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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Mon-Sun 11 am - 6 pm
I was a little intimidated by this place, but finally got tired of pouring money into the black hole of bike repairs and decided to brave it. All I can say is, what took me so long?
The guy who helped me was friendly, informative, and helpful. He let me try the repairs, but didn't leave me to struggle when I couldn't figure it out. I had a great time, learned a lot, and left with a smile on my face.
I have mixed feelings about OCB. I've been here on a number of occasions to work on a few different bikes I own. I would say i am an intermediate bike mechanic - i can't build a wheel but i know how to fix a flat and do a basic tune.
They have a giant selection of tools to work on all sorts of bikes. the exception being mountain bikes. i don't fault them for this as they are geared to the road/commuter crowd, but fixing my big DH rig at OCB got me a few funny looks. and if you want to learn to do a brake bleed, bring your own bleed kit and be prepared to wait a while for instructions.
I find the biggest problems with OCB to be the crowds and the space provided to work on bikes. This is a reflection of what a good idea OCB is. if you go on a weekend, get there early and be prepared to wait a while if you need some help.
For the most part their staff are great. A couple of them give you the standard 'i know more about bikes so i'm going to be condescending' attitude, but a couple of their staff are real gems.
if you need to work on your bike, try to bring it in on a weekday, early on weekend mornings or in the winter, otherwise this place turns into a madhouse. also, come in with a plan of what you want to do to your bike so you're not at a loss when you get in the door. even if you don't know what needs fixing, be prepared to describe what the problem is.
happy riding!
After a few people recommended this place to me, i decided to finally check it out. And i have to say... wow.. this is my kind of shop. If you couldn't tell by the name already it's a community bike shop. You can show up, put your name on a list and someone will help you for a small fee. If you want to just work on your own bike and use there tools it will cost you $6 and hour.
They also take all sorts of donations, including bikes. It's a good place to pick up a used bike that has been tuned up, and will also come with a 3 month parts warranty. I donated some pedals and the gratitude was genuine. So they thank me, and i thank them. Win win. That's community.
The people here really know what they are doing and don't try to rip you off like other places. learned a lot and had a lot of fun fixing my own bike.
For all those people like me who wish they actually knew how to fix that noisy rear derailleur or put an end to those mushy brakes, Our Community Bikes is the answer my friends.
So the concept is pretty simple: they are pretty much an open-to-all style bike shop replete with all the proper tools and replacement parts (all fairly low quality, recycled but usable, parts mind you), but most importantly the shop comes stocked with helpful bike-gurus to guide you on your way. Though it should be noted that you can go in and simply use their space and tools for those "soloists" out there.
But how is it in practice, when the rubber hits the road, so to speak? To be honest with you, the place is usually fairly busy and you have to be both extremely patient and assertive with flagging down someone for help. Try not to get frustrated. In the big picture though, you get bike fixed up pretty quickly compared to taking your bike in to a regular bike shop and, most importantly, you will have figured out how to do it yourself. So if you're planning a somewhat different cycling adventure at OCB, good luck and godspeed!
The name says it all. I agree its a gem on main street.
Had a rear flat. They were great. Just enough elbow room. I got help and assistance. Rode home happy.
Wait forever to deal with staff with (bad) attitude.
So I walked into Our Community Bikes on a "quiet day", a rainy weekday afternoon with my brand-new-to-me, hand-me-down bike. I had never worked on a bike before, had almost no knowledge of bike workings, but I was super keen to learn by doing.
I was very patient and polite about waiting for my turn on a bike clamp (holder), and very clear that I needed lots of informational assistance and direction.
Everyone that worked there that I dealt with was very curt, and the woman who was helping me was inattentive, so that I was continously waiting to learn the next step of what I should do.
It wasn't until the very end that she told me I could have asked anyone in the shop for help (I didn't because everyone seemed super busy and I thought I had been "assigned" her).
Let me be clear about how frustrating this experience was: at one point I was feeling so stupid about my lack of knowledge that I was near tears.
My experience was redeemed by a very kind man with a sense of humour, who didn't even work there! But they should hire more people like him, or train the staff better. (I was there for a total of five 1/2hours).
I absolutely love the idea of our community bikes, and I stuck it out because I have patience, humility and a sense of humour and was rewarded with new brakes and a new wheel that I put on myself.
But I think there is no reason the experience should be that agonizing! Something is wrong with their system, because with staff acting like that they are alienating exactly the people they should be trying to draw into their shop.
I may return, because that's how keen I am on the idea of empowering people to fix their own bikes, but I'm trying out the Bike Kitchen first.
I like the feel of this place, but I did find the staff very unfriendly.
Unfortunately, at the moment I don't have enough time to learn how to fix my bike, and since I ride it to work every day, I appreciate good service.
Unfortunately the staff probably saw me and thought I was a poser or something because they were less then enthused to help me, however they did tell me where to get the best deals on bike parts.
All in all, they keep it legit at Our Community Bikes and they are a-ok, and if you are a bike wiz this is definitely the place for you.
Went in here broke and nervous. The chain snapped on my bike, and as it is one of my first bikes I had no idea how to fix it. Turns out the chain was too short in the first place.
I came on a busy Saturday afternoon and it was about a 15 minute wait before they could get me on a stand. It was extremely crowded, with those who knew how simply using the waiting area as a work station. Those (like me) who did not know how socialized, and the wait was altogether pleasant as a result.
They paired me up with a staff member named Ian, who was very friendly and was good at pushing me. As I had not asked for full service he had the sort of helps-only-when-asked-to but for all the right reasons attitude that actually forces you to start thinking critically about how to fix things. Whenever I came up to something I couldn't figure out, or even something I thought I knew but wasn't certain about, he was right there with answers. I was truly shocked to find out that this was his first day in the store (having come from the Bike Depot.)
I came out of there very happy, without a dent in my pocket (If you can't afford it, they will let you volunteer your time in exchange for work!) On my way out there was another girl at the till trying to insist on giving them more money then the ridiculously low amount they were asking. Best of all, I came out feeling like I'd accomplished something, and that my bike was no longer a mystery that only those magic bike mechanics can fix.
As others have said, it can be crowded and hectic. But if you don't have your own tools, and you don't want to take it to a regular shop because you're into DIY, or you're just broke, this is the place.
Staff are really on the ball with their knowledge, and in general I've found them super friendly. If you can go in on a weekday, it's way less crazy. If you want a walkthrough on general maintenance, they have regular, inexpensive workshops--one of those, plus a bit of patience, and you'll be able to navigate the scrum with good grace.
It's not perfect, but it's top notch for what it is, so I give them five stars. All they really need is more space!
I wasn't really prepared for the intense experience that awaited me in my attempt to swap a frame and components on my bike. The place was packed for the two days it took to get my bike back in shape and trying to accomplish this was a frustrating ordeal for me as a cycle novice. But I have to say everybody there was extremely helpful and friendly under duress. They are all bike repair wizards, especially Jessie and Richard who managed to dispense advice and keep their cool under some very stressful conditions. I look back on it as my lost weekend at the anarchist cycleshop bootcamp. I think they're a terrific bunch of people and salute them for their eco friendly approach. They are definitely walking the walk. If they had more room in the workshop things would no doubt have been considerably less hectic. I guess it didn't help that I picked one of the busier weekends to do my tear down. If you're a novice you might want to bone up on your cycle repair skills by taking one of their workshops before attempting a major rebuild. In any event, I recommend the place wholeheartedly.
On a scale of 1-10 this store gets at least 11 points for being socially engaged, environmentally sustainable and above all, everyone here seems really friendly. Our Community Bikes is not your average bike store. First of all, they reclaim old bikes and refurbish and sell them thereby reducing waste. They'll fix your bike for you, but they're more into teaching you to fix it yourself and to promote this they offer workshops and classes in bicycle-fixing and empowerment. One of the greatest things they have on offer though, is the five week program that allows youth to build their own bicycle and then ride away with the satisfaction of having built their own transportation. This place is like a do-gooder community centre for lovers of two-wheel transportation. Just remember that they close early on the last Friday of each month so that they can go on Critical Mass. Yeah!
Neighborhood: Kitsilano
Neighborhood: Mount Pleasant
Neighborhood: Kitsilano
Neighborhood: Fairview Slopes
Neighborhood: Kensington-Cedar Cottage
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