I haven't touched a bike in ages but wanted to dig my old clunker out of the basement and turn it into something fun for Summer. Heard about Bikerowave from a friends son and decided to check it out. So glad I did. Everyone was so nice, friendly, helpful, supportive and just overall into everything that was going on. Patient as well given my ignorance in just about everything. I spent about 6 hours there and rode out on a perfect schwinn rebuild using a ton of my old parts and just enough new flash to have some honor on the streets. Can't say enough about the place. Just awesome. They have everything you will need to do whatever you want to do to your ride. Did I mention cheap? Oh yeah, that too. AWESOME! read more

This place is fabulous. It can get really busy, and if the stands are all full you may have to wait; I recommend getting there early if you've never been before. The worst thing I can say about this place is that the hours are so limited - but I guess that's the nature of the volunteer-run co-op beast. Don't be deterred by the "volunteer" aspect of it - the folks there have varying levels of knowledge, but there's always someone who knows the best answer, and if the guy (or gal) helping you isn't sure about something, they'll find someone who is. I wanted a vintage Schwinn - not a beach cruiser, but a similar style with a sleeker frame - so I ended up getting one on eBay and having it shipped, then I took it to Bikerowave to put it together myself. I've been back twice since, once to put on a headlight and another time to re-adjust the brakes because they were squeaking. I've gotten great help from awesome people every time. Yes, it takes a little longer than just taking it to a pro and having them do it for you, but it's cheaper too and you basically get a free lesson out of it. read more

I dropped by Bikerowave to change out a handlebar stem. The place was very busy, yet within minutes I was greeted and politely asked what help I needed. Immediately a volunteer measured my stem and helped me to find a replacement from the used stem drawer. Another volunteer gave advice as well. What struck me was how nice and helpful these volunteers were. I am not a handy person at all, but with the coaching of the volunteer, I was able to complete my project. Never once did I feel like I was on my own in that place...and it was satisfying to fix my bike and be on my way in half an hour. read more

My brake was broken, so I went there to get it fixed. The staff were super nice and helpful. They offered the cheapest and most effective solution to the problem and fixed it right away, even though I came in 10 minutes before closing! I'm so grateful to them and will definitely come back here if I need anything for my bike! read more

AMAZING place to go. I'm a total noob when it comes to bikes. The staff, though, was totally friendly, helpful and resourceful. They pretty much helped me through every step in not only replacing the tubes in my tires, but fully cleaning and tuning up my bike. I felt bad that I needed so much help, but the staff were so supportive that I really left feeling empowered that I learned so much. There is definitely a cooperative feel in this shop--you do work on your own bike, and if you're willing to try, you will be able to accomplish a lot with a little bit of help. The stand time is $7/hr, cash only. Tools and materials (cleaning stuff, towels) are generally included unless you need to buy a part, which is still very reasonable. Lots of different people, all ages, different bikes, different skill levels. There's room for everyone! :) read more

This place is amazing. Instead of going to a bike shop and paying someone else an arm and a leg to work on my bike, I learned how to fix and upgrade bike parts for a lot less at this friendly little bike co-op. There's always one bike mechanic there every time I've visited here. They have all the tools you need, bike stands for rent ($7/hr), and friendly volunteers to help you with questions on how to work on your bike. A volunteer named Archie taught me how to install new brake calipers and levers. He even taught me a trick to taking off bike grips with an air compressor! No ghetto hairspray on the handlebars. HIs way is works better! read more

This spot is the shit! Good people, Great vibe and a great sense of community. I ended up coming here to fix my broken spokes on my road bikes, and I have to say the experience learning is much more valuable than shelling out $20-$30 a pop for a spoke. It's all about trial and error here. Hell, I think it's quite important to know how to do basic items than figuring it out on the road than being stranded or frustrated if something happens. The staff here are very knowledgeable group of people from different levels of skill sets. If one person doesn't know how to do something than he/she will ask for help. People are very helpful here, even the people who are even working on their own bikes will help you out if your stuck on something. It's a nice community of people here. During the summer it might take days or even weeks to get your bike repaired at bigger chain bike shops and here at the bikerowave they'll teach you how to do it. Now that's something very valuable. I guess the saying goes: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Come by here to get your hands dirty and learn something in the process. It's cheap, but I tend to donate a little more since what they are doing in the community is admirable. read more

If you want to learn how to fix your bike or revive an old one, this is the place. I was given an old incomplete bike (frame + random parts). I was missing some bike-specific nuts and bolts. I went to a few bike shops in the westside and was either told that the parts were not available anymore or they'd be $10-$35 per part. For instance, a place that rhymes with Melon's Michaels told me that I'd need to pay $15 for a chainring bolt, in a 10-piece set though I just needed one. At Bikerowave, I picked up the 3 hard-to-find pieces for 75 cents. $7/hour or $4/half-hour for use of their tools and access the staff mechanic for advice. They have a few bike stands, truing stands, and a full set of tools. They have bins/boxes of old parts that you can buy and use for cheap. It's a down-to-earth place (read: a little beat up and old). I wouldn't go there with kids-in-tow unless they are well-behaved because the open bin and surfaces can be greasy. And, finally, if you have 5 minutes and want to see some interesting singlespeed/fixie bikes then go across the street to the LA Brakeless bike shop. It's to the left of the Venice Coffee Shop and doesn't have a store sign. They have some really beautiful bikes and enthusiastic staff. read more

I know that I can really vibe with a place when I find prose like this on their website: "The meter maidens prowl by constantly and are ruthless in their ticket writing. Their eyes are dead with purpose, like that of the Great White- Ye be warned!" Now that is some qualitative description right there! read more

Good place to repair your bike. It. Jon profit business and it has a great service, but staff can be rude.

This place ROCKS IT, the volunteers are awesome and very helpful and the three times I have been there it has been awesome. I have a grass roots community outreach organization where I support people who are homeless, low income, seniors, children and people living with HIV and AIDS. I am a Sickle Cell Patient, Cancer Patient, HIV positive and was homeless for nearly two years in Santa Monica where I grew up. I am also on extreme low income. Since most of my work is done on my donated Trek Mountain Bike while pulling my Croozer Trailer loaded with supplies for the outreaches, I need a place where repairs wont cost me an arm and a leg and BikeRoWave is that place. I have learned so much and have spent far less then I would have at places that wont teach me a thing let alone empower me to make my own repairs. This place ROCKS, plus it in SAMO where I was born and raised. YEAH BABY read more

As a bike-repair novice, i could not be more pleased with my experience at Bikerowave. I had heard about it through word-of-mouth and also passed it everyday on my way to work. When my vintage road bike got a flat, I decided to go here based on friends' recommendations and I am so glad I did! So many bike stores can be pretty pretentious and since i had no idea what i was doing, i was glad i came here. John helped my friend and I replace my tires and tubes. He was veryyyy patient. Their prices for parts are amazingly low. $10 per tire and $5 per tube. So pleased with my experience and now i'm back on the road! read more

Came by today with my little brother, who wanted to slap some gears on his old road bike. I just needed to throw on a new seat post/saddle and clean my drivetrain, so my story is not the focus here. My brother, however, has pretty much no bike repair experience whatsoever, and Thomas (pretty sure that was his name) helped him out. He showed him how to fix a flat, adjust his chain, attach derailleurs, and much more. He showed endless patience and good humor, and my bro walked away spending only 40 bucks for a new set of derailleurs and a head full of new knowledge. I've been a few times before, mainly for help with refurbishing my pop's old road bike, and have only had the most patient, attentive help imaginable. read more

I've always wanted to learn to fix my own bike, but never had the opportunity to grab one of my fellow biker friends to lead me through the steps. Here you can get help from the super friendly staff and learn to conquer your bicycle woes. Sweet deal, if you ask me! read more

Amazing experience! I came here to change my brake pads (which I've never done in my life!) and even though the place was very busy, Tom helped me in each step and also tuned my gears! Everyone was very friendly and very helpful! Plus, I feel like now I can actually change my own brakes :) read more

Came in here to fix 3 bikes given to us for burning man. Really just needed a tune up to see what was wrong with them. They gave us their honest opinion and walked us through every step of fixing our bikes and it was only $11. They are incredibly nice and helpful. Awesome way to also learn how to fix your own bike. Great community shop read more

False advertising. Unhelpful, inattentive, unwelcoming, condescending volunteers who are pushed to detain you for at least an hour so they can charge you for the time. Not woman/female/poc friendly (huge shocker: all white dudes) unless there's a female or poc volunteer available. How is this supposed to be a community service when the volunteers are too busy eating burritos and socializing with each other to help someone who's looking for help? This place is the only place that's open/available after I'm done with work and I can't even access it because I feel so uncomfortable with how I'm treated when I'm there! Yes, I'd rather spend extra money at a bike shop and be late to my job instead of having to endure the poor treatment, condescension, and arguably even discrimination. read more

I cannot recommend this place enough. The volunteers here are incredibly friendly and helpful. Came here on a Saturday afternoon to fix a flat and assess some grinding/squeaking in my bike. I really don't know much beyond the basics about bikes and was looking for direction. The guys here took their time to figure out what my issue was, explain how to fix it, and gave recs of things I could do myself to get my bike back in perfect condition. I left with a brand new chain, new inner tube, and a load of knowledge for less than $30. Will always be coming back for anything bike related. read more

Best place to fix your bike on the westside. They have all the tools and knowledge to do anything related to your bicycle. If you're a student at SMC, stand time is free! read more

The staff was very friendly and helpful...I volunteer at another DIY bike collective in K-town so they seemed very friendly. I discovered this place by accident since I was on my way to the beach when I had an accident on the bus. I was not hurt but my bike got pretty banged up since it fell off the provided rack and was dragged a considerable distance causing the rim to get severly bent on the front wheel. I luckily was able to get help from the staff members who gave me some kick ass advice on how to fix a bent rim easily without tools. I did not have much money, but instead offered the staff some of my groceries I picked up on the way to the beach. Definitely recommended and I hope to run into the members again, they were super awesome!!! Plus a little yellow bird told me that they track their Yelp reviews closely so I wanted to return the favor for their help! read more

Bikerowave is fantastic! I don't really know anything about how bikes work so I was really intimidated going in for the first time to get help tuning it. I've been back a couple times since and each time the staff was extremely friendly and looked over my bike and showed me how to make the proper adjustments. $4 for a half-hour read more

Just visited for the first time since I moved. I loved going to the Bike Kitchen when I lived in Silver Lake. The Bikerowave is much the same great atmosphere. Volunteers, reasonable prices and a chance to learn how to fix your own bike! Two bonus points that make the Bikerowave my favorite bike shop, period! 1. If you are a current Santa Monica College student, your stand fees are paid by the school! 2. They figured out a really frustrating issue I had had for years with multiple bikes and saved me from replacing a bunch of perfectly operational components! Great bicycle brain trust as a resource! read more

Let me start by saying I know nothing about bikes. I just bought my first bike a few months ago, I wanted to check everything was all right with it and fix a few small things. Joe helped me out and explained everything patiently. My bike is good as new, I'll definitely come back when I need to. Thank you! read more

I'm reviewing Bikerowave as a volunteer. This is a land of educational opportunity - there is a core volunteer team of a couple dozen people who live and breathe bicycles and among them there is knowledge to repair and/or wax philosophical almost any problem on any type or era of bicycle. Many work in the industry and then come here during their spare time to volunteer. Others have learned what they know as volunteers here and gone on to work as mechanics, etc. Not only is it a great place to come and learn as little or as much as you want about how your own bike works ($7 per hour covers stand time, mechanical supervision and expertise and all the chemicals and lubes you might need), if you volunteer, you can learn hands on whatever you wish. There are additional perks (mainly discounts) if you meet minimum hour requirements as a volunteer. On top of all that, it is really a community and social space where volunteers have regular gatherings, potlucks, karaoke nights, etc. Because of this, Bikerowave has been running more than a decade purely on volunteer power. Pretty awesome. read more

This place kicks ass! Lounge, coffee, books, wrenching, conversation, music, movies... Places to eat and drink all around, BIKESIDE SPEAKS!, local celebrities, charity events, grassroots, saving the planet, saving your pocketbook, bike rides, community, flavor If you are new to cycling this is a good place to pick out a bike. Way better than bike store for a first purchase. Plenty of people to help teach how to fix a flat and other essential tasks. Short on cash or on a low budget try some used bikes and parts. Nifty bulk NOS and commuter essentials. read more

Get here as early as you can because you'll want to STAY! The staff is usually overwhelmed with people but the customers more often than not will help you out as well, they're THAT friendly. If you want to learn more than you wanted to know about bikes and possibly start an incredible addiction this is it! ... or... if you're just trying to save some SERIOUS cash by doing it yourself and knowledge is just a happy byproduct of saving a buck, well then this is still it, haha. A funny benefit for the fixed gear crowd is that if you can't find what you're looking for here, then right across the street is LA Brakeless, buy what you need and then have the staff at Bikerowave teach you how to install and set it up! (I do this all the time. Bike shop tag team ftw) read more

These guys make you feel like a rockstar! My bicycle got hit by a car while chained up outside my apartment and I wasn't quite sure what was wrong. As soon as I walked into Bikerowave I was greeted by a lovely gentleman who told me how to sign in and fill out the waiver. After all the paperwork was done, he walked me through exactly what to check and how to figure what needed to be fixed. After some troubleshooting we figured out it was my derailer hanger. As expected they didn't have my hanger, though they had tons of other used parts. I went to another bike shop just to buy the hanger and came back to Bikerowave the next week to finish the job. The same guy remembered me! I now know how to change my derailer, put on a new hanger and adjust my gears. All for $8, $4 each time. I will be going here for any further bike repair. read more

Sometime last year I had popped my tires, was broke as no joke, and needed them fixed ASAP. I found out about these guys and they were just down the street from me. I went in late at night and fixed my tires myself for only $6. Totally worth it. Plus they make you do the repair so it is great for learning! read more

Bikerowave is the place where you belong. Just sign in, look for a spot, then ask a volunteer for help. What's that? You're bike's not even broken? Then if I were you I'd crash it just to have an excuse to hit the Bikerowave. Support co-ops and DIY shops! read more

These guys helped me tons with my bike(s) over the years. I always have a good time bringing in my bike. Would be a great place to volunteer also! read more

People need to realize that if you expect to be waited on hand and foot at Bikerowave, you are going to be disappointed. The staff there are volunteers, not employees, and they don't owe you their time. If you go in there with a "the customer is always right" attitude, they're not going to be very willing to help, and if you don't know how to do something as simple as change an inner tube, you're going to be expected to figure it out because it's really not that difficult. DIY is the key word here. Meaning Do It YOURSELF. If you approach someone with the right attitude, as if you're asking a favor (because you are, they are volunteers, remember?), usually someone will be more than happy to help you with some guidance and pointers. Go in there expecting to be served, and you won't be. read more

I rarely take the time to post on Yelp, but this place deserves waay more than just my positive review. I can fit my knowledge/ability of bike maintenance into a thimble, so I took my crappy road bike here in an effort to replace a bent crank/sprocket. After digging through a crate of old cranks, volunteers Bo and David helped walk me through the replacement how-to. The volunteers were friendly, patient, and determined to get my bike rolling again. Two hours and $16 later, I have a bike that works! read more

Bicycles have been part of who I am since 1992. I love bicycles!!! I eat, breath, live and sleep these wonderful contraptions! I first discovered Bikerowave several years back when they were located in West LA. I thought the idea of bringing a community bicycle co-op to the westside was a great idea. Bicycle co-ops have traditionally only existed on the east side. In addition this is a 501 c non-profit and I work in grants administration for a living. When Bikerowave first opened in Mar Vista I came in and met Steve, the general manager and operator. I had read some of his blogging online and he seemed like a super nice guy. I sent my girlfriend there to have them help her put together an affordable road bike. I didn't have time during a conference we were putting together at work. Her bike turned out great and she learned a lot. I bought a vintage muscle bike at their swap meet and a Centurion Signet road bike from the shop for myself. I opted not to use their co-op facilities because I have my own repair stand. I only used their aid for when I had to overhaul the bottom bracket on the Centurion, because I did not have the tool to extract the crank arms from the bottom bracket. I subsequently tried to volunteer several times (I worked at a bicycle shop in high school) and for some reason they weren't interested in me. At one point I was even taking used frames from their scrap metal pile to help aid freak bike projects for special bicycle club events. Some of the Bikerowave volunteers were guests. There was even a photo of my club's event prominently displayed behind the counter. I currently own about fifty (yes... you read correctly) bicycles and have used Bikerowave as an aid in helping me assemble stuff that has been horribly wrecked. I had a Norco Sasquatch mountain bike i purchased for ten dollars that had been driven over by a car. I bought a donor GT mountain bike from Bikerowave for parts. I ended up assembling a bike out of the two and eventually selling it for a profit on Craig's List. In total I've purchased about eight bikes from them including the three I mentioned above. Four of them were used as donor bikes to complete wrecked bicycles and were eventually sold. Two more were used as parts bikes for custom projects and I kept the other two. This is over the course of two years. So tonight I went to Bikerowave because I had seen a damaged Motiv comfort bike about a week back and I currently have another identical bike that is damaged as well. I figured I could once again make two into one and possibly sell it. When I got there Steve greeted me and I inquired about several super clean used bikes hanging there. Steve politely said to me "If you're reselling these bicycles, that isn't what this place is about." I told him I had used several of the bikes to complete projects. Four had been resold. A silent hush fell over the store. You could hear a pin drop. Steve left the room to tend to other business. I noticed a Huffy Mountain bike sitting by the front door. Nice condition. It was my size. Good for beating around the neighborhood and liquor store runs. I was checking it out when a volunteer walked up to me. He asked if he could help me. I looked around for Steve and he was gone. I asked him how much for the Huffy. He replied "We don't sell bikes to dealers." Since when did I get badged as a dealer?! "This bike isn't your size." He added. It was exactly my size. I'm 5'10 and it was a 20" frame. It literally felt like how I would imagine a minority being treated when they were not welcome in a racist business. Wow... talk about some serious bicycle elitism on the part of the volunteer! Major turn off... YUCK!!! In closing I like Steve personally very much and we're on good terms, but I think Bikerowave's concept of selling an item, dictating who can buy it and what you can do with it is a passive form of socialism. If you want to ride it, resell it or light it on fire it's your right to do as you please. I'm really unsure of where someone like myself fits in at a place like Bikerowave. I'm too mechanically inclined to need their assistance, they aren't interested in having me volunteer and apparently they don't want to sell me beater bikes for my pet projects. I have donated bikes/parts and have made financial contributions to them in the past, but I feel like they don't really appreciate it. I do think that Bikerowave is a great alternative for college students and lower income individuals that need help in repairing their transportation bicycles. I don't really think it's a spot for super "do it yourself" folks or people that turn wrenches as a lifestyle. I hope that Bikerowave will continue to support cycling on the westside, but in ways that are constructive to the community and serious enthusiasts alike. read more

Its okay... I mean if you're a beginner and need help you can get help here. They are generally very friendly and willing to teach. If you mostly know what you are doing and go to borrow tools it can be very frustrating. I have experienced several people here who are very condescending. I try to be nice so I haven't had a confrontation but I have also seen other people in the shop on several occasions getting into arguments with the volunteers for being spoken to condescendingly, like you've intruded into some kind of underground bike club. An important thing to realize that at the end of the day this is a non-profit and the people who volunteer aren't employees, they are there partially to help and partially because they like hanging out with the other volunteers. There is no expectation for "customer service". If you're chill with that then you'll do fine there. For those who just need a tool or two you may be better off purchasing the tools online. read more

This place is simply great! I walked in and I was instantly greeted by the bikerowavers. Boe helped me. He was very friendly. Service was pronto and very helpful, the knowledgeable staff are great! Everyone there is a volunteer and there to help the biking community. For a non-profit org, this place rocks! read more

A great resource for bicyclists of all types, esp. for DIY-types who want to learn how to do bike maintenance on their own but who don't have all the tools needed. read more

Had a fantastic time at Bikerowave today. Have a bike I hadn't ridden for two years and wanted to get it tuned up and ready to ride again. I know nothing about bikes except how to ride one, and JB spent about two hours walking thru everything with me and teaching me about the different parts and functions. Had a lot of fun and learned a lot, and was able to get my bike all ready to go at an affordable price. These guys were super knowledge, friendly and patient, and had everything I needed right there. Highly recommend!!! read more

Yeah, yeah the dudes here are great. Bike smart. Helpful. Hot.

Super cool place. I had never done any work on a bike and the staff was very accommodating. They showed me how to lubricate and adjust the shifters, brakes, and other essential parts. I learned a lot, my bike is in great running condition now, and I will definitely return. read more

helped me install new seat and rack... so the Venice Bike Thieves would be much more comfy when they rode my stolen effing bike. read more