Everything in the Bike Church looks like it was once somewhere else. From the filing cabinets that hold various minutiae of bike parts to the bike graveyard, with old frames jumbled together, everything is on its second incarnation - at least. A do-it-yourself repair facility, the Bike Church is nestled on the outskirts of the UC Davis domes, where Orchard Park Drive meets Orchard Park Circle. This tiny alcove behind the domes offers new life to things many people would just throw away, teaching new lessons about how much we really need and how much we just think we need. More efficiently, concretely, the Bike Church is a place where anyone can go to get insight into how to work with a bike, how to fix small, common problems like flat tires, and a place to get replacement parts at a fraction of the retail price. The “church” is run by a group of self-titled “ministers” and “brothers,” who have taken the time to learn about bikes, how they work, and have the inclination to help others. Not only do you get to visit a unique place and learn about bikes, you get to do it all yourself.

The domes, with brightly colored murals and squawking chickens set the scene. The sun comes through the trees throwing patches of shade, and the roads nearby don’t make enough noise to be distracting. Cars are irrelevant here. It feels a lot further away from civilization than it is. It’s a peaceful place, where information about bikes is exchanged on specific and general levels. The only thing needed to join the party is a desire to learn.