The Nunnery Community Bike Workshop, at 40 Forbes St, Newtown, collects abandoned bikes and parts to create working bikes to put back into the community. This bikes are put together by you, the community, with help from others who come. It is also a place to fix up your bikes with the tools and parts available. Come and learn to fix bikes, show us how to fix bikes, fix your bike or a friend’s, or just come and have some tea and coffee. Everyone is welcome!
To see the latest happenings at the workshop, go to our Discussions and Events page.
A map is available at the Bikely website. Come around to the backyard where the co-op is being held.
We’re there every Monday evening. Opening times vary but we are usually open by 5pm. If you think you can open up bike club for us one Monday a month, please get in touch. We are usually closed by 9:30pm. Bike Club is outdoors, so keep this in mind if it looks like rain. If it’s raining, feel free to call us to see if we’re there. Same goes with long weekends.
Roster of openers and closers
Dave 9660 5660 opening and closing 1st monday each month
James 0422 684 236 opening and closing last monday each month
JP 0401 447 675 Opening every other monday
Jodie 0414596616 Closing every 3rd monday of each month
Maurice 0433 622 640 Closing every other monday
Tools, oil, WD40 and small donations are always welcome, but most of all, we’d like your company while fixing bikes and help keeping the workshop going. The first time you come please ask for detailed tour of how the place works and where stuff goes. After that we ask you spend 20 min maintaining the space every time you come. This labor share is what keeps bike club going. We gratefully take donated bikes and parts that are not going to be used, although some times we have too many. Give us a call and we’ll let you know. To donate a bike outside of Nunnery hours, just give us a call and we’ll tell you the combination to the bike lock on a pole next to the house and you can drop it off at any time.
We do not sell second hand bikes but we can help you find people that do, so feel free to ask. The main reasons we don’t are that we would rather have your help than your money and having some people as customers and some as bike sellers detracts from the community bike workshop.
Details
| Day of Week | Every Monday! |
| Time | 5 PM till 9:30 PM |
| Location | Nunnery House Backyard (check out this map). 40 Forbes St Newtown. Be sure to check both the side double metal gates in Elvy Place and the back door in Forbes Lane to see which has been opened! |
Contact
| Maurice | - 0433622640 |
| JP | - 0401447675 |
| Or e-mail Maurice: mullets_for_freedom AAATTT YAAHOOO. COM. AU | |
Hope to see you there!


51 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 17, 2007 at 8:45 am
alison
I love the idea of this workshop and love the site. Keep up the good work. I’ve linked to you on my blog. Every suburb should have a community resource like this.
March 17, 2007 at 10:20 am
Shane Bill
I agree Alison!
Hopefully when I get back to Canada I can try and set one up myself cause really all you need is a backyard, a few tools, some interest and some skills to pay the bills! Thanks for linking us up that is super rad!
Where are you currently chillin? Could you set one of these up in your community? Perhaps just start by making a place where peeps can gather to repair bikes.
Hugs
Shane
March 20, 2007 at 10:15 am
Gav
I hear bike club were donated lights by this awesome company called the carbon reduction institute; so now its possible to fix bikes well into the night under the efficiently cool white glow of a few 20W outdoor CFLs.
Nice site, first time visit. Will check in when I next bugger up my bikecycle
Gav
March 20, 2007 at 10:26 am
bikeclub
Damn spam comments.. Hey Shane, should we blacklist Gav or what??
March 20, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Shane Bill
I think so or at least pants him for some serious shameless self promotion!
March 26, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Gav
“My potential is overwhelming” - the black superman
March 27, 2007 at 9:25 am
Shane Bill
That’s not what Jo said but that’s alright I’ll let you live with your dream so as to not hurt your fragile ego. Peace bro!
March 27, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Gavin
Hi, love the web site. I am keen to see if there would be any interest in having a bikeclub workshop at the Erskinevill Public School Fete. Its a junior school and the kids are really keen on the idea of bikes fun and recycling. Hopefully there is some publicity etc in it for you as well. It is scheduled for early Novemeber so it wont be formalised for a while yet (July/August) but Im keen to see if there is interest.
Thanks
Gavin (not the shameless sponsor!!
March 27, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Maurice
Hi (non-shameless-soon-to-be-”pantsed”
Gavin,
the School Fete sounds like great fun. We could bring some tools and a couple of bikes. If the students have some bikes too that would be more fun. We could show them some stuff to do to their bikes to fix them or make them look better. Keep in touch with details for the Fete and feel free to come on a monday to talk about it.
April 7, 2007 at 3:01 am
HelloWorld
Peace people
We love you
April 26, 2007 at 3:47 pm
bigrocco
We are fortunate enough to have something similar here in Eugene, Oregon. The Center for Appropriate Transport. http://www.catoregon.org I wonder if they know about you? The brother and sisterhood of the two wheels keeps turning and keeps oil from burning. Ride on!
May 7, 2007 at 3:12 pm
jeffory
i found that when i arrived. no one was very helpful and didnt make me feel welcome
May 7, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Shane Bill
Jeffory - Were really sorry about that man. Things have been chaotic in the last while and we have plans in the works (due to lack of volunteers helping) to make a walkthrough system where you can either take a self-guided tour or ring a bell and have someone take you around for more interactive and get-to-know-yous. Please come back and try us out again. Just ask around for people who can help and eventually you should find someone. I suspect the biggest hurdle is finding the right bike for you to start based on your skills.
When did you come on Sunday or our usual Monday’s? I didn’t notice anyone new but then again I was in the kitchen for part of the evening making dinner for people.
May 8, 2007 at 9:38 am
Jaga
Hey Jeffory,
I was also at the Bike club monday evening but didn’t get to meet you. I hope you come back next week as i woudn’t like to think that Bike Club gave you the cold shoulder.
We are all exited to help a new person experience a little Bikelove !
May 11, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Joey Nippp
Heya,
I have some tools, spare wheels and at least two almost complete bikes I would like to donate to the repair shop (one I would like to be able to ride again after it was vandalised). I have spoken to Maurice before @ DIY markets. I would need someone with a vehicle to pick up these items from Marrickville. I also have first aid kits that I would like to donate, possibly for the exchange of having one bike repaired. Thanks Joey.
May 13, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Joey Nippp
You can contact me on 0401 412 861 regarding above comment
May 14, 2007 at 11:33 am
Vee
Hi all,
Great project you’ve set up! It’s great to have a community driven project like this
I’ll have time to help starting next week, so hope to meet you all then!
- V.
May 14, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Shane Bill
Vee - Wow that would be really awesome thanks! We can use heaps of help in lots of different areas thanks for offering.
Joey - I passed on your information to the crew and we’ll see how all that goes. I’ll be there tonight so I’ll talk to them about everything. Thanks for offering your stuff up hopefully we can try and get some of those things off of you.
June 19, 2007 at 5:24 pm
cathy
Hi
I just want to know what number Forbes St the workshops are at? Also, I would like to know if I bring along a client who is low income and needs transport is she going to be able to work on a donated bike and then keep it once it’s fixed up?
Cathy
June 20, 2007 at 1:16 pm
maurice
Sure thing, anyone can fix up a bike and take it away. We’re at 40 Forbes St, around the back.
July 17, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Benwah
I have a mountain bike I want to donate, in tops nick, will make a great run about, just that I have lots of full sized bikes (and a small unit that is already too full) I’m looking for a smaller sized pub bike actually maybe you guys have a fixer upper. I’ll come along next Monday with a can of WD40 in tow.
July 17, 2007 at 3:30 pm
bikeclub
I’m sure you’ll find something. There’s a sweet cyclops three speed hub gear thing.-jp
July 17, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Rodrigo and Bruna
Hello!
We have 3 bikes that needs repairs. One it’s missing the front wheel, other needs to fix the breaks and the last one need everything! We need to know if you’re open on another day of the week and your shifts because we work on week days…. We are really looking forward to fix those bikes and to use them to go to work! and we can donate one.
Please, send us an email!
thank you!!!
July 24, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Benwah
Hi JP, Dave, Moz.
Great to meet some of you last night, I’m really impressed with your worksite and the good work you are doing really awesome, I hope that the Mtb finds a good home and someone gets more use out of it than me and I’m sure the spanners and Allen Keys will be useful.
After the awkward conversation about the sweet peugeot (which ended up belonging to someone so good job I checked!) I ended up with the Cyclops (go Aussie!) and it’s perfect for my needs, with some love and attention (I want to keep it as original as possible) maybe a nice set of chrome racks and some new grips it will be a great load carrier and pub bike, I’ll come and show you when it’s finished this will mean even LESS time in my car.
Dom is super happy that his huffy is up and running again and Tom and I will be sure to visit again to help out where we can (although I’m thinking we will be keener in Summer!) along with some friends of Toms who fixed up there bikes last week that’s a bunch of happy riders back on the roads.
Thanks again, see you round, Benwah.
September 4, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Ross
I turned up on Mon Sep 3 sometime after 4. There were a few others waiting. About 4:30 a woman arrived who said she was going to open up. by 20 to 5 the gates were still locked. I gave up. This is hardly the way to get donors or volunteers.
September 4, 2007 at 4:37 pm
bikeclub
Hi ross,
sorry you were left waiting. I’ve changed the website to say that we’re open from 5pm now, as it’s been hard to find people to commit to opening up on Mondays.
I’m not sure if i understood your comment to mean that you were thinking of volunteering. If you would like to help out by opening the place once a month on a given monday, like 2nd or 3rd monday of the month, please let me know and we’ll arrange something. As for donations, we’re pretty much okay.
Maurice
September 17, 2007 at 9:26 pm
gentry seagraves
well, i posted many moons ago about coming by and seeing you guys. finally after months of crap, the united states government sent me my passport! im leaving in about 30 hours, and should be in sydney your thursday! ill try and come check you guys out this weekend! (mondays the best day?) we’ll have to get a pub crawl or something going on bikes! drink fast, pedal slow!
gentry
September 17, 2007 at 9:28 pm
gentry seagraves
oh, and my girl needs a bike! im only allowed to bring one on the 26 hour flight!
September 24, 2007 at 12:43 am
morris clutterback
I went to the bike workshop and they touched me in the wrong places.
They said if i wanted a free bike i had to be open for inspection,
i didn’t understand him at the time but now i do.
I won’t be going there again
September 24, 2007 at 12:27 pm
maurice
Hi Morris,
I tried to email you directly because i’m worried about your comment and would like more details of what exactly happened. The email address you submitted bounced. Please email me if you can.
Maurice
October 8, 2007 at 9:06 pm
syncmaster
hi there,
I went tonight and people were friendly.
I managed to get what I needed to repair my bike.
So I am impressed.
Thank you very much.
October 9, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Will
No problem! Might see you next week.. whoever you are!
October 9, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Hubert
hello to every cyclist,
i have been living in sydney for a coulple of month one year ago now.
i have seen several times some stickers like
“cars avoid traffic” and
“one less car” ….
i would absolutly be happy to get some of these stickers to put them on my bike(s).
does anyone know how/where i can receive this stickers ???
can anybody help me in this affair.
cheers and thanks alredy now,
with best regards from germany,
hubert.
hubertstephan@yahoo.de
October 16, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Louise
Hi
I have a bike that I can donate to the workshop, its pretty rusted but someone might be able to salvage some parts. Is there any way that I can get to you guys other days of the week? Can I leave it somewhere secure nearby?
thanks
Louise
November 5, 2007 at 11:48 am
ROG
I met one of your neighbours at a party on the weekend. She told me how great you people are, and how she really enjoys hearing the quiet buzz of activity that comes out of your workshop each week. Keep up the good work!
November 7, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Mark
hi louise (if you haven’t heard from anybody yet),
if you email maurice at ‘mullets_for_freedom AAATTT YAAHOOO. COM. AU’ he can give you combination for the nearby lock, or you can toss it over the gate and we can get to it on the next monday. thanks a heap
cheers, ROG
————————————————
Hey dudes and dudettes, torpedo7.com.au is having a pretty big sale for the next 2 days on its tools, there is a lot of cheap stuff for a couple of bucks. I’m picking up some stuff for my bedroom bikeclub and getting a few spares I can throw at the nunnery (literally, hopefully I hit you will…I still need to get you for the chainring nuts, dude….just kidding, maybe we can have another topless chinup competition).
oh I met mark from mortdale today, and got myself a sweet old racer (courtesy of clarence st’s stable), and he had a lot of good words about the place, especially you maurice. I got lucky and the best bike he had was also way too big for 95% of people, score one for my ungodly leg length.
James, I’ve got the old malvern frame sitting in my place and starting to run out of space, having a school, bedroom and bikeworkshop in one room is a bit of a squeeze. So I was thinking I might just take strip it down, tie it all together and leave it in the projects for you…that cool with you? It is pretty hard to come across these giant-sized, steel-racer frames.
<>
see you all on monday, hopefully the weather clears up
December 2, 2007 at 11:43 am
jonny
Hi there,
Came to the bike workshop the other Monday - I was impressed and glad that I took my crappy bike to get fixed. Got good advice and a helping hand and good info from Chris (cheers mate) and my bike is on the road again! My bike then broke again and came back again -and received the same warm welcome and lots of help. Cheers guys - very happy and will recommend you to other cyclists! Cheers and keep up the good work!
December 7, 2007 at 2:59 pm
ariadna
hi!I am in sidney one week ago….I would like buy a second hand bike. really I nned not a very good one.Just aluminium one….I am travelling in a boat and I need no rusty and a little weight.
I would like where is this place and how can I arrive there by train or bus…
thank you! good time!
December 20, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Maximus
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
December 20, 2007 at 5:27 pm
maurice
The continuation is that Ariadna got a bike from somewhere (maybe from us), that you can get here by train alighting at redfern or newtown and walking, or buses from railway square, central. And now i’m going to find this boat and see if I can hitch a ride to New Zealand!
January 9, 2008 at 1:12 pm
trini
YAY for bike club!
on monday i learnt buckets of important stuff about fixing bikes. thanks to all involved for being rad and keeping this goin. is there a time for clean-ups? next week i’d deffo like to empty the tub of water currently breeding mozzies. i forgot on monday!
thanks again!
oh, and we’ll return that bike trailer next week.
January 29, 2008 at 5:15 am
gwadzilla
Washington DC could use something like this!
I dream of a YOU NEED A BIKE-YOU GOT A BIKE program
everyone should have a bike that wants a bike
http://www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com
a bicycle blog
February 7, 2008 at 1:40 pm
ANTHONY BUCKLEY
HI NUNNERY. ARE YE OPEN ANYTIME OVER THE WEEKEND? THANKS. ANTHONY.
February 7, 2008 at 4:12 pm
briana
hey gang!
how you be? im in w.a. in the south west corner, on the penisular called naturalise, on a hill called yallingup watching a storm come in off the ocean.. been workin as a jeweller a bit and on a property to help make it self sufficient, just got back from wa circus festival fun. procrastinating going to work and was catcin up on my e mails when descovered that i have a bikeclub URL on myspace that id be willing to donate to anyone who would be more active in using it than i.. got any ideas? do ya want it? hows bike club goin? things still kickin? hope so. think you are all spectacular amazing people.
if you ever come to wa look me up, ill be travellin up the west coast over the next few months in Deadly the 4WD runnin on vege… love briana.
February 16, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Mark
Heya Maurice,
some of the girls had expressed concerns about the encroachment of bike club’s piles, and the prepetual left-over mess. The only conclusions i could draw is that we need to redevelop the layout and massively clean out some of the bikes(some have been there for at least six months and they’re untouched except when someone strips a shifter or something) and start making sure that we closed up properly. All the designated closers seem to have stopped turning up(or so i’ve had the impression of) for some time now as they’ve gone on to other things…maybe we need to reassign the roles.
I’ve been coming in pretty early to open every week and there are always piles of parts and misc bikes left around, so before anything starts i always have to spend about 20 minutes cleaning. The work is not a concern, the fact that the mess lays about for a week or two(depending on the weather) until I come in, during which time it’s understandably aggravating the residents.
Anyway, I hope you had a chance to get in last week and chat with the girl who was gardening; as she had raised some valid issues. some decisions probably need to be made about the future of the workshop.
Cheers,
mark
March 7, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Kristie
Hi
would love to come and chat about bikes and the like with someone and have my new one given a once over by someone who knows what they are doing. Just wondering if it is ok to bring my five year old with me??
March 7, 2008 at 3:53 pm
maurice
sure, you can bring your five year old, just watch out for her amongst all the bikes and stuff. The place is child-friendly, just not very ‘polished’. The surface is uneven, there is usually stuff lying around on the floor and it can get quite crowded.
April 30, 2008 at 7:23 am
Joe
That’s great thing you’re doing there. My partner and I just bought a house there in Newtown, are moving in from the UK at the end of September 08, and I am looking forward to joining some cycling groups once there. I will definitely be looking you up and trying to lend as much help as I can muster.
April 30, 2008 at 7:25 am
Joe
Oops, my link seems to have gotten broken there. Hope it doesn’t mess things up!
April 30, 2008 at 7:26 am
Joe
sorry! too tired to type straight, this one should be the right one. feel free to fix the first link and then delete these last two comments, thanks!
June 27, 2008 at 7:46 am
claport
Very interesting information! Thanks!