Cycles for Change

I went to this shop because I liked the mission and wasn’t disappointed. I needed a tuneup for my vintage Mountain Bike. The service was delivered by people who know what they’re doing, the prices were very reasonable and it was a fun place to spend some time. There are great used bikes on sale and a nice coffee shop with bakery right next door. These are good people doing good work at fair prices. I highly recommend.

This place is awesome!!! I love that they offer open workshops so you can go in and use their tools and do major repairs on your bikes for very little expense. You can buy new or used parts. The volunteers/​employees that help you are amazing. I thought I could never fix a bike but they proved me wrong. If you have time to spare this is the place to go. It is worth the drive to get there. I highly recommend and looking at their website and what the offer to the community and our youth is just incredible!

I am so impressed with this place. Really, really impressed.
I love the fact that it’s a nonprofit.
I love that they help people get free bikes (in good condition!).
I love that they fix up old bikes to donate to charities.
I love that if you buy a bike from them, you know it’ll be a good bike and that your money is going to a good cause.
I love that they offer free workshops to teach people about how to maintain their bike.
I love that they have a women and transgender night.
I love that the staff is friendly as hell and not pretentious/​condescending in the slightest.
I love how the staff is super patient with my BILLION QUESTIONS (I’m new to self-​bike maintenance).
I love how if they don’t have it, they can special order it.
If you’re looking for a new bike, bike parts, want to donate a bike, or want to take some workshops to learn more about bikes, I can’t recommend this place enough.

This is one of the neatest/​most empowering nonprofits I’ve encountered! A friend I met sailing told me about this sustainable model and I had to try it for myself (even though the time commitment proved difficult coming from the other end of the Twin Cities).
The program is open to anyone (there were a few high school students present too) and after you complete it, you get a bike! (Oprah voice) All bikes and supplies are donated, so if you need to get rid of a bike you should really consider bringing it here.
Participants complete six hours of volunteering and attend two classes, then are free to work on their bikes during any open hours. You’re not only getting a bike, but also learning how to build and repair bikes as well.
I only made it to the orientation, but plan on jumping back into the program next spring because I loved watching everyone help and learn from each other. One guy was building a bike so he could ride it to his job everyday. How cool is that?

Used bikes in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere, but the people here are very nice and really care about getting you a bike that you will be happy riding. They have a bike shop where you can fix your own bike and a night in the shop especially for women and trangender folks. I was impressed.

I was recommended this place to buy a new bike. I had been hit by a car on my old bike (not very hard), but when I tried to take it to another bike shop to get it fixed up, they said they wouldn’t mess with it since the frame was bent.
However, I inquired about getting my bike fixed at Sibleys. They said they wouldn’t do it for me, but they’d help me figure out how to fix it.
So, I brought in my bike and they helped me unbend the frame, grease the bike seat so I can actually adjust it, and lubricate the wheels. They also gave me a patch to fix the slow leak in my tube. They also let me stay for about 20 minutes after they closed, although I wasn’t the only one there.
It seems that the people here are both stand-​offish and friendly. If you want help here, don’t wait for them to come to you (or it will take about 5 times longer). Once you’re talking to someone, though, other employees seem to join the conversation a lot.
So, as of now, my bike no longer has a brake continuously rubbing against a wheel, which is awesome. However, one of my brakes no longer touches the tire at all when I try to use it. Overall, my bike is in better condition, and it was free.

I first met some of the Sibley Bike Depot folks at an event a couple of months back, and they were so friendly that when I started to consider where to buy my boyfriend’s birthday bike it was really no contest (despite being a pretty happy customer at another bike shop). They’re a non-​profit cooperative and they offer lots of services and classes for free (awe-​some). All of their bikes are donated, and I noticed when I finally went there that all of the price tags were marked «suggested donation». I really like the concept of the organization and wanted to support it.
I emailed back and forth with Kevin at the shop for awhile after I had inquired initially about the possibility of purchasing a gift certificate, and he informed me that they could work something out, no problem. Turns out they don’t even sell gift certificates, but they were going to make one just for me (nice!) He was extremely quick to respond when I first contacted them and could not have been more helpful.
I went in to pick up the gift certificate last week, and unfortunately the person who knew about the whole special deal that we had worked out wasn’t there anymore. (One of the technicians had made one up for me and no one that was at the shop that night knew anything about it or where it was.) However, the guy who greeted me when I entered walked me right back into the shop and the two people working there (who’s names I will add to this later, once I find where my boyfriend put the receipt) were on it right away and made it happen. It was sort of a difficult thing for them to enter into their accounting system, since it’s not something that they typically deal with, and they were really kind to take the time (one of them in the middle of their dinner). I was in and out in twenty minutes and can not emphasize enough how helpful, nice, and willing to go out of the way for me every person was who I had contact with at Sibley Bike Depot.
I can’t wait to go back and actually pick out a bike now, this place has a super positive vibe and I actually left in a better mood than when I had gone in. Such genuine, friendly people!

Great non-​profit, community-​run bike store. All labor is free. But the caveat is they expect you to do it, and they’ll help any time you are stuck. But if you just buy their bikes as is, its a great value — can get for even less than $ 100. And they’re a great organization — always trying to help people with their bikes, especially under-​privileged kids.

The volunteers here are very helpful – whether you have no idea what you’re doing, are looking for a particular tool, or need some first aid.
I came in here with some rust issues and a question about my gear shifts (oh, and a bloody ankle), and two of the guys did what they could, gave me instructions, and invited me to come back for Women’s (and Trans’) Night. My mom needed a new tube on her front wheel, and another volunteer set her up with that (that cost $ 5).
It is the perfect place to go for a friendly environment where people really know bicycles. Plus, they’re extremely active in community improvement (see review below).

Sibley Bike Depot is a nonprofit bike shop. They fix up old bikes and donate them to other charities, and sell some, too. They have classes on bike repairs, and some really great community programs. For example, local kids can sign up to earn a bike through volunteering. So they learn how to work on bikes, help the shop and earn a bike of their own in the process. How awesome is that?
They also have an open shop. You walk in off the street and work on your bike, no charge. Don’t know how, ask one of the mechanics and they’ll teach you. Want to pay them to fix it for you? Too bad. «Teach a man to fish…» seems to be the motto.
They do not have new bikes, strictly used and usually pretty old ones at that (70s or earlier). If you’re in the market for a vintage cruiser (townie) bike, I would definitely hit this place up. Prices are good, I was seeing prices between $ 75-​$ 175.
The place can be a little chaotic, and few people there have a customer service mindset. Not that anyone is rude, just that you may have an awkward couple minutes if you expect someone to notice you and ask you if you need help. Know what you’re getting into, this place is 100% granola munching anarchy.
I love the place because a couple of the staff members are aficionados of 3 speed bicycles, and I don’t know of anywhere else on EARTH where you can buy the parts for them. Okay, I take that back, I’m sure there are shops in England that still stock and deal with 3 speeds. Chances are when I come here, its to get parts for my almost completed 3 speed conversion. I have bored so many people talking about this project, but the guy at Sibley who helped me just lit up. It was nice to finally talk to someone whose eyes didn’t glaze over when I talked about it.
So all this would have been great by itself, but then I started chatting trailers with a guy. I was trying to buy some wheels because I had these plans off the internet to build a trailer. I’ve wanted one since last year so I could get rid of a few more car errands (bigger grocery store runs, dog park), but they are hella expensive. So I found these plans to build your own for $ 30 in parts. I was looking for the wheels.
He then points to a trailer they just got in (a donation). It’s a Cannondale, in perfectly good shape. It’s so new they haven’t even priced it yet. How much, I ask, more out of curiosity. The guy isn’t sure, he asks another guy. «I dunno, $ 25?»
$ 25.
That was less than I was going to spend on parts to BUILD MY OWN. I’m pretty damn sure I could have posted the thing on Craigslist and sold it for three times as much. Easily, and probably even twice that. I saw someone sell a broken one for $ 30. He didn’t even have it online, it was just locked up on 26^th Ave, meaning someone had to walk by and see the sign. It sold in less than a week.
$ 25.
These things cost HUNDREDS of dollars. I was going to have to learn how to BRAZE WELD to BUILD IT MYSELF and pay at least $ 5 MORE.
Needless to say, I bought it.
I even feel a little bad about it, seeing as they’re a nonprofit. But hot damn, what a deal.
Summary:
Great place if you’re looking buy an old cruiser bike.
Great place if you’re looking to buy a cheap bike.
Open shop, with people to help and classes to learn more.
Nonprofit, community involved charity.