Finnigans Cycles

People write that the prices are fair" -- maybe

5th generation local bike shop. They specialise in repairs, and the owner Mr Finnigan is very knowledgeable about bikes, he is always a pleasure to talk to. If you need a repair than this is the shop to go, support the local family run business. Unfortunately Mr Finnigan passed away. His brother is looking after the shop for now. Very sad.

This place has saved me from so many flat tyres and bike woes. I'm always greeted with a friendly smile and a speedy turnaround so I can get back on my way quickly. I also get my bikes regularly serviced here. Great quality and great service - would highly recommend!

Look - he is a nice guy and I appreciate his dedication to his job, but my flatmate and I took our bikes in for a service, and the outcome was not good.The front tire on my bike has a drum brake that was slightly bent, something that I had hoped would have been fixed during the service, and it wasn't.Not even a call while the bike was there, asking if I would like it replaced (which I would have happily paid for). Won't be going back, and I would recommend finding another bike mechanic.

Honestly this bloke is a rip off. Went in to get a service and some repair work done. Bike wasn't ready when he said it would.Went in to collect, took it up the road and the brake pad fell off, within 100 metres of his shop!Also the handlebars were crooked.This bloke either doesn't know what he's doing or he doesn't care. My suspiscion is both.Stay clear of old man finnnigan. I sure won't be seeing him-again

In short: DO NOT GET YOUR BIKE REPAIRED AT THIS PLACE IF IT HAS A BELT DRIVE.I brought my brand new, expensive, belt-driven bike to Finnegans with a rear flat tyre at the start of October, 2020. Despite the iffy reviews I thought: what could possibly go wrong getting a flat fixed? When I arrived, the owner-operator (I'm assuming) was friendly towards me but did say: 'oh, you've got one of those belt ones', which I confess made me a little anxious. He told me the charge would be a $35 for a repair, above from the usual $25, because it would take longer to get the wheel off. That seemed fair to me and I went ahead. I picked up the bike a few days later on the way to work. The flat was fixed but I now could not get my bike into a hard-to-push gear. My gear-changing system is internal so I couldn't see what he'd done to it either. The gear-changing system had also somehow been reversed, so when I went to go up a gear, I ended up going down one instead. I called him up to explain what had happened. He didn't apologise, which was upsetting, but he did, to his credit, offer to have another look at it. I called my bike manufacturer and they advised me not to let him near it again. I was inclined to agree. I have had to arrange for them to fix my bike and I've been warned that there will be additional costs. I have decided to not take this further with Finnegans. I just can't be bothered.Also, when he put valve cap on the wheel after working on it, he didn't screw it on properly so it's fallen off somewhere since. Just sloppy.So for God's sake, if you have a belt drive on your bike or if you have a bike you love and care about, I suggest steering well clear from this place.

Needed a flat tyre replaced at short notice 20 minutes before closing time, the proprietor was chatty and happy to help, and took care of it in no time for a reasonable price. Would recommend for the service and also if you're keen to hear a few bike-related yarns while you wait.

Update: I'll leave my review here as a tribute to Richard who passed away recently, October or November I think. I met some of his family as they were winding up the shop, and they were all good folks, so you can see the stock where Richard came from. Sad to see a Northcote icon gone, but maybe someone is looking to open a new bike repairs and sale.--------------------------------------------------------------Honest as the day is long. The prices are fair. He has been in the bike business for generations. I've had flat tyres changed quickly many times. I've had repairs, replacements and servicing over many years, on different bikes. I've bought a new bike from here, and another one second hand. No complaints.If you have any issues after service, Richard will address them on the spot.I once had a drive shaft seize up on my thirty year old Shogun, and feared the bike was now useless.. Finnigan quoted me for the job, it ended up being much more difficult than he thought, but he finished the repair for the original quote and I've continued to have mamy more years of riding from that bike.

I went there for a bike lock. Was serviced immediately and we had a good chat about the pros and cons of various bike locks. Heard a few stories about thieves so I was a little more streetwise after leaving the shop. I'd never considered that you could lift up a street sign cos a lot aren't concreted into the pavement, they're just placed in a hole! Prices were fair. I'm going back today to get a tube fixed so we'll see how that goes.