After five years operating a second location in Fremont, Recycled Cycles will return to being a one-shop bike mecca.
KOMO’s Lindsay Cohen noticed the telltale sign in the shop’s window: The Fremont location will close October 31.
But fear not, the flagship U District shop isn’t going anywhere.
@lindsaycohen @seabikeblog thanks for all the support over the past five years! The udistrict shop will remain open.
— Recycled Cycles (@recycledcycles) October 26, 2016
The Fremont expansion was part of a 2012 bike shop boom in Seattle that further solidified Fremont’s status as a hub of bike-related and bike-friendly businesses.
Recycled Cycles has put incalculable butts in saddles in the past 22 years. Whether you’re looking for a new bike or for a used part to keep your aging wheels rolling, Recycled Cycles is a valuable resource. It’s used bike part bins are the stuff of legends among do-it-yourself folks.
Comments
10 responses to “Recycled Cycles will close Fremont location at end of October”
Depressing news, this is the only bike shop I regularly walk to. I have always found this particular shop to give better service, and be less attitudinal, than the half dozen others I’ve tried here. I love having all repair prices listed online and will absolutely support the other shop. I’ll just be driving my bike there, which is silly.
I spoke to the staff a few days ago and they said they’re losing their lease. Shocker. Hopefully Seattle cyclists with a conscience will do the right thing and boycott whatever venture goes in next.
I appreciate having Recycled Cycles there, too — I bought several things from their parts bins while rebuilding a bike, which was a great learning experience… though, actually, I ended up checking both locations often enough that it would have been more convenient to have all the parts consolidated in one place, even if it was the one farther from where I lived.
But maybe the “right thing” to do is to have an open mind about “whatever venture”. They aren’t evil just because a cool bike shop used to be there.
Yeah, what Al said. I actually never went to that Recycled Cycles, but really like the other one. When I lived in Fremont, that one wasn’t there. Years later, when I worked and visited Fremont, I was always on the other side of the highway, so I visited those “attitudinal” places, and I completely know what you are saying. But I also learned to be less intimated by such attitudes, and figure taking a New York approach never hurts (“so, yeah, you gonna fix my bike or what?”). Eventually every business understands that you are the customer, and it makes sense to serve you.
Anyway, I think the UW Recycled Cycles rocks, and I assume the other one did too. But just because some dickhead landlord raised the rent is no reason to boycott the next business that goes in there. Unless, of course, it is a multinational bank, then I’m right there with you (Good God, how many banks does Fremont need, anyway?)
Appreciate the comments…
Al: Kicking out a tenant who serves the community good by enabling fossil fuel-free transport for all, because another tenant is willing to pay more (presumably better funded, probably a chain, maybe a multinational bank ;) is pretty much the dictionary definition of evil: neighborhood-destroying landlord edition. There is nothing better for my neighborhood than a local bike shop, therefore anything else is lesser than.
Ross: It’s more than enough reason for me. My perspective — moving back here after 20 years –is that Seattle sits idly by, well paid and well mortgaged, while multinationals that make ExxonMobil look like do-gooders slowly take and destroy everything in their path. Calling the glass half full occasionally, there are certainly more LBS now than there used to be. So call me selfish.
I suppose I should look forward to the day the drone delivers the correct bike part to my house, and I open Wrench.app to get it installed. Just think, I could never leave the house… Nope, I’d prefer walking to my LBS. So screw whatever chain goes in there next. Just musing on a rainy day…
Recycled is a great shop and long time local fixture. Too bad the Fremont location is closing but boat street is close by.
That’s sad news. I’ve often stopped by their Fremont location as it is right on one of my commute routes. They have friendly, knowledgeable staff and offer great service. I will miss them greatly.
This indeed is sad news. I’m within a 5 minute walk of both locations (Boat Street from work, Fremont from home) which was definitely handy depending on where I needed the parts. Hopefully the Boat Street store stays strong.
Well it looks like the Boat Street location will just escape the UW’s clutches and plans to develop its west campus with series of gargantuan buildings (p. 11 of https://pm.uw.edu/sites/default/files/master-plan/2016-cmp/2016-10-03-UW-CMP.pdf)
I’ve had really good luck with the Boat Street location recently. They just suggested a perfect front rack even though I had odd requirements. They volunteered some extra insight on the installation issues that helped a lot with my DIY install, and they always seem to have a fun story at checkout. It helps that it’s also near the transit center on Campus Parkway for when I’m not riding.
I used to work right by the other location and found it pretty helpful as well. The North end of Lake Union is just booming right now and there’s so much turnover. Guess that’s what happens when you put in road diets.
Does anyone know if Recycled Cycles-Boat St. owns or leases the building?