Bike Shop Recommendations?

[MrBread]

Hey, fellow bikers. I'm looking for some advice on a bike shop to have some repair work done.

My bike is a Pierce-Arrow, beautiful red cruiser bought several years ago (in great condition) for $15 at the Vinnie's Warehouse in Eugene (a real steal). It's got the (as near as I can tell, being something of a bike novice) original 10-speed shifters and gears, with the only "modern" parts seeming to be the new pedals a previous owner put on, and some sparkly red grips I put on to replace the chunky black rubber ones I got it with (and to better match the "look" of the bike).

It sat in a basement for a while, so I ended up replacing the tires and tubes about a year ago, and was riding for a few blissful weeks planning to get a tune-up, when the back wheel started wobbling. I called a few shops, got a guess at the problem (broken axle?), and an estimate of about $50 for the parts and labor.

I ended up skipping the repair because I found a deal on a mountain bike at Toys'R'Us for $65, and my need to get to work overrode my desire for a good-looking bike.

But now my "new" bike is falling apart because it's so cheap, and I'm looking to get the cruiser up to speed again, since I'm looking at moving to Sellwood and may be commuting for an hour or more every day.

Which leads to my question: the place I'm looking at is a few blocks from the Sellwood Bike Repair place on 17th, I've been into and liked CityBikes, and my friend swears by Four Corners.

Does anybody have a good recommendation of a shop to get the work done? I'm not as concerned with the best deal as I am with quality work, and being able to dialogue with the mechanic is important (I don't want to do the repair work myself, but I don't want to just drop it off and pick it up, either).

I appreciate any help y'all might be able to offer.

[cycling fool]

I say try the local shop first: Sellwood Cycle Repair. It's always nice to be able to walk to your mechanic...

[Anonymous]

Both Seven Corners and CityBikes are wonderful, but so is Sellwood. I've always received honest, high-quality work and service there. In fact, I became so attached to them that even after I moved away from Sellwood I kept going down there, even though that means I have to bring a second bike in a trailer when I leave my bike there.

They sell a fair number of cruisers, so I'm guessing they'll have a good understanding of how they work, too.

Be sure to remember that they're closed Sun and Mon. Somehow those are always the days I want to take my bike in...

[MrBread]

Thanks for the replies. I was gunning for the "go to the shop closest to you" answer, but growing up in Irvington, my folks always took us to Bike Gallery, so I'm still learning the smaller shops, and until I walked past it the other day, I had never even heard of it.

[nuovorecord]

Hey, I'm coming a bit late to this thread, but I'll second what everyone has said about Sellwood Cycle Repair. It's a fine shop - Steve and Erik are great mechanics.

I've also found good service at Veloce Bicycles on 32nd and Hawthorne. I've been going there lately for parts and service since it's closer to my house than Sellwood.

En Selle down in John's Landing is another good neighborhood shop, although it mainly caters to the high-end road bike crowd.

[waybigdog]

Sellwood Cycle Repair to me is the place to go. I won't take any of my bike's anywhere else. Steve and Eric are great honest people and love what they do and it shows. You can also pick up a sweet used bike there at a great price and they back up all of their work.
Cheers.

[jami]

i'd try sellwood cycle. although i think citybikes and seven corners are awesome, at citybikes, i came away from an accident-induced bent-wheel repair with a loose and crooked steering wheel, and at seven corners, i came away from a $40 tune-up with the same brakes i went in with (that is, the soles of my shoes). these are minor complaints, certainly, but if i'm gonna give up my bike for a week and shell out the big bucks for some expertise, i want the repairs that i can't do at home to be done.

[editrixpdx]

Undead zombie thread, bringing it back to life.

I need a decent, honest, not-too-$$pendy bike repair place in NE PDX--live near 72nd & Sandy but really, tips on anywhere up here much appreciated.

Need a new rear derailleur (or so I was told at the MCBF) and probably a general tuneup, plus I'd like them to install fenders and bike rack out back (being as I have zero mechanical skills and the last one I self-installed promptly fell off).

My bike is old + not fancy (bought very cheap, used); don't want to spend the purchase price of a new bike getting this one repaired, is my bottom line.

Any suggestions?

[BillD]

Originally Posted by editrixpdx

..................Any suggestions?

You are not too far from Bike Gallery at 53rd and Sandy or Hollywood Cycling at 52nd and Sandy.

[editrixpdx]

Thanks!

Are those personal recommendations? Or simply bike places near me?

Based on my visits over the past year: Bike Gallery strikes me as snobby and spendy; Hwood Cycle guy seems clueless and haphazard. Am I wrong?

Anybody had their bike repaired up in the NE with good results, for a good price? Where would you send your bicycularly clueless, but enthusiastic, not rich aunt?