My bicycle needs repairs, can I drop it off?
We are not a for-profit bike shop, instead of repairing your bike for you, what we do is teach you how to repair your bicycle.
I already know how to repair my bike. This doesn't sound like the place for me
It is. If you know what you are doing, please feel free to come in and use our tools.
But I don't even know how to replace a tube.
Great, we want to show you how.
How much does it cost?
Membership is $10 a year, that's the entire cost of service. If you are doing an overhaul, expect to spend a few extra dollars on things like cables, tubes, or brake pads for example. The only method of payment we currently take is cash.
How do I make an appointment?
No need. Just drop by when we are open.
What can I expect to learn on my first day?
This depends on the amount of traffic we have in the shop on that day. We normally on have one 'mechanic' on hand per shift so if it's busy you will get less attention. Our mechanics teach in a hands-off approach, that is, they will do their best to describe to you how a repair process is performed but it is up to you to get your hands dirty and do the work.
How experienced are your mechanics?
Our mechanics are volunteers who have varying levels of knowledge. Some simply know the basics of repair which is everything you would generally need to know for a basic tune-up, others may be more experienced. We all also have our areas of interest, some of our more experienced mechanics know everything about disc brakes while knowing next to nothing about wrapping handlebars for example.
What kinds of tools do you have?
We have every tool needed to work on most bikes. We have repair stands and a basic tool kit for each but also have tools such as a headset press and rotor tuning fork. We do not however, have tools for working on hydraulic brakes, welding, ect. The largest piece of machinery we have is our air compressor. Also, tools sometimes get stolen; if we are missing something that you feel is important for us to have, speak to the mechanic and we will consider making a purchase.
My bike need more than 3 hours of work, can I leave it at your shop?
Our current space is extremely limited, please make other arrangements. Sorry.
Do you take bicycle donations?
We are hoping to obtain a location with more space, but we cannot accept donated bicycles due to this limitation.
Do you sell bikes?
Once again, due to limited space this is currently not an option. Please check out our friends downtown at The Good Life
Do you lend out bikes?
This is a service we formally offered but is not currently available, we hope to have it back up and running sometime in the foreseeable future.