I've been around to quite a few shops in the Seattle area and none of them have the level of skill or service that Arron's has. That said, STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOP IF: you want the absolute lowest prices and don't care about service; you want to try parts and return them if you don't like them or they don't fit; you are easily offended or upset if someone disagrees with you. THIS SHOP IS FOR YOU IF: You want the job done right (they aren't perfect, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone equal, let alone better); are willing to pay more for the right part; aren't going to be offended if someone tells you something you don't want to hear. One of the things that separates Aaron's from other bike shops is the immediate (when possible) service. They'd rather fix your bike while you wait rather than keep it for a week. With the newer shop they do have more space to store bikes, however, and are probably going to be better about accepting drop-offs. Often, they will insist that you bring your bike in before selling you something. So even if you just want to buy a set of fenders, it's best to bring the bike in. I can't count how many times I've been spared buying something that wouldn't have worked because they had me bring in the bike. To me, that's worth paying extra. If you bring your bike in, they won't touch it unless you are prepared to do what is necessary to get it into a state that they deem safe. That means, that if your handlebars are ready to fall off, they won't just fix a flat tire. They prefer fixing something before replacing it, if it can be done safely. Many customers happily leave with a their old refurbished bike, rather than a new one. Aaron is opinionated. Occasionally (or often) you won't agree with him. If you're the kind of person who can agree to disagree, you'll be fine. He may, at times, seem grumpy. Chances are it's nothing personal and if it is, I doubt you'll need to guess. He takes pride in his work and only hires people that do the same. 'Nuff said.
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