Bogota is a pretty big bicycling city (the whole country is fairly bicycle-enthusiastic, actually), and getting work done on your bike is not the expensive ordeal I was used to from the States.
I imagine that if you need work done on your bike, you can take it to one of the bike shops around town, but there’s a much easier way. On Sundays, during Ciclovia, bike repair guys set up shop on the street, and there will be one every two or three blocks on the main routes. They bring their equipment and lots of spare parts, and do a lot of work right there on the street. If you need air, it’s free, though you should then tip the guy.
Then, once you establish a relationship with a repair guy, you can have him do work just about anytime. Most likely he’ll do it at your house, and if it’s a big job, he’ll take the bike to his house and bring it back when he’s done.
I had to ship my US bike to Bogota because I’m over six feet tall and couldn’t find a frame here to fit me well. I took it to a bike shop in Florida to have it dismantled and packed for shipping, and that cost me $40 (the same amount as the shipping). When I got to Bogota, I had my local bike guy come to my house to assemble it, and he only wanted $10,000 pesos (about $4.50) for the house call. I paid him double.
Then, I had an accident and bent a rim. I thought I was going to have to order a new one from the US–not cheap at all. But Mauricio came to my house, took the bike home, and brought it back, asking for only $6.75. Again, I paid him double.
He then told me that he works entirely on that basis–treating people right curing the Ciclovia and then getting them as customers, and basically going to them or taking their bikes back to his place to do the work. You can get a bike repair guy by looking around at the nearest Ciclovia street to where you live, and checking them out. But mine is highly recommended–he’s Mauricio and you can find him on the east side of Septima at Calle 84, where the street heads up the hill to the Circunvalar.
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