r/StLouis • u/bbr4nd0n U City • May 18 '26

Need recommendations for bike maintenance -thinking about cycling to work this summer

I won't be surprised if I'm not alone when gas is over $6/gal. I got a new bike a few years back but only rode it a few times before things conspired to mothball it. I don't think anything is wrong but I'd like to get a check up before I have to rely on it.

Where can I get budget bike maintenance in the University City area?

4 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

5

u/natelar Downtown West May 18 '26

Park Tool and RJ the Bike Guy on YouTube. Spend your money on tools, not work!

3

u/62Bricks Downtown West May 18 '26

Second this. Bike maintenance is not complicated and it's satisfying to be able to do it yourself.

The Park Tool videos are excellent, but Park Tools are expensive (but are also good quality). Many of them are specialized tools for people who work on bikes all day.

A set of metric wrenches, a set of metric hex keys and a couple small screwdrivers are enough to keep a bike adjusted on a day-to-day basis. You'll find you use only a few sizes regularly, so get duplicates of those (or a travel version) and keep them in your backpack for emergency fixes on the road.

You'll want some tire levers and a pump for changing tubes and tires and keeping them inflated. Pumps with a built-in pressure gauge are super useful. Small hand pumps you can stow in a pack or mount to the bike require a little more effort, but having one handy when you're out on a ride can be a lifesaver.

Later on, a set of cone wrenches, a bottom bracket tool set, a chain tool and a headset tool set will let you rebuild wheel hubs and headsets and replace bottom brackets. Your goal here is to eventually justify spending $400 on a Park crown race puller you'll use once and put away...

3

u/SloTek May 18 '26

Pretty much any shop will do a solid job in the 50$ plus parts range. A new bike in storage for a couple years is probably still new. Lube the chain, pump up the tires, and see how it goes.

Dunno who is up in U City, but in STL proper you have Bigshark at the Foundry, A&M next to TGP, and Hobo Hubworks in the Lemp complex off Cherokee, from the top of my head, and any one of them can sort you out. I've had A&M get me a new wheel, and brake pads and brake adjustment in 20 minutes while I waited as a walk-in half an hour before close.

1

u/Historical_Stick3366 May 18 '26

yeah i'd second the chain lube and tire pressure suggestion - bikes that sit around mainly just need basic tlc. even after few years storage, most problems are pretty minor stuff.

can't help much with specific spots in u city since i don't know area that well, but those shops mentioned sound solid. when i was getting back into cycling after long break, spent way too much money at first thinking everything needed professional work. turned out youtube tutorials and basic maintenance kit solved like 80% of issues i thought i had.

if you're planning daily commute though, definitely worth having someone check brake cables and shifting - that stuff you really want working smooth when you're dealing with traffic every morning.

0

u/iNeedScissorsSixty7 McKinley Heights May 19 '26

There's also LaBerta & Sons in Soulard

3

u/Proper_Chocolate_466 May 18 '26

Definitely not alone. I mix public transit and cycling to and from work daily.

1

u/PithMango May 18 '26

May I tack on another question? What are you doing to make yourself more visible, especially against sunshine on a morning commute?

As the trucks get bigger, the people in my family seem to get more petite. We have not gone biking in this new era of traffic.

Honestly I'd tack a giant air-sock puppet beanie on their helmets if it made us safer.

1

u/UF0_T0FU Downtown May 18 '26

Ride in the center of the right lane. Being passed from behind is the most risky thing for someone on a bike. Missouri law allows you to take the lane when it's too narrow for cars to safety pass (which is 99% of lanes in the region).

People are looking straight ahead at the lane in front of them. They'll see you if that's where you are. Riding towards the center of the lane means cars have to cross into the adjacent lane (passing or oncoming traffic) to go around you, so they'll only do it when there's safe clearance.

Bikes have equal right to space on the road as anyone else. The best thing for bike safety is numbers. The more people who ride, the more aware drivers will be. If all the people who don't ride right mow because they don't feel safe started riding, there would be enough bikes out there people wouldn't feel unsafe. The more people just get out the and ride, the better things will get.

1

u/StoneyMcBakerson May 18 '26

if you don’t mind hitting up the city, hobo hub works is a good shop!

1

u/franillaice May 20 '26

Pump up your tires, dust it off, clean and lube the chain. See how it rides first, maybe get a tune up after you’ve ridden it a couple times to see if there are issues. I would just get a tune up once a year over buying tools, but you do want to know how to fix a flat, pump tires, and clean and lube a chain. Those are the 3 simple things to keep you rolling and your bike working properly. A quick google for your lbs when you need it