ANN ARBOR, MI — A mobile bicycle-repair service is now pulling up to Ann Arbor driveways.
Little Bus Bikesa traveling bike-repair business, recently expanded its service into Ann Arbor with the addition of new employee Trevor Delandsheer.
“I grew up riding bikes all my life … and I’ve always been my own mechanic, rebuilding my own suspension, my own wheels, my own brakes — everything to do with a bicycle I just learned how to do myself,” Delandsheer said .
Little Bus Bikes was launched in 2020 by Brian Latulippe, who started the business out of his 1970s Volkswagen bus. Although the business originally served the Royal Oak area, it quickly expanded and now serves Ferndale, Clawson, Berkeley, Troy, Farmington and the Ann Arbor area.
“I already had a Volkswagen bus, I already had the knowledge of fixing bikes, so I started doing that for some friends and some local people in Royal Oak and it just blew up,” Latulippe said.
Little Bus Bikes went from fixing roughly 300 bikes in 2020 to having fixed more than 1,000 so far in 2022. Although Latulippe originally launched the repair service in the Volkswagen bus, Delandsheer uses a larger box van the pair said allows them to make repairs in all weather.
At just $60 for a tune-up, Little Bus Bikes is at times getting people back on the road, regardless of their skill level or bike brand. A tune-up service includes checking for rusted chains, deflated tires, Replacing bad tubes, cleaning and lubing the drivetrain, and adjusting brakes.
“Our real goal is just to get the people who might have bikes hanging in the garage that have been out there for five or 10 years,” Latulippe said. “We want to somehow get those people out riding again, or at least get those bikes down and get them fixed.”
The pair have visited Ann Arbor for about 20 appointments so far and offers discounts for group appointments. Little Bus Bikes will also be hosting a discount for fall repairs, dropping the price to $50, Latulippe said.
“I just don’t care what brand you got,” Delandsheer said. “I’m going to fix it for you.”
Find Little Bus Bikes on social media.
Read more from The Ann Arbor News:
Ann Arbor’s proposed ban on red-light turns downtown raises equity concerns
Backyard Beer Garden to bring craft drinks, giant outdoor games to Chelsea
Proposed plant would produce renewable natural gas at Washtenaw County landfill