What we do
We offer a variety of services to support you at any point on your cycle journey, from purchasing a bike to training you how to maintain it yourself.
While-You-Wait Bike Repairs
What you probably know us from is our low-cost while-you-wait bike repairs that run every Saturday from 10AM to 2PM. Bring down your bike and we can diagnose the problem and repair on the day! We ask all customers to stay with their bike at all times. We have 5 fully equipped work stands and lots of enthusiastic volunteers to help you.
We keep prices as low as possible, for a small job that takes under 30 minutes it's £5.00, otherwise it's just £10 an hour. We also use second-hand parts taken from bikes that have been donated so that if a job requires them we can complete the work at a much lower cost than a commercial shop using new parts.
Complex jobs may be charged at a higher rate. If you're not earning, bring along some evidence and we will not charge you for your session.
Refurbishing and Rehoming Bikes
For over 10 years, RBK has recommissioned and sold hundreds of donated bikes, providing new life into what might otherwise be discarded. In 2024 alone we recommissioned and sold 701 bikes that had been donated to us which would have otherwise been dumped in the tip! Customers are encouraged to test out the bikes we have in stock to make sure it’s a perfect fit.
You can view our bikes in stock on Gumtree, just type RBK in the search bar.
Receiving Bike Donations
If you have a bike (parts and accessories welcome) in reasonable condition that we can with a bit of work pass on to a deserving new owner, then we would be very grateful to receive this. Some bikes will be reconditioned and donated to people in need. We can also accept used D-locks so people given donated bicycles can keep them safe - as long as it comes with the key.
Other bicycles will be refurbished, safety checked, then recycled to new owners and the proceeds used to support this charity. Donations can be dropped off during any of our opening hours.
Free Bike Maintenance Courses
Based on our 10+ years experience of fixing bikes for the good people of Reading, we know the sort of things that will go wrong with your bike. And we can show you how to fix them with basic tools, so that you CAN go for that ride on a sunny day. It will save you £££ in repair bills and make you more confident while you are riding. And it's free!
Learn the basics of how to keep your bike on the road. Covering a full safety check; repairing punctures, adjusting brakes and gears. These sessions are for ADULTS age 18 and over unless by arrangement.
Jumble Sale
Over the past years we've been donated an absolute treasure trove of parts which you can use to refresh or upgrade your bike(s). We need the space, so prices are as reasonable as you can imagine.
We have over a thousand items covering all disciplines; road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and retro machines. Almost all are from the XT / 105 level and above, so this is ONLY for cycling enthusiasts. We've got dozens of chain-sets, derailleurs, shifters, brakes (calliper, "V", and disc), saddles, seat-posts, stems etc,. Wheels by Shimano, Campagnolo, SRAM, Giant, Fulcrum, Hope and Mavic. Folding tyres from Schwalbe, Continental, Michelin, Maxis, and over 500 other good tires with a steel bead. For the touring/commuting community we have racks, panniers, locks and stands. And let's not forget Turbo trainers, Repair stands and Track pumps.
Stay tuned on our Facebook page for the next one!
Donating to Local Causes
RBK have provided bikes for Ukrainian refugees, the homeless, children’s homes, other refugee families, Berkshire Women’s Aid and also tricycles for the disabled to make cycling accessible to everyone. If you have something that may fit the bill, please email us at: info@readingbicyclekitchen.org
In addition, we support local and national charities. Each year the regular volunteers are invited to nominate a charity and any surplus funds are then donated forward. We donated a total of £15,000 to various charities in 2024 including Cyclists Fighting Cancer, Launchpad, Cancer Research UK, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Sue Ryder, Parkinson’s UK, Berkshire Women’s Aid, Save the Children and Medecins San Frontieres.
Recycling
We welcome the donation of bikes in all conditions, recognising that even the bikes unfit for cycling still hold value. Our skilled volunteers salvage and repurpose components from tyres to chains, brakes to saddles. This practice supports the thousands of bicycle repairs we perform annually and keeps costs at a minimum for our customers.
For the bike parts at the end of their use, we are able to recycle most of these and avoid pilling up the landfill. We collect and recycle used inner tubes (not slime tubes) through Schwalbe who use them to make new inner tubes, saving up to 80% energy and material wastage. This ensures that they are reused rather than going into landfill. Please drop them off to us only when we are open.
We also recycle tyres back to the manufacturer for proper reuse - for a small fee of £2 - again so that they don’t go to the tip.
Scrap metal such as broken bicycle frames, wonky wheels , and other parts that are beyond repair are collected from us by a reputable scrap dealer and enter the recycling process in that way.
Essentially all metal and rigid plastics are recycled so there is virtually nothing that is simply dumped.