How 2 London bike shops deal with the spring surge in repair requests
Also, why now might be a good time to buy a bike
In the bike business when the sun starts to shine, the phone starts to ring.
After a cool, wet April with plenty of grey skies, this week's warm weather has Londoners rolling their wheels out of storage, in many cases for the first time in months.
Often though, getting the bike out of the garage in spring can reveal a flat tire or broken brake line, prompting the need to ring up the repair shop.
For Derek Liersch, owner of Wheels & Gears on Adelaide, the spring surge is a happy, busy time.
"Sometimes it starts in March, sometimes it starts and May but from there it just continues into September," said Liersch about the demand for repair services. "It all depends on when we get the good weather. Right now, the repairs are coming in and it's quite busy."
Liersch advises customers to call ahead for appointments. Once the bike is in store, a typical tune up or repair can take anywhere from four to six business days to complete. For a simple repair, like fixing a tire, the wait may not be so long.
"Call ahead and book a time so you're not disappointed," he recommends.
WATCH | Checking in on two London bike shops during the tune-up season:
Oversupply of new bikes?
Sales of new bikes surged during the pandemic when so many other options for exercise such as gyms and swimming pools were closed and travel wasn't an option. Supply chain problems during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed up prices as many models became unavailable.
Now Liersch said there's some suggestion the opposite is true and that there's now an oversupply of bikes on the market. His wholesaler recently knocked 20 per cent of the prices he pays for some bikes in a bid to move product.
Vancouver bike shops are reporting an oversupply of stock, with many telling CBC News the glut of bikes has created a buyer's market.
New location for Gremlins
Carson Lessif sells and services both new and used bikes at Gremlins Bike Emporium. This spring he moved his shop from Nelson and Wellington Street in SoHo to a new location on Richmond Row.
Lessif had to work frantically to get the shop set up in time for the spring surge, but customers are having no problem finding him.
"People start dusting their bikes off and seeing the nice weather and wanting to get out there," he said.
Lessif doesn't take phone appointments for repairs.
"Don't call, just bring the bike in and we'll give you a quote on the spot, free of charge," he said.
Like Wheels & Gears, Gremlins said customers should expect four or five business days for many repairs.
"We've got four awesome mechanics," he said. "We're cranking here six days a week."
Lessif said he specializes in difficult fixes, including custom machining to repair frames or re-create specialty parts for vintage bikes.
"We really push to keep bikes on the road," he said.
Owners of both shops advise that if your bike needs a fix, the sooner it's brought in the better.
"As the season goes on it only picks up," said Lessif.