I first heard about Sharing Wheels when I volunteered for Christmas House, which gives out toys to low-income families for the holidays. Sharing Wheels partners up and donates a bunch of refurbished bicycles to them. If that's not awesome enough, read on.
I came in because my bike chain was out of alignment and brake cables needed to be replaced. The staff member, Jon, was super friendly and took it on immediately like a live YouTube session just for me -- even though he did first say, "This is really easy; are you sure you don't want to just buy the parts and do it yourself?" "Nah, do it for me... but thanks for not upselling me when you had the chance." I can now ride my bike again!
Better yet, while my snooty cyclist friend told me not to put any money into my old a$$ bike, Jon came from the mindset that Sharing Wheels propagates: Don't add to the landfill if you can still ride the bike! He even complimented my bike: "Your friend is right -- this bike is old and you would do better selling it for parts than ever selling it outright, but it's in great condition and has excellent components, so enjoy it!" Of note, Sharing Wheels has good pricing (see my pics), though I'll admit I don't know the going dates for such things.
Bottom line: Yay, Sharing Wheels! Screw you, snooty friend. read more