Hi Sara, Our shop policy is always to not charge customers for service that needs to be corrected or reworked. We also record every service transaction with a receipt. And although our shop is run by volunteers, the volunteer shop hosts are professionally trained mechanics and we strive for professional quality work on every bike we service. When we saw your review we immediately tried to looked through all our shop service and sales receipts to find the 3 would-be transactions you described. We could not find any customers with your name, and no derailment repairs with anonymous customers. This does not mean you did not experienced what you described in your review at our shop. We just would like to contact you to address whatever negative experience you had on your bike, and if we have incorrectly charged you, apply refunds as appropriate. Please contact us at 503-957-6672 or email us at [email protected] so we may address your customer experience with our service. Thank you! Steven Kung B4HPDX Board Member/Volunteer
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I have been there 3 times with the same derailment problem, every time I came in they charged me a dollar less than the previous time. Needless to say it never got fixed, so I took the bike into performance bicycle they told me they had to bend back all the parts that the previous shop had bent, charged me 20 bucks then gave me a 50% off, and now it works great...... I guess you get what you pay for........... but they do have pretty cheap parts new and used, so I may shop there occasionally.
The basics: 2 hours of volunteering gets you 1 hour of stand time (and advice!). Plus, they have free bike classes, below-market-rate bikes and parts and awesome volunteer opportunities. B4H is a wonderful, wonderful organization. Run by people who really care -- both about doing good stuff for the world (i.e., rehabbing donated bikes and giving them away or selling them for cheap to people who couldn't afford a bike otherwise) /and/ about educating their own volunteers. And everyone there is a volunteer. (Though some are also professional mechanics at other local bike shops.) They have great open hours, including evenings. Their 8-week professional bike maintenance class is open to anyone and also, unbelievably, completely free. It is taught by professional mechanics and is top-quality. The only payment they ask for is 10+ hours of volunteer time, which isn't much. And after the class, you'll want to keep learning from them in the shop anyway. And you'll realize how much better your own bike could be if you just put a few hours into it. Anyway, it's a wonderful place.
I just bought a bike from them this week and had a great experience. I came in with no knowledge and no experience in the past 14 years. I told them that I'd need something to get around town and told them my height. They showed me a bike that would fit me, how to adjust it, and expained the feature to me. I so glad places like this exist. I would totally recommend it.
Hey Colin--sorry to hear there was a miscommunication about the derailleur. Since COVID, with the smallness of our space, we only have one staff member in a day, and we've mostly focused on refurbishing donated bikes and getting them back out in the world, every fourth one being granted with a u-lock to someone in need. Our retail/service operation can leave something to be desired. Much love to the memory of ABC <3
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Bikes for Humanity makes me miss A Better Cycle. Maybe this was a hype spot pre-covid, but the communication and assistance I received trying to get my houseless neighbor's derailleur replaced and brakes repaired left a lot to be desired. Was given a 6-7 speed derailleur for a 9-speed cassette, was told we could leave the bike for an indefinite return or take the parts (at least they were cheap); I dunno if it's because they didn't care as it was going to a houseless man or just weren't feeling it, but all I can say is that when it comes to community cycle assistance, A Better Cycle truly was.
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