About

Learn about Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange governance. Choose a topic to learn more:

• SVBE Bylaws - all the details
• Code of Conduct - keep SVBE a supportive, friendly place
• Privacy Policy - how we share and protect your personal information
• Annual Reports - how did we do, what are our goals, how to attend a board meeting?

This privacy policy for Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange describes how and why we might collect, store, use, and/or share your information when you use our Services, such as when you:

• Visit our website, bikex.org;
• Contact us via email.

Questions or Concerns?

Reading this privacy notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us by writing to the appropriate email address found on our contact page.

You may also write to us at:

Privacy Matters
Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange
3961 East Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303

What personal information do we process?

When you visit our website, some pages generate small files called cookies. You can supress non-essential cookies by specifying your cookie preferences at the website's GDPR Cookie Settings. We do not save or use any of the information saved in these cookies.

Communications:

When you send us email or letters we may retain those messages. When you call us we may retain notes on the conversation.

Except as required to comply with the law, Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange never shares or sells your information.

How do we keep your information safe?

We take reasonable precautions and follow procedures we have developed to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information.

What about links to external websites?

Our website includes links to third party, external websites. We do not make any claims or guarantees about those sites, and are not responsible for their privacy policies. When visiting those sites you will be subject to the terms and policies of those sites.

For how long do we keep your information?

We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless otherwise required by law.

All volunteers are asked to read and sign the complete Standards and Code of Conduct for Volunteers and Visitors form. Please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Below is the quick version of what’s expected when you volunteer or visit SVBE. Our goal is to keep our shop and community safe, respectful and fun for everyone.

Be Inclusive & Respectful

• Treat everyone with dignity and kindness: no discrimination, harassment or bullying
• Respect different backgrounds, identities and perspectives

Act Responsibly

• Be honest, punctual and helpful
• Follow all safety rules, laws and SVBE policies
• Clean up after yourself and care for SVBE tools, bikes and space
• Keep sensitive information confidential and avoid conflicts of interest
• Dress appropriately (closed-toe shoes, safe clothing, leave dangling jewelry at home)

Stay Safe

• Work sober: no drugs or alcohol while volunteering. (Social drinks are OK only after work is done and in approved areas.)
• Report hazards, injuries or unsafe behavior right away
• Use tools properly and never take SVBE equipment home without permission

No Harassment or Violence

• Zero tolerance for sexual harassment, threats or aggression of any kind
• Report issues to an Event Leader, the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is prohibited

Represent SVBE Well

• Share accurate information and get permission before speaking for SVBE
• Support our mission and avoid anything that could harm our reputation

The Bicycle Exchange gratefully acknowledges businesses and non-profit organizations that support our programs.

Supporting Organizations

Recipient Organizations

Volunteer Organizations

Answers to most questions can be found on our FAQ page.

Volunteers
Are you a new volunteer looking to get involved? Do you have questions about upcoming events? Or are you a seasoned volunteer interested in mentoring others? For all volunteer-related inquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bicycle Donations
Interested in donating a bicycle? Please email us photos of your bicycle(s) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for donation details and drop-off instructions.

Media
Media inquires? Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

General Inquiries
For any other questions that don’t fit the categories here, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give us a call at (650) 691-5989.  We typically respond to emails within one to two business days.

Shop Appointments (preferred for all shop visits)
Please book an appointment for donation drop-offs, bicycle and accessory browsing, purchase pick-ups and other shop visits. For any other issues, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Retail Store Information
For questions related to our retail store, including product availability, hours, and pricing, please visit shop.bikex.org and use the contact form there.

Events
Interested in attending one of our events? Visit our calendar and our Eventbrite page for more information and to register. Please download, print, sign, and bring the Liability Waiver form with you when you volunteer.

Event Photography
Have photos or videos from a Bicycle Exchange event? Help us build our official SVBE Photo Library by uploading them! Your content may be featured on our website, publications, print materials or social media.

Hours

Our shop hours are below. Please book an appointment for donation drop-offs, bicycle and accessory browsing, purchase pick-ups, and other shop visits.

• Monday: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
• Tuesday: closed
• Wednesday: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
• Thursday: closed
• Friday: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: closed

Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange shop will be closed on some holidays, please Google for our hours if you are unsure.

Location

Our workshop is located at 3961 East Bayshore Road in Palo Alto, CA. East Bayshore runs east of and parallels Highway 101 between San Antonio and Oregon Expressway. Please enter via the first parking lot on Corporation Way. Go all the way around to the rear of the building and look for the roll-up door. DO NOT drop off any donations when the facility is closed.

Volunteers Learn Skills Hands-On

SVBE volunteers have many roles to choose from, including Marketing & Social Media volunteer or Front Desk and Shop Assistant volunteers; however, our most popular role is that of a Bike Mechanic volunteer. While many industrial arts classes are no longer available in our schools, youth can join us to learn mechanical skills in a supportive environment at over 100 weekend, weekday and evening events every year. Tech workers throughout Silicon Valley can take a break from their desk jobs and enjoy a fun team-building environment centered around a bicycle repair stand. As of 2025, we have more than 111,000 reported volunteer hours, that's equivalent to more than twelve calendar years of hours! 

Bike Donations Out

Numbers are one way to measure impact. The Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange has been donating bikes since 1993, and as of 2025, we have surpassed donating 13,000 bicycles to our community members. We also donate new helmets, locks and light sets, upon request, to our partner organizations. A bike without a helmet, lock, or light can be dangerous and unreliable, but with those safety accessories, it becomes a reliable and safe mode of transportation for its donor recipient. To date, we have donated more than 4,500 helmets, locks, or light sets!

The chart below provides an up-to-date total of our bike donations to various organizations.

Diverse Recipients

The Bicycle Exchange donates bicycles to a wide range of non-profit service organizations that support a diversity of impacted populations across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Our 20+ recipient organizations serve disadvantaged children, homeless children and adults, immigrants from various countries, veterans, day workers, and families in economic, legal and substance abuse recovery.

Environmental Impact

All of SVBE's bikes, sold or donated, start as donations to us. We depend on and work with our community to offer a sustainable option to recycle old and worn out bikes without contributing to the landfill. Thanks to our many volunteers, these donations are refurbished through our many repair events and are given a new life and a new home. Cycling remains one of, if not the most, sustainable modes of transportation.  We are committed to taking that impact a step further by utilizing bicycles and parts that have already been manufactured rather than relying on new bikes and parts. 

Organizations We Support

The Bicycle Exchange is a supporting member of the following organizations.

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is our sister organization that advocates for a more bike-friendly region by promoting safer streets, sustainable transportation, and stronger communities. Through education, outreach, and policy advocacy, SVBC works to create a thriving environment where biking is accessible and enjoyable for all.

The California Bicycle Coalition enables more people to bicycle for the health, safety, and prosperity of all Californians.

The League of American Bicyclists represents bicyclists in the movement to create safer roads, stronger communities and a bicycle-friendly America. Through information, advocacy and promotion, LAB works to celebrate and preserve the freedom cycling brings to its members.

People for Bikes is making biking better for everyone by uniting millions of Americans, thousands of businesses, and hundreds of communities to make every bike ride safer, more accessible, and more fun. The PeopleForBikes Coalition has more than 325 supplier members and 1.4 million supporters in its grassroots network. When people ride bikes, great things happen.

The Bicycle Exchange supports these organizations through financial donations.

Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (SVBE) began in 1993 repairing bicycles for clients of the Mountain View Community Services Agency (MVCSA). With donations from Xerox Corp., SVBE began renting a small workshop at 2566 Leghorn Street in Mountain View and set up a workshop and regular volunteer workday events to receive and repair used bicycles. Over the next 14 years, the program repaired and donated bicycles and helmets to low-income individuals through its partnership with MVCSA. In 2007, SVBE became a program of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and in 2014 the SVBE was granted IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status and began operating as a separate entity.

Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange has developed partnerships with more than 20 organizations throughout the Bay Area to donate bicycles, helmets, locks and lights to those in need. Check out our Recipient Partners page to learn more about these amazing organizations and what they do. SVBE's mission benefits from our partnerships with organizations that support our programs and groups that volunteer with us.

Throughout its operation, SVBE has maintained a strong educational component, teaching bicycle repair skills to thousands of volunteers while refurbishing bikes to donate to charity organizations. We accept volunteers of all mechanical abilities and those with different interests. See our event calendar for new/returning volunteer opportunities and our volunteer roles.

In 2012, SVBE began organizing bicycle safety classes for bicycle recipients, a program currently on hiatus, and in 2014 SVBE launched a Bicycle Exchange program in Santa Cruz, which closed during COVID. As of 2026, we have donated over 13,000 bicycles with the help of over 111,000 volunteer hours.

In 2019, Bicycle Exchange moved to a new workspace at 3961 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto.

The Bicycle Exchange is a year-round outdoor activity. On our workdays, volunteers can work indoors at our workbenches as well as at canopies and repair stands that we set up outside. We roll out our tool and parts carts for easy access. Volunteers work in teams on selected bikes for donation that week. Many of our volunteers have never used tools, but experienced volunteer mentors provide guidance through demonstration and explanation of principles. Bikes receive a two-stage safety/quality check before they are cleared for donation or sales. We often hear our volunteers say, “Hey, I learned something new today!” Interested in joining our community? Check out our upcoming events.

The SVBE has been fixing and donating bicycles since 1993! It is a fun, educational and social activity for a growing community of bike fixers. Nearly everyone has experienced the joy and satisfaction of successful project completion of one form or another; at the Bicycle Exchange, we offer that experience in a social group setting with dozens of other volunteers.

The projects vary in difficulty from easy and not very technical, to quite challenging. Nearly everyone leaves having learned something new about bicycles. The SVBE is a supporting member of bicycle advocacy organizations including the California Bicycle Coalition and the League of American Bicyclists. Learn more about us below.

New! We have found a temporary location on Bayshore Road (see photo below) but we still need to find a permanent home. If you have any resources that you can share with us about long-term leases or permanent buildings that may fit our needs, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

History
Impact
Frequently Asked Questions
Partners
SVBE Bylaws

Our Mission

Encouraging communities to choose bicycles for a sustainable future by:

• Creating access to affordable, healthy transportation: We provide refurbished, donated bicycles to people in need, ensuring equitable access to bicycle transportation and promoting healthier living and environmental responsibility
• Building cycling knowledge and confidence: We teach bicycle repair in a hands-on, diverse, respectful, and supportive environment.
• Fostering a culture of reuse and recycling: We divert donated bicycles and parts from landfills, extending the lifespan of these resources. 

Our new workspace at 3961 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto,
furnished by our volunteers and in operation January 2019