Oh hey there! Check out our sweet, sweet, new shirts, designed by the Co-op’s very own super talented Caelan Jeffery! We have so many options for you! We’ll have a dark heather grey cotton blend option at Open Shop starting tomorrow (Thur. June 24th, 2021)! Thanks to Adam at Extra Medium for being our local printer pretty much since we quit printing them ourselves way back in 2015!
In Shop Prices: Non-Members – $20 Members – $15 (members who join or extend their membership for 2 years get one free!) Volunteers or Staff – $5!!
For those that are farther away or who wish to order online, we have them available through our Bonfire store at slightly higher costs due to them handling the printing and shipping for us. Unfortunately the discounts above are only for the shirts purchased in person in the shop, so come on in! Hope you love them as much as we do!
The St. Pete Bike Co-op needs your help. Covid has taken a huge toll on our operations, which prior to this year, were largely self sustaining. We are now back for Open Shop nights, though in severely limited capacity for safety reasons. Our expenses are up and our sales, donations and memberships are way down. We are quickly approaching a turning point where we may have to make some very tough decisions.
Please join me in supporting the St. Pete Bike Co-op. This #GivingTuesday I’m raising money for St. Pete Bike Co-op and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. And on GivingTuesday Dec 1, Facebook will match $7 million in qualifying donations. Thank you for your support. I’ve included information about St. Pete Bike Co-op below.
The St. Pete Bike Co-op is a non-profit organization that provides people of all ages and backgrounds with assistance and instructions on how to repair and maintain bicycles. We are community-centered and volunteer-focused.
Operating as a cooperative shop, we provide affordable ways to acquire and maintain a bike, offer bicycle related education programs, promote bicycle safety, encourage reuse and recycling, and promote general bicycle advocacy.
Our Vision is to make cycling easy, fun and safe in St. Pete.
Starting 10/15 we will be open Monday’s from 5pm-9pm and Thursday’s 6pm-9:30pm for donation drop offs and walk-ins inquiring for parts, assistance, as well as those needing access to our stands and bike tools.
Please note that Monday’s and Thursdays are slightly different hours, so that we can accommodate our volunteers schedules and still be open to serve the community in some capacity.
Maximum capacity is 4 people for right now. This means that when you arrive, we ask that you remain outside until staff says that it is safe to enter. There will be two mechanics in the shop which means we will only allow 2 patrons in at a time and it’s a first come first serve basis. We require that staff, volunteers and patrons (aka everyone!) practice social distancing and wear masks. Masks will be made available to those that do not have one. All tools will be sanitized before individual use. We want to help everyone but must do it as safely as possible. Those that are not able to be helped or can’t make it on Monday’s or Thursday’s can schedule appointments for other days by emailing stpetebikecoopbikes@gmail.com. Watch our Facebook Page for updates. Sign our new Electronic Waiver ahead of time!
Monday’s! Starting 8/24 we will be open Monday’s from 5pm-9pm for donation drop offs and walk-ins inquiring for parts, assistance, as well as those needing access to our stands and bike tools. There will be two mechanics in the shop which means we will only allow 2 patrons in at a time and it’s a first come first serve basis. We require that patrons practice social distancing and wear masks while inside the shop. Masks will be made available to those that do not have one. All tools will be sanitized before individual use. We want to help everyone but must do it as safely as possible. We look forward to being able to take this next step towards better serving our St Pete community. Those that are not able to be helped or cant make it on Monday’s can still schedule appointments for other days by emailing stpetebikecoopbikes@gmail.com. Watch our Facebook Page for updates. Sign our new Electronic Waiver ahead of time!
Hi everyone. We’ve decided to temporarily close the shop for the next few weeks through March 29th or possibly longer. We think this is the best decision for now in order to put everyone’s safety and well-being first. Stay tuned. Wash your hands. Wash your bikes. Enjoy the empty roads.
Update for March! Sorry to say the March Pop-up is cancelled. Hopefully things will be back to normal in April.
Happy New Year, y’all! We are excited to be bringing back the Pop-up Bike Co-ops at Childs Park Rec Center, every Second Saturday beginning this Saturday, February 8th, through November 14, 2020.
We’ve partnered with the City of St. Petersburg Parks and Rec Departments for the locations(s), Florida Pedestrian & Bicycling Safety Resource Center in coordination with FDOT for the helmets and safety materials and were awarded a generous grant from New Belgium Brewing Company to continue this valuable community program. We’ll be back each 2nd Saturday with mechanics, helmets, locks, lights, tubes and other various spare parts to help get you back rolling again.
Thank you, St. Pete Parks, FDOT, New Belgium and all of our St. Pete Bike Co-op Members and Volunteers who support this program! Ride safe, y’all!
New! T-shirts, tanks, hats and hoodies for your holiday shopping needs! Give a memorable gift that helps support our mission at the same time! Consider this an experiment, though. The prices are a little higher than we’d like, but this site allows us to offer a wider variety of styles and colors, printed and shipped to your door! Available online only for a limited time. Order by 12/8 to receive by 12/25.
Talk about a success! Nearly as soon as we had the tent and tables set up, kids from the Child’s Park neighborhood showed up with their bikes.
At first they were curious. Who were we? What were we doing? Some of them thought their bikes were riding just fine. The discerning eyes of our experienced volunteers noticed tires that were low on air, brake cables that were loose or disconnected, wobbly tires.
Our awesome and capable volunteer mechanics got to work showing these kids the problems and how to fix them!
While waiting, we were able to give out helmets, courtesy of the Florida Pedestrian/Bicycling Safety Resource Center. We were able to give out lights and locks to many of them, thanks to funds raised through the Bike Co-op’s membership program and other fundraising events. (Donate here to help us offer more events like this!!)
Our volunteer mechanic, Chris S., shows a boy what’s going on with his bike.
This event wouldn’t have happened without collaboration. Our co-organizer, John Muhammed, with Community Training and Development, Inc. stopped by with his daughter to fix up their bikes. They learned more about their bikes and how to fix and maintain them. Brother John and I were also able to carry on the conversation about future events!
Brother John, Christy (Co-op Volunteer), Brother John’s daughter, and Chris (Co-op Volunteer)
Over the course of our 4 hours event, we (the St. Pete Bike Co-op) provided direct support to 15 youths from the Child’s Park neighborhood and 2 adults. More kids were hanging around with their friends, checking out what was going on…
Next month we’ll be doing a pop-up at James Weldon Johnson Community Library. We’ll be back at Child’s Park in April, and likely on a monthly basis after that. We’re working with Brother John to determine dates that best reflect the community’s needs.
Child’s Park and the Recreation Center located are a wonderful resource in the St. Pete community. The park is gorgeous and the Skyway Trail runs smack through the middle.
It’s also just far enough away that people that live in that neighborhood might have a hard time getting their bikes to the Co-op’s shop. So we’re taking the show to them!
Date: Saturday, February 9 Time: 11:00-3:00 Where: Child’s Park Rec Center (see below map for planned on-site location)
Since the park lies along the Skyway Trail, ride and come say hi! Or if you’re bike isn’t rideable (yet!) bring your bike by. We’ll put the tools in your hands and show you how to fix it.
If your bike’s good-to-go, but you want to make sure we can keep offering events like this around St. Pete? Please donate! (Thank you!)
The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op Earns Area’s First Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Business Designation by League of American Bicyclists
Washington, DC: The League of American Bicyclists, a national bicycling and advocacy organization of nearly 20,000 members, has recognized The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op with a prestigious Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) certification.
With the announcement of 82 new and renewing BFBs across the country, The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op joins a growing list of 1,314 local businesses, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies leading the way to transform transportation, health, and wellness for the betterment of U.S. workers and local communities.
“Business owners and employers across the country are looking for simple, straightforward ways to build their companies, do right by their workers and customers, and contribute positively to their local communities,” says Executive Director Bill Nesper of the League of American Bicyclists. “Boosting participation in bicycling achieves all of that and more, and BFBs such as The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op are wonderful models of that success. We congratulate this latest class of business leaders for recognizing that one of the oldest and easiest forms of transportation still generates significant economic and societal rewards today.”
BFB requirements identify incentives, programming, and amenities proven to enable and inspire more people to ride bikes. Among those offered by The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op are their Open Shop DIY Repair Program, Casual Group Rides, and Community Events.
According to President, Carrie Waite, the most significant action taken by the Co-op in the past year has been major upgrades to the Open Shop Program. It also plans to do more community outreach pop-up events in the coming year.
As a result of these efforts, the St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op aims to foster a sense of community and camaraderie and make cycling in St. Petersburg easy, fun and safe for all who ride.
“Never underestimate the power of the bicycle. This one simple machine promotes a culture of health and wellness, drives real economic impact and provides environmentally friendly, inexpensive transportation options to the community. We live in the Sunshine City. Let’s get out on our bikes and enjoy that sunshine.” Carrie Waite
The St. Petersburg Bicycle Co-op and other businesses have access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly. To apply or learn more about the BFB program, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business.
About the Bicycle Friendly America Program
To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly AmericaSM, including the Bicycle Friendly CommunitySM (BFCSM), Bicycle Friendly StateSM (BFSSM), Bicycle Friendly BusinessSM (BFBSM), and Bicycle Friendly UniversitySM (BFUSM) programs, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA.
The League of American Bicyclists has been leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone since its founding in 1880. It advances its work by actively listening to and learning from diverse stakeholders, defining standards, sharing best practices, and engaging communities in practical solution-building. Through its nearly 20,000 individual members, the League helps build a powerful, unified voice for change.
St. Pete Bike Co-op 