ReRide Bikes

TL;DR summary: While the ReRide bicycle-​shop may not resemble other bicycle-​shops you’ve been in, I had a great experience, and expect to take my future bike repair needs there. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, it’s now the shop closest to Prattville to bring your bicycle for repairs, now that there are apparently no bicycle shops left in Prattville itself anymore.
Do note, as I’ll explain below, ReRide is more about repairs, service, and selling refurbished bicycles than offering a large selection of accessories or new bicycles. Also, ReRide appears to be highly reliant upon a single mechanic, so if you need your ride repaired, I recommend calling (334) 593‑4447 first to make sure he’s in.
Now if you’re thinking about visiting ReRide, scroll to the bottom of my review for directions (mapping software tends to get ReRide’s location wrong); if you want my long-​winded explanation of why I think you should try ReRide, read on.
I recently purchased a Schwinn, only for it to malfunction almost before I peddled it out of the driveway: The chain kept slipping off every time I shifted to the large chainring from its small. I’d have taken it back to the dealer, but I made the mistake of purchasing it at Wal-​Mart, where repairs consist of offering a refund.
So I decided to try ReRide. While it took a little effort to find it (more on that at the end) and the shop was a little unusual (a tall garage/​warehouse building, surrounded by a large sandy yard containing tractor-​trailers surrounded by a fence), Joe, the resident mechanic, was friendly, had my problem fixed in a little over five minutes, and charged a very reasonable fee. Moreover, it’s stayed fixed since he saw it. So, I plan to bring my future bike issues to him.
Now despite my positive experience, some might be dismissive of Reride because it doesn’t fit their preconceived idea of a bike shop – a big air-​conditioned room containing loads of shiny new bicycles and shelves full of accessories behind big display windows, with cycling posters on the wall.
But that model of a mainstream bike shop has come under a lot of pressure. According to the League of American Bicyclists, in 2000 there were more than 6,500 bicycle shops in the U.S. By 2013, despite a resurgence in cycling, that number had dropped to less than 4,200, no doubt largely due to competition from the web and big-​box stores. (For example, you may have noticed the Chain Reaction bicycle-​shop in Prattville lasted just a couple of years).
So ReRide takes a different approach. Instead of primarily retailing new bikes and accessories, which would mean competing with the Amazon and Wal-​Mart juggernauts, they focuses more on service and repairs (as well as selling used bicycles, refurbished in-​house – more on that in a moment). ReRide does this in an austere garage in an off-​the-​beaten-​path location, which (I would hope) keeps costs down, and (based on my experience thus far) passes the savings on to customers.
So for those who lack a «home» bike-​shop to service their bicycle because they didn’t buy it at a «mainstream» bicycle shop, ReRide provides a valuable service.
Lastly, ReRide offers used bicycles (as well as, Joe tells us, a few new ones occasionally, though «new» isn’t their focus). Now I haven’t actually purchased one from ReRide yet, but this makes sense: Bicycles can last for ages with proper repair and maintenance (as evidenced by my Cannondale which just turned twenty and still runs well). As with automobiles, instead of shelling out top dollar for a new bicycle, why not save money with a «good used» one? Joe says he includes a six-​month warranty comes with any bicycle he sells or repair work he does, and I’m convinced he stands behind his work. (You can see some of what ReRide has available at
).
**Getting there**
When fed the address, Google Maps puts the map-​pin in the wrong place. Apple Maps does better, but it doesn’t take you to the entrance, only the approximate location. So, I recommend you do the following:
1. Go to the intersection of Birmingham Hwy and Paul St. This is right before Birmingham Hwy becomes Bell St. It’s also next to the runway at Maxwell AFB (and near the «Kelly St» entrance at Maxwell, if you’re familiar with the base). Google Maps puts the pin here, but this is incorrect.
2. Turn onto Paul St. After a few hundred yards, you’ll see a large sandy truck-​yard to the right, surrounded by barbed wire and containing trucks and small buildings. At this point, Apple Maps claimed I had arrived, but as there’s no entrance on this side, keep going until you reach Foshee Rd.
3. Turn right onto Foshee Rd, then immediately look for an entrance into the yard on your right.
4. Once in the yard, look for the building with some bicycles in a tall garage.
So, it may not be the most photogenic shop, but (especially if you don’t have a «home» shop), I recommend you take your next bicycle repair job to ReRide.