Comments on: How much to fix my girlfriend’s crappy bike?

By: McRib: Gross food-flavored sandwich or eerie economic indicator? | Brokelyn

McRib: Gross food-flavored sandwich or eerie economic indicator? | Brokelyn — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:10:04 +0000

[...] hits, where he broke the story about Obama Fried Chicken being too hot for MTV, price checked fixing a crappy bike and showed you how to dress with style at the Army/Navy store. Just don’t get McSlop on your [...]

By: Get rolling with Bike Month in Brooklyn | Brokelyn

Get rolling with Bike Month in Brooklyn | Brokelyn — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:22:25 +0000

[...] that rusty mess May 5: Lead a bike to a bike shop, fix it for a day. Time’s Up! hosts regular bike repair workshops to help you discover your [...]

By: Finkerbell

Finkerbell — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:42:08 +0000

That’s a Mercier mixte frame Model 111 dating from the 1970s. I’m in the process of restoring one to rideable condition and it’s well worth doing.

A couple of things to be aware of:

1. The headset is French standard as is the stem. However, the ball bearings are standard and easily replaceable in needed.

2. The bottom bracket is also French threaded. This means that the fixed cup (on the chainwheel side) is right-hand threaded (as opposed to ISO (normal) standard which is left-hand threaded). This is important if removal is needed.

Fully tuned, the Mercier is a nice ride.

By: A

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:57:23 +0000

That’s a nice bike, fix it up for the girl, it just needs some adjustments.

Bring it over here to queens, I’ll fix it up in 5 mins.

It’s what I do

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:01:23 +0000

Oh yeah — and Brooklyn Bike & Board were the guys that actually fixed the problem with my OLD bike too — AFTER i paid the biznatch on Coney Island Avenue my hard earned money.

That’s part of the reason I bought my new bike with those guys. Oh, they are pretty intense bike guys (fixie types), so don’t be intimidated cuz yer not “cool enough” or whatever… they’re not like that at all. If you want a pink comfort cruiser with 80 gears, I don’t know if they’d have one, but they’d probably point you to a place that did.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:56:25 +0000

NEVER EVER go to Brooklyn Bike Center (673 Coney Island Ave.) — the proprietor is a real… hmm… well, let’s just say she’s not a nice person and she DOES NOT stand behind her work. Simple as that. Crap work and their basic policy is “as-is.” It’s a real shame cuz she would be my neighborhood bike shop!

I bought a new bike at Brooklyn Bike & Board on Vanderbilt this summer. Those guys are awesome. The bike was a decent price and they stand behind their stuff — i ran into a manuf. fault (nothing bad, more annoying — at least until it totally busted). They took lots of time and energy to diagnose, then fixed what was wrong… replaced the part. For free! Yeah, that’s the warranty deal, but they didn’t even try to up sell or pull any shenanigans. Good guys, nice shop. Go there. :-)

By: Bike Events Roundup - Cranksgiving, Biking Rules, ect | Brooklyn by Bike

Bike Events Roundup - Cranksgiving, Biking Rules, ect | Brooklyn by Bike — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:15:31 +0000

[...] 3. How Much to Fix My Crappy Bike? [...]

By: ClintonHillBlog

ClintonHillBlog — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:25:07 +0000

[...] Check out the story here. [...]

By: norm

norm — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:19:50 +0000

1) None of the prices seem bad for NYC, as these shops pay high rents.

2) Some shops have better mechanics. Sure, a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean better service, but you should be getting the low-down on the workmanship not just prices. A faulty repair can end-up putting you in danger.

3) In general, building a relationship with a shop gets you cheaper and even an occasional no-charge fix ‘em up (for small adjustments). Most bike shops take care of their regular customers.

4) Shops aside, you do save a lot of money and get the best service if you learn to do it yourself. Tools and the time to learn wrenching can be expensive, but it’s an investment that pays off over time.

5) Last advice… get your girlfriend a new bike! She deserves it!

By: bklyn74

bklyn74 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:03:25 +0000

Go to the Park Tools website and do it yourself:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/

The tools you need for a “tune-up” are pretty minimal. Learning basic bicycle mechanics are incredibly helpful, and saves money, for cyclists of all levels.