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We're a friendly DIY community bike workshop in Colchester city centre run completely by volunteers.

For a suggested minimum donation of just £5 (or whatever you can afford) you can make use of our fully stocked workshop to work on your own bike, either on your own or under the supervision of one of our mechanics. No need to book, just drop in whenever we're open.

What is a bike kitchen?

CBK is an open, safe, friendly DIY bicycle workshop, open for anyone regardless of race, background, gender, orientation, faith or means.

We give you access to work stands, tools and some spare parts so you can learn to fix your own bike. There’s always at least one mechanic on hand to answer any questions or help you if you get stuck. We’re all about empowering you to learn how to look after and fix your own bike.

Oh, and we have an open-kettle policy!

What is a bike kitchen not?

A bike kitchen isn’t a bike shop. We don’t carry out repairs for you, and we don’t offer a warranty or guarantee on any work – because you do the work yourself!

While we hold a small stock of spares, it’s not comprehensive, and we encourage you to support your local bike shop (LBS) by buying from them. We only guide you as far as you want to go, and encourage you to take your bike to your LBS if you’re not comfortable carrying out any work yourself (even under supervision).

We’ve put together a list of LBS and independent mechanics we recommend, which you can find here.

Opening times

For DIY drop in sessions:

Every Saturday: 1-4pm
Every Wednesday: 6:30-8:30pm

For all our other events and classes, they’re listed on Facebook

Location

Unit 2 Portal Precinct,
Sir Isaac’s Walk
Colchester
CO1 1JJ

Upcoming classes

Hear from us

Join our mailing list to get regular updates on events, courses and more!

Contact us

    Workshop Membership

    You don’t have to be a member to use CBK, but it’s a lot better value than paying every time!

    £5 per month

    • Unlimited FREE use of the workshop whenever we’re open
    • A shiny membership card(!)
    • A super shiny holographic CBK sticker
    • That warm fuzzy feeling inside

    £10 per month

    • Unlimited FREE use of the workshop whenever we’re open
    • A shiny laminated membership card(!)
    • A super shiny holographic CBK sticker
    • That warm fuzzy feeling inside
    • 10% discount on all purchases made at CBK (excluding courses)

    6 and 12 month memberships

    We are also offering 6 and 12 month membership subscriptions!

    Get a whole year of CBK use for just £60, or half a year for £30.