So what does Delicious Wheels do, you ask? Grand question! Let’s get to it:
Delicious Wheels is based in Seattle, Washington. I’m a mobile repair, consulting, and education service — that is, I go just about wherever you’d care to meet me. There are, of course, limits: first, I can only meet you in a space you have a legal claim to. This means we’ll need to meet at one of three places:
- A house. Doesn’t have to be yours, but the person who owns it must give consent directly to me. In person.
- A business. Again, doesn’t have to be yours, but I’ll need approval from somebody with enough authority to be giving it, like a manager or the owner.
- A public space. Like a park. Sure, most of the days in Seattle are rainy — but who doesn’t love a good day outside working on bikes?
The other limit is range: I’m doing my business by bicycle. I can only meet you someplace I can ride to, ideally in under an hour. I’m willing to go pretty far to help you out, but there may be a distance charge involved. (For more on this, see the Rates and Fees section.) Also, I’m towing, at times, a good hundred-or-so pounds of gear. I’m not the fastest thing there is , so I’m not the best emergency repair vehicle on the block — but you’re always welcome to call and see if I’m in your area. If I can help, I always will.
Once there, I can help you with a lot of things. Think of me as equal parts consultant, educator, and repairman. This list is in flux — expect it to change soon — but a sampling of things I’d love to do for you or am ideal for goes like this:
- Build you a new wheelset: Custom, hand-built wheels are wonderful in a way it’s hard to truly articulate. Having the perfect wheels for your purpose can make almost any bike ride better.
- Rohloff Conversion: The Rohloff Speed Hub is a marvel, and a perfect solution to many people’s ills. Any bike can take a Rohloff, though some more easily than others. Let’s talk about this one a lot — it’s expensive, but when it’s worth it, it’s the best thing there is.
- Buy or build a new bike or upgrade an old one: Outfitting a bike with parts you’ve chosen yourself is a deeply satisfying process — especially when I’m teaching you how to install all the parts yourself. A bike is the kind of thing you can build a deep, long-term connection with; whether we’re making something new or refreshing something old is less important than you putting your own sweat and energy into the choices along the way.
- Educate you: This is my favorite bit. I would love to teach you, your riding buddies, and/or your best friends and maybe even children how to fix a bike. Seriously, being able to fix your own equipment is amazing and liberating and empowering to the point where I write giddy run-on sentences in my eagerness to impart to you how wonderful I think learning this stuff really is. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
- Second opinions: I can be pretty useful for general fact-checking and perspective. I have some fairly robustly developed bike opinions, which I will happily share if asked. That said, I make a point of over-thinking most of what I believe, so you’ll always get both sides from me.
- The Garage-o-Bikes: Once I’m at your house, my hourly rate is really pretty low. Really, I only get expensive when I’m coming and going alot — my day rate is quite favorable, and I work fairly briskly. If you have a garage full of the family bicycles and they all need tuneups, it’s probably cheaper for me to come to you than for you to haul load after load to a shop.
- Parking at a Workplace: I’m happy to roll up, unpack my kit for a day, and fix bikes ’til the cow’s come home. This makes me pretty ideal for setting up at workplaces and, say, fixing all the bikes your employees ride to work on, or doing repair at any kind of event. And yes, I offer a lower rate for bulk purchases. (Again, see the Rates and Fees page.)
Speaking of both sides, I’m not your best choice for:
- Frame Repair: I can recommend an excellent shop to re-weld your bike, but I can’t do more than consult with you about what your frame might need. I can do minor frame alignment — derailleur hangars and drop outs, specifically — but much more than that… no.
- Emergencies: As said above, I’m slow. I also stock fairly few repair parts beyond some chains, a few rims, a tire or three and some tubes. I’m happy to help you — really I am — and you’re welcome to call me, but you might not get your hopes up too high.
- Parts Depot: Again, few parts in stock. You can always call me and see if I have what you need, but I probably dont.
