Big Bike Shop

What to ask a repair shop in Columbus, OH

• Do you work on my make and year? A shop that mostly sees late-model Japanese bikes may not want a 1978 twin, and it is better to hear that on the phone than at the counter.
• Will you mount tires I bring in, and what does that cost? Many shops will, some will not, and the ones that do usually charge more per tire than for rubber they sold you.
• What is the diagnostic fee, and does it come off the repair if I go ahead? Ask before the bike is on the lift.
• Appointment or walk-in, and what is the turnaround right now? In season a good shop can be two or three weeks out.
• Can you collect a bike that will not run, or do I need to arrange a tow? Some service shops have a trailer; most do not.

Riding season here has a hard stop. Before the bike sits, fill the tank and add stabilizer, put the battery on a tender, and get the ethanol out of the carbs if it has them. The spring rush at every shop starts the first warm weekend, so book the pre-season service in late winter, not April.

Worth the ride from Columbus, OH

• Schmidt's Sausage Haus

  Food

  Cream puffs and sausages in German Village, served since 1886.

• Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park

  Viewpoint

  At the end of State Route 664, the classic Sunday ride out of Columbus, with three waterfalls on a half mile trail.

• Clear Creek Metro Park

  Viewpoint

  A road through the whole valley about 32 miles from Columbus, with an observation deck over Lake Ramona to stop at.

All 4 places worth the ride near Columbus, OH →

Riding here?

Make Big Bike Shop a stop on your next ride. Find a route that passes by, schedule a group ride with it as the stop, or see how 2 Wheels in Common works for riders.