Love it or hate it, if you’re a bike rider of any kind, eventually your bike will require some maintenance and upkeep. Historically, this would translate to an appointment at a local bike shop. Enter Beeline Bikes to the scene. Originating out of San Carlos, CA. Beeline is a mobile bike shop that now services the Front Range of Colorado. Two mobile bike shop vans cover a region from Longmont to Castle Rock.
If you’re a cyclist and anything like me, you love your bike and dread leaving it at the bike shop for many reasons, including the hassle of scheduling, drop-off/pick-up needs, and the unfortunate potential for damage. Mountain bikers must be aware that proper maintenance often neglected, is critical to both safety and performance. Why you ask? Scheduling is certainly the driving force for me; I mean, I “need” my bikes and I don’t want to part with them, ever! And it typically takes at least 2-3 days for a bike to be turned-around. What could be better than scheduling your bike maintenance online and having the mechanic and mobile shop complete with all parts and tools necessary for most jobs, come directly to your home or office? I’m drawing a blank here. This seems like a really cool idea, but does it work? I set out to see for myself.
I followed the link I found online to beelinebikes.com and scheduled a same day appointment at 4pm for two of my heavily ridden mountain bikes, then went about my business for the day. At 3:30pm I was contacted by co-owner, and mobile expert-mechanic “AJ,” who called to let me know he was on his way and would arrive early. We were off to a good start. When the mobile bike shop arrived, I went out to get the bike maintenance going. I greeted AJ and checked out his work area. Wow, this is really cool. Everything went as expected, even better.
It turns out both of my bikes (one Fat and one 26″) needed a decent amount of work, including a new chain and rear cassette, front brake pads, a new rear derailleur cable and housing, minor wheel truing, and multiple tightenings and tweaks on both bicycles. This is further evidence that the maintenance is something I had been neglecting, but now I have a solution involving Beeline Bikes where I will set myself a calendar reminder to schedule my tune-ups regularly. AJ spent nearly 4 hours at my house working on my bikes. He reached out to me for any questions he had, and we were able to chat and get to know each other. This is part of the model, and I like it. Rather than leaving my bikes at a shop and not knowing if the mechanic is competent and thorough, I could watch the mechanic do all or most of the work right in front of me. I can honestly say it’s a very comforting feeling.
Mobile Bike Shop Service: Follow-up
I was able to get out and ride my fat bake just a few days after the Beeline service was completed. I noticed a rattling sound coming from the front end. We all dread this situation: you have your bike serviced and when you ride it, there’s something not quite right. Guess it’s time to head back to the bike shop, right? Not with Beeline Bikes! I conveniently emailed AJ at Beeline Bikes and asked about this, while also informing him that it wasn’t urgent, but I needed it addressed. He completely understood, and we arranged for him to stop by the next time in Boulder, which he did. Not only did he resolve the rattling issue, I had also decided that my rear break pads on my 26″ MTB needed attention (Note: AJ had recommended this at the time of initial service, but I declined). AJ handled both requests without a hesitation, and I was able to get out and ride with no issues what so ever. This is a quality “service product” for certain!
More about Beeline Bikes
Beeline offers interesting corporate plans and neighborhood visit options. A corporate deal for companies with a good amount of bike commuters offers 25% off all tune-ups, and 10% off a’ la carte services, such as flat tire repair. For the neighborhood visit, a “host” needs to provide a parking space for the Beeline mobile shop and, in exchange, receives a complimentary tune-up. In addition, all members of the neighborhood group get 20% discounts off services.
Prices are reported as less than the average local bike shop price, and, the Beeline Bikes mobile shop is stocked with accessories for sale including lights, pumps, locks, tools, and more, which is convenient. Additionally, Beeline is currently offering 50% off tune-ups as a Grand Opening Special, so, be sure to inquire when scheduling your appointment (Note: Tune-ups are regularly priced at $79.99 – and this is the most reasonable tune-up price of any bike shop I queried in Boulder).
