To save us both a little bit of time, here is a list of your most commonly asked questions. You’re welcome 🙂
“Are you open?”
Current open “drop-in” hours are Sat 9a-3p and Sun 2-6p. Weekdays by appointment only. Text 503.908.3569 to make an appointment. Closures are announced on the front page of this website, google, and our Instagram account.
“Can you fix my bike?”
Most likely! If you just need a flat tire fixed and it’s during open shop hours, roll on in. For larger jobs (tune-em-ups, brake service, etc), please email us or text ‪503-908-3569‬ to make an appointment for drop-off service. Feel free to contact outside of open hours.
“Do you fix (Specialized, Trek, Giant, etc.) brand of bikes?”
The brand of bike is – typically – not that important. We will work on most bikes and, statistically speaking, there is a 98.1% chance that we can work on your bike too.
“I bought parts somewhere else. Will you put them on my bike?”
Yes, but for a la carte parts installs, there will be a 50% up-charge. For tune-ups, the normal a la carte install service charge will be added to the price of the tune-up. Upcycles understands that you can buy bicycle parts lots of places and you are free to do so. However, buying & selling bicycles parts is the easiest money we make as a small business. Installing and adjusting parts is, relatively speaking, both much more difficult and much more time consuming. When you ask us to install a part purchased elsewhere, you ask us to to forego the easy money to only make the hard money. Not a good deal for us. This up-charge for customer-provided parts is – we believe – a reasonable compromise.Â
“How do you feel about electric bikes (e-bikes)? Do you work on them?”
For a short time, eBikes were a big part of the business at Upcycles. As of 2026, current ownership thinks eBikes are not good. There’s a lot to unpack on the topic, but basically, there are real accessibility issues that a quality eBike can resolve, but the vast majority of people riding eBikes are able-bodied people who just want to go faster and do less work, and the majority of eBikes on the road are egregiously unsafe. Faster, more convenient, etc are values of capitalism than many individuals living under capitalism have internalized, and that’s for those individuals to sort out. I don’t want anything to do with eBikes. Bikes are much better. Bikes cost less money, need less maintenance, are more “green,” are better for the rider’s and mechanic’s health and safety, etc. eBikes, on the whole, are a mistake, and I think it’s only a matter of time till more people agree with me on that point. If I’m wrong, oh well. There will still a place in this world for real, human-powered bicycles, and that’s what I’m here for. I also reserve the right to change my mind if/when I choose to.
“My bike is making this (creaking, squeaking, ticking, knocking, etc.) sound when I pedal, can you fix that?”
Probably! Please email us or text ‪503-908-3569‬ to make an appointment for a safety check. With many years of listening to the sounds that bikes make, we can usually figure out the source of the problem.
“My tires just need air; can I come pump them up? How much is it?”
For sure, come in anytime to pump your tires up. We don’t charge people for using the floor pump, but we do charge for our time. If we do the pumping, $10. If you pump, $FREE$
“Will you just oil my chain?”
Yes, for $10. You can buy a bottle of lube for around the same price and we’ll even tell you how to use it, no extra charge.
“You’re called Upcycles…so, like, you guys just fix up old bikes & stuff?”
We started the shop in 2010 with a love of bringing old bikes back to life, and we still work on many vintage rides that get wheeled in through our door. From time-to-time, we may even have a select few used bicycles for sale, but the bulk of the business as of 2025 is service of customer bikes and sale of new bikes.Â
“Do you {pause} BUY bikes?”
No. Your best bet is to sell it on Craigslist. If you’ve got a bike you just don’t want, you can gift it to the shop. The City of Portland treats shops that buy bikes as pawn brokers and it’s just not a world we want to enter at this time.
“Do you have any kids bikes?”
Yes! We are a dealer for woom bikes.
“Do you take credit cards? Apple Pay? Samsung Pay?”
Yes, we take all major credit cards including Discover and AmEx, as well as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.Â
“What are the bike things you won’t do?”
We don’t bleed DOT fluid brakes (mineral oil 100% welcome), and we don’t install Tannus tire liners. Yuck to both. We generally are not set-up to service full-suspension mountain bikes, but we may be able to do specific repairs on them. As of 2025, we are not tubeless tire experts, but we are dipping our toes in the sealant. Otherwise, we’re generally game, but in some cases, you might be better served elsewhere. Got a specific problem? Email us or text ‪503-908-3569. If Upcycles can’t help, we’ll at least try to point you in the right direction.