Bike Barn

Taken post remodel (8/31/2005)

Location
On campus, on the corner of Hutchinson and California on the South Side of the Building. It sits between the Silo District and Rock Hall.
Hours
Mon-Thurs 9 am-6 pm Friday 9 am-4 pm
Website
bikebarn.ucdavis.edu
Phone
Office:(530) 752-2575 Fax: (530) 752-3757
E-mail
[email protected]
Parent Organization
Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD)
Facebook Page	https://www.facebook.com/pages/ASUCD-Bike-Barn/215631891789254?fref=ts

Current employees 2014-2015

The ASUCD Bike Barn sells, repairs, and rents bikes on the UC Davis campus. They sell cycling equipment ranging from gear to basic accessories. One of the highest volume bike shops in the nation, the shop does about about 10,000 bike repairs annually. The Bike Barn is entirely student run with a staff of 25 UC Davis students from a variety of majors and backgrounds. They also have a schrader air pump available for public use outside the door during hours of operation (and more inside for sale) if your tubes need a bit of a boost. For those with presta valves, they sell schrader to presta adapters inside for $1. Since a majority of their clientele are students, they do not provide a student discount. They do, however, offer service plans (see below.)

They will often fix minor repairs for in the front of the shop like tightening bolts, etc. If you'd like to do your repair on your own, they sell the tools required for at-home bike care. For those who prefer to have the Bike Barn repair their bike, the Barn offers full mechanical services from flats, to wheel trues, to overhauls. The staff have experience with high end race bikes, tandem bikes, recumbent bikes, as well as the average jalopy. They will give you an estimate, will tell you when to come pick up your bike, and you pay when you pick it up. They also sell various items you'll need for you and your bike like fenders (so you won't get the Freshman Stripe), lights, funny bike baskets, helmets, gloves, and just about anything else you can think of. And to make things even better, you can charge purchases made there to your Reg Card (see info below).

For incoming Freshman and Transfer student, the Bike Barn runs the Aggie Bike Buy program. It allows incoming student to order their bike and accessories before school starts. During move-in weekend, students can pick up their ready-to-go bikes. For more information on the Aggie Bike Buy check out: http://bikebarn.ucdavis.edu/news-and-events/aggie-bike-buy/1537

They sell several makes and models of new bikes including Biria, Giant, and Citybike. After sales, all bikes are checked over by the mechanics and installation of accessories for the new bikes are free. Their bikes and any repairs that they do come with a one month warranty. They only asked that you keep a copy of your paperwork if you have an issue during that warranty period. In addition to new bikes, the Bike Barn also sells used bikes, freshly tuned-up and ready to ride away at a decent price. The number of used bikes ready to sell varies during the year depending on how busy the shop is. Generally, they have a fairly wide range of used bikes in terms of make and model. They usually have mountain bikes, hybrids, and cruisers, as well as the occasional road bike. The Bike Barn has a large rental fleet consisting of about 115 Biria citibikes in various sizes that are available for rental all year round. They offer both drop bar and straight bar frames to accommodate various heights and preferences. The shop sells just about every accessory and can special order high-end parts not in stock.

Shop front as of Spring 2015

The Bike Barn, and some of its bikes

The shop is self-supported commercial unit and is part of ASUCD.

Service Plans are available for long-term maintenance and are highly recommended.

They are as follows:

	Free Labor	Free Accessory Install	Same Day Flat Service	Half Off Rental Bike
Aggie Basic	yes	no	no	no
*Aggie Complete*	yes	yes	no	no
Aggie Elite	yes	yes	yes	yes

Prices

	2 year	3 year	4 year
*Basic*	$75	$90	$100
Complete	$100	$130	$150
Elite	$140	$170	$200

History

The Bike Barn was founded in 1971. Besides the general manager, it is completely student run and self-supporting. They occasionally offer classes through the Experimental College on bike maintenance/repair and wheel building. The shop is located in renovated barn that dates back to the first half of the 20th century; that it once shared with Outdoor Adventures, another great campus resource. As of Fall 2014 Outdoor Adventures relocated, and the space is now used for other ASUCD units including Project Compost and Whole Earth. The barn of the Bike Barn was built sometime between 1919 and 1923 to house the Stock Judging Pavillion. It is one of the oldest buildings on campus and has had the interior renovated throughout the years. Eventually, the Bike Barn will expand to use the entire building. But, for the time being the barn uses its original location as well as the former garage of Outdoor Adventures.

Originally the shop existed to repair student bikes and give students a place to work on their own bikes. Over the years the Barn gradually shifted towards a stronger retail side while still providing repair services. With the help of ASUCD, the Bike Barn piloted two satellite shops in 2010: The Bike Hub (formerly located in the MU) and Bike Garage (formerly located in the MU parking structure.) While these ventures ended, it was proved that the Barn's long-time location was best for the campus community.

The Bike Barn has seen significant improvements since 2000 under the direction of Robert St. Cyr a bill passed by the Senate on May 5, 2005 gave the Bike Barn several upgrades such as another cash register to reduce wait-time and the ability to accept reg cards. They also remodeled during the summer of 2005, which gave them nice new siding inside the building and a sparkly yellow floor. Since then, they've repainted the floors and have rearranged their shopfront to allow for a more cohesive shop. They keep a range of tubes and tires in stock in the back of the shop and keep more accessory-based inventory up in the front of the shop. The Bike Barn donated parts and labor to KDVS for the 2005 fundraiser: the KDVS soundsystem bike is a vintage, powder-blue schwinn frame, ape-hanger handle bars, chrome bullet light, stereo, baskets, new wheels, new brakes, new 5-speed shift-system. Several of the Bike Barn's employees have been involved with KDVS (a current mechanic is the Assistant General Manager) and the UC Davis Race Team (three current mechanics are on race team, and many past mechanics have been on the race team.) In 2007 the Bike Barn was voted "Best Bike Shop" in the Aggie's Best of Davis Poll. The Bike Barn was also featured on Huell Howser's California's Gold.

Rental Information

The Bike Barn has one of the largest bike rental fleets on the west coast with over 100 bicycles! The rental fleet consists of men and women's 7-speed Biria CitiBike. The majority of the Bike Barn's rental business is conducted during the summer through various University Extension programs, as well as other large visiting groups. That being said, it is generally wise to reserve bikes in advance if you are a group of 5 or more ([email protected]), especially during the summer. U-locks are included with the rental price, though other items, such as lights and helmets, cost extra.

Daily (24 hours): $20
Weekend: $30
One Week (4-7 days): $60
Each Additional Week: $20
Helmet Rental : $10 flat rate

Media

Summer 2007 Summer of Love Lives On UC Davis Magazine

How was your experience at The Bike Barn?

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2005-10-13 16:41:36 In my experience, any form of ID will do (for checking out tools). —ArlenAbraham

2006-01-26 16:25:44 I brought my road bike in for a tune-up last Friday morning. The woman I interacted with did a good job explaining my options, and she was more concerned about price than I was - this definitely inspired confidence. I left my mobile phone # and email address on the service request, and asked that they contact me when the bike was done. No, she said, I should just come back at 3PM on Tuesday. I was skeptical, but she insisted. So, I came back on Tuesday at 3PM (while on call - not the best time to be away from my desk), and not only was the work unfinished but they weren't even sure which bike was mine. They offered to let me rent a bike for cheap or free, but I would've much preferred a phone call or email telling me that they were running behind. I came back today (Thursday) to pick it up - this time the work was complete and they knew which bike was mine. Bottom line: I'm still peeved that they wasted my time even after I specifically asked to be contacted, but they did good work and they did it within the quoted price range. —GrahamFreeman

2006-07-23 02:00:30 I have never had a problem there with workmanship but their customer service needs work. The major problem I have had is when ringing the bell at the front counter, sometimes no one comes up front for a long time. The last time I was there, I rang the bell while the manager was talking on a cordless pone in the front. He told me someone would be right up to help me, then he went to the back. I watched the clock and rang the bell ocassionally. When ten minutes had passed and still no one had responded, I left and I have never been back there since. It wasn't the first time something like that had happened, and I don't want to subject myself to it again. —MiguelGarza

2006-10-02 16:55:23 I took our Motobecanes there a couple weeks ago. The service was great! The staff was very helpful and throughly explained all my options for the best value for the money I was to spend (which ended up being quite a bit but it was worth it). They even helped me load the bikes in my truck when they were done. Thanks Bike Barn! —MyaBrn

2006-10-12 13:05:35 They don't rent road or mountain bikes anymore :( —KarthikRam

2006-10-27 13:31:45 *TIP* You should NOT go to bikebarn to fix your bike on FRIDAY since they are closed on Sat and Sun so you will get your bike LATE Monday. Find other local bikeshop if you want to ride your bike for the Weekend. —ChickenNuggets

2007-01-28 12:02:23 The bike barn is a nice place, if you have a bit of a bang up and you need your bike fixed on campus etc. it has that nice convenience thing going for it. Most of their problems stem from the fact that the employees are less regular than those at other shops, that they are all students and hence have schedules fit around their classes and the like, hence the person you give your bike to is not necessarily the person doing the work, and then there is the third person who is giving you your bike back, and thus there is a bit of communications difficulty for finding a bike and perhaps getting the work done, but they seem to have good estimates, they probably do not want to call people for time issues, that is the one thing that I suppose does need a bit of work, on the bright side, picking up your bike on the way to class is pretty swell. —~Dave

2007-05-08 08:54:47 do they cut locks? —AcaciaMora

No, but TAPS will if your bike is registered. —WilliamLewis

Or if you tell them your "friend moved out of town and left the bike for" you. —ElisaHough

They do cut locks if you can prove that the bike belongs to you and you can bring it to them. Otherwise you should use taps.

2007-05-08 11:59:39 They sold my friend a tube and tires and then let me check out some tools to put it on, even offered some pointers. —StevenDaubert

2007-10-25 01:15:44 I took my bike there, since the tube was pretty much dead. I don't think that a tube change takes a lot of time, but I took it Monday, and the expected time of return would be on Thursday. I feel that that is a bit long for just a tube change. I'm sure that they may have had a long to-do list with other bikes, but something minor like that shouldn't have taken four days to complete. —BreeButler

It really doesn't. When one of my tubes popped for the first time, I spent a few hours learning how to change it (popped the first replacement tube). This was all at the Bike Barn after they told me it would take them a week to fix it (and cost twenty bucks in addition to the cost of the tube). Next time I needed a tube replaced, I went to Ken's Bike and Ski. They basically replaced the tube within the hour (they usually can do this during the week, but are busy weekends so it might take a day) and it cost thirteen dollars (which was how much the tube cost at the Bike Barn). Six dollars for the tube and six dollars for the service. Fortunately, ASUCD fees doesn't go to the Bike Barn. —hankim

2008-01-29 02:28:11 They don't loan out tools any longer, but they will let you use tools if you bring your bike to the shop. I just asked about this today. —twblalock

2008-02-20 09:59:38 It doesn't take four days to swap a tube. Bree, if you brought it to the Bike Church we do it in about ten minutes for three dollars (wholesale for tube) [$3 is not wholesale for a tube -Newmatic]. But then we sometimes get excited and teach you to true your wheels and adjust your brakes. Sorry.

I had a friend bring her bike to the Bike Barn personnel at Focus the Nation, and they botched a brake adjustment with the pad up against the tire. Before that, my roommate dropped off a flat tire at the Barn and spent $28 dollars, with his bike impounded for several days. —Darach

2008-04-17 09:26:47 WOW IF YOU SHOW UP WITH AN ENERGY DRINK FOR THE MECHANIC THEY WILL DO SOO MUCH MORE FOR YOU ON THE SPOT —steveguyman

2008-04-17 09:54:19 Hey, so as you may or may not know the Bike Barn works off of a "first come first served" repair basis, so while a flat change does take only about 10 minutes, we have to complete repairs in the order they are received. When we have well over 30 flats per day and nearly as many more complicated repairs, we don't have time to take care of new repairs right away. We strive to complete every repair in a timely fashion, without compromising the quality of our service. Occasionally, this means we need more time than was quoted if we feel the bike needs more attention than was initially estimated. When this happens, we try to be as accommodating as possible, and any kind of feedback, positive or negative, helps us to further improve our shop. —BikeBarn

I think if you get thirty flats a day, you are missing out on a wonderful business opportunity by not hiring someone to specifically replace tubes all day long. It is ten minutes of work for an experienced bike handler and that probably means the handler would definitely be worth his or her pay. —hankim

2008-04-25 10:58:04 i went in this morning because my rear derailleur was skipping gears and my rear brake needed to be adjusted. they were really friendly and adjusted both for me on the spot free of charge. much obliged for getting me back on the road so quickly. —sinnott

2008-06-23 16:23:22 Horrible service, over priced. Guy was evasive and rude. Use Kens bike-and-ski. —EngyAndy

That's what usually happens when you have a group of people that provide a good or a service, but they have no motivation to compete for your business. —hankim

2008-08-29 13:01:15 The bike barn now stocks many fixie parts and complete custom fixie builds. You get to choose the frame, which hand built wheelset you want, and all the color and part combinations. It's a very cool way to get an original custom bike at a cheap price. —bikedavis

Apex Cycles has more fixie stuff and at better prices... better service too.

2008-09-24 23:50:39 Check out the Bike Church! The Bike Barn is great, too, of course. But if you want free recycled parts, or even a whole bike for $20 go to the Bike Church over by the Domes. —maxstevenson

2008-09-25 13:04:25 Abercrombie model employees, check. However, in trying to get a basket I had to void the transaction three times because I kept getting a one that did not work for my bike! Partly my fault, but my bike was right there in the shop, so I think they could have given me some pointers. Do not go in there right as school is starting because they are very busy. I like the tool check out idea, and free air. —KarenWhitestone

2008-10-17 18:48:28 These guys are a bunch of douchebags. Note: to actually get service here, you must either be a girl or talking to a girl worker. —polites

2008-10-28 15:03:27 These guys F*CKING SUCK!! I bought an inner tube and told them I needed my popped tire replaced quickly. I bought it from the bike barn btw for $7 (which is totally overpriced). They said they'd get it done by thursday if I drop it off immediately (monday morning). The guy at the counter offered a "rush service" where my bike would be ready by the end of the day. Normal labor costs are $7 for inner tube changes at the bike barn, but "rush" service is $14. I said yes and he said come back at 4pm. So I went about my day bikeless, being late to my classes. I walk from across campus back to the bike barn after class and its 4pm. The door was locked so I knocked and the guy inside said they are closed for the day and the register is closed and to come back tomorrow!! WTF!? What the F*CK DID I PAY RUSH SERVICE FOR IF THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE ME BACK MY BIKE WHEN I DONT NEED IT? AFTER THAT ON THE NEXT DAY, THEY HAD THE BALLS TO ASK ME TO PAY FULL PRICE FOR "RUSH" SERVICE!! I paid $14 bucks for a 5 minute inner tube change which wasn't even done on time. These guys are a F*cking disgrace. They seem like they are just a big scam and are around to rape people's wallets (particularly new students, so watch out). everything is overpriced. service is extremely shitty. very unprofessional people. I can understand them being swamped with work, and their mechanics seem like they are good, but CUSTOMERS SHOULD F*CKING GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR. I'm never going back there. All they are good for now is free air, which they will probably start charging for in the future anyway. This is my 2nd bad experience with the bike barn. I'd recommend a local bike shop downtown. much cheaper. much better service. I take my bike in there now and they change tires and tubes in your face and in under 5 min for WAY LESS than the bike barn. The bike barn should really be up for review. TWO THUMBS WAY WAY WAY DOWN. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of these dumb*sses. —NickAG

- I'm sorry to hear that this customer had such an unfortunate experience, but if you get to a store after hours and they are closed you can't expect to get your bike at the time you requested. I'm sure the guys working at the bike barn completed the "rush service" order, which explains why they would charge for a "rush service" order. It doesn't matter that the customer wasn't able to get there on time — sorry, but that was his fault.

As opposed to this customer's experience, I've gone to the bike barn several times and have always been happy with both their customer service and the prices I was charged. They were thorough, explained exactly what I needed and what I would be charged for their service, and even saved me some money. I would give them two thumbs way up. :) I'll continue to go here and will recommend that others go here as well.

2008-10-29 21:09:24 I've had nothing but good experiences dealing with Bike Barn this fall. NickAG- if you are so upset about a tire change, you should really learn how to do it yourself- it is a great life skill to learn and will save you time and money at any shop. —wpriff

2008-11-13 21:59:26 Do not go here. they are totally overpriced! —Cody

2009-06-08 12:05:59 I've had varying experiences at the bike barn. The experience you get out of it depends on the employee you get and the level of experience you have with bicycles. They prey on the ignorant here. If you come in and show them that you don't know the first thing about bicycle repair they will tell you everything on your bike is worn and that you need to replace it, and they will give you an estimate of how badly they are going to rape you for your money.

Don't buy any equipment here if you have a choice. Everything is at least double its retail value. There are bike shops around down town that will give you a better price (Stay away from Ace Hardware, also overpriced).

If you are a fix-it-yourself kind of person you will have a MUCH better experience at the Bike Barn. They will lend you their tools, and if you have questions they are happy to answer them. I once got a bit over my head replacing the bottom bracket, the spanner they provided me with didn't provide enough leverage to remove the cups on the bottom bracket(and had a tendency to slip, causing my hand to punch into the bike and come away with less skin than it previously had), so one of the employees came out with a handy dandy really expensive tool designed solely for the purpose of removing bottom bracket cups and a 5 foot aluminum pipe for leverage and cranked it right off. Technically they are not supposed to help you like this, but they appreciate teaching people how to help themselves - it reduces their work load.

Also, if there are other people waiting or tinkering with their bikes, don't be afraid to ask them for help (I don't mind helping people patch/replace innertubes, tighten chains, remove chain links or do any of the small things that plague the employees). —TrippKATZ

2009-07-13 21:35:33 Got a bike there today, both Alicia and another gentleman (I only remember her because her name was embroidered on her apron), were very nice and helpful with my service. Saw the bike I wanted online, they had it a bit cheaper, so not that overpriced as others have stated. Not to mention even if it was a bit more expensive, its helping out fellow students. —patrick82

2009-07-13 21:43:29 Now I'm not sure, but her name did start with an "A" either way. —patrick82

2010-03-16 17:57:45 I had a flat on campus today and found out that the Bike Barn takes their air hose in when they are closed. —hankim

2010-09-24 16:53:09 Brought in my bike with a flat tire today and was told that they were backed up, so it would take 7-10 days, with a ticket estimate of $18+. I couldn't wait that long, so I took it to Ken's Bike & Ski, where it took 15 minutes and cost $15 (and they tightened my brakes, handlebars, and kickstand free). The Bike Barn guys were really nice and friendly, and it's not their fault they have so many tickets—but if you don't have time to wait, you do have other good options in the community. —zombiek

2010-11-18 10:06:55 The bike barn has the worst customer service of any bike shop I've found in Davis. My experience today has brought me to leave a comment. This morning I got a flat on campus and swapped out the inner tube with a spare I carry in my bag. Rather than crack a fresh CO2 canister in my emergency pump I went over to the Bike barn and asked if I could borrow a presta valve pump. The gentleman there said they have none to use and then I asked if I could put a deposit down on a presta-schrader adapter so I could utilize their compressor outside. He said no, that is not their policy, and directed me to their new repair facility half way across campus. What sort of bike shop does not offer these services? According to their 'policy', I could have purchased a new wheel set, with tires and tubes, and would be sent away to pump them up. Today I thought I would give the barn a second chance however I have been reaffirmed to never bother with the place, no matter how drastic the situation. —Edward

—Edward, we are sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your experience at the Bike Barn. We have tried providing presta pumps in our shop for customers multiple times, but customers always end up breaking them within a few days. Even with creative signage and explanation on how to use them, they always end up broken. We decided to start selling the presta adapters to offset this problem, allowing customers to use any pump on campus or in town. And that is correct we do not take "deposits" on any item we sell. In terms of the location of the Bike Garage, it is the only location available for us to use and it also a free service to students that the Bike Barn provides out-of-pocket. If you have any more questions or issues feel free to contact us.

Out of pocket? If the Bike Barn stops paying for itself the students are going to end up paying for it through ASUCD fees anyway. Who knows, student fees might already be going to the Bike Barn. —hankim

—Hankim, the Bike Barn is a break-even unit and usually ends up making money for ASUCD to be spent on other units and organizations. We are not subsidized by student fees.

There are other programs that the ASUCD supposedly does not pay for, but it is unclear whether the building space and utilities are paid for by fees or not.I know that the Bike Barn is not specifically mentioned in the budget, but am unsure about the building or utilities. —hankim

2011-05-03 17:17:55 Yesterday I saw a female student tell an employee that her rear brake was loose and could he adjust it? Instead of just adjusting the barrel adjuster on the lever, he avoided pointing out the adjuster and simply gave her an estimate ($25?) to replace the cable. I can't believe he was so clueless not to know, and he didn't even try to adjust the cable! This is outrageous! Total rip off! This is not the kind of service student expect from an organization supported by student fees! I'd be glad to provide a description of the employee. —AlanRaetz

2011-06-17 11:20:12 I'm a grad student and have been a TA a number of times, and the quality of work and level of professionalism that I tend to see at the Bike Barn is similar to what I see in class from undergrad students... Sometimes you get an A student working on your bike and sometimes you get a C student. I've had people there who have been super helpful and have known exactly what they are looking at and talking about. I've also gone and paid for a repair, then picked up my bike to find the chain hanging off of it and a gear moved out of alignment. The most convenient aspect of the Bike Barn is that it is on campus, but if my bike breaks down in town I usually take it elsewhere. —LindsayClark

2012-05-29 09:28:34 The staffs were very helpful. I thought I would need to buy a new seat post (my bike seat broke and I could not take the seat off the seat post, so I went to the Bike Barn early in the morning and ask them if I need to buy a new seat post. They checked my bike seat and told me I don't need to buy a new one. They even helped me took off my broken bike seat(free of charge). —SeanKing

2013-04-17 18:29:13 Don't park your bike anywhere near the shop. The signs that they have indicating that you should park elsewhere are paper, and the current wind can carry them away. If you park there and run in to the Chem building, you may find your bicycle upside down but still in the same place because it is locked.

So Bike Barn, instead of being complete jerks about it, why don't you post some VISIBLE signs and let go of this passive-aggressive BS. Thanks for trying to move my bike- at least we know you aren't even average thieves...not in that way, anyways. —DavidBarnum

2013-04-26 08:53:38 David, I am sorry to hear about your experience using our bike racks. I do understand your concern with the way your bicycle was treated, and promise you that that is not our standard operating procedure when it comes to removing bicycles in our designated rental storage area. I will investigate your claim and find out if our staff was responsible for the incident, and if so, take appropriate action, although we may well find that your bike may have been mistreated by someone other than an employee of the Bike Barn (like another student, for instance.) We are working on posting better signage that will withstand the wind, and are making it clear which spots are available for public use and which are not. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this in more detail, please drop us a line at the number posted on the top of our page, and we will be happy to help! —asucdbikebarn

2014-05-28 21:52:51 Do they repair bent frames?

—ayshaw

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2015-05-04 19:08:53 Really not worth wasting your money here. Parts are overpriced, repairs are overpriced, and it takes forever to get a bike fixed. Yes, it is convenient to get a bike fixed here because it's on campus, but it takes nearly a week to get a simple repair job done. Don't waste your time here and just head downtown to B&L or Wheelworks (or T&M in UMall or Green Bicycle Depot in South Davis... anywhere else really) and have a bike fixed for cheaper AND faster. ASUCD should shut it down or at the very least lower prices since the Bike Barn is such a drain on ASUCD's budget. —taiwanesekid05

2015-11-24 20:39:22 tl;dr: Bad communication, didn't follow through on repair promise, didn't take ownership of their mistakes. I came in to have my hydraulic brake repaired. I was told their "brake guy" wouldn't be in the shop until a week later to fix it. Okay, sure, I can wait a week; I still had some brake pressure so it wasn't dangerous to ride or anything. I made an appointment and rearranged my schedule to make it work. A day or two later, I got a voicemail asking me to call back with the name of the brake manufacturer so they could order the right parts. I called back a few hours later to give the information, and was asked, "So is this to replace the brake pedal?" No, I said, the hydraulic pressure is just weak, like I said when I dropped it off. "Oh, okay, we'll have everything ready for you when you bring in your bike." Great. When I came to drop my bike off, they could not find my paperwork. The same guy who took my appointment asked, "What is this repair for?" I explained -- again -- that it was to fix the hydraulic brake pressure. "Oh yeah! I remember you now. I kept your paperwork in this separate pile. Okay, you're good to go!" Great. I got a call about 30 minutes later. He asked, "What is wrong with the bike? Why are you dropping it off?" I explained -- AGAIN -- that I needed the hydraulic brake pressure restored. "Okay, thank you." This is now four times I've had to explain why I need a repair, three of which were to the same guy. I got another call 2 hours later. They bled the brake and -- oops! -- they don't have the part they needed to fix it. So they have to order it, and they won't have it in stock until next week. In the meantime, they bled my brake fluid completely so it's now unusable and unsafe to ride on. When I asked why they bled the brake when they didn't have the part, he said, "We couldn't have known if we'd be able to fix it until we bled the brake." Are you serious?!? If that's true, you probably should have ordered the part you need BEFORE you bled out all the brake fluid. Anyway, I couldn't wait 6-7 more days for this, so I took the bike back and drove it across town to another bike shop where they said they could fix it in 24 hours. Great! I'll never go back to Bike Barn and I recommend you do the same. I get that this place employs mostly under-experienced student employees working part-time, but this is just unacceptable. —MattSidor

2024-03-06 19:19:27 I have always had a good experience with the bike barn. It is close to the school, very convenient, and the price is reasonable. But recently I've been completely disappointed with them. I changed the rear tire three times in half a quarter. The first time was because both the front and rear inner tubes were leaking, so I had to replace both inner tubes for a total of $40. I also asked them if there was a crack in my outer tire that caused the tire leak, and they said there was nothing wrong with my outer tire. Less than two weeks later, my rear inner tube leaked again. They said it might be due to their installation problem, and they also helped me clean the inside of my tire to prevent small stones from puncturing my inner tube. They also told me there was no problem with my tires. This time they only charged me $10 for the tube fee and no labor fee because they said it might be their installation problem. The service has been very attentive and consistent with my impression of bike barns. But less than two months later, my rear inner tube leaked again. I felt that there must be something wrong with my rear tire, but this time the cashier gave me a very bad attitude. When she gave me the bill for $20, I asked her should I pay the full price? I just changed the inner tube here two weeks ago, and this is the third time I have changed the inner tube here this quarter this is not normal. She slammed the table and said she was going to ask the mechanic and then came back and told me they had no problem, so I had to pay the full price, I said ok, and then I asked them what caused my inner tube to leak again and again. They said there was no problem with the outer tire, and they didn't find any cracks on the inner tube, but they replaced the inner tube for me for safety concern. I didn't even know if my inner tube was good or bad, and they just replaced it for me. It was even possible that the inner tube was fine, but they still replaced it for me and charged me the full price. So in the end I still didn't know why my tire went flat and I had changed the inner tube 3 times in half a quarter. This overturned my previous understanding of them. I felt that they were unreliable and I no longer want to trust them. I will probably find a place outside the school for repairs in the future. —ZL

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