BIKE WORKS

I walked in the door with one bike to repair and one to give away. They saw that mine was a quick fix and slipped it to the front of the line. I was in and out in fifteen minutes, and the bike is working fine now.

I haven't ridden a bike in ten, fifteen years but with gas prices getting so higher and my waist getting so wide, I decided it was time to begin commuting on a bike. I live in Columbia City so I had driven past Bike Works on many occasions. Finally, I went in. For a noob as big as I am, they couldn't have treated me any nicer. Kent Peterson is the person I talked to and he explained in detail how everything works--they get donated bikes from people, fix them up and resell them to the public. All money goes to teaching kids how to fix bikes. So, if you are looking for a brand new bike, I guess this isn't the place. However, if you are looking for a great bike, expertly rebuilt from the bottom up, and at a great price, try them out. Anyway, so Kent sized me up and suggested a Bianchi they had in the store (often they take people to the warehouse to find the correct size bike to rebuild). He quoted me $250 and it took about a week and a half and voil ! Finished bike. Rides like a dream. He also helped outfit me with everything I would need for my commute: helmet, irons, spare tube, patch kid, look, pump, lights--all at affordable prices. Total price for everything, including tax, was about $370. Before I went in, I was worried I would be dealing with a subculture that would be unresponsive, but I had the opposite experience--great people. Also, if you need help changing a tire, they will walk you through and there is a great website for more info.

THEIR CLASSES ARE GREAT AND THEY OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LOW INCOME KIDS. THEY ARE YOUNG THEMSELVES AND ARE DOING A GREAT JOB ON MANY LEVELS. BUT I FOUND THEM TO BE RUDE AND WAS NOT SATISFIED BECAUSE OF THIS.