Category: Shop News

We are again accepting donated bicycles. Please keep the following things in mind.

1. You must have a confirmed appointment to drop off bicycles. To schedule, you must call 651-641-1037. Bicycle donation appointments are available on Tuesday evenings.
2. While we generally accept all bicycles, it is most helpful if the bicycles are in good condition. If you would be excited to receive the bicycle (assuming it is in rideable condition), it is a good candidate to donate. If it is rusty and has sat outside for a couple of years, or is seriously damaged, then we suggest that you discuss the condition with us prior to donating. Bicycles in poor condition tend to take up space and take volunteer time to disassemble, and keep us from our primary mission of repairing bicycles to give away.
3. We especially need better quality hybrid and mountain bicycles to fit riders 5’10” and taller. We get a lot of requests for gift bicycles from taller folks, and we sometimes don’t have enough bicycles to meet this need. Also, we need lightweight hybrid bicycles to fit petite women. They need bicycles that are light enough for them to lift and carry up stairs and to lift onto the bicycle racks on city buses. If you have any of these bicycles to donate, please call us.
4. While we love repairing and giving bicycles to children, we get far more kid size bicycles than we need. The majority of our requests for gift bicycles are from adults who need a bicycle for their primary transportation. If you have kid size bicycles to donate, please check with us first to see if we have sufficient storage space.
5. When bringing bicycles to donate, please do not arrive more than 5 minutes before or after your donation appointment. Never leave bicycles outside our shop without an appointment, they will likely be stolen.

We appreciate donations of better quality bicycles in good condition. Thanks for supporting Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles with your bicycle donations.

Due to overwhelming demand, the wait list to receive gift bicycles is now closed. Please check back with us in early to mid-June for availability. Don’t forget that social service providers (i.e., case workers, counselors, probation officers, etc.) are responsible to request gift bicycles in their own names on behalf of their clients. Providers are expected to pick up completed bicycles and deliver them to clients. We have been giving away bicycles for over 22 years, and we find this policy to be the most efficient to allow us to serve the most people. Thanks for your understanding.

The March schedule in the previous post has not changed. We still operate by appointment and you must call 651-641-1037 to schedule. Be sure to leave your first and last name on the voicemail, your telephone number, and what kind of appointment you want. The choices are bicycle purchase, bicycle repair, or donation appointment. To get a gift bicycle, you need to leave your first and last name, your telephone number, and the height and gender of the person who will ride the bicycle. If you have a case worker, your case worker must call to request the bicycle for you. Case workers are responsible for picking up bicycles and delivering them to clients.

We will again accept bicycle donations on Tuesday evenings beginning on March 23. There are a limited number of appointments available. Times are at 5:15, 6:15, and 7:15 PM. You must call 651-641-1037 to schedule, and your appointment isn’t confirmed until we call you back. We will provide drop off instructions when we confirm your appointment. We still are very limited on storage space as well as volunteers to process bicycles, so please, if you are donating a bicycle, be sure it is in good condition. If it sat outside all winter and is rusty, or has dried weeds in the wheels, chances are it should be recycled elsewhere. Right now we need hybrid bicycles to fit men 6’0″ and over.

We announce our outdoor sales on our Facebook page, and we also post on the Facebook group Twin Cities Bicycle Discussion and Advice. Outdoor sales depend on good weather and available volunteers. We typically announce a few days in advance.

We will be closed beginning April 1 for Easter break. We will reopen on Sunday, April 11. There will be no drop off appointments available on Tuesday, April 6. We will operate our regular schedule from Sunday April 11 through the end of April. Those hours are Sundays from noon to 4 PM; Tuesdays from 5 PM to 8 PM; and Thursdays from 5 PM to 8 PM. You must have a confirmed appointment, and all appointments are done by phone at 651-641-1037.

The shop hours for February and March are as follows:

Sundays – February 7, 14, 21 and March 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM by appointment only (closed February 28)

Tuesdays – February 2, 16 and March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment only (closed February 9 and 23)

Thursdays – February 4 and March 4, 11, 18, and 25 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment only (closed February 11, 18, and 25)

We continue to operate by appointment only, and all appointments are scheduled by phone. You must call 651-641-1037 to schedule your appointment. Appointments are available to buy a bicycle, to have a bicycle repaired, or for purchase of selected bicycle parts. Call 651-641-1037 if you have questions.

Once the weather warms up to days with temperatures in the 40s, sunshine and dry pavement behind the shop, we will resume our outdoor sales. We will announce the sales here as well as on our Facebook page. Announcements will likely be made just a few days before the sale, so be sure to check back frequently. As always, we appreciate your business.

The shop schedule for the rest of January, and the first week of February is as follows:

Sundays – January 24 and 31, and February 7 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM by appointment

Tuesdays – January 26 and February 2 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment

Thursdays – January 21 and 28, and February 4 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment

We will be closed on Tuesday, February 9 and Thursday, February 11 for the CABDA Online show.

You must have an appointment to come to the shop during our business hours. We book all appointments by phone, and the number is 651-641-1037. Do not request appointments by email or Facebook Messenger. If we do not answer, be sure to leave your first and last name, your phone number, and what you want an appointment for. We will call you back to schedule. We will also ask you questions about what you need so we can have the item or service ready when you arrive. We do not allow any browsing in the shop or the garage due to COVID. We only allow one customer in the shop at a time, and masks are required at all times. Customers must remain in the area at the front of the shop. We will operate this way until 70% of the people in the Twin Cities Metro area have been fully vaccinated for COVID, and all of our crew members have completed their COVID vaccinations.

On a happy note, we gave away just over 500 bicycles in 2020. We managed to break even financially. None of this would have been possible without our loyal crew members and our customers. We are working on hosting outdoor sales once the weather permits, and we will post that information both here and on our Facebook page. As always, we appreciate your business.

Sunday, December 6 from 1 PM to 3 PM behind the shop, we will have a special sale on new and used bicycles. Check out the special sale page of our web site to see the photos and descriptions of the bicycles. There are some fantastic deals for this sale, don’t miss it!

We had planned to travel this coming weekend, but have cancelled plans due to COVID. We will open the shop on Sunday, November 29 between noon and 4 PM. Appointments are available between noon and 1 PM and again from 3 PM to 4 PM. Appointments are for bringing in bicycles for repairs or for shopping for bicycles. From 1 PM to 3 PM we will have another outdoor sale behind the shop. This time we will offer up several bins filled with $1 items! We will also have the fat and studded tires available, along with a selection of horns, bells, and lights that make great stocking stuffers. We will also have some bicycles for $10 each and a limited number of new helmets for $5 each. As with all our outdoor sales during COVID, parking is on the street, masks are required, and social distance is enforced. We will do outdoor sales even in winter months if weather permits (dry, temps in 30s or higher).

We are not accepting any more bicycle donations until sometime in late March or early April. This is because our storage space is very limited, and it is completely full. We have no room for any more bicycles until we either give away or sell a lot of bicycles. At this time of the year, people tend to not buy bicycles from us, so we have no way to clear space for new arrivals. Please, if you want to donate bicycles, hang onto them until spring and then bring them. Also, please don’t bring us bicycles that are rusty, severely damaged, or are in poor condition. Most of the time we end up dismantling these bicycles and we spend a lot of time processing stuff that we can’t use, which takes away from us fixing stuff that we can give away or sell so we can pay the bills. We thank you for your understanding.

The shop is open as follows in November:

Sundays – November 1, 8, 15, and 22 – Shop Open Noon to 4 PM by appointment only (closed November 29)

Tuesdays – November 3, 10, 17, and 24 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment only (closed December 1)

Thursdays – November 5, 12, and 19 – Shop Open 5 PM to 8 PM by appointment only (closed November 26 for Thanksgiving)

We appreciate your business so very much. It is a challenge to bring in needed revenue in the cold weather months, so get your repairs done now while the lines are short. Then your bicycle will be ready for the next nice day when you want to ride it. To make an appointment for repair services, shop for a bicycle (we have a lot of great ones available), or shop for parts, call 651-641-1037 and leave your name and phone number so we can call you to schedule. Keep in mind that if you want a parts shopping appointment, there is a $10 non-refundable charge, payable in advance, but we will take $10 off the price of whatever you buy.

November 14 is Cranksgiving! This is our annual food drive/alley cat race where participants ride bicycles from store to store and buy groceries that they donate to the cause. Due to COVID-19, we are running it this year as a time trial rather than a mass start. As each rider or team registers, they will be assigned a start time. Participants must cross the start line at their assigned time. There will be less stops this year than typically, and our awards ceremony will be virtual via Facebook Live. What has not changed is that all the stuff that folks buy and donate will benefit the Food Outreach Program at Zion Lutheran Church. Come spend some time on a fall afternoon riding your bicycle and buying food for the hungry. There will be prizes for fast times and most generous individuals and teams. We also offer a non-racing family category with one stop, and all kids 10 and under who participate will get a prize.

We will take bicycle donations by appointment on Tuesday evenings through November 17. After that, we will suspend accepting donations until spring. We don’t have the space to store them. Also, we will have one last open donation event on Sunday, November 8 between noon and 4 PM behind the shop. No appointment is needed, just bring the bicycles. Keep in mind that it takes lots of our time and resources to process bicycles, so it helps us most if donated bicycles are in good condition when you donate them. If it is rusty, damaged, or in otherwise poor condition, please consider other disposal options.

We have given away over 400 bicycles so far this year, and we are working to get to top 500. Thanks to all our faithful volunteers who make this possible.

Since we have had so many requests for used parts sales, and demand for bicycle shopping and repair appointments is reduced, we will offer outdoor sales of used parts and accessories on Sunday November 8 and the time is from noon to 4 PM. The rules are as follows: Masks and social distancing required, no parking in the lot – only on the street, and all sales are final. Make your lists for your winter builds and shop early and often. Appointments to purchase bicycles or for repair services are available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 5 PM and 7:30 PM – call 651-641-1037. Bicycle donations (please, only bring bicycles in good condition) are accepted on Tuesday evenings by appointment through November 17 – call 651-641-1037. We will also accept bicycle donations during the outdoor sale on November 8, no appointment is needed.