Getting your bike fixed in Madrid when you don't speak Spanish
How bike repair works in Madrid for newcomers: what a workshop needs to know, how quotes work, what pickup costs, and the Spanish words for the most common problems.
Madrid is a good city for cycling once you know your way around, but it is hard on bikes: cobblestones in the centre, hills in almost every district, kerbs, glass on the bike lanes and bikes that sleep outside. Sooner or later something breaks. If your Spanish is not up to describing a slipping gear to a mechanic, this guide is for you.
How repair works with MadridBikes
MadridBikes is not a single shop. We work with partner workshops across the city and assign you the one closest to where you live.
- You tell us what is wrong, on WhatsApp or through the form on this site, in English, German, Italian, French or Spanish. A photo helps. Tell us your neighbourhood or postcode.
- We pass it to the nearest partner workshop and you get their quote before anyone touches the bike.
- You drop the bike off. We send you the address. If you cannot bring it, we pick it up for 90 €.
- We tell you when it is ready and you collect it.
You never have to explain the problem in Spanish. We do that part.
What a workshop needs to know
Whatever language you write in, the mechanic needs the same three things:
- What kind of bike it is. City bike, road bike, mountain bike, folding bike, e-bike. The brand and model if you know them.
- What happens. “The chain skips when I pedal hard”, “the back brake does nothing”, “there is a click every time the wheel turns”. Describe what you notice, not what you think the cause is.
- When it happens. Only uphill, only when braking, only after rain.
A short video with sound is often the fastest way to explain a noise.
How much does a repair cost?
It depends on the problem and the bike, so nobody can give you a serious price without seeing it. What we can promise is that the workshop’s quote reaches you before any work starts. If you decide not to go ahead, you say so and that is that.
The most common problems, in English and Spanish
If you ever do end up in a workshop on your own, these words help.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Puncture / flat tyre | Pinchazo |
| Inner tube | Cámara |
| Tyre | Cubierta |
| Brakes don’t work | Los frenos no frenan |
| Brake pads | Zapatas (rim brakes) / pastillas (disc brakes) |
| The gears skip | El cambio salta |
| The chain is loose or rusty | La cadena está floja / oxidada |
| The wheel wobbles | La rueda está descentrada |
| Broken spoke | Radio roto |
| The handlebar has play | La dirección tiene holgura |
| Tune up / full service | Puesta a punto / revisión |
| Quote | Presupuesto |
Where in Madrid?
Everywhere in the city. We have partner workshops across the 21 districts, from Centro to Barajas, and we assign the closest one to your postcode. If you are in Getafe, Leganés or Alcalá for university, write to us anyway and we will tell you what we can do.
New in town? Two things worth doing early
- Get a tune up in your first weeks, especially if you bought the bike second hand. Brakes, gears, tyre pressure and a check that everything is tight. It is cheaper than the repair that follows a neglected problem.
- Save our WhatsApp number before you need it: +34 684 24 48 73. When you are stuck with a flat on the way to class, you will not want to search for it.