Photos by Lindsay Toler
Francesca DeRanzo tunes up the author's bike.
If something about spring’s arrival in St. Louis makes you want to strap on a helmet, jump on your bicycle, and cruise around town, you’re not alone.
But if your bike spent the winter hibernating in the basement or the garage, its deflated tires, worn breaks, and wobbly wheels probably need some TLC before you can get rolling.
That’s where VeloFix comes in. The mobile bicycle shop offers tune-ups on-the-go so you don’t have to lug your bike to the shop to get the service and parts you need.
“Our whole mission is save time, ride more,” says Francesca DeRanzo, who launched VeloFix in St. Louis in February. “We come to your house, and we fix the bike while you wait.”
DeRanzo’s clients are people who want a more convenient tune-up option: parents with multiple kids’ bikes, busy professionals trapped at the office, commuters who can’t go a day without their bike, or people who can’t afford to add an expensive rack to their car just to haul it somewhere for service.
The VeloFix van.
VeloFix’s mobile business model is convenient, but it also keeps riders safe.
“If you haven’t ridden that bike in a year, there’s a peace of mind knowing that a certified mechanic has gone over it and checked all the bolts and aired all the tires,” DeRanzo tells SLM. “A lot of people don’t see the little cracks on the tires. A lot of the time, bikes need new brake pads. If you can’t slow down, it’s a little scary.”
VeloFix got its start in Canada, with more than 60 franchises now hitting the road across North America. DeRanzo is the first mobile shop in St. Louis. Cincinnati and Denver are the next closest cities where VeloFix has launched.
DeRanzo carries everything she needs to do common maintenance repairs in her VeloFix van, and if clients need special equipment, she follows up to order and deliver them. She takes appointments seven days a week for more than twelve hours per day. A basic tune-up takes less than an hour, and a complete overhaul takes about two hours.
DeRanzo, a lifelong cyclist originally from Tennessee, moved to Tower Grove South from Kansas two years ago, but she’s been coming to St. Louis for many years as a marketing representative for specialized bicycle components.
“I knew there was a great bike community here and great riding, as well,” DeRanzo says. “The city is actually pretty bike friendly as far as bike lanes and good bike routes. I was really drawn to this neighborhood and St. Louis as a whole.”
Schedule an appointment on the VeloFix website.
Contact Lindsay Toler by an email at LToler@stlmag.com or on Twitter @StLouisLindsay. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
