Regional Bike! Bike!

This past weekend, the Bicycle Kitchen was part of Regional Bike!Bike!, a gathering of Los Angeles Area bicycle repair co-ops, collectives, spaces, projects, etc. There were THIRTEEN represented and that's not everyone! On Saturday we all converged in the Faculty and Staff Center at LACC (thanks LACC) and got to know each other, basically spending the entire morning introducing our respective spaces and projects. We had a tasty lunch of burritos provided by the Burrito Project and Food Not Bombs (which Woody rode in on a ladder trailer,) while being serenaded by a couple of members of Bikesan@s.

In the afternoon, BikeRoWave and Bicycle Kitchen shared as much information as a group of 40+ can digest on how we are each structured/operated and then we started to get into info sharing on Volunteers (recruiting, training and retaining,) but by then it was time to go to the Afterparty at BikeRoWave. The next day a MUCH SMALLER GROUP ; ) rode from Valley Bikery all the way to Long Beach's HUB, a 55 mile expanse, visiting Bike Oven in between and devouring potato tacos at Atacor. It was a GREAT weekend!! Thanks to ALL who participated!

Google this:

Bikesan@s del Valle
Green Bike Program
Valley Bikery
BikeRoWave
CSUN Bike Collective
FMLY
La Bici Digna
us, cough, cough
Bike Oven
Valley Bikery
HUB
Bici Libre
Buzz Bikes (Metabolic Studios)

and hey, RIDE ON!!!!

Earn-a-Bike Rocks!

We recently finished up the first session of Earn-a-Bike for 2011 under the volunteer power of Cooks, Chris Collins and Nick Lofaro. An awesome group of 7 EAB-ers built themselves a bike and learned a ton about bicycle repair. Three of the fellas came in with skateboards and happily left with their built-up bicycles. Big shout out to Mosiah, Gabe, Yonis, Eric, Jaime, and Irving! You rock!

For the next session, Cooks Kris Benjamin and Craig Weidert are going to take over the instruction. The second session starts Tuesday, May 3rd at 4pm. It will meet for 8 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 - 6 pm. If you are 12 - 18, or know someone who is come on down and check it out!

Suzi Says, "Four Sleeps...

...until cicLAvia!!"

On Sunday, April 10th in honor of cicLAvia, we will have additional open hours--we will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. AND we will NOT be taking appointments this day. This is to maximize our ability to help with the small repairs that may come up for folks participating in this super awesome day. We'll have a table and tent out front with pumps for quick air. Come get your flats fixed, pick up some Kitchen schwag and say "howdy" to your Friendly Neighborhood Cooks!

Meet the Cooks::Andrew West!!

Name: Andrew West | Cookin' since: Summer 2008?

Rides: Well-aged Bronze Green 1970 Raleigh Super Course with 2-speed kickback hub

Holds down: SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!

How'd you hear about the Kitchen: Can't remember, but spoke with Jack and TJ at the old O20 about it once

Where's your favorite place to ride your bicycle? Across the Dutch countryside

What do you do when you're not at Kitchen? Engage in pigment displacement

Two Weeks until CicLAvia Number Two!

photo by Gary Leonard. more here.

APRIL 10th::10 am - 3 pm

The first one was so much fun! The Bicycle Kitchen, which is on one end of the route was crammed full of folks and had a table out front with Cooks giving people air, thumbs up and smiles. This second one is probably (hopefully) going to be TWICE as big! Come tuneup your bike, if that's how you're planning to use the open streets, beforehand and be sure and say hello to us on April 10th.

More info can be found here.

Ride On!

Meet the Cooks:: Matt Bikeski!

Name: Matt Bikeski

Rides: Soma Saga | Cookin' since: August 14, 2010

Holds down: McDonald's

How'd you hear about the Kitchen: Google

Where's your favorite place to ride your bicycle? Places with lots of traffic, graffiti and Thai food.

What do you do when you're not at Kitchen? Live the dream. God bless America

BASIC WRENCHING

Saturday March 26th
BASIC WRENCHING
at the Bicycle Kitchen / La BiciCocina
9:30-11:30am
Instructor: Rory Cowal

Sign up at: bkworkshops@gmail.com or call (323) No-Carro