The smell of lubricating oil hangs in the air in the shop, and soft music can be heard in the background. Three bicycles are hanging on assembly stands on a platform directly behind the large shop windows. They are there for the all-round check that owners usually want in the spring. The mechanics change the hoses, adjust the brakes, check the lights and replace rusted chains to make the bikes roadworthy again.
Bikes can be brought to “Doctor Bike” in Schwabing in the morning, with or without an appointment, as long as capacity allows. But there was a lot going on before the Easter holidays, “the spring fever was awakening,” says Hélène Jerzewski from the Marschallstrasse branch. At peak times, four of them repair 50 to 60 bikes a day. In addition to the complete checks, there are also many flat tires and other small things that need to be repaired quickly.
As long as the bike fits through the door and the built-in electronics are not too special, Jerzewski’s team will repair any bike. But the special requirements and customer requests – and thus also the repair time – increase with the larger number of cargo and e-bikes .
Many bicycle dealers in Munich have neither the desire nor the people to offer a bicycle service, says bicycle mechanic Thomas Michels. The repair is often a negative business. The variety and quality differences between the bikes are so great that many dealers decide to only repair their own brands. A further complication is that spare parts and entire wheels sometimes have delivery times of one and a half years due to delivery difficulties, says Jerzewski.
Adjusting the handlebars, oiling the chains, changing hoses: many customers have their bikes cleaned up in the spring.
(Photo: Alessandra Schellnegger)
The problem of overloaded workshops and the lack of bicycle mechatronics has been known for several years, says Martina Tollkühn from the ADFC bicycle club in Munich. She receives inquiries from people who are desperately looking for places to repair: “It’s the same every spring. It’s therefore a good idea to have your bike checked in February.”
In front of the “Stadtrad 089″ shop, the bikes are lined up in several rows close together, and the high number of repairs can be guessed at. And the pressure. Here, too, an attempt is made to carry out as many repairs as possible on the same day, says Dirk Brechmann. Many customers claim that a mechanic must always be available immediately to fix the problem directly and in the shortest possible time,” says Thomas Michels. Customers are already dissatisfied with waiting times of a week.
Calculating the time required for the individual wheels is the job of branch manager Ercan Terkes at “Stadtrat 089” – if he is not currently ordering spare parts such as sprockets for the end of 2023. The mechanics on Kapuzinerstraße are very busy fixing problems that the cyclists can quickly fix themselves if the bikes are given enough care in both summer and winter, says Terkes. It is enough to clean the brake discs from time to time, oil the chain and make sure there is enough air in the tires.
Free security checks in the districts
If you don’t have the equipment for this at home, you can use the public bicycle pumps and service stations offered by the city’s mobility department. Air pumps and tools are freely available at various locations, including the S-Bahn stations in Giesing, Pasing, Berg am Laim and at the university.
Bicycle experts also regularly carry out free safety checks in the districts. The bike is tested for roadworthiness, brakes and saddles can be readjusted, lights, reflectors and tire pressure are checked, and minor defects can be rectified on site. The next bike safety check will take place on Thursday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Odeonsplatz. More information is available at muenchenunterwegs.de.
The ADFC Munich self-help workshop has also reopened. On Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., cyclists at Platenstraße 4 can get their vehicle fit themselves with the support of experts. Spare parts should be brought along. More information is available at adfc-muenchen.de.