Courtesy The Bike House

By DCist Contributor Lauren Evans

Risen from the ashes of Chain Reaction, D.C’s erstwhile bike co-op, the Bike House is a small encampment behind Qualia Coffee on Georgia Ave., and consists of little more than an awning, a table full of tools, and the boundless enthusiasm of its roughly 25 volunteers. So small is their outfit that I probably would never have found it if I hadn’t stumbled upon their booth at this weekend’s Green Your Home Expo.

In most cases, entering a bike co-op is daunting by design. Many mechanics have earned a reputation as being impatient elitists, looking down their pierced noses at anyone who thinks a cassette refers not to gears, but what one might listen to in one’s Cutlass Ciera while rocking a Flock of Seagulls haircut.

Not so with the Bike House. My arrival on Saturday was met with a warm greeting and the almost immediate hoisting of my bike onto the repair stand. My mechanic, whose name was Brian, was half bicycle maestro (spandex shorts, Cannondale racing jersey), half amiable hippie (bare feet, long hair, easy smile). Though the Bike House currently has neither parts nor bikes, its volunteers are happy to channel their limited resources into fixing whatever they can. If I return next Saturday, Brian said, I would be greeted with a collection of seat posts to choose from to replace my stolen one.