Bike Church

The Bike Church is located over by The Domes and is part of the Sustainable Research Area on campus. Their purpose is to give the community a low-cost resource that provides the knowledge and tools necessary to maintain and repair their various forms of human-powered transportation, such as Bicycling. They have new and used bikes, parts, and accessories for donation along with tools and advice on how to fix your bicycle so you can get back to bicycling. The Church is non-profit and operated by volunteers. Tithing: All donations go to providing the community with more tools and a better workspace. If you have a bike, bike parts or tools you are no longer using, please consider donating them to the Bike Church!

If you know something about bike repair, go volunteer and get first-dibs on parts. Just sign up on the schedule as an acolyte and show up at that shift. They also need some help organizing and cleaning and making the space a bit more holy. To see if your expertise could be used at the Bike Church, visit the improvement plans page.

Send a request to "bikeministry AT gmail DOT com" if you would like to be added to our congregation email list. You will periodically receive emails about news and events related to the Bike Church and bicycling activities around the area, specifically events where you can help us further our mission.

Se habla un poquito de español.

Current Activities

ASUCD Senate Resolution

The following resolution, with a few grammatical and punctuation changes, is being considered during the ASUCD Senate meeting on Thursday the 20th at 7pm in the MU Mee room:

"Introduced by: Dietrich

An Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD) Senate resolution in support of continued existence of the Bike Church,

WHEREAS, the Bike Church serves our community as a cost-equitable resource for the knowledge and tools necessary to maintain and repair bicycles,

WHEREAS, the Bike Church seeks to be a place where people of any age, sex, color, race, sexual orientation, or nationality feel comfortable to learn about and work on bicycles,

WHEREAS, the Bike Church provides centralized access to used bicycle parts and accessories,

WHEREAS, the Bike Church has served the community for nearly five years as an entirely volunteer effort,

WHERAS, the Bike Church provides a space where people can help each other, share skills, and empower each other to construct, repair, maintain and ride their own bicycles,

WHERAS, the Bike Church supports sustainable practices by giving “waste” a second chance by emphasizing the reuse of materials,

WHEREAS, the Bike Church teaches bicycle repair and maintenance rather than providing bicycle repair services,

WHERAS, the Bike Church cultivates a community dedicated to sustainable bicycle/human powered transport,

WHERAS, the Bike Church seeks to empower more people in our community to ride their bikes regularly and for every purpose,

WHERAS, the Bike Church builds community through the communication of knowledge and the practice of sustainable/recycled transportation,

WHERAS, the Bike Church seeks to build a true community of spirit and purpose based on mutual respect and caring, where community members and the university may foster a spirit of cooperation and understanding,

WHEREAS, providing people with the tools and knowledge needed to build, repair, maintain, and ride their bikes helps to promote biking on the Davis campus and within the City of Davis,

WHEREAS, bicycle cooperatives similar to the Bike Church abound in cities across the United States, yet the breadth of resources provided by the Bike Church is not otherwise served within Davis (a League of American Bicyclists Certified Platinum Bicycle City, and a university campus renowned for its bicycle culture),

WHEREAS, the UC Davis Campus and the City of Davis is a bike friendly community that strives to promote biking as a mode of transportation,

WHEREAS, ASUCD is committed to promoting a culture of sustainability and biking is a sustainable form of transportation,

WHERAS, the University of California is committed to aggressive goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (1990 levels by 2020, 2000 levels by 2014, and climate neutral as soon as possible),

WHERAS, bicycling is the least energy intensive mode of personal transportation and getting more people to ride bikes will require significant efforts in education and encouragement,

WHEREAS, The Bike Church has been given notice of eviction by UC Davis Student Housing from its current location at the Baggins End Domes on the UC Davis Campus,

WHEREAS, there are many potential scenarios to maintain the continued existence of the Bike Church either within the UC Davis Campus or within the City of Davis,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, The ASUCD Senate values the contribution of the Bike Church to the UC Davis campus community,

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, The ASUCD Senate supports efforts to find a way to maintain the services that the Bike Church provides, either within the UC Davis campus or within the city of Davis,

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, The ASUCD Senate requests affected departments and organizations (including but not limited to the Bike Church, SPAC, ASUCD, the EC, Student Housing, and Student Affairs, Transportation and Parking Services, the City of Davis) collaborate to consider all reasonable scenarios that would allow the Bike Church to continue operations, and to return to the Senate with an update about specific plans for the future of the organization by _ _,

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, a copy of this resolution be sent to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Fred Wood, Director of Student Housing Emily Galindo, ministers of the Bike Church, Director of the Experimental College Lyndee Norris, UC Davis Bicycle Coordinator David Takemoto-Weerts, members of the City of Davis City Council, City of Davis Bicycle Coordinator Tara Goddard, The California Aggie, and KDVS 90.3 FM"

Student support would probably help it pass. Passage would probably ensure survival of the Bike Church on UCD campus.

Bike Church Demonstration

Show up at the Bike Church, Thursday the 13th at 2pm. We'll be talking briefly about what's up, then riding to deliver the petitions and demonstrating our support. Easy way to show your support! Bring a bike.

Save the Bike Church

On October 29th, 2008, UC Davis Student Housing sent the Bike Church a letter stating that we have until December 1st, 2008 to dismantle our structures, and until December 31st to completely remove all traces of the Bike Church from our current location. The reasons given essentially revolve around the perception that the Bike Church grounds are a health and safety risk, that our dome is an unapproved structure and a fire hazard, that our methods of collecting donations in the form of money and goods are a liability, and that the fact that we are open to the Davis community-at-large is also a liability due to the presence of non-students in a housing area (a security issue). Student Housing has not given us any possible alternatives, stating only that we need to get out.

Needless to say, we are all quite shocked at this turn of events, especially given the amount of progress we have made in renovating our space, making it safer, cleaner and more functional. We are currently exploring a number of options for our future. But being an ever-optimistic bunch of people, we are also looking forward to working with the university to stay in our present location that we have come to love, and which we have made so beautiful. The last thing you should expect is for the Bike Church to disappear completely. We will continue to exist, even if we have to do it somewhere else.

We need your help to keep the Bike Church going. Many of you have been blessed by the Church in the past, but we need your blessings and voices now. Come to our fundraiser on November 8th at the DOV, sign a petition and write some letters. Participate in our future. The Bike Church has been there in your time of need... now the Bike Church needs your help.

Despite the order, the Bike Church will remain open for our usual hours, at least until the deadline. So come by, fix your bike, and get involved!

Sincerely,
The Bike Church Ministers

The Sacramento Bee recently reported on this story.

The Letter From Student Housing

A letter from Chuck Huneke, the Assistant Director, Residential Education in UC Davis Student Housing informed the church that they needed to vacate. The letter was sent on Oct 29th, 2008, and a copy of the letter in the entirety is on the action entry.

Great Pedal Forward Fundraising

We are currently in the process of raising money to fund the transformation of the Bike Church into a better place. The funds raised will go toward the Great Pedal Forward, which is an initiative to increase our physical, organizational and administrative efficiency. This movement will create a more inviting and functional space, which will allow us to increase the population served by the Bike Church not only in the campus community, but also in the larger Davis community. It will also help us to use volunteers more effectively through a cleaner and more organized physical space and organizational structure. While the Bike Church has thrived and grown in its first four years, we need to raise money in order allow the Bike Church to create a sustainable foundation for serving the community for years to come.

We started things off with dance party fundraiser on May 16th, 2008. We raffled off bicycles and other goodies and had local DJs spining late into the evening. It turned out to be a massive party and we received $1440 from donations and merchandise sales. Thanks to everyone who attended and donated. We hope we can have a great party like that on a regular basis.

If you are interested in donating you can either purchase our Merchandise or donate directly to us: contact <bikeministry AT ucdavis DOT edu>.

For those interested here is some details about how much money we've been raising:

From	How much?
Dance Party	1440
Anonymous in-kind donations	2000
Solar Community Housing Association SCHA	500
UCD Campus Sustainability Grant / Spring 2008 http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/grants/awards.html	2000

Informative Bike Church Pages

The Davis BikeBrary (Bicycle Library):Find out how to use the BikeBrary Bikes and Trailers!
Bicycle Tire Repair: Step-by-step pictorial guide to fixing a flat tire.
Great Pedal Forward: Details the Bike Church's current plan for radical change and improvements at the Bike Church.
Bike Church Handbook: A handbook
Meeting Minutes: Meeting proceedings/minutes.
Merchandise: T-shirts, stickers, buttons, and badges.
Mobile Ministry Unit
Self-Service Station: A little info on our 24-hour self-service station.
Workshops: Information on classes, workshops and minister training sessions.
Yellow Bike Project:A possible future project that we could help with.
Bikes are for Bitches (and Ladies): A feminized bike repair experience. Some bikes are greased with pure estrogen.
Media: Articles, videos, and other media of or pertaining to the Bike Church, its minsters, and congregation.

2008 Fall Schedule

** Note ** : Starting in the Fall, every other Sunday from 3pm - 6pm will be Bikes are for Bitches (and Ladies) - a women run, women focused time at the Church!

Date	Minister (12-3)	Minister (3-6)	Acolyte(s)	Notes
Wed, Oct 1	Friar Robbie and Janaki(12~2)	Matthew Sattva ;-)	?	first day open in a long time
Sat, Oct 4	Deacon Ty & Efrem	D.T. & S. Salami	Armon	?
Sun, Oct 5	—	—	—	BR4B by Sister Cat and Sarah SUN 3 - dark
Wed, Oct 8	Jonathan	Friar Robbie & Efrem	Christina 12-2	?
Sat, Oct 11	Deacon Ty & S. Salami	?	Armon	?
Wed, Oct 15	Jonathan (2-4)	M. Sattva & Fernando	?	?
Sat, Oct 18	?	SisterCat, Efrem	?	?
Sun, Oct 19	—	—	—	BR4B: SisterCat
Wed, Oct 22	?	?	?	?
Sat, Oct 25	pxl Cardinal Janaki	Friar Robbie	?	?
Wed, Oct 29	Cardinal Janaki	Armon	?	?
Fri, Oct 31	—	—	—	Halloween Critical Mass, 8pm, Central Park
Sat, Nov 1	S. Salami	Congle-Roshi, Armon	—	?
Sun, Nov 2	—	—	—	Bikes R4 Bitches! SisterCat
Wed, Nov 5	?	?	?	?
Sat, Nov 8	Jonamaste, Efrem	Friar Robbie (3-6)	?	Bike Church Fundraiser at Delta of Venus
Wed, Nov 12	Armon	Friar Robbie (both shifts)	?	?
Sat, Nov 15	Armon	Armon	Joanna 12-3	?
Sun, Nov 16	—	—	—	Bikes R4 Bitches SisterCat
Wed, Nov 19	Armon	?	?	?
Sat, Nov 22	Armon	Armon	?	?
Wed, Nov 26	?	Armon	?	?
Fri, Nov 28	—	—	—	Critical Mass, 5pm, Central Park
Sat, Nov 29	?	?	?	?
Sun, Nov 30	—	—	—	Br4B
Wed, Dec 3	?	?	?	?
Sat, Dec 6	?	?	?	?
Wed, Dec 10	?	?	?	?
Sat, Dec 13	?	?	?	?
Sun, Dec 14	—	—	—	Bikes r4 Bitches
Wed, Dec 17	?	?	?	?
Sat, Dec 20	?	?	?	?
Wed, Dec 24	?	?	?	?
Fri, Dec 26	—	—	—	Critical Mass, 5pm, Central Park
Sat, Dec 27	?	?	?	?
Wed, Dec 31	?	?	?	?

Over the summer the Bike Church underwent major renovation as part of the Great Pedal Forward and was not open for regular service and ministering. However, this fall marks the start of some changes at the bike church both in its physical space and organizational operation. see the Great Pedal Forward and Bike Church Handbook for more information.

Individual learning appointments can be scheduled during other times by e-mailing bikeministry@ucdavis.edu, if ministers are available.

Map

You can also click the Map icon at the top of the page for a Google Maps view!

Ten Commandments

Thou shalt consider the bike before all other modes
Thou shalt not use a bike in vain
Attend church regularly and ride the last Friday of every month in Critical Mass
Honor thy tricycle, thy bicycle, and thy unicycle
Thou shalt not throw away a bike
Thou shalt not use an internal combustion engine when it is not necessary
Thou shalt clean after thy self and keep thy church holy
Thou shalt not be unkind or show malice toward the congregation
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's bike
Metal recycling shall be the only means of reincarnation

The Ministry

Current Ministers

Active

Friar Robbie

Deacon Ty Sister Cat Atheist Pxl Matt Sattva Count Darach Obi-Jan-Kenobi Cardinal Janaki Saint Efrem Suami Salami Guru Armon

Dormant

Roshi Siobhan

Rabbi Tai Pope Christof Monk Khoa IO Mike Monk Fixit Rabbi Simion

Acolytes

Sarah

Noah Denise Tom

Friends of The Church

Francesca

Jonathan Samurai Morgan K

Emeritus Ministers

Minister Travis

Nico Pasture Ted Deacon Morgan Minister Tyler Shaman Van Gelder Minister Congleton The Reverend Moorepants Rabbi McCorkle Justin

Not Pictured—Brian, Goddess Jordan, Josh, William, Andy, Alex, Shea, Emily

We're always looking for new ministers—whether you know anything about bikes or not. To become a minister, come to the church during open hours and talk to the minister on duty, he/she can show you around, find out how much you know and what you want to learn. We also need more "Friends of The Church" or "Monks and Nuns" to help run operations—you don't need to know how to fix bikes to help out, proselytize, or even be a minister!

Photos

in the beginning

The dream (Ministers Chris and Ted Fall 2007)

The Church The project rack A big pile of bikes and parts North side of the church Wheel building session

tumultuous times

The recycle pile

Minister Tyler preparing for Picnic Day The Reverend Jason locks up the bikes. flier found at russel and anderson flier found near arco Do Work.

Rebirth and remembering

volunteers help construct the Tabernacle Fall 2007

taken from the dream spot early fall 2008 The project rack after the GPF what used to be a big pile of bikes and parts The entry which used to be a recycle pile putting in a new dome floor the new North side of the church Sorting parts in the new dome

Bike Church Dance Party!

The Crowd

The Crowd, Again Friar Robbie Raffling Obi Jan Armon and Cat Darach overlooking the crowd Waiting intently Siobhan announces a winner! We have a winner! The Giveaway To me, to me! Woooo! Over Here! Another Lucky Winner! Dance Party! More Dancing! Janaki and Cat End of the Night

Share your religious experience at the Bike Church

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2006-04-16 13:38:48 I went to the bike church yesterday (2006-4-15) with a bike badly in need of salvation. Ministers Tai and Jason were very helpful. With their guidance, I was able to see the light and restored something completely unrideable into a pretty cool bike for a small donation. I highly reccomend the Bike Church for those who have not found the Path of Righteousness. —ArlenAbraham

2006-05-22 16:34:10 Hey, I'm looking to not only build a bike from its component parts, but also build a bike trailer so I don't have to use a vehicle to go shopping or to the garden. I want to get saved! —KarlMogel

2006-05-23 11:46:37 Karl, We definitely can help you get a bike going. We have some trailer parts that may be restored with some work. Here are a couple of good trailer options that are fairly easy to build: http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/A51076AC08D71029BC4A001143E7E506/ and http://drumbent.com/trailer.html . —JasonMoore

2006-07-28 23:33:43 The bike church is a great resource and people ought to take advantage of it! Every time I see somebody around town with a broken up bike or something wrong I tell them to go to the church (I should take my own advice, too!) —PhilipNeustrom

2006-09-07 22:37:20 I have been delivered! The Bike Church is like arriving at Heaven's gates. —EliseKane

2006-12-05 17:08:16 Do you guys know where I could track down any moulten [F frame] parts? I need a spindel for an internal hub shifter so I can make this awesome bike work —StevenDaubert P.s. It's from the 60's and has full suspension, it rules.

2006-12-06 23:08:03 The bike church was awesome, I came there saying I needed a bike, and left, with greasy hands, proud of my handicraft, returned to add finishing touches, it was awesome, fun, and an experience better than any bike shopping trip, per-fect-ion. —DavidPoole

2007-01-22 11:30:55 I was driving one day and BAM, god sent me a message. It was in the form of a dead tree, falling from the glorious sky it smashed my windshield and totaled my false idol. As my life flashed before my eyes, I had a vision. A vision where we lived in a world in which there was no Auto Industrial Complex. A world of peace, I was saved. —MorganTorngrenTatman

2007-02-01 10:21:49 All the people at the bike church make bikes seem so sexy! I mean, greasy and working with their hands? HOT. —SiobhanBraybrook

2007-03-02 07:20:34 You guys will see me later today —StevenDaubert

"2007-03-25 06:19:10" Since I am Not working right now appointments can be made on off schedule days at the bike church. You can email me at fixitdude_one@yahoo.com. A confirmation reply will be sent A.S.A.P. —monkfixit

2007-04-07 03:55:21 hey there reverends. i became enlightened today when i saw the power of the bike goddess in the vision of a bright flier at the anderson and russel cross-walk! i noticed they were on all four corners! great advertising! now the grad has to compete with their advertising space. maybe i should privatize each light post and charge you to advertise on it!! = D one suggestion, you may want to consider putting the fliers where the button for bikers to cross is. you know what i'm talking about? —JessicaRockwell

2007-04-25 19:52:12 I saw the mobile church today at the MU. It looks fantastic! —EmilyKleber

2007-05-05 01:34:30 very helpful, started on my own project bike —KaiWan

2007-05-13 20:21:50 the best neighbor is the Bike Church! Thank you all!! - j.ro —JordanThompson

2007-05-16 18:15:46 I was spreading the gospel today, clued in a few more folks about what goes down at the Bike 'Chuch' —StevenDaubert

2007-05-23 22:44:25 The Bike church is awesome...the guys are so helpful and knowledgeable...i love the place — SoumenRoy

2007-06-01 12:44:31 bike church is a good place to learn how to fix your own bike, but the downside is, is that it is hard to come by certain tools. If you are a student and know what you are doing, the bike barn is usually a better place to fix your bike, they have everything you'll need (except quality help). —KyleLanderhoffis

What tools in particular does the bike church lack? My experience has been the opposite of yours: the bike church has a better selection of tools than the bike barn. If something important is missing, just tell a minister and someone will probably donate it or perhaps the church will buy it with their donation money. —WilliamLewis

I have also been there a few times and found all the tools that I needed. More importantly the guys are so helpful and nice. I however went last Friday to get a basket for my bike and did not find a usable one.—SoumenRoy

2007-06-24 00:47:09 bike church is amazing. i brought an unrideable craigslist 70's era road bike in to be fixed up, and the minister on duty was very helpful. he explained everything clearly, helped us find all the parts we needed, and told us exactly what we needed to do to fix it (stepping in when we needed extra help). it now rides very smoothly! —ZiweiHu

2007-07-03 12:25:46 Great article on Reverend Moorepants in today's aggie. Includes quotes form Minister Congleton. Thanks Arlen for forwarding info. Learn more about the Bike Chuch from an outside source. article —MorganTorngrenTatman

2007-07-17 06:57:01 Wow! Enlightenment! Mechanic training sounds wonderful, can't wait to hear more. —DeniseGreen

2007-07-21 16:34:35 Comments compiled from Minister Tyler's "Wheel and Bearing" workshop

"Hooray for enlightenment! - Denise
Give me the knowledge! I want to lace wheels, know brakes - Mike S
Now I know. And knowing is half the battle - Simion
Only place I've found to learn for myself - Andy
Teach me something (anything at all) - Kevin
I'm not afraid of crashing my bike now - Andy Huang
I like bikes. Let me help out - Drew Thorne
Glad to be learning new things! - Elisa Hough
A solid start to self reliance - Craig Fergus
Now I know how to overhaul a hub! - William
Highly informative classes and useful skills for long-term benefit - Alex Kou —TedBuehler

2007-07-21 16:36:57 Comments from Pasture Ted's "Resurrection" workshop

Yay, now I can be hip - Elisa Hough
I'm gonna have my own ghetto fixie - William
Man, having an excellent time - Jack
I like getting my hands dirty. It's awesome - Andy Huang
Thanks for everything! Bikes rule! - Denise —TedBuehler

2007-07-30 17:45:24 This is such a cool page! Good for all of you who contribute photos, comments, and great humor! I love it! —RichLindvall

2007-08-09 12:38:32 YAY FOR ENLIGHTENMENT!!!! I hope, hope y'all will be continuing with the Minister Training! It would be soooo awsome to the max to be able to work on my own bike, yay! —Schmidt

2007-08-25 23:02:42 Daviswiki's Bike Church page is a great resource, but wouldn't it be great if there was a bicycle wiki? I think the Church, with all of its expertise, should consider starting one. —JessicaRuygt

2007-08-28 10:08:29 I highly recommend Tai. He's a perfect example of what the bike church is about. patient, encouraging, and i ended up learning how to do everything and then actually doing it! the other people who were present on saturday were additional bonuses to my bike church adventure. —JessicaRockwell

2007-09-03 21:56:37 Is there going to be another minister training course in the fall? could there be one if I made pie? pleeease —EmilyKleber

2008-02-05 20:08:27 I need a minister, badly

I hate riding my peugot, and that is almost a crime in and of itself. I need at the very least a safety improvement, as my brakes can't crash stop...

and the axle needs to be changed out, etc. I just don't want to ride out to the domes on the bike of h8 and have there be no minister —StevenDaubert

2008-02-05 20:40:12 Check the schedule before you go. —dchmiller

2008-03-31 21:19:47 I work on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My bike is in need of holy guidance (especially the back tire bearings). How else can I seek spiritual healing? —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-03-31 21:30:23 Sunjeet— E-mail the ministry with a good time for you to work (maybe a sunday—no classes...) and I'm sure one of us can work out an appointment with you. A few of us live at the domes so it's pretty convenient. Some of us are just there all the time anyway. —SisterCat

2008-04-04 08:12:46 Hey, are you guys a registered nonprofit yet? If yes, check into applying for a mini-grant ($50-400) from [the Davis Coop Community Fund]. Leave me a message if you have questions. Application due next Friday! —JoRo

2008-04-04 10:00:28 I have a bike which has many problems, the biggest problem right now is that it's locked to itself with a chain lock and I lost the key. Is there a way to set it free? —CalamityJanie

I have a similar issue with a previous housemate moving out and away and leaving his bike behind saying we can have it. But he took the key with him. So now we have this bike in our backyard that is locked up and doing nothing more than rusting and giving a home to spiders and such. Anyone have any ideas of how to get use out of this bike (especially since my bike broke down and will supposedly cost $50+ since I know nothing on how to fix bearings)? —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-04-10 16:26:59 Hi all,

Great work on cleaning things up. Since you all have limited hours, how about an accessible locked cash donation box. I think you'd make some $$ from the people who stop by and scavenge stuff from the graveyard. —RichardJacobsen

2008-05-06 15:36:25 So I was at the Bike Church, and I was thinking...imagine an organization like the Bike Church, except with computers. Old computers are dirt cheap now, and completely useful. Building computers for students or low-income families or something.

Anyway, thanks to all the ministers at the Bike Church for all the help! —JoeyBennett

That is a super idea. There are free, lightweight versions of Linux that run fine for simple email and word processing on old, "outdated" computers. It could be a fun project if there's a place to store the machines. —DanaSullivan

2008-05-12 10:00:02 How do people feel about a Davis Peoples Free School bike workshop over the summer? Would anyone actually show up to it? I was thinking of a format along the lines of having a few bikes to take apart and put back together, which we'd do together, and that way everyone get sort of a smorgasboard of bike formats and stuff if there were several bikes prepared for the course. And since they'd all be functional bikes at the start, folks would know what bike mechanisms ought to look like... anyway, what I'm saying is, I'm looking for feedback. Thanks, y'all. Oh, and are any ministers interested in running this with me? I'm thinking 2 non-bike-church mornings in the early summer— one to take the bikes apart, and another to put them back together. —SisterCat

Hey SisterCat, this sounds like a great idea. What better way to learn about how a bike than to take it apart and put it back together?- I'd happily show up! —AllyAnaheim
I, too, would gladly make it to a bike workshop like this! —SunjeetBaadkar
I'd be interested, too. —TaniaG
I would show up. —scottmorgan

2008-05-14 00:19:58 I would like to say the bike church is a true asset to students and average Davis folks who need you yes you rabbi's & ministers. Simon and others are the coolest people helpful and pleasant Thank you bike church for what you do yes U! —Brians

2008-05-14 23:36:06 I went here today with a messed up tire, knowing *nothing* about how to fix a bike. Thankfully, the people there were really nice and patient and gave me instructions on what to do to fix it up... and now I've learned how to replace it! Thank you bike church! :) —EvelinaChang

2008-06-22 22:37:08 Okay, so as far as the workshop: I'm going to do it as a part of Bikes are for Bitches this summer, but if you're a guy and want to come, that's okay: the idea behind BR4B is just that there is a space where people are conscious of an approach to mechanics outside the accepted norm our society holds it to. I've got a philosophy of cooperative, exploratory learning that I find is less intimidating to women and not-so-macho guys and other nondominant personalities. Pitching it to women is an oversimplification. But hey, it's something, right?

Okay, so the point is, come out to Bikes are for Bitches Sunday evenings for the bike stripdown/buildup workshop. —SisterCat

2008-06-25 01:01:41 I had a moment of sharing today on the East side of campus. The near-convert was in his truck looking for "the bike place by the domes" in order to make a donation (bike!). I hope he made it there after my unworthy directions. —robinlaughlin

2008-07-04 12:28:26 I go to school part time and work full time. Is there anything that you guys do on Sundays or Mondays? Those are the only times I ever have free... —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-07-08 10:30:17 i was wondering: are the summer hours the same? i.e. will the church be open tomorrow afternoon? i've got a bike in dire need of salvation... —paulwatkins

2008-07-27 03:20:00 I went to the work party today and it was a lot of fun. The people are friendly and it was a nice workout too. Can't wait to see it all renovated. —DanaSullivan

2008-08-01 10:30:05 My own work always seems to get in the way of me participating in Bike Church related things...:( —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-10-04 01:25:05 I bought a bike for way more than I should have on craigslist. It needed some serious work. The bike church was there for me. Have you formed a personal relationship with your bike? —CodyDuncan

2008-11-02 12:40:11 Instead of opting to buy a stock bike that my daughter would probably just outgrow in a year or two, I decided it'd be fun to restore an older one. With a bike I picked up at the Bike Auction (well, about 75% of a bike, that is) and a bit of crank advice from the Swami, I've finally finished the rebuild. Thanks Bike Church! —KevinChin

2008-11-06 18:44:21 Hello one and all,

I just received this e-mail and am enraged that Student Housing is demanding that the Church be shut down. Have they any idea what a beautiful part of the community the Bike Church is, not to mention how hard people worked to meet the SH safety standards? Read on and learn of the details, then REVOLT!

For those of you who haven't already heard, the Davis Bike Church has
been evicted from its traditional stomping grounds of four years. This
is a major bummer for those who've relied on its tool, part, and
knowledge repositories, as the Bike Church is now in serious jeopardy.

To make a long story short, the Bike Church contacted various
University departments last year in an effort to coordinate a
renovation of the facility according to appropriate regulations. We
thought we were past the "cease and desist" stage and into the "clean
up to standards" stage of a grassroots organization, a belief based on
numerous communications between Bike Church Ministers and University
officials that demonstrated acknowledgment and approval of the Bike
Church's existence on University property. Eventually, we got Student
Housing to give us a list of what needed to be done. Thus began the
Great Pedal Forward of the Summer of '08.

Through spending thousands of volunteer hours and over a thousand
dollars in community donations, we were able to complete a massive
renovation that included a floor for the dome, new cabinetry,
restructured facilities, and a level of organization never before seen
in our humble facilities. Despite efforts made to communicate with
appropriate departments about inspection and approval of our
facilities, the officials (except at EH&S) failed to work with us to
meet their demands. Nevertheless, we believed we were on track for
becoming an University-approved fixture in the Davis bicycling realm.
We had a final inspection scheduled for October 1st to decide the fate
of the Bike Church, until things suddenly changed.

After several shady unannounced inspections, Student Housing suddenly
canceled the walk through inspection. After several weeks of no
communication, we inquired about our fate. Chunk Huneke, the Student
Housing representative, declared that we were a liability and a fire
hazard, and due to our "open membership to the Davis community" and
intial establishment "without specific approval", we must vacate and
dismantle our structures by December 1st and clear all traces of the
Bike Church from the Domes' land by December 31st. This is a major
setback, but also a new opportunity. We're not exactly sure of the
future of the Bike Church, but we are investigating and pursuing all
options available. We are currently working on temporarily moving our
experimental education facility to the Experimental College gardens
before pursuing a closer relationship with the City of Davis, who has
supported us in the past and is doing all they can to help us in these
troubled times. However, this is still unsure.

How can you help?

This Saturday, November 8th, Delta of Venus is hosting the Save the
Bike Church Danceparty sponsored by New Belgium Beer and KDVS,
featuring DJs Mr. Glass, Dog Tones, and Deacon Morgan. There will be a
petition and letter writing station, as well as further information
about a demonstration occuring next week. We'll have more information
about volunteering at the Bike Church, such as how to become a
minister. Anyone can get involved in our non-hierarchal consensus
organization, but we're also looking for specialists in non-profit
organization. Come check it out, whether to get involved or just to
show support by dancing the night away!

May your chain be supple and your wheels true,
Minister Darach

—EliseKane

2008-11-08 09:08:56 For those of us who can't attend events, who would be the best university person to write a letter to? Would it be Huneke, or someone else? They can't take the Bike Church away! It's an important community resource, especially for those of us who are poor and/or want to learn to fix our bikes ourselves. D: —TaniaG

2008-11-10 21:16:23 Now that the 11/8/08 fun- & fundraiser is over, how else can people support the evolution of the Bike Church. In particular, where should money go? —DougWalter

We are looking into setting up a PayPal account, but until then, you can come by the Church and donate money if you're local! —TyNowotny

I work for a community business that was interested in making a donation; we dropped off some gift certificates at the Dance/fundraiser, and I guess we'll await developments. —DougWalter

2008-11-16 14:05:20 What a joke. Ministers of what? Donations? Just like any other church. Why even call it a church? Call it what it is, a junk yard filled with pan handlers. Tyler's a thief and a bum. Get a job asshole. To the dump with all of it, and hopefully something more useful will take its place. —rednoseroxy

2008-11-17 23:41:13 Damn right sir! I think that bike parts are useless. What will you do with them, put them on bicycles to make them run? How barbaric! I think we should restore the Bike Church area to what it originally was, an open lot. Everyone can use another open lot!

And why should you call the place a church when it only approximates an alternative version of the public service and community building functions that a church has orginally filled in western society? How silly to name things appropriately!

And that Tyler guy, a major asshole! He walks around and tries to fix your bike, the jerk. I like the grinding noise my bike makes, to blazes if it seizes up five miles down the road, I like the sound it makes right now!

Bah humbug! Away with this knavery, I demand the University install a full service bicycle shop so I can have my bike fixed by wage slaves whilst I polish my nails. None of this bike DIY punkery of the plebians! Freedom through education and transportation independence? How quaint. —Darach

2008-11-19 20:05:54 My compliments to the artist of the Dance Party poster :) —gurglemeow

2008-11-20 01:41:15 That was designed by a new KDVS volunteer, I'll pass the compliments. —Darach