Best garage bike party

Located in an ivy-laced garage near the train tracks in Midtown, the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen has given cyclists the know-how on bicycle maintenance and repair skills for more than a decade. This cooperative's DIY mission is to supply the tools, parts and staff support to show riders how to fix their trusty steeds for a mere $5 shop fee.

The Bike Kitchen relies on a dedicated team of 35 volunteers, including eight core members who act as the garage’s board of directors and work to keep the space open year after year. Here, mechanics assist the community with a variety of common fixes ranging from truing wheels to changing brake pads, cables and flat tires. Whether a part is stripped, bent or broken, the staff at the Bike Kitchen takes pride in all things quirky, especially bikes that have already led a long life.

Paul Droubay is a volunteer and core member who has dedicated his time to the cause since 2009. Droubay says he enjoys the interaction and camaraderie that naturally occurs when working on a project with someone he’s never met.

“I get to know so many people that I would never get to know on an intimate basis through working on bikes, even though it seems like you’re just fixing a flat,” he says.

The shop buys new cables, brake pads and hardware when needed, but many wheels, derailleurs, tires and even whole bicycles are donated by local patrons, bike shops and police impounds. Often, bicycle cops donate old parts from their shiny rides, so there’s always a steady stream of gear to keep people rolling for miles.

“If you are out on your bicycle and something’s not quite right, the more you know about how to fix it, the more empowered you’re going to be,” Droubay says. “It makes it so you can travel a lot farther and with confidence and more safely.”

The Bike Kitchen also offers workshops on topics like brake and derailleur adjustments, frame and fork alignment, and wheel building. Every Second Saturday from April to October, the shop turns into an all-out garage party, with live bands and art displayed in the parking lot, with proceeds from beer sales going back to the cause.

“We have this groovy spot with nice tools, and as long as people care about it and we keep getting new volunteers, everything else is achievable and possible,” Droubay explains. “Volunteers with a crescent wrench can do a lot.”

1915 I Street, (916) 538-6697, www.sacbikekitchen.org.