Aaron's Bicycle Repair, Inc.

Despite my rather curt/unkind review earlier, I kept going back to Aaron's simply because of the expertise of the staff. Subsequent interactions with Aaron were actually helpful and the questionable behavior I noted earlier wasn't seen. I guess anyone can have a bad day. The tune-ups, brake adjustments/repair were quickly done with outstanding results. Everyone deserves a second chance and I'm glad I kept at it with this shop. more

Good: One day turn-around on a rear wheel build. Great mechanics.. Bad: Aaron's arrogance and paranoia regarding anything carbon, his lightning-quick criticisms of any bike you bring in, and ultra fast sales pitches for items you don't want or need.. Improvements: A muzzle for Aaron would be great, and would allow the store to thrive.. more

I am in Scotland, UK and was having no luck getting info about servicing my old Rockshox RS-1 forks from anywhere over here. After searching for ages online I came across Aarons web-site and emailed him. Within hours I had a reply back with the info I needed. It will have been obvious to him that I wasn't going to become a regular customer being about 5000 miles away but he was still happy to help me out. Now that's service and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this shop to anyone. many thanks for the help. more

I never bother to write reviews, but in this case it had to be done. Of all the bike stores in over a dozen places I've lived, this one is the worst. They always have an attitude, the prices are outrageous, and they will always find something extra (and expensive) wrong with your bike, even when it's fine. After my first experience I've never gone back, but my wife has gone twice. Both times she went in with a specific issue but was coerced into spending hundreds more on things that were fine. Being an engineer with a good knowledge of bikes and riding professionally for over 10 years I have no problem telling them they're full of it, but for those who don't know much about bike maintenance you will be conned. If you do go in and you can see your bank account shrinking the more their lips are moving, just say "you know what, I think I'll pass and see what another bike shop has to say." more

Quick review: After 2+ years of letting the pros outway the cons, the cons finally win. I will never shop there again. Long review: I have a hard time writing a bad review of ABR, but I feel like I finally have no choice. The good part of ABR is the mechanics. The bike mechanics there are great, professional, and personable. The mechanics are so good I've worried that writing a bad review would affect their livelyhood. They don't deserve it. They also turn work around quickly which is great if you need help in a hurry. Also, ABR often has rare parts no one else has. And they are knowledgable about things like dymo hubs, roloff hubs, etc. That said, so are other bike shops in the city and other mechanics are really good too. So a shop needs to be more than just that. The bad part is Aaron himself. What more can I say. He would have 10x the buisness if he would just stay home and let his guys work. He is rude, arrogant, and not half as knowledgable as he would like to pretend to be. He may know some things, but his own arrogance has kept him from learning new stuff, or really taking care of that important person in his shop, the customer. ABRs prices are also unreasonably high. I can buy discount parts, but don't choose to. I want to support my local shop, and I want them to stay in buisness, that way I have a resource when I need a last minute part. However, I get a tad annoyed when I start getting gouged by pricing. Especially when I have spent several 1000s of dollars there over a couple of years. Giving the customer an occasional break is called advertising. Lots of good local shops do it and still manage to stay in buisness. more

Super nice mechanics! How can such a small shop have EVERYTHING? I was looking for a rare part and had been to 4 other shops. I heard Aaron's has a great selection. I called and they guy on the phone said they probably had it. When I went in, they had SEVERAL different things I was looking for! The item in question, fyi, was a stem or bars to get my handlebars up higher. They told me they do that kind of fitting for folks all the time! more

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. more

Perfect new name for this shop. I have spent sooo much money in there and am treated like new meat every time I walk in. AA is so freaked out about being sued, he refuses to give a simple answer to a simple question. His responses transport me to a twilight zone induced state every time. Also, can't figure why such nice employee's stay in an obviously abusive relationship. Get out while you can - you all deserve better more

These guys may have a good selection, but they will charge you 25%-50% more for the exact same part. The location is convenient, but I can't afford it. I've started driving over the bridge to save money. more

The guys working there are very nice and helpful. I have nothing but good things to say about them. i like the general: bike as a mainstream transportation mindset and high quality products. i think their prices are a bit high, but they carry nice stuff and i think we should all pay a couple extra bucks to support local small retailers. my personal perception of the owners attitude is another story... I don't feel he had my best interest in mind in our transactions, but sometimes folks don't click and maybe that was all it was... more

All I did was ask Peter White if he was OK with the online, public, discounted order. (discounts should be taken in person at time of sale). It was Dutch Bike Seattle's FIRST order for B&M lights. It seemed like a back door deal. The truth came out later when the owner, David, said he was not aware of the order! Now if Dutch Bikes had been a stocking dealer and actually had lights in stock then I would not have said a thing. Still the fact remains that I did NOT do anything wrong. It was Peter White that stopped the sale, not me. All I did was ask him if he was OK with it. As some have said, I narked or snitched them out. But get real, that is so grade-school. It was a business decision, nothing more. more

The owner of this shop is very good at fixing bikes, but is ridiculously possessive of his customers. Even though I was a frequent and high-spending customer, he'd complain if he noticed a part on my bike not purchased at his shop. When he found out I was getting a discount on a headlight light from another shop, he called the distributor and had the other shop's account suspended for providing "too much discount". I will never shop there again. Google "Busch & Muller Aaron" if you're curious. more

They build nice wheels and you know you are supporting a real family, but it's otherwise hard to justify paying 30-50% more than anywhere else. Every part is astoundingly expensive. I just got charged $50 for an LX hub out of the box, no documentation, and he made me pay extra for the skewer. All the Rivendell stuff is 50% more than the non member price from their site. Next, you feel like you get conned into buying stuff you don't really need, service you wouldn't otherwise order, and the hidden costs are just silly. I'm tired of it. The only nice thing about the place is that Val works there on Sundays. Buying at a local shop may be a mark of personal virtue but there are other shops that are much nicer to you, don't ridicule your bike, and don't fleece you unnecessarily. more

I purchased a bicycle online and had Aaron's build the bike for me once it arrived. They did a great job and at a fair price. They also worked with me to make sure things would fit before I ordered and then when the built the bike they measured me again to make sure it was just right. I have even stopped by occasionally when I needed something tuned and they did it free of charge. more

and let me tell you. i like fried stuff with cheese aaron not only owns and runs a bike shop, but he gives a shit about people in teh bike community. He regularly rides with local groups, always helping out with info and quick fixes out on the road. Spending your money with someone that will fix your bike right the first time, and also comes out and rides with you... that's pure awesome ABR is relaxed and cozy like a home. You'll find some shop cats rubbing up on your leg and might even get offered a cool one while you wait for a repair. I can't forget to mention the bicycle tube vending machine outside the front door. only place that ive ever seen that. more awesome than fried stuff with cheese more

Aaron has helped me and a lot of my friends with many bike related issues. He helped me build up my new bike and has been incredibly helpful both with his knowledge and skills as a bike mechanic and by being sensitive to my budget. If i didn't live so far away i would be at ABR at least twice a week. Four stars, he'd get one more if he built a north end outlet ;) more

There are some very unique perks about Aaron's bike shop. The 24hour vending machine that stocks everything from innertubes to batteries for your headlamp out front is the only one of it's kind in town. Aaron is not only the proprietor, he is a stud mechanic who has been fixing bikes at various shops around the 206 for years before opening his own shop. He is also neck-deep in the local community and regularlly brings a credible voice on the side of urban cycling to the political fray. The shop is clean, well organized, fairly priced (big retailers are cheaper because they deal with higher volume) and he either has everything you'll need, can repair what you're packing or will order the parts, getting the right thing the first time. The rest of the staff are cool, there are two shop cats (Presta and Schraeder) and with Aaron's little boy often about the shop is kid friendly. They also offer bike rentals, loaners while you're bike is out of commission, an outlet to local cycling clubs, massage with his wife Gypsy and his shop recycles like crazy. Support your local businesses! more

His shop is small and at first it doesn't look like he has anything there but he sure packs that place full of bike stuff. He has everything from the most simple and the most affordable to high quality classic products. He has everything you would ever need including a selection of used and new old stock parts and if he doesn't he will look it up and order it for you. His prices are higher that the big bicycle retailers but it's worth it being able to support such an awesome little shop. Overall his shop is friendly and and welcoming, they are helpful and fun to talk to. They also have a full library of various bicycle books that you can check out of his library! If you love bikes you have to check out Aaron's! more