By Bianca Fortis
The whirring sound of tires spinning fills the back room of the bike shop, where Andres Jimenez is busy doing repairs.
Meanwhile, a steady stream of customers enters the Astoria store, the Bicycle Repairman Corp., which is owned by Jimenez and his daughters Carolina and Leidy. Along with doing repairs, they also sell bicycles and bike accessories.
Jimenez said he began working on bikes when he was a child in his native Bogota, Colombia. By 1981, he was an expert in welding and painting top-quality frames. He owned his own bicycle shop by the time he was in his early 20s.
“His whole life he’s been on bikes,” Carolina said.
In the early 1990s, he left Bogota and came to the United States to pursue the American Dream, he said.
For years he worked as a mechanic in other shops. His experience in other stores helped him learn the ins and outs of the New York City bike business, and he opened up his own business, at 40-21 35th Ave., seven years ago.
The store offers a full menu of services including tune-ups and accessories such as baskets, child carriers and training wheels. The family also sells cycling clothing, including jerseys, shorts and shoes.
The shop, which is lined wall to wall with accessories and more than 300 bicycles, stays consistently busy and sees new customers every day, Jimenez said.
He said he tries to cater to everyone who comes to his store, whether they are amateur or advanced, and will not “upsell” by pushing customers to purchase useless parts.
“It’s very important that we are honest,” he said. “If we are not honest with our customers, they don’t come back.”
Jimenez said one challenge of running his business is the Internet, where now, he estimates, 50 percent to 60 percent of cyclists purchase their bikes.
He uses his own experience to determine what kind of stock to keep in the store, he said. He also attends an annual trade show in Las Vegas, where he learns about the newest models that will be released. Carolina said they also use customer requests to determine what items to order.
Jimenez acknowledges that some customers are more difficult to work with than others.
“My dad has a lot of patience with them,” Carolina said. “He tries to help the customers as much as possible so they can leave with everything they need.”
Jimenez has had his own mountain bike for 18 years, although he does not ride as often as he used to. But he is still happy to share his skills and years of experience by helping customers, especially novices, choose the right bike.
“Everyone deserves to be treated the same,” he said. “We have to respect everyone.”
The family will also advise customers on New York City cycling laws, such as the requirements that bicycle riders must have a bike bell and flashing lights, Carolina said.
With the purchase of a new bicycle, customers get a three-year guarantee that includes free tune-ups, lubrication and bike and gear adjustments. For one year, customers can get a free replacement of defective parts.
To contact the Bicycle Repairman Corp., call 718-706-0450 or visit bikerepairman.com.
Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
