Hey, Free Range is my long-term favorite local bike shop (LBS)! As a commuter and cycle tourist I really appreciate their orientation to equipment and service for someone like myself. Now that Kathleen is retired, Shawna is taking over and offers the same professional and patient service I love! read more

Took my bike in for a tune-up before RSVP, and it feels like I rode away with a brand new bike! I forgot how smooth the ride can be when everything on the bike is well taken care of. read more

These guys are the cat's meow. I've been in several times when I was considering ordering a Surly frame after I trashed my old Trek. They were helpful beyond belief. So many mechanics can be know-it-all jerks but FreeRange will tell you how it is and usually try to save you a buck or two. read more

We must have hit them on a good day because the guy helping us find a good pannier was super friendly and took extra time with us when we could have just dug through the selections ourselves. We'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this place. I've been to a couple of shops in town that I have found a bit condescending, aloof, or unhelpful, but this place is fantastic. And especially as a female cyclist, there are some issues which it takes another female cyclist to help and the women here are wonderful. They were so incredibly patient in helping me find the right saddle, talking through all of my issues, letting me try out a bunch of different models, and not letting me get one until I was a hundred percent happy with it. And i found the perfect one!! After almost a dozen different saddles, with their help and recommendation I found the perfect one. I also had them do a little work on my bike and they were really fast and completely reasonable. I am sold for life. This place is the best!! read more

Freerange caters to commuter and utility cyclists for the most part. The broad selection of Surly's, Soma's, Touissant's, and a few other brands give anyone looking to get a bike a broad array of options. I have had Freerange build wheels for me, and when I had an accident only a day or two after picking up the wheel, Kathleen was kind enough to repair/replace needed parts at what I can only assume was her cost. Also, if you want high quality, yet budget minded components and accessories, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a shop like FreeRange. They won't try to upsell. Yeah, Compass Tires are expensive, but FreeRange is the only shop I know of that stocks the full range. They carry fancy Gilles Berthoud parts, but also comparable, yet affordable Velo Orange versions of the same thing. If you commute, tour, haul, or just enjoy pretty bikes, I think FreeRange is a great shop to pay a visit to. read more

Nice little LBS that caters to the commuter steel bike crowd with good, high quality choices. I used to wander by here wondering how on earth such a tiny store sold bikes, and was surprised when I saw how large a selection they have. They keep most of their bikes on display outside while they're open, which I like because it makes it easy to browse, especially if something catches your eye as you're walking past. So don't let the apparent smallness of the store put you off if you happen to walk by, because they do have a good selection. The owner Kathleen is direct, will not BS you, will treat you with respect, and strikes me as dedicated to finding the right bike for you.If you are a woman who has had bad experiences at other stores because you feel condescended to or ignored, go here and you'll be treated right. Even if that doesn't describe you, you'll still have a good experience I know she gets bad reviews for her bedside manner, but frankly what those people are expecting would drive me right up the wall and make it harder to buy a bike. read more

I found everyone I have dealt with at FRC to be quite pleasent . I originally purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker from them May 2010 that came with quite a nice tune up offer. This spring when I rode my lighter road bike and found a number of adjustments needed to be made since it was put in storage I had a lovely chat with some of the staff as I stopped by to pick up some small parts. However reading the thread on the Yelp board it appears there is a sowerpuss who works there. That being said alot of people can work on their attitude when it comes to dealing with service people. read more

I'm from out of town visiting friends in Seattle when my bike was having issues with the rear break gripping the wheel when the break was not being pressed. Took the old girl in for an adjustment. They took a look at it right away and I snuck away for a bathroom break. When I came out of the bathroom they were done ! Took 3 mins to loosen the break off the wheel. $5.00 later I was on my merry way enjoying the bike trails and city ! Thanks again ! read more

Like Speedy Reedy down the trail, this shop has a niche and doesn't apologize for it. For them the niche is commuting bikes so all you racer types need to stay away. They've got a solid albeit small selection of great commuting bikes. Also a decent selection of accessories including some harder to find Honjo, Grand Bois, and Sugino stuff. The staff know their stuff and are always friendly. I ding them one star for being a bit thin in overall selection when compared to other shops. read more

Didn't have what I was looking for, but they were great enough to tell me where to find it. It was a pretty basic item, so I'm a little disappointed, but they were very helpful nonetheless. I hope that when I go back again, they will have what I'm looking for. read more

As my husband and I gear up to go on a month long bike tour, I took our bikes here for a tune up. We bought my husband's bike here years ago, and he loves it. I got my Masi at Recycled Cycles, and wish I had gone with his initial urging to get a Jamis here too. It's a small shop, so don't expect the selection of Recycled, Greggs, or REI. For gear, I would still go to one of those places, no question. What I did appreciate was the time Kathleen, the "mean" lady of the one-star reviews, took to get me properly seated and troubleshoot my never-been-tuned-up bike. My brake line was sagging, my chain popped off almost every time I used my high gear, and I hadn't realized I've been commuting for years with a seat that is way too low! Add to this my bike needed to be re-geared for comfortable uphill touring. I had taken my bike to Greggs and Recycled, and both times was helped by guys that looked like they were 12. I told them what I was looking for, and neither of them took a close look at my bike like Kathleen did. Both Recycled and Greggs were overwhelmingly busy when I went, and Greggs has a hit and miss problem with attitude--the service staff has always been super helpful, but the bike sales staff there lost a sale from me with their elitist attitude. Anyway, I would definitely recommend Free Range. Kathleen may give off no-nonsense vibes (that's not necessarily a bad thing...), but she knows her stuff, and I found her to be extremely helpful and friendly. Also, as a woman, I appreciate that there is a bike shop in the city run by women. Bike shops are usually a mans world, so viva la Free Range for breaking the mould! read more

We've been in this neighborhood because we HD lunch with friends and for Christmas I got a road bike with new pedals. All I needed is a bit grease to mount the pedal to the bike. The lady in the Tore said she feels bad selling me a full tube of grease of all I need is to install pedals. So she has given me more then enough grease in a small zip lock bag for free. Wow. I was really amazed about her willingness to be helpful in my given situation. So I felt the least I can do, is tell you about it and why I definitely recommend this store. read more

A few months into the pandemic I decided I should get a bike since I don't have a car and public transit was unreliable and a bit scary. I heard of Free Range Cycles from the SPLAIN survey of how friendly Seattle bike shops are to women, trans, femme, and gender non-conforming individuals. They scored highly and are women-owned. And they are indeed awesome. The first time I contacted them with my budget I was told their bikes start at about $1000, which was above my price range. But Shawna recommended other shops that were more likely to have something in my budget. How cool is that?! Love when businesses support other local business! Eventually I decided to raise my budget and made an appointment to test ride bikes. They didn't have a huge selection at that point, because pandemic, but they didn't make me feel stupid about looking for a bike mid-summer like a few other shops did. Shawna was great at asking what I wanted in a bike and what I'd mostly use it for. She never made me feel like my questions were stupid and helped me pick out a Surly Bridge Club. We had to order it and when it finally arrived I took it for a test ride and one of the other employees mentioned a different frame size might fit me better. She was right! Throughout the whole process I was so happy with how everyone seemed to genuinely want me to find the perfect bike and were so excited for me when I finally took my bike home. I just took it in for the free 90-day tune up and it's riding even smoother than it was before. I just love this shop and have already recommended them to several coworkers looking for bikes. read more

The people here are REALLY terrific. I have an older steel bike (high-end), and was looking for some bar-end shifters. While they had the bike, they called me to let me know that they had noticed that the Campi crank had the beginnings of a small crack (something that TRUE, in the know bike experts/geeks may know, but I never would have noticed that. I looked it up on the web after their call, and sure enough, lots of stuff about the issue and how to fix it. GREAT of them to notice ). Did they offer to do it themselves or replace the part for a lot of $? Nope, they told me it was a known issue with these 30 yr old higher-end parts, gave me the address of a cool hardware place to get the right file to fix it, and let me take the bike to do so. No pressure, no desire for them to do "their part" and then I could fix it afterwards...these folks cater to REAL people, and put my needs at that point before their profit. Think about it...I didn't have to return for the shifters and work on my bike, and they could not have been nicer during the process. OH, and when I DID return to have the bar ends put on, etc., the job was amazing - these people really do care, one and all. Great attention to detail. I will absolutely trust them to do any work on a bike, or set up a new one for me - they aren't high pressure (when buying new stuff), I believe it is because they understand that the bike is about you - not them - tell them what you like, they'll recommend stuff to try or ride - but they would not make you feel like you SHOULD like something. It's about YOU - and that seems to be their attitude. Low key. They have nicer, cool stuff - nice bags and Brooks seats, etc. at fair prices. There can't be a cooler bike shop in Seattle/Freemont - and that is saying something. I am a fan - Highly recommended. read more

I'm a relative noob to bikes and I came here looking to find a good neighborhood bike shop. I'm building my first bike from scratch with my neighbor and was looking for some parts to go with my newly purchased frame. I had done a reasonable amount of internet research and consultation with my semi-pro neighbor before going in. When I went in, the lady couldn't answer most of my questions about headsets, ultimately only had a choice of one set, and then proceeded to scold me for buying my frame online and "putting the little guy out of business". You know, I get the predicament - I do, and that's actually why I was in that day, I wanted to go local for the rest of the components. But I can't afford to pay a 10+% sales tax on top of full price for 100% of the components and $800 frame. I'll offer some unsolicited advice - to lure more ppl to "go local", you might want to 1) have more selection, 2) have staff that can answer a noob's basic questions, and 3) someone that doesn't scold potential long term patrons for not buying their frame locally. Needless to say, I won't be back and I'll find a different local bike shop for my bikes components and future repairs. read more

Excellent experience buying a bike from them! They were extremely helpful and they fixed my bike without charge after I apparently damaged it in some way. I would totally recommend this shop. They even answered my stupid questions (like how do I shift) without making me feel like an idiot. read more

I love this bike shop. As a daily commuter, its the most important thing to trust your bike mechanic-your life depends on it! The owner is super helpful and friendly and I feel good about supporting a woman-owned and small business. Her worker bees are very knowledgeable and efficient. I used to live close-Ballard-and moved across town-Leischi-and I still take my bike there. Its worth the commute, extra planning. Your money is very well spent here. read more

small yet big on niceness, free range succeeds in providing a diverse selection of steel commuter/tourers, parts, and gear, plus knowledgeable mechanics and a low stress sales attitude. definitely would recommend for folks living in the fremont neighborhood looking for an independent bike shop with nearly everything you might need. right off the b-g trail... female-owned to boot. awesome. read more

Had a flat on the way home from work and was out of patches. Free Range was the closest bike shop. Went straight there and found who I believe to be the owner standing in the door talking to whom I assume was another customer. They appeared to open, but as I approached I was told in a mildly annoyed tone she could sell me a tube but otherwise she was closed. There was no "Hi, we are closed, but is there something I can help you with?" no sentiment or empathy what so ever. After a day at work it would have been nice get some. This follows most of my experiences here, staff is usually dry, bored, and snarky. This is just another snobby Seattle bike shop, I have no need to visit places that view customer service in this way. read more

Had a chain issue mid ride and was essentially stuck between a rock and a hard place. Walked the bike in and I believe it was the owner personally took out some tools and spent about 10 minutes on it. I was up and running (or biking I should say). She charged me $5 which I think is less than a half a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Very thankful read more

I have had them work on my bikes and put together 3 bikes for me. overall they are a great 5 star shop. Nice, informed, willing to work with you, unpretentious and practical. The owner and staff are really good. I agree they are the cat's meow. Their prices are great and their attitude towards novices and experienced cyclists alike could not be better. read more

Love this place. Staff is great! After going in a couple times, I feel in love with a bike and got it this weekend. They were very helpful, and made sure that all the measurements were correct. They did a couple of stem swap outs, and test rides to make sure I felt comfortable on the bike. Would definitely recommend them to anyone, read more

Great neighborhood bike shop! They offer a good selection of high quality road and city bikes, as well as practical accessories. Kathleen and the crew are all very knowledgeable and, in my experience, very helpful. It's always a pleasure to shop there. read more

Great shop with honest and reliable wrenches. Serously interested in cycling for transportation, commuting and travel. Willing to undertake unusual assignments and often have the odd part available for special purpose or older bikes. They ride their talk. Always have good sound advice! read more

bad bike shop!! i brought my bike here because it was so conveniently located to my house. I had a flat and my bike needed a tune-up. i scheduled a tune-up, and they fixed my flat. rode away... and the tire popped. I bring it back- they fix it again. before i go back for the tune-up it pops again. then they proceed to tell me that the last person who worked on my bike must have had no idea what they were doing.. until i told them they had done it! so they fix it, tune it up, it comes to $200ish... new tube.. new tire.. etc etc.. The tire then pops again!! that's not even the half of it.. bike snobs! there are plenty of other shops in the area that are better priced, better customer service, and know what the hell they're doing read more

Good bikes, good parts, good repair work and good practical transportation and touring bikes for those who don't race or want to look like they do. A good place to buy a bike. Fairly stiff markup on parts although nowhere near the highway robbery at Counterbalance or Velo. JRA Bike shop up the street at 85th NW & NW 83rd St. has MUCH better prices on parts and labor. If you want to deal with a salesman go to Greggs or REI. If you want to talk to the guys who set 'em up and know every nut, bolt, and bearing on the beast, go Freerange, JRA, Alpine Hut, or Second Ascent. read more

I've been to plenty of bike shops in Seattle. This one is seriously one of the best! If you want some place you can trust to fix your bike right and give you some good advice this is it.They really know bikes. They have a special in-depth knowledge for commuters and touring folks. Most of all, it's a no-nonsense, local, personable shop that you can trust. read more

Went in today for the first time as part of a quest to help a non-cycling family member get in the saddle and otherwise see the light. I knew he wasn't into racing but rather casual rides and commuting (with potential for tours) so, based on just a bit of research, I knew Free Range would have appropriate steeds. Kathleen, the owner and salesperson, was patient, helpful, friendly, and just the right amount of each. The shop was packed with quality parts and equipment--I'll go back myself to look closer at this stuff. It's not a race shop. It's a bike shop for typical people looking for quality bikes that they can use. They have killer complete bikes--Surly Pacers actually built up, LHT, Cross Checks, Salsa Vaya and Casserole, Jamis commuters and tourers. I'm confused by the one-star reviews; do you expect/need someone to smile deeply into your eyes, ask "How are you doing today?!" and otherwise lay it on thick to make you feel okay? The people here treated us all civilly and courteously and I suspect that most everything else perceived negatively by others might be a byproduct of too much time at REI, Gregg's, and other non-cycling businesses plagued with the increasingly common and corporate kiss-ass customer service approach that elicits an urge to run. Glad I went in. I have no issues with the place. While I can't say "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" is exactly how I feel, it's a solid shop that I'll go back to. And my family member left with a great bike that he's excited to ride and that's what I was hoping for. read more

i have never in my life received such poor customer service. when i asked them to put my new tires on my bike the OWNER said: "why can't you do it?" this was one of many rude and challenging comments directed at me. i will never frequent this shop again and i strongly advise others not to as well. read more