Local bike shops

Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know you can buy anything you want online. But for people with limited mechanical ability and/or limited time a good local bike shop is essential. Personally I'd rather spend time racking up the kilometres than turning the air blue whilst trying (and failing) to service my bike. Experts are experts for a reason.

So, with that in mind, I write to extol the virtues of my local bike servicing emporium, "Monkey Wrench Cycles" in Hackett, ACT.

I've had bikes serviced at places all over Canberra and there's no doubt that here in the National Capital we are spoiled for choice.

Without naming names, here are some reasons that I didn't go back to a range of places...

• one place has a reputation for swapping out high quality parts for el cheapo ones prior to selling bikes
• one place had a "mechanic" who told me I needed a new rear cassette. My bike was 5 weeks old.
• another bike shop put my mountain bike back together with the headset spacers removed because it "looked cooler"
• the same bike shop were meant to service my bike, true my rear wheel and throw on a new rear tyre. They washed my bike and not much else. It was oh so shiny but not in a state to be ridden

So, a couple of years ago now when Monkey Wrench opened next to my favourite coffee shop I was rather excited. Even more exciting was that it was an establishment that didn't sell bikes, they just serviced. And service they do. My mountain bike has had a lot of love there and they have been marvels at keeping my trusty Cervelo on the road for far longer than its natural lifespan!

There's no up-sell, no time wasting, just good honest work and loads of conversations about bikes. They fixed my bike on the spot one day when I rolled in from a long ride having snapped a derailleur cable. And on Sunday they spotted me and my Cervelo at the coffee shop and did a fix that I had booked in for Wednesday to make life easier for me.

Plenty of my friends will tell you similar tales.

So, if you're anywhere even near Hackett and your bike needs love then take it to Stan and Joel at Monkey Wrench. Don't tell them I sent you though as I'm sure that even the thought of my Cervelo makes them break out in a cold sweat. 

DJ Rob