Equipment Repairs

We've been fixing bikes on Periwinkle Way for 41 years. If you're here for a week and something breaks on Tuesday, you don't want the bike back on Friday — so most of what comes through the door goes back out the same day.

Free air, anytime

Come by and top up your tires whenever you like, at no charge. You don't need to be a customer and you don't need to ask. We're at 2353 Periwinkle Way, open 9am–5pm, seven days a week, with free parking.

Soft tires are the most common reason a ride goes badly on this island, and they're the easiest thing in the world to fix.

Who's working on your bike

Our lead mechanic, Kevin, has been turning wrenches for 20 years. He's seen every way a bicycle can fail in a salt-air climate, and he's the reason most repairs here get done properly the first time rather than quickly and again next month.

Nothing gets worked on until we've quoted it and you've agreed. If we open something up and find more than expected, we call you. No surprises at the counter.

Tune-up and full service

A 27-point lubrication, a full clean, brakes brought into equilibrium, and front and rear derailleurs indexed.

Turnaround: 24 to 48 hours. Parts and any additional repairs are extra, and always cleared with you first.

Repair prices

Most of these are same-day.

Bike assembly

Bought a bike online? We'll build it properly — assembled, adjusted, torqued to spec and safety-checked before it leaves.

Trikes are the ones worth paying for. A boxed trike involves rear axle alignment, differential setup and brake balancing across two rear wheels, and getting any of it wrong makes the trike pull, drag or handle badly. It's several hours of work and it's where most home assemblies go wrong.

The same applies to e-trikes, with motor and wiring routing on top.

Bring us the box — call (239) 472-5577 first so we can schedule

We service e-bikes

Full e-bike service is $120, and a rear flat is $75. The rear flat costs more than a standard one for a reason — on most e-bikes the motor sits in the rear hub, so the wheel has to come out around the motor and its wiring rather than simply dropping free.

We work on e-bikes daily. Our whole rental fleet is Aventon, so they're familiar machines here.

Is a wobbly wheel worth fixing?

Usually, and sooner rather than later. A wheel that's out of true rubs the brake pads, wears them unevenly, and puts uneven tension through the spokes — which eventually starts breaking them. Truing at $50 is considerably cheaper than a rebuilt or replaced wheel.

If your brakes drag once per revolution or the rim visibly wobbles between the pads, bring it in.

Should I pay $50 for a thorn-resistant tube?

On Sanibel, often yes. Sandspurs and thorns along the path edges are the most common cause of flats we see, and a standard tube at $30 that fails twice costs more than a thorn-resistant one that doesn't.

Here for a week? The standard tube is fine. Live here and ride regularly? The upgrade usually pays for itself within a season.

How long will it take?

Most repairs: same day. Flats, cabling, chains, shifters, truing — bring it in and there's a good chance you're riding again that afternoon.

Full tune-ups: 24 to 48 hours. It's a 27-point service and it isn't worth rushing.

In peak season, December through April, call ahead if you're on a tight schedule.

Can't get the bike here?

$25 pick-up, 1 to 20 bikes. One bike with a flat, or an entire rental property's worth. Useful for vacation rental managers, condo associations, and anyone without a rack.

Living on Sanibel: what salt air does to a bike

Rinse it. If your bike goes near the beach, fresh water on the frame and drivetrain afterward does more good than anything else. Salt carries further inland than people expect.

Chains go first. A rusted chain wears the cassette and chainrings with it, turning a $60 job into a much larger one. Lubricate more often than you would elsewhere.

Cables seize inside the housing. Shifting gets stiff and braking gets vague long before anything actually breaks.

Tires perish in the sun. A bike stored outdoors here ages faster than its mileage suggests. Check the sidewalls before a long ride.

Once a year is about right for a bike ridden regularly on the island. Before season is the sensible time — we're quieter, and you start the winter with a bike that works.

Used bikes

We keep a seasonal selection of used bikes for anyone ready to replace rather than repair. If a repair is going to cost more than the bike is worth, we'll say so — and show you what we have.

Need something to ride in the meantime?

We rent bikes from $13 a day and e-bikes from $50. See bike rentals and e-bike rentals.