Recycled Cycles

I picked up a used bike on craigslist and brought it here to get it fixed up to my taste. I had some ideas (certain handle bars, toe clips, bar end shifters etc). It turned out awesome, and the guys there were very helpful.

Nice, honest, helpful staff — how can you ask for more? I bought a cute rusty old bike for $ 20 from Goodwill. I decided to swing by to make sure the bike was safe to ride. The first guy came out and helped to wrangle the bike out of my backseat. The mechanic examined it, made a few small fixes (replaced a missing bolt, oiled the chain, cut off an old lock) and sent me on my way for no charge. Definitely going back for future bike needs!

Of the 5 stores I went to, both Recycled Cycles locations had the best selections and the best service. Ended up buying two Kona bikes at the Fremont location.

These guys are just all around fantastic. I regularly need help with stupid stuff, like «hey I can’t get this tire back on the rim» or more particular things like upgrading components and they’re always like, yah, cool, done. And then they help me get it back in my tiny car because I’m wearing four inch heels and look like a moron trying to wrestle a hippo into a beer fridge. Ugh, so awkward.
Anyways, they’re great and you should give them a shot if you need any service done. They’ll troubleshoot with you, make suggestions, offer advice, not look at you stupid when you don’t remember the size of your tires, anything to make sure you’re getting what you need and it’s all to your liking. good people.

Recycle Cycles (Fremont) has excellent customer service about 60% of the time and the other 40% can be the guy who clearly hates his job, maybe life or you.
Technical product knowledge:
You should be able to drop in and have a person who knows vs. «our mechanic will be back Monday» sort of response. For 95% of the clientele, they’ll get good advice.
Product selection:
I was surprised they even had some FMX and BMX bikes in the mix, pretty rare. Commuter cyclists and enthusiasts should enjoy the selection while those of a racing pedigree or gravity mountain bikers should look towards more of those type of specific shops.
Service:
Call and schedule if possible. Turn around times are a couple days if you prepare accordingly. For example, don’t expect to be squeezed in if there’s the Group Health Seattle to Portland or CBC RSVP bike ride coming up.
Used parts:
Amazingly good in the mountain bike department and the pricing is pretty stupid dirt cheap in comparison to it’s Boat Street branch. Road bike parts are good too but know what you’re looking for or bring in your bike to remove all the guesswork. The shop guys will help you pretty easily.
Parking:
The parking lot is good for a Honda Fit and not good for the Chevy Tahoe sized SUVs. There is street parking.
Best time to go:
On a weekday before 2 – 3 PM.
This place would earn five Unilocal stars if:
The customer service was consistently spectacular. It’s not an issue if you’re inept to bikes, it’s more a problem when the guy comes across like he’s there for just a paycheck.

The staff at RC is amazing! They are so friendly and knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. We had the pleasure of working with Darian who gladly devoted over an hour to us biking noobs. They have tons of bikes and accessories in stock and are honest in their business practices. This shop has our respect!

Great selection of used bike parts. I was looking for some new pedals and came out with a great pair for $ 10. I will be visiting again.

Awesome, helpful service without the pretentiousness of a lot of bike shops. Great selection of cheap, used bike parts as well as reasonable service rates. Will be coming here again in the future.

Omg I love this place. Staff knows their stuff down to my super specific request for special components — after we ran down a list of what 3 other shops told us was impossible — these guys showed me 4 options to test ride and didn’t rush me even though they were closing on a Sunday!
I’m going back in a few days because they’re building up a bike in my size just so I can test ride it. Will post pics of the final choice!
Top notch customer service and knowledge.

A really good bike shop. Plus, a great place to get a first road/​mountain/​commuter bike. Double plus, the easiest place to go to buy used parts (I’ve bought pedals, stems, tires, cranksets, seatposts as needed from here during my 9 year stint at UW). The staff are focused on helping you out and will give you all kinds of practical advice from their own experience. The mechanics have always been cool. Shoutout to Annie, every time she has done an outstanding job. The excellent explanations about my disc brakes is what pushed me over the edge to write this review :) Plus, I think Todd on the floor is a helpful+nice fella.

The staff here is really helpful, and the repairs are fast.

Recycled Cycles is a good entry point for bicyclists not yet ready to commit in full to the Lycra lifestyle. They take pride in their repair work and are willing to spend the time listening to you to find the best fit for your needs.
Their selection of new bikes is somewhat limited, but in a way that fits the scope of their customers needs. Their offerings are geared towards the urban cyclist and/​or commuter who wants a good bike but isn’t trying to shell out the big bucks or win Le Tour de France.
If you are willing to lurk for a while, they do have great deals on used bikes. I purchased my fourth bike from the Fremont location after I visited the U-​district location and looking for a bike that was ultralight with high-​end components, and still comfortable on endeavors like the ~200 mile STP ride. So not a full carbon frame. Adam (I think his name was…) said they didn’t have anything like that new, but asked me if I’ve ever heard about titanium frames. I hadn’t. He said there was one at the Fremont shop and I should try it, because when else would I ever get the chance to try one? Try it I did.
Buy it, I did.
Don’t be afraid of asking questions. The salesmen were patient and explained a few things that I didn’t know about. Dudes who work at bike shops love talking about bikes, whodathunkit? I got to talk with the mechanic who worked on the bike and rebuilt one of the wheels, and his quiet pride in his handiwork makes me feel as safe as you possibly can while whizzing alongside cars with nothing but your bike, a helmet, and the open road in front of you.
Oh, and a few potholes. Avoid those.
Recycled Cycles won’t take all your money, and sometimes they will even talk you out of purchases that you think you want, but actually don’t. They will, however, give your bike great care at a very reasonable price.

I’ve been commuting by bike for over a year, first on a cruiser, then on a mountain bike, because I could only afford to use what. I have. The guys at Recycled Cycles would nod in sympathy whenever I’d stop in to ask about used bikes for under $ 500 but they never had anything. Until Paul, max, and another awesome guy who’s name I don’t know. I stopped in after a ride last week and talked to them. They understood my need for a better bike but also (and most importantly) my restricted budget. The very next day after I gave them my info, I got a call that a used bike was there for me! And when I went to look at it, it was BELOW what I was expecting and IN my budget!
I’ve been riding the new bike for a week and did a 26+ mile jaunt on it today. Incredible. Thank you all SOOO much for helping me find what I needed and within my budget!!! You guys are awesome!

recycled is awesome ! the guys are super helpful, patient, and are very generous with their knowledge and expertise. I had the shop install some new parts and upgrades to my commuting bicycle. they did great work and the price was very reasonable. thanks guys!

Love this place, and bought my new bike here, but it’s REALLY hit or miss. Most of their folks are really friendly and helpful, but a few act like it’s a big imposition for them to help anyone who’s not at their level or a sponsored pro rider (dude, stop asking me «is that it?» or telling me that something I want isn’t necessary, and try «can I get you anything else?»).
A good friend said he went into Fremont shop to get a new bike for his son, and the guy copped attitude and said «that really isn’t what I do.» He left and isn’t going back.
Boat St shop seems much more friendly than Fremont location. Boat St patiently prepped a half dozen bikes for an hours worth of test riding, and I walked out with a $ 1400 bike. Went into Fremont the next day, and Avanian couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. Sucks!

Walked in not knowing a thing about bikes. I had visions of some 19 year old hypster making me feel stupid and uncool the whole time. Very opposite. I was asked many questions to find the right bike, and when we did… I was asked to ride it up and down the street so my sales associate could watch me ride, to make sure it fit my body right. And it didn’t, so we got the next size. She took like an hour with me I swear, with the bike and accessories (who doesn’t need at least 20 minutes to decide on a helmet?! This is a major life decision!) Although I spent twice what I thought I would, I was happy about it… because I got everything I wanted and more. Highly recommend this shop to all variations of cyclists.

The service really is so friendly. I came in to buy a gift for my boyfriend, I had a small budget and was a little embarrassed about that. One of the floor guys was super helpful and led me to a great, affordable gift in seconds.

Recycled Cycles is an excellent shop for nearly all of your cycling needs (they don’t sell hand cycles, so they don’t meet all of my cycling needs). This location is even closer to the Burke Gilman than the Boat Street location.
My partner buys all sorts of miscellaneous parts here, and I typically get items such as grip tape or tubes.
If you’re interested in a bike and aren’t sure what you want, come in and check them out! They’ll be able to offer advice (people who work at bike shops generally love bikes & enjoy talking about them). If you’re not sure if cycling is your thing, I think it’s a great idea to start with a used bike and save some cash (and if you’re totally into cycling you’ll likely score a great deal as well).

I did not buy my bicycle here because since it was late summer they were low on stock. However, I do get all of my maintenance done here because they price things fairly and are the NICEST!
They have used tires for sale and are honest about the quality. I think I got some for $ 5. CHEAP. I also bought my bike bell here, my helmet, and pump.
Matt is always very friendly. They ALL are! I feel confidant that they know what they’re doing and they are really good about keeping my budget in line.

The new Fremont location is a regular chip off the ol’ block of the U-​District location, featuring friendly, knowledgeable staff and a modest selection of new and used cycles and gear, with a very pronounced focus on urban cycling clothes and accessories.
But I gotta go with three stars for now because the selection is so modest you’re likely looking at a trip out to the original location if you’re looking for anything remotely unique. I’m sure they seeded the used section with overflow from the old store, but it doesn’t look like it turns over very frequently.
Regardless, it’s great to see another local small business not just surviving, but thriving enough to expand to a second location, and it’s a great addition to that little section of east Fremont that’s been slowly reinventing itself in recent years.