? What are the perks?
A. Come in to either shop, and let us know that you’d like to become a member. You then have 2 choices… You can volunteer for 8 hours at either shop to earn your self a membership, or you can pay 20$ for your membership. Memberships are good for 1 year from the date of issue.
With a membership you get 6 hours/30$ of shop time at either shop, an invitation to join our members mailing list to keep in the loop about events, parties and other opportunities, and an invitation to our Annual General Meeting.
Q. Do I need to make an appointment?
A. Nope. If you want to come in to work on your bike, just come in to either shop. Stands in which to work on your bike are available on a first come first served basis. If you’d like us to work on your bike for you instead of doing it yourself, bring the bike in to either shop so that we can assess it and book it in, which is again on a first come first served basis.
DEPOT FAQ
Q. When are you open?
A. The PEDAL Bike Depot is open Tuesday through Friday from 3pm until 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 6 pm. Please bear in mind that the shops are closed at 6, meaning cleanup starts at 5:45pm. Please do not come in at 5:30pm expecting to get out in time. We do close for some statutory holidays and the last Friday of every month we close at 5pm for Critical Mass.
