A NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL BIKE SHOP
Rogers Park, Chicago · NOVEMBER 2026 · Celebrating 20 Years! Thank you for a great party! The celebration of 20 years continues! Thanks for showing up for Tailwind for Tools: Recyclery's 20th Year Anniversary Bike Party & Fundraiser. What an incredible day! We raced bikes, showed off our fix a flat skills, ate great food from local restaurants, won prizes, & jammed to excellent tunes. Thank you for making the day so incredible...and so successful! We raised over $6K on the day! This marks the Recyclery's 20th year of bike repairs & keeping bikes from the landfull. Thanks to you all, we are able to keep rolling! Missed the party, but still want to donate? Our fundraiser continues till Dec 31st! Come volunteer with us, or visit an Open Shop time soon!
Tailwind for Tools: Bike Party Celebrating 20 Years of community & learning20th Year Bike Party & Fundraiser: $11,000+ raised!Not only was this year's Tailwind for Tools a fun & festive day, but together we raised over $11,000 for the Recyclery!! That equals more free bikes repaired and given away, tools & time for Open Shop, mechanic Classes taught, and youth earning bikes & skills. THANK YOU to everyone who came out, donated and made it possible. From the volunteers running the Alley Kitten Races to our mechanics showing off their skills in the Blind Fix a Flat, we had a blast! You all raised over $6,000 on the event day which helped us reach our matching funds of $5,000 generously given by the Cless Family Foundation. Thank you to each of you and to the Cless Family!
Huge shout out as well to our musicians: Here & Now band with their stunning melodies, and Charlie McShane with his original Recyclery ballad to bikes!
We feasted on delicious food thanks to local restaurants donations and Bill Warren's efforts. Thank you to Charmers Cafe, Rogers Park Social, Bennison's Bakery, Badu Senegalese, Caribbean American Bakery, Buffalo Joe's and Paulina Certified!
We had three of seven founding Recyclery collective members, Jesse Miller, Camille walker, Peat Manz, and Paul Estrich, who came and shared their Recyclery origin stories, graciously curated by Randi Rogers, a volunteer host and part of the Tailwind for Tool planning team. Thank you to all the founders for creating somethiong sustainable and meaningful and building a shop and community that extends into the fabric of our community!
What great raffle prizes during the event as well! Thanks to: Rogers Park Social, Igor Does My Bike, The Factory Theater, Tom's Tinkerings, Chicago Mosaic School, and LA Fitness.
One thing that made this years Tailwind for Tools so successful and fun: Tailwind For Tools planning team who have been working for months to create an extra special day to celebrate the Recyclery's work and vision. A big shout out to Denise, Randi, Will and Bill!
We have raised $16,000 of our $20K goal for 2026. Help us sustain 20 more years and donate today! Fall Recyclery Youth Programs
Our fall youth programs are well under way with Bikes @ Warren Park and Earn A Bike at Gale. Bikes @ Warren Park is our fall After School Matters bike maintenance and riding training program for high schoolers. Formerly known as Bikes @ Sullivan, this is our first year at Warren Park which brings new students to the group and introduces them to our shop and bike mechanics.
Our fall Earn A Bike at Gale includes middle schoolers through our new partnership with Outride, and each students earns a bike, helmet, and lock while learning basic maintenance skills and how to safely ride on the road. We have one students learning to ride a bike throuh the program as well! Stay tuned for more photos! and events!
Bike Mechanics 1
Sundays 11/8 & 11/15: 9 - 1 AMOver the course of two SATURDAYS at The Recyclery: 3 PM - 6 PM Seasoned Recyclery mechanic instructors introduce students to basic bicycle mechanics. We cover tool and component terminology, fixing a flat, chain maintenance, brake adjustment, and basic shifting adjustments. No prior experience required. To see more info & register, click the link below!
Email info@therecyclery.org for more information! Stay tuned for January 2027 Bike Mechanics 2 session dates soon!
Mondays 11/9 & 11/23, 7:30 PM The Recyclery is organized by a board of volunteer collective members. All collective members contribute three hours/ week and commit to attending the majority of Collective Meetings, held the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month. These meetings can be joined virtually through discord or in person. Collective members make decisions through a consensus process.
JACK DONOVAN is the Recyclery's NOVEMBER volunteer of the month! Jack has been volunteering and contributing to The Recyclery for 9 years, often bringing in new regular volunteers to the shop in addition to hosting Mon/ Thurs Volunteer Hours and expertly repairing bikes and helping new volunteers learn mechanic skills. In his own words, " I came to the Recyclery for an Overhaul class 9 years ago and never left because I enjoy the people, bikes, and working with my hands, in that order of priority" Thank you Jack for all your contributions over the years!
CLOSED Wed 11/25 - Fri 11/27
OPEN Sat 11/28 Open Shop 11a-2p
CLOSED Sun 11/29Have a relaxing and nourishing holiday!
Come back and visit us Saturday 11/28 during Open Shop for your bike repair and and bike shopping needs (think lights, vests, ware bottles, winter riding gear!) Remember to shop small this holiday season!
Former Recyclery staff Katie Bowes opened a new bike shop in Lincoln Square: Mr. Baby Bikes! She joins a noteworthy line of former Recyclety mechanics and staff who have furthered their career through the Recyclery and gone on to create their own shop and piece of the bike shop community! This spring Wheelie Good Bikes opened in Rogers Park byu former staff mechanic David. Nina, another former staff mechanic, co-owns Broadway Bikes. Flowers, an early mechanic and program coordinator operates Luna Alley Bike Shop in our nearby North of Howard neighborhood. Congrats all around!
Check out our amazing neighbor theater's fall performance
running through Novemeber 16th!
Help keep The Recyclery rolling
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