The owner of Bikes 4 Health, Dr. John Ruhland, is a naturopathic physician who is genuinely concerned with finding the best bike match for your body type and condition. He has been in business since 1998.
Our primary work is as a medical clinic, and secondarily as a bike shop. We have purposely created a low-traffic business that does not interfere with our primary service of holistic medicine.
History
Originally, we offered bikes primarily to those with disabilities and pain issues, such as wrist, knee, hip or back pain, other joint pain, partial paralysis from stroke or spinal cord injury, autism, or cerebral palsy. These are the patients who come to our clinic for hyperbaric oxygen treatments, intravenous nutrition, and other holistic therapies.
Most bike shops don’t have the interest or expertise to work with special needs populations. We see this as part of our mission.
We also see biking as a way to help those interested in controlling blood sugar, losing weight, staying fit, improving depression, as well as those interested in having a smaller environmental impact.
These days, we also provide bike services to fully able-bodied people who value getting professional input on the best recumbent, electric, or tricycle for their needs. We can shorten the time it takes to decide what type of bike to get for your particular body. We take into account how your health is likely to be five to ten years down the line.
Stock
We carry a large inventory.
The bikes we carry are high-end machines in terms of engineering and manufacture. They are built to last, and, even after years of use, have a high resale value.
We carry only quality machines. It is the best way to save time and money rather than need to frequently repair poorly made bikes. We try to avoid cycles made in China as they are usually of lower quality, involve exploited workers, and further the trade imbalance that will eventually lead to conflagrations.
We warranty all the bikes we carry.
Questions We Typically Ask You
- What is your height and weight?
- Do you have a preference for a 2- or a 3-wheeler, recumbent or upright?
- Do you plan to ride in rain and snow?
- Do you have very steep hills upon which you will often be riding?
- How fit are you?
- How hard do you ride? Do you strive to keep up with active cyclists?
- Back and Joint Pain questions:
- Have you ever taken nutritional supplements for your condition?
(Dr. Ruhland’s Natural Health Medical Clinic offers treatments for sports medicine problems.)
- Are there any other physical signs or symptoms besides the particular pain that is your primary limitation?
- Do you have a budget we need to stay within? (Trike prices, for instance, vary from about $1,000 to more than $4,000.)
Test Ride
Appointments need to be made to test ride a bike. We are unable to take drop-in traffic, however, we are often able to accommodate customers the same day. Call us at 206-723-4891.
We charge a $50 fee per rider. This assures you little or no waiting, and usually one-on-one service.
The fee is put toward purchase of one of our bikes. Thus if you purchase a cycle from us, the test ride costs you nothing, despite the time we spend with you.
We have few demo cycles. Instead, we let people test ride new bikes.
By limiting test rides to those serious enough to pay the fee, which discourages the “tire-kickers,” our new cycles stay in new condition. This allows us to maintain lower prices.
More than half of the people coming in for test rides purchase a cycle within half a year. It is noteworthy that our customers report being very happy with their purchase.
Local Sales Only
We do local sales only. We do not ship bikes. Our customers have come, not only from western Washington, but eastern Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Canada.
Because we work with local clientele, we are able to provide fast and excellent personalized service.
Payments
We accept only checks and cash.
First-time buyers who buy a cycle the same day, pay with a cashier’s checks or cash.
If a bike is ordered, payment may be with a personal check.
We have excellent prices, generously offer one-on-one time with our customers, and while we do not have the least expensive mechanic, he is highly qualified and ranks as one of the best in the region.
Repair services are fairly priced, and we typically have the fastest service turn-around time. While we certainly are not perfect, we are perfectionists.
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