I had a similar experience as some others who have written. Cynthia came to my house to determine why my elliptical was making so much noise. She opened it up and said that I needed a new bearing. A couple of weeks later, she came to my house to do the repair and as she entered the front door, she said that the tool she needed to use to get to the bearing was broken, but she was going to try to do the repair anyway. After a few hours and a trip to the hardware store to try to find a new tool, she announced that she'd have to get her tool repaired before she could fix my elliptical. She then said, "I'm not sure how I'm going to charge you for today." I was rather surprised by this, and I said, "But you came here with a broken tool." That was all I said. I wasn't angry and I wasn't rude. She said she would contact me when her tool was repaired, but I never heard from her again, even though I left her several messages. I then called Gym Precision and asked them to come out and look at my machine. The guy came out (I can't remember his name at the moment) and I told him that my elliptical needed a new bearing. I was fully expecting him to tell me that he would have to order the part, but 30 minutes later he told me my machine was fixed. He said it just had a loose screw!!! He told me to give him a call if that didn't fix the problem, but it DID fix the problem! I would not trust Miss Cynthia. She's clearly trying to get as much money out of one repair as she can. read more

Gave our Precor Elliptical a tune-up. Now, I'm sweatin to the oldies like a rock star - albeit a somewhat fat rock star that likes to watch Richard Simmons. There ain't nothing wrong with that and don't let people tell you otherwise. read more

I found Cynthia at Rough and Ready repairs through recommendations on the Berkeley Parents Network. But when I researched her company on Yelp, I found a stellar review and a not-so-stellar review so I wasn't sure about calling her. But the BPN has never steered me wrong before so I took a chance and I'm really glad I did. (I later found out from Cynthia that the 1 star rating was a case of mistaken identity). Here's the scoop: after 1 1/2 years of great use, my treadmill motor began running hot and shutting down after only 25 minutes of use. I called a big name treadmill repair company (IF) and after four technician visits over three months and $400 in spare parts, I expected the problem to be solved. It wasn't. Frustrated, I checked the BPN where Cynthia came highly recommended. I called her, explaining I was looking for someone who *really* knew her/his stuff and could tell me what was wrong with my treadmill and/or why the multitude of spare parts I'd bought for it hadn't worked. Cynthia listened to my story of frustration and in a friendly and understanding voice she assured me she could do more than just swap out a defective part. She knew the ins and outs of motors, electrical systems and all other aspects of athletic equipment. If she couldn't diagnose the problem accurately, she said, she wouldn't charge me. You can't go wrong with that, so I set up an appointment. True to her word, Cynthia arrived on time, was very personable, professional and wasted no time in checking out my treadmill and accumulated parts. She quickly identified which motor was "good" (not the one I had in the treadmill), which one had a bad commutator (one of the new ones - grrr), which brushes to keep, which needed replacing and pointed out that there were some scorch marks on the (forgot the part name) due to electrical arcing in the motor caused by excessive energy draw. She explained what caused the excessive draw and informed me that it was a particular problem for the brand of light-duty treadmill I had. She also educated me on what kind of motor and electrical system I'd need when I was ready to upgrade to a machine that could better accommodate my moderate (4-6 hrs./week) workout needs. I was impressed she knew so much about energy draws and the available systems on the market that she could steer me in the right direction. I wished I'd talked to her before I'd bought my treadmill, she could have saved me hundreds of dollars. But after sinking so much into my current treadmill, I wasn't in a position to buy another one just yet, so until then, I needed a work-around. Cynthia gamely went to work on minimizing the electrical arcing (which was causing the overheating) as a short term solution and suggested how I might further reduce the load on my machine while still achieving my fitness goals. In summary, Cynthia accurately diagnosed what four other techs (from the big name company) had missed, clarified which spare parts were good and which weren't (and why), offered me a viable short term option and guided me toward a long term solution. I can't recommend her highly enough. If you want to get it done right the first time, call Cynthia. read more

Cynthia is a good communicator and gives honest advice, not what is best for her pocket book. She accessed my daughter's treadmill and said it was NOT worth buying parts and the fees for installation of those parts. Better to take that money in put it towards a newer treadmill. read more

Some years back, a part broke on our elliptical machine. This was a metal part which had broken from stress--part of the pedal assembly. Cynthia actually found somebody to weld the part to repair it. The repair has held up ever since. Recently, I asked her advice on repairing our aging machine. Rather than automatically booking a repair session and making some money, she researched the machine and gave me some great advice regarding whether to repair the machine or let it go and purchase a new one. This is the kind of repair work that nobody does anymore; and the kind of straight-talking advice that one would get from a trusted friend. Highly recommended. read more

We have a older Smooth treadmill (maybe around 10 years old) that shorted out and stopped last week. Because it's been such a good machine, we hoped we could get it fixed. Cynthia looked at it and discovered the elevation motor was burned out. The part is no longer available; It also needed a new circuit board and motor. That's about as bad as you can get, so we couldn't get it fixed if we wanted to. She gave me some recommendations for used treadmills, as well as what brands to avoid. I thought her charge for a service call was reasonable, considering she had to drive from Oakland to Mountain View and back. She's extremely knowledgable, and I highly recommend her if you have equipment that needs repair. read more

Cynthia was professional and went the extra mile to repair my elliptical machine. She found parts it needed, and she fixed deferred maintenance on our machine. I recommend her wholeheartedly and I'll call her again if I need repairs in the future. read more

Core Cat Pilates Studio is delighted to use Rough & Ready Repair for all of our small and large equipment problems. Cynthia is not only very professional and knowledgeable, but goes out of her way to help you navigate the process of getting parts. She spent time on the phone with tech support at Balanced Body to diagnose a tricky issue. She also helped me get more use out of my existing parts, and generally demystifed the mechanics of the Pilates reformers, Towers, Cadillacs and Wunda-chairs for me. I learned a lot about cleaning the equipment too -- what to use, what not to use; what to have on hand. I highly recommend R&R for your studio or home Pilates equipment needs. Thanks, Cynthia! read more

Our home treadmill started making this terrible sound (only two years after we bought it new), and I contacted Cynthia after finding her on Yelp to ask about repairing it. She responded right away, and proceeded to walk me through a bunch of steps to diagnose the problem. I was taken aback initially because she told me I could probably fix it myself, without paying her... not what I expect from most repair folks! With her patient assistance, including looking at photos of the guts of the treadmill that I texted to her, we determined that the drive motor belt had split because two of the pulleys were misaligned. Turns out that I can't fix this myself, so she explained where I could order the replacement parts (there are two big vendors online, so she advised shopping around for the best price), and she will come out for a site visit/repair once the materials arrive at our house. I highly recommend Cynthia because she was so generous with her time and expertise, all the while encouraging me to fix the problem myself if I could. I will update this review once I get the parts and she comes out to do the repair... so far I am extremely impressed. read more

I called Cynthia about repairing a treadmill, and she helped me figure out what I needed to do, and whether it was worthwhile repairing it, all on the phone. She is very knowledgeable, and very helpful, and I would feel complete confidence (even enthusiasm) having her repair my exercise equipment. read more

Cynthia texted with me to help me figure out what the problem with my elliptical might be..which helped a ton to consider whether I want to even have this fixed. I really appreciate her help before even hiring her to come out. I will definitely work with her in the future! read more

She's awesome! Helped me diagnose the problem with my treadmill over the phone. Extremely helpful. I have already recommended her to my family. Very patient and knowledgeable. She is the Go-to person for exercise equipment repair! read more

Cynthia did a great job figuring out what was wrong with our elliptical machine. It had been making an annoying thumping noise and I told my husband to get rid of it. But we thought we would see if anyone could fix it (even though the handy hubby tried doing it himself). I had an appointment set with another company and they ended up canceling on me and not even calling to reschedule. I found Cynthia on Yelp. Saw the great reviews and decided that it was worth the call. She is good about calling you back and she worked hard to complete the service. She is very likable and talented, and we felt very comfortable with her in our home. We will refer others to her and if you need a repair on any type of fitness equipment, give her a call. read more

Cynthia was really helpful she was good, fast and knows what she's doing I recommend this place 100 %

Cynthia, who owns Rough & Ready Repairs, was recommended to me by Sole, the manufacturer of my treadmill. I had an issue with my running deck, which she diagnosed in about 5 minutes. I was very happy with her work, and even happier that she performed it in a quick (always important when being charged by the hour) and professional manner. Cynthia's a total pro, and I recommend her and R&R to the highest extend possible!! read more

Cynthia is a true professional and it seems rare to find some one who really does a job right. Had her come out to the house to tune up my stairmaster and she did a great job and is extremely knowledgeable about the machine and the maintained and took the time to show me several aspects of my machine. read more

Cynthia serviced my treadmill. She provides overview of what has to be done, explains how to resolve issues, and how to prevent future maintenance problems. Business style scheduling for appointments, and she provides updates if any delays. Competent, thorough and affordable. read more

Called R&R a couple of days ago to see about fixing our NordicTrac treadmill. Got Cynthia on the phone who then went through problem-solving with me. After several back-and-forth phone calls, Cynthia laid out the potential diagnosis and made recommendations, including not fixing it but replacing it. She sounds very knowledgeable and gave me suggestions on good vs. bad brands of fitness equipment, places to look for a deal, etc. The woman knows her fitness machines! read more

I purchased a Smooth Elliptical machine that developed the need for warranty work. Smooth put me in touch with Rough and Ready Repairs. Cynthia (owner of Rough and Ready) contacted me and set up an appointment. Cynthia spent 45 minutes trying, unsuccessfully, to get the broken piece apart. She contacted Smooth and told them about the part she needed. Smooth did not send the correct part so she returned to my home and picked up the damaged part. She ordered the part from Smooth and had the part sent to her business. The part was on back order and she kept me updated on the parts expected delivery time. Cynthia returned with the necessary part, quickly installed it and my machine was working again. She also pointed out parts of the machine to lubricate once a year and provided the name of the lubricant. I am extremely happy with Cynthia's service and performance. read more

Terrific service for my elliptical trainer. Came to my home to trouble shoot, went to a great deal of trouble to contact the manufacturer to find replacement parts, came back to fix the machine. Another failure soon occurred in the electronics. Cynthia came back out, diagnosed a failed circuit in the new replacement part, was able to salvage an old circuit from the previously replaced part and - left me with a good as new trainer. I'm not easily impressed since I expect excellent service. But, this level of quality deserves a comment. read more

When my 10+ year old Sports Art recumbent bike went down, I believed I was faced with a new bike at 3 times my original cost. Yet after talking with Cynthia and working together using the smart phone video call, we were able to diagnosis the problem and she ordered parts and made the repair today in my home.. Excellent and straightforward repair person who gives you the honest assessment (good or bad) of the situation and how to proceed. I can only give unqualified praise for her skill, professionalism, and approach to repair. I am happy to report I only lost a brief period out of my exercise routine, due largely to the quick and personal response to my situation from Cynthia. You will NOT go wrong working with Cynthia. None of the negative reviews posted on YELP match the skill and quality of her or her work I experienced. I recommend ignoring negative reviews. I did and it worked for me. Due to her confirming the problem and making the repair, I saved a great deal of money in a full replacement for a cycle which was rather old but in excellent condition overall. read more

We used Cynthia to prepare three pieces of home exercise equipment for our recent move. She got everything ready for the movers, then came back a week later to reassemble it in our new home. Great workmanship and she also gave us lots of helpful advice for routine maintenance. We highly recommend her and "Rough and Ready". read more

When Cynthia returns your call and keeps an appointment, she is very good. But she is horrible at returning phone calls. I've been leaving her voicemails for more than two weeks and she hasn't returned any of them. I would call another repair person but she has parts for my treadmill that I need. I don't understand how someone can stay in business when they don't return phone calls. read more

I was searching for the address to send a note to Cynthia and saw these two reviews. I just have to add my comments -Cynthia came over numerous times to try to fix a professional model reconditioned elliptical track I had bought. It was still under warranty but had never worked. She finally concluded that there was something fundamentally wrong with the equipment and convinced the company from whom I had bought it to send me a replacement. The replacement works beautifully and I would have been able to straighten out this situation without her considerable help. She is honest, hard working and very knowledgeable about gym equipment. I highly recommend her. read more

I've never met Cynthia (proprietor of Rough and Ready), but I'm a fan. My out-of-warranty elliptical had a problem, and the manufacturer (Sole) gave me her name. I called her this morning, explained the problem, and made an appointment. But as we talked about the issue, she made some observations that actually enabled me to fix it myself (at least I think it's fixed...) I called back and cancelled the appointment, and she was very gracious. If the problem really isn't fixed, or when something else goes wrong, I'll definitely call her. read more

Cynthia was professional and reasonable. She fixed my exercise bike the day after I called, came on time, and charged me less than she'd estimated over the phone. Hard to expect more! read more

Just had my nine-year old treradmill repaired. Very cost-effective, excellent job. Would highly recommend this repair service.

Just had my Reebok treadmill repaired by Cynthia, the owner. She was able to diagnose the problem and fixed it right away. She gave me great advice on how to maintain my treadmill for the long term. She was so on top of it, very pleasant to work with and I was able to schedule her within a day. Also, extremely reasonable fee! I don't know what the one negative reviewer is talking about- cynthia's company didn't even work on her treadmill. My experience was nothing but positive and I'd use her services again in a heartbeat. read more

Cynthia Elliot has more integrity than most people I know. She has a passion for both her work and respect for her clients. She is impeccable in her work and is as polite as can be. She is also extremely considerate, focused and reasonable. I loved working with her. She worked on my Pilates equipment and resolved the issue I was having. I would hire her again in a heartbeat. She is a gem. read more

Since my treadmill was making weird noises, I contacted Cynthia. She quickly located the problem and then fixed it. Now it's quiet. She's thorough and knowledgeable about all kinds of fitness equipment. She also explains how to prevent future repairs and does a great job of cleaning the equipment and the surrounding area before she leaves the job. If somehow the problem comes back, she will promptly come back to do more repairs, usually at no extra cost unless other problems are found. I definitely recommend this company. read more

This is my first ever review on Yelp & I must say that the service provided by Cynthia, the owner and technician of Rough & Ready, made me sign up for Yelp account to write a review. She was very professional & courteous & took care of the job in less than 30 minutes. I had a wire snap on one of the handles on my Sole E35 elliptical machine and Cynthia took a few things apart, ran the replacement wires back through the handles and fixed the problem. I highly recommend her for any of your fitness equipment repair needs! read more

I met Cynthia in my search for a treadmill. She was selling a pair of used treadmills for a small hotel who is a client of hers. Although I didn't end up buying the machine from her, I found Cynthia to be straightforward and very knowledgeable about exercise equipment. I would trust her with repairs in the future. read more

What a great experience. Cynthia and I talked on the phone prior to her coming to look at our treadmill that had stopped working. After asking a few questions, she informed me that it simply wasn't worth the cost of repairing our old machine. Very refreshing to have someone so honest - she even is sending me some recommendations on new treadmills based on her experience - thanks so much! read more

Cynthia is the best. She's been at this a long time and she knows her stuff. She offers helpful and excellent advice that can save you money. She is reliable and works with customers. Highly recommended for any kind of fitness equipment that needs repair. read more

we have used Rough and Ready repairs 3 times in the past 2 years. She was prompt and fixed my treadmill and stair stepper for the price quoted. read more

We bought an elliptical machine for a really good price from someone who never really used it. However, through lack of use, it needed some upgrading and repair. We called Cynthia, of Rough and Ready. We thought she only worked for gyms and the like. She came over to our home and she did a great job. She was so nice, gave us a quote on price and time, and did the repairs. The thing has worked great ever since. It's so nice to have someone who comes with trusted referrals, provides great service and was very professional and nice. Later, I was talking to some friends, RANDOMLY, and learned that they had used her too...what a small world, and they were very happy as well. I recommend her and her company highly. Lisa L read more

Wow, that was $100 extremely well spent. On the strength of her Yelp reviews, I called Cynthia on the 4th of July; she was at my place the next morning (i.e., this morning). She diagnosed my problem quickly, helped me determine that my elliptical machine was still under warranty, and spent 20 minutes on the phone with Nautilus customer service making sure warranty service and replacement parts were on the way. Then she put my poor, noisy machine back together and assured me it was fine to use if I can stand the noise (I can). Swift and detailed diagnosis aside, I would have paid the hundred bucks just for the customer-service wrangling. On a more feminist-dorky note, yay for independent woman-owned businesses! read more

Cynthia is fantastic. She is responsive and gets the job done. She came out to fix my versaclimber. She charged me less than her estimate but did end up needing to take it to her shop. She took it and fixed it. It is running great. My husband was home when she dropped it off and she would not accept payment until after I was able to test it out and was sure my concerns with the machine had been addressed. I would use her again and would recommend her to anyone. read more

Once again, Cynthia to the rescue! Over the years I have called Cynthia for various problems with my treadmill. What amazes me most is the amount of time she spends troubleshooting over the phone. Only once has the repair required a home visit. The other times she has literally walked me through the necessary steps not just to resolve the immediate problem, but also to provide maintenance suggestions to ensure its continued smooth operation. You just can't find this customer service anywhere else. Seriously, if your exercise equipment needs anything, call Cynthia first! read more

Cynthia worked with me by phone, limiting a house visit to only one. At that visit she confirmed, after taking it apart and checking the wiring, the fact that I needed a new computer for my Smooth Elliptical. She ordered the part and game me a choice: I could attempt to install it myself (she showed me how), or she would come out to install it. When I received the part, I couldn't connect it because two female parts wouldn't connect. She called Smooth and inquired about it, then called me to tell me how to connect adaptors to make it work. What could have been 3 house visits remained as one, because of the willingness on her part to take the time to save me the cost of another visit. Five Stars is a no-brainer here! Thanks, Cynthia! read more