I've used the Bike station before and always been happy with the service but today was above and beyond. I noticed a puncture as I set off for work, so pushed my bike to the Bike Station, but it was closed. It was Monday morning and I saw on the sign that the shop didn't open until Wednesday. A member of staff from another branch happened to be there dropping off some bikes and asked if I was ok. When I explained about the puncture, he opened up the shop and replaced the inner tube and tyre for me and also oiled some parts of the bike that needed done, all whilst waiting. I can't thank Mark enough for offering to help on his day off, what an amazing service! Lynsey read more

When buying a second hand bike, the one thing you want to be assured of is quality. Such bikes can be rusty, slow and not especially good - the last thing you want to be doing is buying a bike with dodgy brakes and in risk of breaking. Thankfully, there is a solution; Bike Station sells not only cheap, but also high quality bikes (they'll also recycle any unwanted bike you have but don't want) - in this respect they cannot be faulted. After my last second hand bike fell apart after just a few months use I was about to give up on second hand bikes, but the quality here is first class and still very good value. Upon arriving at Bike Station, you'll see a sign in the street pointing you into a small car park. Here, in what is really just a glorified garage you'll find Bike Station. On Saturdays (Fridays for kids bikes) from 10:30 till 4:30 you can buy second hand bikes and on Wednesdays 4pm till 8pm and Saturdays 12pm to 4pm you can hire a work stand for £4 to fix your own bike. Throughout all these three times you can also buy second hand parts. In short, this place is well worth a visit, whether you are a bike lover wanting to mend your bike or someone who just wants a second hand bike that won't break. The service here is excellent and the quality cannot be faulted - if only all second hand bike sellers were this good I wouldn't have spent money on a bike that's now broken. read more

The Bike Station - Bikes Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

If you want a second-hand bike, and own a fold-up chair, this is the shop for you. PRICE: Excellent bikes, stripped and rebuilt to a high standard are available for pocket money. Parts are also available for tuppence. QUALITY: Mixed. You could find a bike here that is in top condition or you could find a banger that really ought to have been scrapped. Parts are found here in varying conditions. CHOICE: If you arrive on a Saturday morning at the crack of dawn, you still won't have any choice. You can often get backed into a corner by the pressure of the waiting masses behind you, and there will only be an arbitrary selection of perhaps thirty or so bikes. Plenty of old parts and spares though. SERVICE: Staff can be helpful, but are often rushed off their feet. Problems will start to occur if you are not happy with the bike you got from them. Don't expect someone to fix your bike for you, as that isn't what The Bike Station is all about. It is about quarter past seven. The sun's light has just started warming you up and you know there are another three hours to wait before you can even start to think about getting into the shop. You have become bored of every little bit of stone around you and the three or four people in front are leaning on each other to sleep. You wish that you had brought a chair of some kind, or a duvet. Or breakfast. Just before 10.30 you look back up the line of punters waiting optimistically for their dream bike, and see that the queue stretches back out onto Causewayside and down the road. Finally you start to shuffle into the shop and you know that you have to grab a bike quick. The owners may only let in ten or so people at a time, but that doesn't stop those in front finding a better bike before you can. You swing your head from left to right hoping to see a relatively new Dawes Galaxy or another nice Reynaulds frame but as you near one prospective bike it is grabbed by someone who sneers at you like they have won a great prize. You look around in desperation and quickly grip the frame of an old roadie that doesn't look too shabby but has a few terrible and bent fittings. You take it for a test run, spend the whole time convincing yourself that it is perfect for you and then you depart with some of your cash. "It is only £65" you think to yourself but you know that it is money that could go in a kitty for a better, newer and ultimately more suitable bike. Sound terrible? Sadly this is what happens at this place. Better organisation could avert it, but as yet, this Saturday morning (if you go, turn up at least before 8am) bull-run continues. Not only do you often end up with a less-than-worth-it bike, but if you try to take it back saying things like "could I swap it for another" they will reply by saying that you donate the bike to them (this is how they get the bikes initially) and purchase another on the following Saturday. Opening hours for collecting parts and getting advice are limited too. The Bike Station is run primarily by volunteers, but this results in a limited commercial entity with many problems. Staff confidence is another, and you often come out of the place feeling that the staff knew as much or less than you did when you went in. On the other hand, if you want some cheap spares, this place is brimming with them. Shelves, drawers and pots of generally sorted bits and bobs are all over the place, and you can get on with finding them in your own time. Staff are friendly, and if you are unable to find a part they will ask around the other mechanics to see if they can help. The shop also plays excellent music, curiously, and I am always pleasantly impressed when I hear tunes in a variety to parallel my own manic music library. I have mixed feelings about this place. All I can suggest is to try it out for yourself, even the Saturday madness, and just avoid being forced into a buy. Definitely try here first for spares of all types. read more

The Bike Station - The Bike Station - Bikes Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I'm afraid my opinion falls somewhere between the first two reviewers, so I don't know if I will be off much help First of all I disagree that the Bike Station, a volunteer run bike repair, and second hand shop, staff are not very helpful. I found them very helpful and knowledgeable, though that comes from someone with little to knowledge of bikes. I also saw them discussing in length some problems another customer had, who clearly did know a thing or two about bikes. However I do have to agree about the waiting times. The idea behind the bike station is that you come along on a Saturday morning, queu up, then when its your turn you pick your bike. I waited in line for two hours with my friend and when we finally got inside the shop there were about ten bikes left, none of which were suitable. A big disappointment. But they did give us some advice and answer questions we had and I did end up picking up a helmet and other accessories. If you have repairs or advice this is a definite place to check out. If you are looking to buy a cheap second hand bike and you don't mind ques, then give it a go, just be aware to the complete hit or miss nature of The Bike Station. read more

The Bike Station - Bikes Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

After purchasing a duff bike from an emigrating friend (which was super cheap and came with plenty of accessories so I shouldn't complain) I needed to do two things: 1. Dispose of said bike and 2. Buy a new bike that (in the words of a bike repair guy) 'wasn't a death trap'. I'd heard so much about this place and it filled both my criteria so I decided to give it a go. The range is pretty great. All the bikes are second hand/refurbished and you can have a one on one with the person who built your bike. Additionally there's every accessory you could ask for and for reasonable prices. Echoing the sentiments of some other reviewers, I did find the staff a bit detached. They didn't seem fully interested in customer services (not like some other bike shops in Edinburgh) and I did have to make my presence, needs and opinions known. That said, when I spoke up and was a bit more in your face about what I wanted they were super helpful, on the ball and set me up with a nice little number. I gave her a test drive and was happy. After that it was an easy transaction. So now I have my lovely girl for a mere £110. She's road worthy and feels safe. I also have a three month warranty (not including punctures). So not too shabby! read more

UPDATE, June 2014: My biggest gripe was the fact that you had to frantically grab a bike on Saturday mornings, well you can pop in any day of the week now (apart from Sunday and Monday) and even late on Thursdays. I also took a bike in for servicing and not only did they do a great job, their chat was interesting and all my questions were followed up with good advice. As good as it gets for this type of thing! read more

I will make it immediately known to all reading this that I am a complete beginner cyclist. I have had no prior experience with cycling the roads of Edinburgh so bear that in mind when I say I've had three separate experiences at the Bike Station and they were all good. I visited for the first time to chat through the possibility of me cycle commuting to work. The guys behind the counter were very friendly and spent five minutes with me mapping out a suitable route off the main roads. Win. For those looking to buy a bike - be aware they ONLY sell on a Saturday. I discovered this and was advised to come in on the Friday afternoon to see what they'd have for sale. The other option is to phone on the Friday to ask what they have. All the bikes are reconditioned so you can grab a good bargain. I went in on the Friday afternoon and another helpful staff member wheeled out a hybrid that he thought would be a good fit. Unfortunately I couldn't buy it till the Saturday (SO annoying!). Here's the big downside. You have to turn up early on the Sat for a chance to get the bike you want. They open at 10.30am - I turned up at 9.40am and there was already ten people or so there! By the time the store opened there was a good 30 or 40 people waiting. They only let you in by ten or so at a time to stop the store overcrowding so get there early! I got my bike in the end - £80 for the 2nd hand with a three month guarantee. A new would have set me back over £200 so I was pretty chuffed. There were around 40 bikes on the day I went but apparently the number can vary a lot. They will let you test drive a bike if you lay down some ID. I also got a helmet, lock, lights and bungee cord and again the staff member was very helpful. One other thing to note is that they currently only take cash or cheque - however that might change in the next few weeks as someone mentioned they were due to get a card machine in. Phew. So it's a bit of a faff but was well worth it in the end! If you're prepared to work for a bargain you're in for a treat :) And great customer service. I'll be using them for my tune-ups, haha! read more

Must be one of the most talked-about second-hand bike places in the country. Not exactly a shop though - just plenty of bits and bobs lying (or hanging) around, and a few guys wandering around trying to put together a bike out of the beautiful mess..! On saturday mornings they have their famous bike auction where if you're lucky and you get there early enough you can often pick an incredible deal. After that they have a byob (bring-your-own-bike) session, where you can take your bike along, they provide you with tools, second-hand materials and equipment and away you go. great fun getting your hands dirty, and there's always someone around to give you a hand or a bit of advise (particularly if you're a girl on your own, it seems). if you like bikes, you just have to head down at some point - its a great place. read more

i just went to a fix your own bike session and learned how to replace my brake and gear cables and align the dérailleur, etc with excellent and attentive staff . The sales centre has completely changed from the reviewers below and bikes are now for sale all week, check their website for opening hours, it's no longer the saturday madness I had to grab my awesome roadster in! I am very happy with my bike, got a great one a couple pf years ago, a good deal and great value for money on hiring a stand, getting some expert advice and demonstrations and spare parts. It's a friendly atmosphere and gloves, aprons and parts and excellent tool sets are all provided as well as genial service, nice music and friendly others on stands. Oh also they do now accept credit card payments Thanks y'all! read more

I bought a bike in May 2017 for £200. I explained to the very nice npeople in the shop how I do a lot of cycling with work (~250 miles per month) and was recommended a ridgeback velocity. It was a little over my budget but I was assured for the miles I wanted to do it was necessary. In August 2017 I took my bike to a local bike shop because the brakes were playing up and I suspected needing new pads. I was not happy to receive a quote for £300 for the work needing doing including replacing both wheels, tyres, cassette and chain. The wheel rims were apparently very dangerously thin, and I was told they must have been that way when I bought it, they could not have got that bad in three months. Not great. I took the bike back to the bike station and they agreed to do most of the work under warranty. Feeling better. Today I get out the bike to find the back tyre totally flat, with air escaping from the valve. Again, back to the bike station who said it was likely a very slow puncture and that's not covered by warranty. Was told the valve was fine. The bike was holding air at this point so I went off again, two mins up the road the tyre is empty again. Having lost all faith in the bike station I returned to my local bike shop. I was told the valve was indeed faulty and investigation showed the new wheel had too narrow a rim tape in so this had caused the inner tube to be punctured. This should have been under warranty from the bike station but I had had such bad luck with them I paid for it to be done at the bike shop. Overall not a great time. Over the past couple of weeks I have had to take two days off work to get my bike to the bike station in working hours, as well as eventually having to pay for repairs. As someone who is totally ignorant to the world of bikes I put total faith in the bike stations advice and was sold a bike with dangerously worn parts. I might have had a particularly unlucky experience but I will not be using their services again. read more

This is a small city centre shop. There's a good range of bikes and accessories but the limited size of the shop puts me off taking my children in. Prices are reasonable with frequent 'money off' savings to be had. read more

Edinburgh is a bike friendly city, and the Bike Station is doing it's bit to encourage cyclists keep it that way. Taking donations of old and unused bikes, their team of mechanics fix and restore them to there former glory and sell them off cheaply to underprivileged and needy people, as well as the average Joe like you and me. An adults bike can be picked up for around £45, in fully working order and with a 3 month guarantee. The Bike Station is also a registered charity. If you are keen to save the world, get fit and help out underprivileged read more

Please disregard the postings dated 2010 describing the crazy queues for Saturday morning sales. It is now possible to buy a bike any time any day from The Bike Station. I was very impressed last week when hunting for a 24" bike for my grandson. There was nothing suitable on display but Owen went off to check the store and came back with a great 18-speed hybrid. Next day the bike was ready for us making me the best granny ever. Thank you Bike Station. read more

Bought a bike from Bikestation at their Dundee Uni event. Staff were friendly and helpful at the time but the bike I bought didn't end up being great value. Crankshaft problem came to light after only a couple of rides and since the travelling event only returned every month or so to Dundee, when I could attend their next event in Dundee I was outwith the 3 month time period of their warranty. No mention of a replacement or free repair when I did go back. Not the best I'm afraid. Goodish on bike repairs, not so hot on customer service. read more

After researching where to find a good, second-hand bike, I came across the Bike Station, which has a fantastic mission and does great work. Their bikes are high quality and the staff is extremely knowledgable. That said, it is a bit far from central Edinburgh to traipse out there if they are sold out of bikes. I learned that you have to be patient and it's the luck of the draw what you'll find here each day. I first came at lunchtime in mid-September, only to hear that the students had been queuing outside each morning at 10am when it opened to snatch up all of the just-completed bikes. The Bike Station sold out of all of its second-hand bikes each day and it was hard for someone working to be able to compete with the savvy and competitive students. However, luck stroke for me in the last week of September and I found a great bike. The staff were so friendly and let me ride it around outside and ask many questions about it. The three-month limited warranty also reassured me, and the knowledge that I was not only getting a good bike but also was supporting a great cause and mission of the Bike Station. I was sold. read more

I'm not a biker and a student, so this place was really my only choice for a not too fancy bike on a student budget. I was expecting nothing too much, and nothing is what I got. The man who helped me treated me as if he had more important things to do. I don't care what you have to do, your customers are most important because they are the ones giving you business. I wish I never gave them my money, but I desperately needed a bike to get around the city. If you like second hand bike stores, this place is probably for you, but someone who isn't used to poor customer service, stay away. Be warned. I sure as hell will never go back read more