Citybikes Workers’ Cooperative

My crank fell off my bike and I went to a bike shop downtown to get it fixed. They told me it was going to be $ 150 and take a couple weeks to get the part in! Not to bash them too hard, they probably just deal in higher end clients and parts, and lucky for me they recommended that I check out Citybike. I called Citybike in kind of a panic, as they were close to closing and I had no idea what I needed. Ryan on the phone helped me out and patiently walked me through exactly what I needed. I’m sure he had customers but he didn’t make me feel stupid or like I was wasting his time at all. I am so, so appreciative! Thanks to Citybike I’ve got my bike up and going in just a few hours for only $ 10, as opposed to my previous estimate from the downtown bike store. *2blessed* Thanks forever!

These guys and gals fixed up my ride and now it goes a million miles an hour. Now I can pass cars on the road while they turn their heads at me with a slack jawed wide open stupid look on their face and it pleases me so. Also, since they replaced my tires women are hooting at me from the sidewalk as I pass by. Shop at Citibikes, get the girl. Thanks Citibikes!

Thank you thank you thank you for getting my bike back on the road at a reasonable cost not giving up on old school bikes thank you thank you thank you, good services are alive and well in Southeast Portland!

The staff there is friendly and helpful. I knew which bike I wanted before going in since I was replacing a bike that had been stolen. After talking to the guy helping me he recommended trying the next size up from my previous ride. I’m glad he did. Small changes make a big difference when you spend a lot of time on a bike. He happily installed a lock and informed me that they do a complimentary 30 day tune up and will install any aftermarket parts or accessories even if they weren’t bought at the store.
It was a very different experience than my last bike purchase from another local shop.
I highly recommend checking this place out if you are looking for a new or used bike. No condescending mechanics or salespeople here; just friendly and helpful people who want you to enjoy your ride.

I can’t say enough good things about this shop!
When I first moved to Portland in 2005 and did not have much money, I was able to afford a new and reliable bike. I commuted all over town in my Jamis Coda Sport. I just sold it the other day, and it is still going strong.
When I purchased a Surly Disc Trucker from another shop in town this weeks, and discovered that they had cut my steering tube a little too short for my touring needs, CityBikes was there for me once again.
I had originally intended to buy a Long Haul Trucker from Them to begin with, but found a really good deal on the Disc Version at the other Shop. I had used the LHT at CityBikes to determine my correct size before I ordered my bike. There should not have been a problem, but the bike really didn’t fit and hurt my neck. I was crushed.
I panicked and decided to call up CityBikes and tell them what happened. I knew that the disc model was valuable and in short supply. I thought they might be interested in buying it from me.
The Mechanic who answered my frantic call was kind and understanding. He listened to my situation and told me that everything would work out. He said to take to back to the other store and show it to them first and in the meantime he would discuss my problem with some of the owners.
The solution the other shop gave me was to try to cover up the fact that they cut the steering tube. They told me the factory did it to Surly’s strict specifications. They told me bikes come partially assembled and that they never would have cut a steerer down without the customer asking.
They sold me a steerer tube extender tube for $ 25 and sent me on my way. That solution didn’t sit right with me. Why was I paying more for a bike that didn’t fit right?
Later that day I took the DT over to CityBikes for them to inspect it. It only took them one minute to confirm that the steerer tube had been cut and that the bike wasn’t fitting me well.
All of their bikes still had the uncut steerers that are associated with Surly’s. They leave them long for you to decide where YOU, the owner would like it cut in the future, after getting to know the bike.
One of the shop owners told me that the DT would be just fine for someone with slightly longer arms and offered to do a straight trade for the original LHT I fell in love with. I was shocked.
What kind of bike shop would do such a thing like that?! They came through for me big time and put a huge smile on my face! All I wanted was a bike that fit.
Most shops would have considered the DT used and would not have just traded it for another new bike, but these guys cared about what happened to me and decided to think outside of the box.
While they carefully looked over the new bike they were giving me, we stood around telling stories about my partners LHT that she bought for them years ago and how great it has been. They remembered everything about her bike and the trip she went on after purchasing it!
She thanked them for doing an amazing job fitting all of her accessories. We just had a fun time shooting the breeze about bikes with all of the friendly mechanics while we waited.
This is the definition of a community bike shop that you can trust. We even found the camo grip tape that no other shop was carrying.
I can safely say that I am a customer for life, and will only be purchasing bikes and parts from this shop! CityBikes can look forward to selling me hundreds of dollars with of racks and fenders and saddles in the near future. Thank you so much guys!

Thank you, Citybikes, for getting me back on the road. Thank you, Peter, for finding the part I needed and installing it in no time flat. Thank you, everyone else I talked to at both of your Ankeny St. shops, for treating me with respect, decency, and complete honesty, and for not being bike snobs though it was clear I am mechanically illiterate and of modest means. Thank you, City of Portland, for continuing to support the worker-​owned business model. Anyone out there looking for a fair shake on bikes, parts, accessories, repairs, etc.: thank you in advance for checking out Citybikes.

Citybikes is about promoting biking. Everything they offer is consistently at or below the prices you will find online or at other stores. And to top everything off, Citybikes is worker owned. The ambiance is cooperative, in both the social and economic sense, making the process feel more like an educational experience than a numbers driven game.
While I ultimately decided to return the bike I bought from Citybikes, I was extremely impressed by their selection, prices, and knowledge about bikes, and have since become an accessories and maintenance customer.
I came to Citybikes in search of a commuter bike. I wanted one that could handle the Portland weather, wouldn’t break my budget, and would go fast enough for long rides on the weekend. The problem is finding a bike that will do all of that, and not bend to pieces when you slam it down on a few root balls.
After much hesitation, I bought a Jamis sport bike from Citybikes. It was about $ 700 on sale. I rode it one time on my trail, and took it back. It was a nice bike, but it bounced around way too much on rough pavement, and I just couldn’t bear tearing it up on my commute.
Citybikes accepted my return without any issues. But instead of buying another new bike, I chose to buy a higher-​end, used Bianchi mountain bike on Craigslist. And because my experience at Citybikes was so pleasant, I decided to have them do the maintenance and repairs.
Citybikes did an excellent job repairing the front dérailleur on my Bianchi, and did it for less than $ 50. Overall, I am very pleased with both their work, and the accessories I bought from them. Citybikes is an outstanding cooperative that really tries to find the right solutions for Portland bikers, at the best possible prices.
I would recommend Citybikes to anyone who is remotely interested in biking. The cooperative atmosphere is perfect for beginners and experienced bikers alike.

Today after 20 years, I purchased a new bike. My first stop was at Citybikes, though Portland has many good bike shops. I was coming off a mountain bike I purchase used 20 years ago and going to a road bike.
After an initial chat with Andy, he guided me to a Jamis Quest. The bike suited me just fine and fit my budget. I took it for test ride, and was truly good with the find. An hour later, my gear was moved from my trusty old bike to my new wheels.
I am super pleased and highly recommend Citybikes to anyone considering new wheels from a local shop.

I had a really great experience with these guys. I mostly dealt with Hector who was incredibly friendly and helpful. I had some stuff added to the bike before I took it home and they were happy to throw stuff on for no labor charge. No hard sales tactics, he actually talked me out of spending more money on a few things. After I took it home I had a couple issues and brought the bike in to the other Citybikes location. I ran into Hector again and he was just as awesome as before. He worked really hard to make sure the bike was just to my liking before I took off, and for criminally cheap. He even put a kickstand on for me (yeah I know, very uncool but it’s my commuter bike and they’re handy dangit)! There are shops closer to me but I’ll definitely be back the next time I need something.

We had an awesome experience at the Citybikes Annex! We needed some minor adjustments to get Burning Man bikes ready for the playa. Brian and Mark were extremely helpful and kind. They couldn’t have been nicer, and we couldn’t have been happier with their generosity and expertise. (Plus it was a one-​stop shop for very affordable tubes, lube, tire wrench & a cushier seat.)
The whole interaction had the spirit of Burning Man… what a great way to kick off our adventure! Thanks, guys! (Additional thanks to the Citybikes Repair Shop, which was too booked to help on our short timeframe, but where the staff called over to the Annex to help us make that connection.)

City Bikes rocks my world! Nice people (including female mechanics) that will fix your bike or help you buy a new one. This shop is the happy middle ground between fixie bike snobs and Spandex yuppies.
I ride my bike often but am not a hard core cyclists (I get passed going up Williams). This shop makes me feel comfortable asking questions and getting help without worrying about using all the correct bike terms. And there are more ladies working here than most bike shops in town. And you they sell bike buckets and used parts. AND it is not pricey. What more could you want? A puppy? Because lately there has been a puppy behind the counter.

Awesome staff. Very helpful and willing to answer questions.
I took a bike for a test ride. I had many questions as i know very little about bikes. I was very happy to be there, and would go back.

This is an extremely helpful and knowledgeable shop! The staff is very nice and there is a huge variety of new and used parts very reasonably priced!

Citybikes operate from several key cycle path locations and as such have built up a good reputation for their work in the cycling community, and fortunately they have the skills and commitment to that to make it work. A well trained and cooperative staff are on hand to help where needed, and all work together to make Citybikes a solid recommendation.

I bought my KHS Urban Soul bike here but had it serviced some place else (since I live in the suburbs)
The big name chain bike shop I went to put the wrong size spokes on my bike, returned it dirty, and then they sold me tires that didn’t fit.
So I returned to Citybikes to service my bike and they restored my (cheap) bike to good working order and delivered it to me clean (unlike the big chain store) and in great shape./
I love the excellent customer service that Citybikes provides. And I love supporting a local business run by folks that truly love what they do and are committed to supporting bike culture.
I am a suburbanite who wants to do good but does not know how. But I do know that I can trust the folks at Citybikes to help me leave the car at home and pick up the bike.
I left Citybikes with a bike that feels solid and rides like the wind!

I have learned what is best to buy from various types of bike shops. If you want a well made internal hub gear bike fully out fitted, go to Clever Cycles. If you want a cheap new bike that is serviceable but not fancy/​with some low line parts, Performance will do the trick (even though I am not a fan of most of their selection).
If you want a good quality, real everyday use bike at a price you can afford, and (especially) no non sense gear… come to City Bikes.
You can confidently look over wool gloves that they know are better than all that expensive/​not very well insulating neoprene & Gortex stuff, shoe/​helmet covers for rainy days (I learned that Caradice has the best of the best shoe covers, they are made to last and do not look like a space man shoe cover), well made rain coats/​pants, and solid straight forward baskets. Plenty of locally made panniers & clothing options as well.
Essentially no gimmicks, good quality gear that a real-​world commuter or tourer can count on find right here in this cool worker owned cooperative shop. They leave a lot of the «what do I really need» guessing out of your quest for making riding a bike a useful everyday tool to get around and run errands.
Only suggestion I have. I was looking at a new commuter bike and was enticed with the steel KHS Urban Express that was geared as an upright commuter exclusively for this shop. This bike is priced just under 500 bucks, is steel, has a simple reliable/​if low line 7 speed derailer, has a lovely upright sitting position, and generally solid components.
However, to truly make it worth the nearly 500 coins and fit the mold of what a City Bike really is all about… it could use a set of standard Planet Bike fenders, a rear Planet Bike rack or better yet… a steel one with a clip, a bell, and a chain guard. People can purchase the lights of their choice, that would be simple enough/​not asking too much. «Then» it would be a primo deal on a good commuter bike.
For the price, you could find similar non steel ones on the market that include these basic city bike essentials standard and even some nicer components than the KHS made for this store.
Had this bike been 100 bucks less as City bikes equips it curently… or no more than $ 30 more with the equipment above I listed… I would have bought it instead of a Breezer fully outfitted with quality stuff straight from the factory, w/​some higher quality components than the KHS one at City Bikes… but about the same price as I would have paid had I added all these basic essential city bike needs.

I gotta say, I was impressed with the knowledge and customer service I got when I went in to Citybikes. They definitely knew their stuff. And I love supporting people living the change they want to see. It takes a lot of commitment to be part of a Co-​op and I feel a certain responsibility to support them.
I went in to outfit a commuter bike with lights, etc. The prices were great for the new stuff and they had a huge used selection (which saved me BIG bucks). I spent $ 32 for what would have cost me over $ 70 at REI. Cheap prices, knowledgeable peeps and the opportunity to contribute to a coop. I found my bike shop.

It was time to get my brakes fixed. That time actually should have been weeks ago, but yesterday on my way to a friends house my front tire started making weird noises. I realized that one of my brake pads had just about worn clean down. Not good.
Normally I would have taken my bike to the shop I bought it at, but their locations aren’t exactly convenient and I needed this job finished now. I was basically riding a bike with no brakes. No brakes, people. So very not good.
Citybikes is in my neighborhood. First I brought it to their shop at 19^th and Ankeny, but they were backed up. The woman suggested I go down to the second location as they would probably be able to help me out right away. On my way over there I realized how bad my brakes were. I had to put my foot down like Fred Flintstone would do to stop his car from moving. That was a bit scary. Again, not good.
Walked in and was immediately helped. The guy fixing my bike showed me a few brake pads that would work for my bike and I chose the ones he suggested. They did the work for me as I waited. It took a bit longer than I thought it would, but only because they wanted to get it right. There was a squeak in the front brake and they had some trouble getting it to stop, but they were ultimately able to fix it.
The one thing that I wasn’t happy about was that they tore my bike computer wire, so now I have to see if my friend can fix that. Other than that, I was satisfied and the overall cost was minimal. It is amazing how much better I feel on a bike with working brakes.

I went in there with my bike and they gave me great service with a cute smile! My bike needed some adgustments and I was going to have to wait, but I smiled big and batted my eyes and he dropped everything for me. Thanks for hiring hot staff who knows what their doing. Have a nice day.
–Kari

I read Ryan N’s review below regarding the prospective smarmyness that you could receive going to Citybikes, and even though I had a good experience, I can see where he’s coming from.
The people here fix bikes. That’s what they do. I don’t think they sell many bikes that often (and I know they can’t work on commission), because they don’t have that «I want to help you out and be super duper nice so you’ll buy something» mentality, which can sometimes come off as cheesy.
They have a modest selection of new bikes there, and a very small selection of used bikes (which I took a look at). But its a fun Portland shop worth visiting if you need something for your bike and you’re in the Doug Fir area.
Heidi let me use the shops tools to work on my bike (and even showed me how to change a tire). She had that laid-​back, «Meh» attitude, but didn’t show any annoyance whenever I asked her to check on my work.
Too bad the tire that I tried to put on the bike wasn’t the right size :[.
Oh, well. Heidi was apologetic and made sure my bike was okay before sending me off on my (kind-​of, not really) merry way.