Oceana Cycles

What to ask a repair shop in Virginia Beach, VA

• 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.

Humidity and heat are the maintenance story here. Corrosion on electrical connectors and fasteners shows up early, tires age in the sun even when they are not being ridden, and summer afternoons are for shade, not long stints. Riding season is long, so service intervals come around faster than the calendar suggests.

Worth the ride from Virginia Beach, VA

• Pearl's Bay-Villa

  Food

  Take the free Currituck ferry or an hour of two-lane through Pungo farm country, and stay for the bay.

• Three Ships Coffee

  Coffee

  Roastery open 7am to 6pm daily, minutes from the end of I-264 and the way south to Sandbridge and the Pungo farm roads.

• Doc Taylor's

  Food

  Open 7am to 2pm Friday to Monday only, so plan the Shore Drive run past First Landing around it.

All 4 places worth the ride near Virginia Beach, VA →

Riding here?

Make Oceana 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.