Root Beer, my cargo bike, needed a new chain and rear cassette so I brought him into the Garage Bike Shop yesterday afternoon. I picked him up this morning and now he is running as good as new -- and at such a low price that I tipped the owner/mechanic $10 because I felt that it was so unfair. I probably should have been even more generous. Next time.
I came across this shop a month ago when I was cutting through the small Yaqui Indian town of Guadalupe and decided to stop in. I really enjoyed the owner and the characters I met in there so I decided to read the online reviews. They were amazingly positive. As one customer puts it, refering to all the other Google reviews, "Trust me there is a reason this place is rated 5 stars."
Apparently the owner, Rene Pulido, has quite a reputation as a mechanic. He's both a straight shooter and a real people person -- very naturally sliding between Spanish and English -- depending on who walks through the door. (I suspect that most business in Guadalupe is still conducted in Spanish.) This is the most unpretentious bike shop you can imagine. It does remind me of a garage. Almost all the bikes for sale are used or consignment. And it's a bit of a hang-out for non-hipster and spandex-free cyclists.
Root Beer and I are now fans.
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