Texas - Garland Bicycle Choppers

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View Full Version : Garland Bicycle Choppers


csnooprun
08-24-08, 09:43 PM
http://www.garlandbicyclechoppers.com/

It's probably a long shot, but has anyone heard of these guys? They quoted me $40 to overhaul my bike including truing the wheel. They said they could rattle can paint it and change the chain out for an extra $20. The low prices kind of scare me, but as a grad student I don't want to write something off just because it's cheap- I need cheap! What do you guys think?


StephenH
08-24-08, 11:40 PM
I think I've seen one of their ads before, maybe on Craigslist? Haven't dealt with them though. It's an intriguing idea, just being able to come up with a custom frame for not too much.

csnooprun
08-30-08, 02:48 AM
I did, actually, find this guy on craigslist. I have a bad little habit of cruising the bikes on there even though I can't afford or need need another bike. However...
Well, just an update in case anyone is interested:
I have been corresponding with the owner of this business over e-mail about work on my bike, etc. We finally agreed on a date/work/price. Throughout our correspondence I had asked him for his specific location several times without an answer. I finally sent an e-mail with that as I my only request and he told me he would give it to me on Friday afternoon (this was much earlier in the week).
After sending him two e-mails expressing my concern about this sort-of 'run around', and after prompting him for a logical reason why he would feel he needed to delay giving me his address, he said that people got his address before and then didn't show up.
This seemed 'shady' to me, as did his prices, so I will not be using his services although they were attractive at first.
I thought the fact that he had an actual website with pictures made him more credible than just another 'bike repair' guy on craigslist, but my discourse with him made me uneasy. Just thought I'd share, and if anyone has contradictory information I would be happy to know that I'm just paranoid.


StephenH
08-30-08, 08:03 AM
From what I had seen, I had assumed this was a person operating out his house, probably part time, so I wouldn't expect much in way of location. Beyond the business end of it, though, I want to know if he had the proper jigs and all to make a frame really plumb, etc.

I remember reading a post on www.ratrodbikes.com (http://www.ratrodbikes.com), where a welder was whipping up his own frame. If you have the tools and materials, it actually doesn't take long to slap a steel frame together, so the price is believable, if low.

csnooprun
08-30-08, 12:52 PM
Yeah, I think he's operating out of his home also. Which is totally fine with me. I was just going to have him overhaul my bike. My issue was that I just wanted his location for googlemaps so I could plan ahead and see exactly the distance, etc. He kept avoiding the question and then told he would give me his address the day before I was supposed to drop my bike off. It just seemed really weird to me..