Five Star Cycles

What to ask a repair shop in Garland, TX

• 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.

Heat is the maintenance story here. Check tire pressure cold before every ride (hot pavement adds a lot), watch coolant and oil levels through summer, and expect rubber to age faster than the tread wears. Early starts beat the afternoon on the bike and at the shop.

Worth the ride from Garland, TX

• Ham Orchards

  Food

  Peach soft serve and Eddie Deen barbecue at the end of county roads about 45 minutes out, open roughly mid May through mid August.

• Lake Tawakoni State Park

  Viewpoint

  The two lane roads out past Quinlan through open ranch country are the point as much as the five miles of shoreline.

• Shoemaker & Hardt Coffee House

  Coffee

  Old downtown Wylie feel on Ballard Avenue with street parking out front, a slow morning start before looping Lavon Lake.

All 8 places worth the ride near Garland, TX →

Riding here?

Make Five Star Cycles 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.