For riders

This page is for riders: people who bring a bike to a shop that uses bike.tools. Shop staff, start at Getting started.

Booking a service

If your shop takes bookings online, its booking page (on their website, or at an address they gave you) asks five things: which location, what you need, your bike, a drop-off day and how to reach you. Pick your exact bike if it's listed, so the mechanic has its specs before you arrive; if it isn't, just type it in. The calendar only offers days with room. The price shown is a starting price; the shop confirms the work once they've seen the bike.

After you book

You land on your status page, and get a confirmation by email if you gave one, with its link. Bring the bike at the drop-off time on the day you chose.

Your status link

Your status page shows where your bike is (booked, checked in, in progress, waiting on parts, ready for pickup), an estimated ready date, and whatever else the shop chooses to share, such as the work on the ticket and an estimate. You get the link when you book, from the shop, or by scanning the QR code on the copy of the workorder they print for you; that code opens a short link like bike.tools/ followed by ten letters and numbers. The link is private: anyone who has it can see the page, so don't post it. It stops working after a time the shop sets.

Approving an estimate

When the shop needs your OK for the work, your status page shows the estimate and an Approve button, if the shop lets customers approve there. Approving is a yes to the work, not a payment: you pay at the shop when you pick up.

Changing your details

From your status page, propose a new name, phone or email. The shop approves it (they check it against their records), and your timeline shows when they have.

Cancelling

Most shops let you cancel online before drop-off: choose Cancel this booking on your status page. If the option isn't there, call the shop.

Adding photos

If the shop takes online bookings, your status page lets you attach photos of the problem, so the mechanic sees what you see. Photos the shop takes of your bike show there too when they choose to share them.

Your information

The shop keeps your name, contact details, bike and the work done, in bike.tools and in its own point-of-sale system, as any shop would. bike.tools doesn't sell or share it, and doesn't show your details to other shops. Questions about your record go to the shop; questions about bike.tools itself go to Get help.