What We Do
Repairing and redistributing bikes
Our main function and goal as an organization is to repair bicycles and redistribute them back into the community. We take in used bicycles as donations, refurbish them in our shop, and then redistribute them back out through two main avenues:
sliding scale sales to individuals out of our shop, and
bulk redistribution with community partners like Direct Action for Rights and Equality, Clínica Esperanza, and Project WEBER/Renew.
If you’re an individual in the market for a bicycle, just come by during when we’re open to the public to peruse our inventory. Please note our inventory is entirely dependent on what gets donated, so we cannot guarantee we’ll have the style or size of bike you are looking for.
If you’re an organization that is interested in partnering with us to receive a bulk bicycle donation, please reach out to us via email at hello@leftyloosey.org.
Teaching and learning
A big part of our philosophy at Lefty Loosey is centered around teaching and learning together. Our goal is not just to repair bicycles, but to empower members of the community to take on their own repairs with the support of experienced volunteers and mechanics. If you’re interested in learning how to work on bicycles and would like to contribute to our process of repair and redistribution, we would love to see you at Volunteer Night! No prior experience is required.
We run a seven-week mechanical fundamentals course that covers the basics of bike repair several times a year. We also host workshops and classes in our space (including on non-bike related topics).
You can check out our Instagram and our calendar for the latest updates on workshops and classes we are offering. We believe everyone contributes to the learning environment: we all have something to teach and something to learn!
Open repair
We hold regular Open Shop hours where anyone is welcome to get support in fixing their own bike using our tools, bike stands, and spare parts. Open Shop takes place at our shop on 50 Sims Ave on Thursdays from 6-8pm, and the first Saturday of every month from 11am-2pm (check our calendar for our most up-to-date hours). At Open Shop, you can bring your bike in to our shop and our experienced volunteers and mechanics will help you repair your bike with a DIY / “do it together” approach.
We also operate a mobile shop trailer to do pop-up repairs in places around the city like Kennedy Plaza. If you’re interested in having us support your event with our mobile bike repair trailer, reach out to us via email at hello@leftyloosey.org.
Mobility aid repair
In addition to bicycles, we are able to repair mobility aids such as wheelchairs and rollators. We sometimes have mobility aid-specific open shops, both in our shop and out in the community with partners like House of Hope, but we are usually able to help at our normal open shop hours for most basic repairs. If your needed repair is more involved, we’re still happy to help – just reach out to us via email or on Instagram beforehand so we can make sure you have the support you need for your repair. We’re also available to perform mobility aid repair by private appointment if visiting our shop during open hours is not an accessible option for you.
We also have a small library of mobility aids like canes, rollators, etc., available for people to borrow to see what works best for them before making the financial investment on their end. More information is available in our Mobility Aid Repair FAQ doc.
Bikepacking gear library
We have a small library of bikepacking gear available to borrow including bike bags and panniers. Just ask a shop host (wearing a purple apron) while we are open to view our inventory. We are still working on building this library out, so please take a look at our wishlist if there’s anything you’d like to donate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where is the shop?
We’re located at 50 Sims Ave in Providence, RI. Directions to get to our shop by bike and instructions on how to find the shop entrance can be found here: Directions.
When are you open?
We are open to the public on Tuesdays from 6-8pm for Volunteer Night, and Thursdays from 6-8pm for Open Shop. We also run our Open Shop the first Saturday of every month from 11am - 2pm. You can view our most up-to-date hours on our calendar.
Why aren’t you open more often?
Our shop is 100% volunteer run and we’re currently only able to be open to the public 2-3 days a week. We hope to be open more often as we continue to grow in the future.
How much does a bike tune-up cost?
The short answer is $0, but it requires some of your time. The long answer is that unlike a traditional bike shop, we do not charge set fees for service where you drop off your bike for us to work on then pick it up later; rather, you bring you bike to our open shop hours and our experienced volunteers and mechanics will help you repair your bike with a DIY / “do it together” approach. We accept payment if you are willing and able, but everything at our shop is “sliding scale” or “pay-what-you-can.” We do not require proof of income or SNAP benefits in order to take advantage of our low and no-cost options.
Do you sell bikes?
We usually have a small selection of 5-10 used bikes that we have refurbished available for purchase at our shop. We aren’t able to keep an updated list of what we have available online, so the best way to see our inventory is to come by any time we’re open to the public. Please note that while we try to have a variety of sizes and styles of bikes available, our inventory is entirely dependent on what gets donated, so we cannot guarantee we’ll have what you’re looking for.
Do you take donations?
Yes, we take donations! Monetary donations help us the most, which help us pay our rent, purchase supplies and bike parts, and host workshops and other events in our space. We are an official 501c3 non-profit, so your donations are tax deductible.
We also take donations of bicycles, bike parts, and accessories like bike lights, racks, and locks. We do have limited space in the shop, so if you’d like to donate more than one bike, please reach out prior to making your donation so we can confirm we have space.
If you’re not sure if what you have makes sense to donate, just reach out to us via email (hello@leftyloosey.org) to ask and we’ll let you know if what you have matches our current needs.
Do you work on e-bikes / gas bikes?
Due to safety concerns, we cannot allow gasoline-powered bikes into our shop. We do allow e-bikes in the shop to work on mechanical components (e.g. the shifter or the brakes), but we are unable to provide support for any electrical components of the bike. All e-bikes must also be disconnected or turned off while in the shop.