Let's Be Honest About Something: Your Bike Is Lying to You
It's sitting there right now looking fine. Maybe making a few weird noises, but nothing catastrophic. Your drivetrain still shifts (mostly). Your brakes still brake (eventually). Your pivots only creak a little bit when you're out of the saddle. You're telling yourself you'll deal with it in spring.
Here's what actually happens in spring:
You show up at the shop in March with everyone else who had the same brilliant idea. The service queue is three weeks deep. Parts are backordered. Your riding buddies are already sending videos from the trails, and you're stuck waiting because you thought your bike would magically maintain itself over winter.
We've all been there. The guilt of knowing you should have dealt with it months ago. The frustration of missing the first good weather weekends. The resignation of accepting that yes, you're going to ride your clapped-out bike one more time because the alternative is not riding at all.
There's a Better Way
We're opening a limited number of Winter Service + Storage packages specifically to save you from this exact situation. This isn't just a place to store your bike while you think about skiing. This is the full reset your bike deserves after a season of abuse, combined with the convenience of not having to think about it until spring.
Here's How It Works
Drop Off by December 19
Bring your bike in. We'll do a complete intake assessment—noting everything that needs attention, flagging any parts that should be replaced, and getting a clear picture of what your bike actually needs (not just what you think it needs).
Complete Overhaul Service (Full Day of Shop Time)
This is where the magic happens. We're not talking about a quick tune-up or a half-hearted cleaning. This is the full tear-down service that brings your bike back to "like-new" condition:
- Full drivetrain removal and deep clean – Chain, cassette, chainrings, and derailleurs get degreased and detailed until they shine. No more black gunk. No more grinding sounds. Just smooth, quiet shifting.
- Brake bleeds – Both calipers, fresh fluid, perfect lever feel. Your brakes should inspire confidence, not anxiety.
- Hub service – Front and rear hubs cleaned, inspected, re-greased, and properly adjusted. Those little bearings do a lot of work. They deserve some love.
- Bottom bracket service – Removed, cleaned, inspected, and re-greased (or replaced if it's toast). Creaky BBs are the worst. We fix them.
- Headset service – Bearings cleaned, inspected, re-greased, and properly adjusted. Smooth steering makes everything better.
- All cables and housing – Replaced or serviced as needed for crisp shifting and braking. Sticky cables are the enemy of fun.
- Full bolt check and torque – Every single bolt on your bike checked and torqued to manufacturer spec. Safety first.
- Wheel true and tension – Both wheels trued and spoke tension equalized. No more wobbles.
- Tubeless sealant refresh – Fresh sealant in both tires so you're not dealing with dried-out, useless goop come spring.
Secure Indoor Storage (December 01- March 20)
Your bike lives inside our shop for up to 3.5 months. No garage moisture. No temperature swings. No taking up space in your apartment while you're waxing skis. No guilt every time you walk past it. Just safe, climate-controlled storage while you enjoy winter.
Post-Winter Tune and Setup
Right before you pick up, we do a final safety check, tune, and test ride. Gears dialed. Brakes bled. Everything double-checked. You roll out ready to ride, not ready to tinker.
Pick Up March 1-20
We'll contact you in late February to schedule your pickup appointment. You show up, grab your bike, and hit the trails while everyone else is still googling "bike shop near me emergency service."
Three Package Options for Every Bike Type
No-Squish Package – $575 (or $200/month × 3)
For road bikes, gravel bikes, and hardtail mountain bikes—anything without suspension linkage or shocks.
You get the complete overhaul service detailed above, plus storage, plus a post-winter tune. Your bike comes back shifting like butter, braking with confidence, and ready to eat up whatever miles you're planning this season.
This package is perfect for riders who know their bike needs attention but don't need the complexity (or expense) of suspension and linkage service.
Squish Package – $650 (or $225/month × 3)
Full suspension mountain bikes get the linkage treatment.
Everything in the No-Squish Package, plus complete linkage bearing inspection and service. Every pivot gets pulled, cleaned, inspected, and re-greased or replaced. This is the overhaul that makes your rear suspension feel plush and responsive again instead of like a rusty hinge that vaguely remembers what travel used to feel like.
If your pivots creak, your suspension feels harsh, or your bike just doesn't feel as lively as it used to, this is your package.
Deluxe Squish Package – $1,100 (or $383/month × 3)
The full meal deal. Everything in the Squish Package, plus professional suspension service by Suspension Werx or Fluid Function.
Your fork and shock get removed, sent out for factory-level service, and returned with fresh seals, proper oil volumes, complete damper service, and custom tuning if you want it. This is the package for riders who know what a properly-serviced suspension actually feels like—and know that home servicing just doesn't cut it.
Suspension service requires specialized tools, clean rooms, precise measurements, and years of experience. The pros at Suspension Werx and Fluid Function do this all day, every day. Your suspension comes back performing the way the engineers intended, not the way it's been limping along after a full season of North Shore abuse.
Why Parts Aren't Included (And Why That's Actually Good)
Parts and components are billed separately at pickup with your 10% package discount. Here's why:
Every bike is different. A well-maintained bike that's been loved all season might only need $50-75 in consumables—brake pads, a few cables, maybe a chain. A bike that's been ridden hard and put away wet might need $300-$800 — new cassette, chainrings, bearings, pivot hardware, the works.
We don't want to charge you for parts you don't need. We assess during intake, keep you informed throughout the process, and you approve everything before we do it. No surprises. No padding. Just honest work and transparent pricing.
Monthly Payment Plans: Because Ski Passes Are Expensive Too
We get it. December is an expensive month. Ski passes, holiday travel, gifts for people you're legally obligated to like. Adding a $650+ bike service bill on top of that can hurt.
That's why we're offering monthly payment plans. Break it up over three months and your wallet doesn't have to choose between skiing and bike maintenance. First payment due at booking, then two more monthly payments. Simple.
Limited Spots Available (Seriously)
We're capping this program at a number we can actually handle properly. Rushing bike service is how you get half-assed work, missed details, and bikes that come back "fine" instead of "perfect."
We'd rather do fewer bikes well than a ton of bikes poorly. Once we're full, that's it for the season. No exceptions. No "can you squeeze one more in?" Sorry.
The Alternative (AKA Spring Regret)
Let's paint the picture of what happens if you don't book winter service:
It's March 15. The weather finally breaks. Your buddies text: "Trails are running. You in?"
You look at your bike. That chain you were going to replace. The brake pads that are definitely past the wear indicators. The creak that's gotten louder. The drivetrain that sounds like a coffee grinder full of gravel.
You call the shop. "Three-week wait for a full service. We can get you in for a quick safety check next Tuesday."
You ride anyway. The shifting is mushy. The brakes are sketchy. You spend more time thinking about whether something's about to break than actually enjoying the ride. You cut the session short and promise yourself you'll get it serviced soon.
Two weeks later you finally get it into the shop. Parts are backordered. Another week and a half. You miss another perfect weather weekend.
By the time you get your bike back properly serviced, it's mid-April. You've missed a month of prime riding. Your fitness is shot. Everyone else already has their trail legs back.
Book Now. Skip the Regret.
Winter service packages are live now. Limited spots. Monthly payment plans available. Drop off by December 19, pick up March 1-20 ready to shred.
Don't be the person who waits until spring and regrets it. Be the person who planned ahead, got their bike properly serviced, and starts the season strong instead of scrambling.
Book Your Winter Service Package
Questions? Email us at info@essentialcycles.com or call the shop. We're here to help
