Choosing a Bike Shop

Just like cars need to be fixed and maintained, so do mountain bikes. Some people are the do it yourself type that can fix anything and will figure out how to do it themselves before paying someone else to fix it for them. If that's you then you will most likely only make trips to the bike shop for parts and supplies. Then there are the types who either don't want to fix their bike because they don't want to, can't figure it out or just prefer to leave that sort of thing to the professionals to make sure it gets done right. If that's you then you need to find a bike shop that does good work and that you can trust.

Now just because you take your bike to the shop for repairs doesn't mean it will get fixed correctly. Most of us at some point or another have had our bike worked on at a bike shop and got it back either not properly repaired or with something else broken that wasn't broken when you brought it in. Just because it's a bike shop doesn't mean the technicians always know what they are doing. If you feel bold enough you can always ask about the experience level of the people who repair the bikes before leaving yours for service.

If you are lucky enough to have multiple bike shops in your area you can do the trial and error method and take your bike to different ones and see who does the best work. It's also a good idea to talk to the techs and explain you problem and see if they appear to know how to fix it without having to put too much thought into it. One good tip is to bring your bike in for a repairs and service to a place that sells the same brand. That way you know that they have worked on bikes like yours and also have assembled new ones that they put out for sale therefore giving them more experience with your brand. And of course word of mouth and review sites like Yelp can point you in the right direction. Once you find the best shop you will get to know the people who work on your bikes which make for a better experience when you have to take it in.

If you are into doing things such as meeting new people to ride with then many bike shops will organize group rides around the local area. Usually they will have riders of all levels and sometimes group riders based on their skill level and have different routes or shorter rides for beginners. Keep in mind that you will usually find more group road rides than mountain bike rides.

The bottom line is that finding the right bike shop is like finding the right doctor. You want to make sure things get done right and you don't end up getting work done that your bike doesn't need. You also want to make sure you are not getting over charged for labor or parts so always get a quote for parts and labor when dropping off your bike and compare what they are charging for parts online to get an idea of if you are getting a fair deal or not. The same goes for buying parts and supplies. Doing your homework always helps... unlike in school.

Posted by Preston Mason