wrk101

Helping a friend = free (note a good friend should reward you with similar barter materials).

A leach = forget it, send to a bike shop.

I never charge for repair work, but sometimes I will barter for it.

Someone who has me do repairs then flips at a hefty profit is not a friend.

I had a neighborhood leach ask me to do repairs on her kid's bike. I made a deal, since she always hit garage sales every weekend, just find me a skinny tire/drop bar road bike, don't pay too much for it, and we would be good. I used donor bike parts, got it back in good working order, and figured I would never hear from her again. But at least I figured, she would not be hitting me up for anymore free repairs, since she hadn't settled up the last deal.

Two years later, I come home one Saturday, and in my driveway is a pretty decent Cannondale racing bike (from her). Needless to say, I'll do repair work for her anytime.

I will also do repair work for former bike buyers, no charge. One brought me her boy friend's bike, it was a mess. Missing a left crank arm, rusty cables, rear wheel disassembled and no axle, etc. So I fixed it. Other than consumables (cables), everything came off of donor bikes, so I was not out very much. Robbed the parts bin a bit. Replaced the entire crank so it would match, new bb, etc. So she gives me two bikes that needed work that had been laying around, one a Peugeot mixte. And her boyfriend gave me a case of beer (works at a local microbrewery).

+1 On gifting kids bikes. I see better kids bikes cheap at thrift stores a lot. I'll pick them up, clean them up, and give them away. I bought a nice girl's Trek once for $8. Needed air in the tires, and a good cleaning. Made her day (my big payoff!)