New bike repair shop offers valet service

Aaron Arave, the wrench man at Intergalactic Bicycle Service, which opened April 2.

Everybody knows what a pain it is to push a bike with a flat tire to the shop or to load it into the back of a truck or car.

One of the things Aaron Arave is offering at his new shop, Intergalactic Bicycle Service, is valet pickup-and-dropoff, to spare customers the hassle of getting their hands dirty.

An Idaho Falls native who recently came home, Arave opened his shop April 2. It is located at 263 North Woodruff Ave., near Sarah's Candy Cottage. His partners in the business are his father, Brian Arave, and Doyle Nelson.

Arave has 15 years experience fixing bikes and is certified by the United Bicycle Institute. He was voted Best Bicycle Mechanic by Boise Weekly in 2004.

"We'll fix everything from Huffys to high-end racing bikes," he said. The shop sells individual bicycles, plus accessories like helmets, gloves and locks, but Arave said he prefers to keep the focus on service and repair.

His charge for a basic tune-up is $35. Basic flat repair is $5 to $15. As for valet service, they will pick up individual or group bicycles within a 100-mile round trip. Individual family service must be at least $100 and groups $250. For more information on valet service, call (208) 360-9463. To call the shop, (208) 360-9542.