Upshift Workshop

Reposting from the stories! 🙏🌿
Take it easy, happy trails, & see you next Friday!

One year of our shop in a nutshell - 🥜✨

When City Bikes closed its doors after owner Charlie's passing, Adams Morgan lost a giant - a landmark that had enabled a smooth bike commute + peace of mind for thousands of folks who bike and live in upper NW DC.

A year later, after the last nuts and bolts of the old shop's inventory had emptied out, I got the phone call tipping me off about the space becoming available.. I might have done an actual cartwheel. To help carry on a 30+ year legacy was a actual dream.

On my first walkthrough with Ty (owner of now-neighbor Tiny Vinyl Shop), the shop was in rough shape. Drywall dust, trash, spiders - but so much potential. I had never seen it empty before, and the huge windows, which had been blocked by bikes for so many years, were asking to become a highlight! We had just a month from when we signed the lease until our opening day (and only a few weeks of having a key!). We scrubbed the floor and walls and every inch of grid-wall that had been left behind, built scrappy workbenches, trucked over all of my tools, I strategized + ordered colorful bike gear to fill the shelves, and our neighbors brought a wall-full of plants as shopwarming gifts.

It was breakneck work, squeezed in between a 2-week in-school bike program I had already committed to teaching, and some personal health adventures. I am in *forever-debt* to the mighty crew of friends who came out to help with it all - from inventory to cleaning to moral support to bringing snacks and water, to coming to hang out on opening day!

✨ In this last year, we have served ~3,000 guests, with a crew of typically just 1-3 mechanics/day. We taught 9 group classes on & off-site, facilitated dozens of free or low-cost bike repairs through our community repair fund and partnership with the Mt Pleasant Free Bike Clinic, hosted our fun Bike Zone at two DC Open Streets festivals, played host to community group rides, ice cream socials, friend meet-cutes, and bike basket dogs.

We have been embraced so warmly by the Adams Morgan neighborhood, and we are so grateful to be serving all of you, helping keep you rolling & hopefully bringing some extra sparkle to your bike commutes 💚

Upshift is closed Friday July 4th & Saturday July 5th for the holiday.
Like you - we need some time off too!
We'll be back open Sunday 7/6 with slightly modified hours, 12pm-5pm! 😘

is returning this Saturday 6/28 (tomorrow!). We are bringing back our big Bike Zone, this year to Capitol Hill!

Come visit us at Lincoln Park - look for the big bike gear archway! 9am-3pm.

Featuring: bike safety checks, upcycled bike part art, summer flowers for your handlebars, a lil on street obstacle course, and hugs/high fives a-plenty.

Want to get involved?
We could use a few more helpers to help make all of this happen smoothly! -- setup, art facilitating, good vibes upkeeping ✨ We'll have iced coffee, breakfast and a pizza lunch for you. Shoot us a DM to get on the list, or fill out the form in our bio!

Note: the Admo shop will be closed Saturday, as our whole crew will be down at the event!

(closed today!)
A jampacked schedule has us closed to all walk-ins for today. Thank you for your understanding. 🙏

If you have an existing appointment and need to coordinate pick-up or drop-offs, you can msg us here or email [email protected].

Hugs and see you soon!

Happy June!

As we enter real-summer, we realized that we never shared a post with photos from all the way back on our New Year's Day Ride!

5 months later is never too late :)
Thanks to all who joined - keep an eye out for more fun on bikes soon, in this warmer season ✨

A breakfast potluck in Malcolm X Park launched us into 18 miles of wanders all across DC - to the Arboretum, Kingman Island, and a shared meal to warm us back up.

A lil' to two weeks ago!

We celebrated our bike travelin' neighbors in partnership w the with a pit stop right in front of the shop (easiest commute ever!)

Safety-checked 15ish bikes in 2 hours, installed a few much-needed new brake pads, spread good vibes, hugs, high fives, and taught some new learners about how wheels work :)

A big thanks to all who swung by to say hi! And a warm embrace to the new friends we got to meet!

Today right in front of the bike shop!
There will be a farmers market, a vintage clothing sales, and ---

We're hosting a cheek swabbing drive from 11-1!
✨
Leah's mom Dena was the recipient of a lifesaving stem cell transplant from a donor in 2013, and she's in town from the West Coast today, volunteering to help find matches for others with rare diseases.

It's a simple cheek swab -- that might just save a life. ✨ Swing by if you're feeling it!

Happy bike week!!

We have a full schedule on Thursday to celebrate bike transportation with you!

7:30-9:30am:
Pit stop! Free bike safety checks, coffee, & a raffle alongside other fun venders at Unity Park, in front of the shop.

5:30-8pm:
Party! Mixer at the shop. We’ll bring the tunes and the vibes – all you need to bring is yourself. Whether you’re an old hand or a new fixture in DC’s bike community, all are welcome to come celebrate people-powered transportation with us. No registration required, but snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to share are welcome! (2501 Champlain Street NW)

Swing by, say hi, celebrate your good taste and life choices -- bikes are magic, and so are you! ✨

Also 👀
Putting initial feelers out for another skilled, experienced mechanic for our Adams Morgan pop-up.
(Getting in ahead of the spring rush!)

Qualifications:
- At least 2 years of experience working as a mechanic in a professional bike shop setting.
- A love of bikes, and a strong belief in the power and magic of bicycle powered transportation.
- Strong work ethic! We strive to offer the highest caliber of bike repairs in the city, with a special eye for detail and going the extra mile.
- People skills! We have no "back room," and all of our work is out in the open. We love to show off our skills - and hope you will too. Eligible candidates should have experience with holistic service writing, be able to show up to work daily with good energy to share, patience, and an ability to clearly and empathetically communicate complicated bike tickets.

Email a resume, quick cover letter (including your shop experience and the kinds of bikes you have experience working on!), any questions, and 2 references to [email protected] 🔧

Target start date: mid-March, possibly sooner.

Schedule is negotiable, but will include at least one weekend day 🙃
Pay $23+, with a flexible ceiling depending on experience.
Especially appreciate bilingual/Spanish-speaking candidates.
We value work/life balance, silly banter throughout the day, and high quality service.