Shimagnolo

I've heard the highest recommendations of Peter for years.
He used to participate on cyclingforums.com.
I see he retired last fall.

I build/maintain my own bikes, but on the rare occasion I need something done and don't have the tools,
(eg BB facing/thread-chasing), I take it there.
They also helped me out once on a Brooks warranty issue, even though I hadn't bought the saddle there.

3alarmer 

In Sacramento, California:

Bike Co-op

One Man Show

gomango

Peter is a regular on Paceline.

Seems like a great guy and highly knowledgeable on all to do with Campagnolo systems.

Chrome Molly

I greatly prefer doing my own repair. Beyond my level I'll consult with my favorite frame builder, or move it to more modern era parts that I have tools for (notice I didn't say upgrading it to modern parts). I don't own any minty mint sort of vintage bikes with exceptional value, so it works for me. Some things I can do, but just want others to do because of time or expertise. I can't wait to retire, then I'll enjoy doing it all. I'll probably get into more period correct vintage stuff also.

vonfilm 

In Austin, Texas:

Bicycle repairs and classes.

dddd

A lot of what Robbie says is making a lot of sense.

I think that many of the poor service experiences that people experience with C&V bikes has to do with the shop's interpretation of what the customer is willing to pay getting an old bike fixed.
They don't want to "scare" the customer away with an appropriately-high labor quote, so they turn the work over to the less-experienced workers who are lower on the learning curve.
It makes sense that they don't want the newer employee possibly messing up one of their customer's much-newer, expensive bikes.

In many cases there may also be a lack of mutual "respect" between shops and C&V owners, for a few reasons that I can think of.
The C&V owner often isn't the care-free customer who lets the shop decide how extensive the "tune up" is going to be, but may bring the bike in only for the smallest, more-difficult and less-profitable fix. So we're likely often profiled as "cheapskate", if only because we're soldiering on with an old bike.
Most old-bike rider's aren't asking for the expensive tires and cable "kits" that bring faster profits to the shop, and fighting with old, frozen spokes is going to be more difficult than newer ones.
And in many cases, the mechanic is going to be looking at a bike with issues beyond the scope of the repair order, which has an effect on perception of both bike and owner.

If leaving a nice vintage bike with an unknown shop (not really recommended), at least then one should communicate directly with the "service writer" person letting them know that only top-quality service is wanted, and that preserving the bike's originality is a priority. This discussion can prevent misunderstandings and disappointments at least some of the time.

I see a lot of poor work where obviously the expectation is that the owner only wanted to get the bike running, at minimal cost, for some relatively short-term service, and likely that is often what the owner really wanted.
A perfect example of this is the wheel-truing work that leaves spoke tensions highly uneven.
It's so common in fact, that when I work on a C&V wheel with uniform spoke tensions, I look for and find a Wheelsmith label, or almost have to assume that I am the last one to have worked on it.

RobbieTunes

Typical weekend:

Call 1, on Saturday...
"My RD is a little bit off, and my FD is a little bit off."
"So turn the screws on the RD a little bit, and turn the screws on the FD a little bit."
"I was wondering if you had time to look at it?"
"I'm in South Carolina."
"Oh. I need it for Monday."
Insert "I am not a bike shop." but instead, "call me next week some time."

Service "appointment," Sunday...
"Can you get my spare bike ready for a gravel ride?"
"I thought the shifters didn't work."
"They don't."
Insert "I am not a bike shop." but instead, "I'll see what I can do."

-Wheels come off and are sold to a BF member.
-RSX 3x7 STI's come off and set aside for overhaul, and will be sold.
-Chainrings get swapped/moved to 46/34/26 compact triple.
-New rear wheel just for this ride, new/used front wheel that will get the matching rear later.
-7sp 13-25 comes off, 8-sp 13-31 goes on.
-RX100 3x7 shifters installed (DT)
-8sp 13t cog comes off, small-diameter spacers added, now a 14-31 7-sp cassette.
-bars unwrapped, 105 SLR brake levers installed, new wrap (double on tops) installed.
-Specialized All Condition 700x25's installed (measure about 27mm, largest the Lemans RS will take.
-Hard mount Louis Garneau "Oxford" handlebar bag.
-Rear woodie lightweight rack.
-Wash, lube, adjust.
Charge: 0
I may have broke even, parts-wise, with the wheel sale offsetting the gifted tires, rack, bag, brake levers, wrap, cassette, rear wheel (loaner), wheel set (when the ride is over)

Call 2, on Labor Day...
"My mirror broke off the tab on my L shifter."
"What tab?"
"The tab on top, under the hood."
"On the body of the shifter?"
"Yes."
"What is that tab supposed to do?"
"Hold the hood on top."
"Not sure I can fix that. I don't have any more Ultegra shift bodies, but I'll look at it."
"I'm in your driveway."
Insert "I'm not a bike shop." instead, "I'll be right out."

Luckily, the mirror clamping mechanism had the broken tab still firmly clamped in it. It was removed, super-glue was used to put the tab back on, and I cautioned him not to attach the top of the hood until tomorrow. He's been riding with the hood top detached, anyway, with the mirror. I watched after 15 minutes, as he ignored my advice, re-attached the hood to the glue-on tab, and rolled off. If it holds, it holds. It would have been fine if he'd waited, since all it does is hold the hood top in place. Nice mirror design, just not for lots of bumps, wherein the leverage of the mirror can break the tab. Another vote for metal STI bodies instead of the plastic one he had.

Charge: 0

Text 1, Labor Day.
"Hey, I'm going to Performance, can I pick up anything for you?
"Sure, some black wrap, cushioned a bit, if it's on sale.
Later, a call. "The good stuff is $15, the cheap vinyl is $10."
"Black good stuff."
"Done."
1 hour later, he's in my driveway.
"Thanks, man. Need any parts?"
"Nah."
"Well, let me know, what's mine is yours."

We talk bikes, his and mine, for 30 more minutes.
It all comes around.

Sixty Fiver

If you wanna drive, I am only 2000 miles away.



I work with other local shops when expertise or harder to find parts are required and partner with another small one man shop and we plan to combine into a two man shop with a little brick and mortar to hold things together.

noglider 

I'm one of those guys you seek. Unfortunately, we're far apart. Not only do I fix old bikes, I also teach bike repair to children and adults.

RobbieTunes

therein lies a wonderful "hobby"....

An acquaintance of mine, near here, is an average wrench but a heck of a salesman, getting double and triple what I think bikes are worth, often operating outside of eBay ( with "offers," after advertising them there). He's about to buy the local bike shop, and move it to our small 'ville. I'm not sure I'd ride anything he fixes, and we've all learned to be wary of his used parts, but if history is any indication, he'll sell a ton of bikes. He may have embraced a model like Budget Bike Center in Madison, and with the web, it doesn't really matter where he is. I'm wishing him luck, and I'll live the bike show ownership thing vicariously. He's planning on making it a jump-off point for local rides, runs, etc, with coffee and tunes, so this may help a lot. Any outlet to display and sell some used bikes is welcome here. Hopefully, in time, he'll get better at wrenching, and we'll have a very local bike shop.

Uncle Randy

If you repair bikes as a hobby, section II of your Homeowners policy should pay for any claims. Property of others that is in your care, custody and control is limited to $500.
A business owners policy with just liability coverage should only cost you around $300 a year. You write off the insurance expense on your Schedule C.

caloso

Yes, they exist. I have teammates who use him for gluing tubulars because they don't trust the LBS.

eschlwc

in seattle ... email me!

did some work on a forum member's beautiful merckx yesterday for a beer and conversation ... and he tipped me four big buds!

what a deal!

RobbieTunes

I guess those are legal there.
If that were here, I'd never finish a bike.
If I did, you'd not want to ride it.

rms13

co-op is good if you have that option. But where I live there are a couple of garage mechanics that advertise on CL. I know people that have used one particular guy in my area and his work was better then some I've seen from bad LBS and worse than I've seen out of very good LBS. But price was much cheaper due to lack of overhead and turn around could be much slower due to them having a real job and lots of bikes to fix and not enough hours in the day. The home garage free lancers seem to have better experience with C&V because they have a lot of clients who have an old cheap bike they bought for commuting or running errands who don't want to spend LBS prices on work.

RobbieTunes

If you repair people's bikes at your home, as a hobby, you don't have any liability coverage under your homeowners policy that will have anything to do with shoddy repairs, period, and that's before the application of each state's negligence statutes. Liability coverage is not a warranty, under a homeowner's policy or a commercial policy, especially for completed operations.

If people leave bikes at your house to be repaired, and something happens to them (theft, fire, etc) then they'd likely qualify for first party coverage under your Contents (Personal Property) coverage, nothing to do with liability, and nothing to do with poor repair work.

Which is why I charge for parts, and make that clear. Labor is free, just me doing you a favor.

jiangshi

$500 would hardly cover a medical claim. I do have insurance to cover what I do, but I don't wrench for $$$, in spite of have a nearly complete shop, and the skills to do it.

Also, ticking off the local bike shops for undercutting them would not work out well.

YMMV.

Uncle Randy

The $500 limit applies to property damage not bodily injury. If you run your repair shop as a business you can expense your car mileage at 56 cents per mile and write off other expenses. Talk to your accountant.

Uncle Randy

Where can you find an attorney to defend you against a claim in court for $300? Insurance is cheaper. Read section II of your homeowners policy and talk your agent. Most people don't know that they have this protection. If you adjust your neighbor's brakes and you forget to tighten a nut and he crashes and breaks an arm call your agent and report the claim. If you did the repair as a favor they will defend you or pay the claim. If you did the repair as a business, they're going to say "sorry, this policy doesn't insure business endeavors."

If someone else's bike is damaged at your house from a fire, Section I of your Homeowner's insurance will not pay for that person's bike but Section II might. The owner would have to make a claim under their Renter's or Homeowner's policy. Talk to your agent.

You're selling parts which is a business. Just because you don't charge for labor doesn't mean that you couldn't be held liable for an accident. The claim could be totally bogus but you still would have to hire a lawyer if you didn't have insurance. Insurance is cheaper.

Uncle Randy

Business insurance is a legitimate business expense. You don't have to be legally obligated to carry insurance to be able to write it off on a Schedule C. Talk to your accountant, Robbie.

eschlwc

one acclimates.

i'm probably a bit more anal about a bike. it's a good time to wrap bars and finish with embroidery thread ... rebuild a bottom bracket or overhaul a rear derailleur... it can be spiritual.

but i ain't exactly quick.

rccardr 

Uncle Randy- Robbie has forgotten more about how the insurance business works than any of us will ever understand.

Trust me on this.

Fred Smedley

Maybe so , but Uncle Randy is correct on this, trust me.

skoda2

Greetings
I've been wrenching bikes for 40+ years, and do sometimes work out of my garage on friends bikes, however in our shop, which is the cheapest one nearby for labor charges, I get people who after spending many hours cleaning, polishing, and waxing their pride and joy classic and/or vintage bike, have no desire or clue how to overhaul bearings, and complete any component work, complain about the price for labor, and say: "Why is the work so expensive, it's only a bicycle"!!! I suspect that is why so many are searching for non LBS mechanics!
Regards

RobbieTunes

I'll cry "Uncle" on the tax stuff. I get asked that question all the time, and my answer may pertain more to mandatory liability coverage than the topic of the post. Insurance stuff, I generally know, or forgot.

In NC, under Section I (insurance for things you own), a bike belonging to someone else, in your garage, is covered as if it was yours, if something happens, like theft or a fire. (Coverage C. 1. a.) If rccardr has other insurance that would apply to his bike, he may be required to file with his carrier, also, because then there is proportional coverage under both policies. These types of claims, under Section I, are triggered by occurrences: something happens, something is damaged as a direct result, and claim is made.

This isn't automatic. Section II is liability coverage, or the "danger" you are to the public, and it always involves negligence, not only on one party, but on all parties involved. Nothing has to happen, in some cases, just a claim filed against you, to trigger coverage for defense, but that doesn't mean it will pay anyone. "Defend you or pay the claim" covers a lot of territory. Your insurance company may defend you, even if it's not a covered loss, but defending you and paying the claim are two different things. In small claims, they sometimes are the same thing; claims are paid becasue they're cheaper than defense costs. This often angers the insured who is not actually at fault, but it's not only in the best interest of the insured, it's in the best interest for the insurance company, and often, the plaintiff, because rolling the dice can get expensive. They can defend you, and in said defense, recommend you fork over the dough. They can also defend you, and lose, but with no coverage, you still fork over the dough. Defense is one thing, coverage is another.

The portion that applies to you as a homeowner, in NC, is called Coverage E. In NC, Coverage E does not apply to: property damage to property in the care of an insured (you.) It doesn't matter whose it is. (Sec II, F.3.c.) You notice it says nothing about what happens after it leaves your care. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff to prove the loss, and the uncovering of those facts often drops the coverage out of the picture.

So, I can't get coverage for liability on rccardr's burned bike, but he's already getting paid for it under the Section I, in theory (leaving deductibles and proportional coverage out of it). And he wouldn't want liability coverage, anyway, as it may not pay as much as first party coverage under Section I. There are some rare instances when there is liability coverage for a fire or explosion, but we'll not get into that.

Bodily injury is also excluded if there is any kind of business or professional service touching on the situation, like fixing a bike, with any kind of service implied, owed, promised, or rendered. Selling that tube for $4 and putting it in the tire would count, which is why I should tell people to bring their own parts, but NC is a contributory negligence state, and I'm not a bike shop, so I'm pretty well protected from anyone who thinks I know bikes as well as the pro down the street. The law is intended to push people who render, imply, promise or owe services to get the business coverage that's intended for it. Legislatures want the public protected, period, even from their own stupidity in some cases.

Some case law has found that if the person injured was using the defendant "in lieu of" a licensed professional, then a business relationship is implied. In other words, if you're the bike guy, over and over, even if you're free, be careful, because there may not be coverage if you mess up, especially if the plaintiff chose you instead of a professional bike shop. Generally, any similarity to a business or profession is going to be attempted to be excluded, regardless of whether there is payment or not. If you act like a bike mechanic, you need to get coverage for a bike mechanic, or trust whomever comes in and out of your garage enough to not worry about it.

All negligence comes to bear. Caveat emptor may protect the seller in a sale, but that defense (assumption of risk) is also available to you if you do poor work and mess up a bike or someone gets hurt when you stripped those pedal threads. Some states will find rccardr negligent for using a hack like me to fix his Faema Merckx, and others will say, that being a layman like me, he has as much duty to check over the bike as I do, maybe even more (last clear chance to avoid injury). If something goes wrong, it can be considered his fault, as well, and he'll have to deal with it.

It's not as clear as failing to shovel your sidewalk, and your friendly neighbor pulls a slip'n'fall. In a bike repair claim, did the neighbor seek out the services of the local "bike guy?" Did the neighbor know he "is not a bike shop?" Was there a service implied, owed, promised, or rendered? Is this service generally provided by professionals? Two yes answers will generally have a jury and/or a judge send the neighbor packing.

If some states have a Section 2 like Uncle Randy states, there has to be some safeguards in there against the coverage acting as a warranty, especially in this day and age. Coverage tends to be treated as an entitlement when no one is ever taking personal responsibility for anything, and it's not, it's a contract, with stipulations on both sides, highly regulated and statutory.

Product liability/completed operations liability are different altogether, and only draw the ambulance-chasers when there is enough blood in the water for a feast, as I mix my metaphors. States have statutes of repose (time limits) for many product and completed operations liability, as well as statutes of limitations (also time limits) for general liability. This is why a winch company in Massachusetts can warrant the winch that holds your $8,000 chandelier for 1 year, and walk away, not worrying about the failure. A warranty is one thing, liability is another. That winch may not be able to be replaced under warranty, but the damage a defective winch causes may be something the winch firm has to worry about (and should) for 3 years or more.

Getting a cheap $300 business liability policy is a great idea, because you won't have to go through all the BS above. In that, I agree with Uncle Randy.

As for the tax advantages, that's an accountant thing, and me and the IRS, well, we're very familiar with each other, and I never have been able to see how they're judge, jury, and executioner, by law. That being said, they've always been as nice as pie when taking even more of my money.

I sure wouldn't gaurantee that if you fix someone's bike, and that repair causes them harm, some homeowner's policy will "cover you." You may owe it, you may not. The policy will likely defend you, because that is a much more basic tenet of the contract. Doesn't mean they'll pay anything, or that you won't.