Recyclistas Bike Shop — Bicycle Store in Victoria

Reviews of Recyclistas Bike Shop

• Devin

  Added 2015.07.02

  I had a slow leak in my mountain bike tire compliments of a box staple, and decided to call Recyclistas to see if they happened to have a 27.5+ tube in stock as they are the closest shop to me and also the only ones open at the time. To my surprise the guy checked and said they do have one, and after confirming with him that it was a 27.5 Plus/650b 2.8-3.0 tube I rode over there to pick it up. My girlfriend and I walked in and felt immediately uncomfortable with the employee and what I assume were two customers glaring at us like we didn't belong. I know it can be shocking to see a clean-cut, gainfully employed heterosexual white couple without so much as a facial piercing in a nest of perpetually offended gluten-free fedora enthusiasts, but despite being the cause of all your problems my privilege allows me to overcome that and give you my business anyway. I mentioned that I called about the 27.5+ tube and he produced a 650 x 18/23c tube. I'm not a bike expert by any means but I recognized the "650" anyway and thought maybe it was a metric equivalent or something. The box seemed a little small for what is a pretty big mountain bike tube but what do I know... evidently it was still more than this guy. He seemed hesitant to hand it over until I forked over the $9 as if I was going to take off with it and risk a criminal conviction over the cost of a McDonald's breakfast sandwich. I thanked him and quickly left to avoid being subjected to the "music" they were playing any longer. It like was one of those bands that they think is cool until it becomes popular, except this one had no hope of ever becoming popular. Once I was outside I opened the box and it was immediately obvious that this was not the right tube for my bike, more suited to a granny go-getter type of machine you see parked out front of The Bottle Depot. I went inside and told him it wasn't going to work, and after coming outside to look at my bike he said he would double-check "and give you some type of store credit if we don't have it". This is where I began to get suspicious, but I gave him the chance to make it right. He checked over his stock of tubes again and nope, sorry but we don't have it. No problem, I'll just take my money back and buy it somewhere else. Well apparently Recyclistas doesn't do that, and after asking if there was anything else I'd like to buy instead and offering me a "voucher for next time" I politely told him that there won't be a next time if he doesn't give me my money back. I can understand a no-returns policy for a place that sells a lot of used/possibly stolen bike parts and that sort of thing, but not for a brand new part in the box, that I had outside for all of 15 seconds and that I have absolutely no use for because he gave me the wrong one. So, I tell him I'll give you the tube and the $1 change you gave me, and you can give me the $10 bill I gave you and we're all good here. "Well, we don't really do that." ... "Well, yes actually, you will. I don't need anything else from here, what I need is that $10 back to go buy what I need from somewhere else." He reluctantly agrees and opens the register and hands me $1 (math is hard). After pointing out that he still owes me $8 we were all squared away and off I went. I think in the future I will just put up with a leaky tire before trying to do business with a place that benefits from capitalism by day, and protests it by night.
• Emma

  Added 2014.05.06

  Furthermore, my boyfriend went into the shop a couple times because I talked about how much I enjoyed the bike I bought there, and he did not have a great experience. The most recent time he went in, there were no customers around and only one guy working. All he was wanting to do was inquiry about a new bike or building a custom one. The guy working asked him to wait 10 minutes as he was servicing a bike and "couldn't focus on more than one thing at a time". Although, it appeared that this was a task that could have been stopped and picked back up again later. In the end it had been over 20 minutes and the guy still wasn't done, so my boyfriend just left. All in all we probably won't be going back.
• Benjamin

  Added 2014.01.06

  Bought a bike here a few months ago and took it back the past weekend for it's first servicing. After they finished I was biking away and about 5 minutes later noticed my rear tire was completely flat. Even when I first got on the bike, something felt different/off, so I think the tire was pretty flat initially. The shop was closed at that point so I couldn't even take it back. All I know is when I took it in the air pressure in my rear tire was fine. When I inspected later I found a puncture in the tube that was leaking air super quickly. I find it surprising that the mechanic did not check that before giving it back. If they would have put air in the tire they definitely would've noticed how rapidly it was lost.
• Joshua

  Added 2013.12.28

  I considered the possibility that I may have ridden over something on the Galloping Goose but the puncture was actually on the inside of the tube.
• Gavin

  Added 2013.09.21

  Need anything for your bike? Come here first. Amazing selection of used parts, great prices on everything and the friendliest staff of any bike shop I've ever been to. They also have classes and affordable rates for l kinds of repairs. So lucky to have this place in town.
• Alejandro

  Added 2013.07.17

  So helpful and the best prices in town. I had them recommended to me when I was a student and I desperately needed a new rear cassette on my bike. They were great and I've been recommending them to friends ever since.
• Carter

  Added 2013.05.23

  Incredible unique institution. The people of Victoria are lucky! They share knowledge and honor every product they sell. Cannot recommend anywhere else. Your one stop bike shop! Wish we had this in Ontario!