Bicycle shop and workshop · Thornbury

Ferrous Bike Works

We'd rather fix your old one

📞 Call
★★★★★ 4.9 · 611 reviews · Closed now

About Ferrous Bike Works

Ferrous Bike Works is a shop and workshop on High Street, Thornbury. We sell steel commuters, tourers and cargo bikes, and we service anything that rolls in regardless of where it came from.

Our written policy is to repair before replacing. It costs us bike sales and it's why people come back.

Wheelchair accessFree 30-day tune-upTest ridesBike parking

What we stand for

Our story

Nick opened in 2014 with a workshop and six bikes, on the theory that a shop which fixes things earns more trust than one which sells things. The retail floor grew because the workshop did.

Values

We repair before we replace, and we'll say when your old bike is worth keeping. Every bike we sell includes a free 30-day tune-up because cables stretch and that shouldn't cost you.

Sustainability & ESG

We strip and reuse serviceable parts, and we take any bike back at end of life for parts recovery. Last year we diverted 2.1 tonnes and rebuilt 96 bikes people had written off.

Privacy policy

Ferrous Bike Works collects only what it needs to do the work, keeps it for three years, and anonymises rather than deletes so the record of what happened survives the person leaving.

How to complain, and what happens next

A complaint reaches the owner the same day. You get an answer within two working days and a named person who owns it until it is closed.

Who we're for

The Thornbury bike shop that would rather repair your old bike than sell you a new one.

Commuters with an old bike

Riders wondering whether to repair or replace.

An honest assessmentRepair skillNo upsell

Long-haul buyers

People buying one bike for twenty years.

Serviceable componentsSpares availabilityFrame quality

What we can do

Wheel building

Discipline

Frame and drivetrain overhaul

Discipline

Internal gear hubs and dynamo lighting

Technology

Repair-before-replace assessment

Method

Services

Standard service

$145

Drivetrain clean, gears and brakes adjusted, wheels trued, safety check.

⏱ 90 min View details →

Full overhaul

From $380

Complete strip, bearings repacked, cables replaced, wheels trued and tensioned.

⏱ 240 min View details →

Hand-built wheel (per wheel)

From $260

Your choice of hub and rim, built and tensioned by hand, labour only.

⏱ 120 min View details →

Bike fit

$180

Static fit with saddle, bar and cleat adjustment and a written record of your numbers.

⏱ 90 min View details →

Free 30-day tune-up

On request

Included with every bike we sell — cables stretch, and it should be free to fix that.

⏱ 30 min View details →

Products

6 products

Who we work with

Membership
Supplier
Australian merino mill
Partner
Bicycle Network

Meet the team

Nick Farrer

Owner and mechanic

Twenty-two years wrenching, seven of them building wheels for a frame builder.

English

Yuki Sato

Workshop lead

Cytech qualified. Runs the overhaul bench and the wheel jig.

English

Credentials & accreditations

·
Electric bike battery handling and storage compliance
License · WorkSafe Victoria · No. FERR-10000 · valid to 2026-11-08 · as listed by the business

What we accept

Wheelchair accessible shopfront Yes
Kids' bikes from age 4 Yes
We service any brand Yes — Including bikes bought elsewhere

Workshop waits

Delivery zoneInner north Melbourne (8km radius, fee 15)
SiteHigh Street shop and workshop

What customers say

★★★★★ 4.9 from 611 reviews
★★★★★
Talked me out of a new bike

"Took my 1994 tourer in expecting to replace it. They rebuilt the wheels and replaced the drivetrain for a third of a new bike."

— Sam K. ✓ Verified
★★★★★
Wheel build is art

"Hand-built pair, still true after 4,000km of Melbourne potholes."

— Lucia F. ✓ Verified
★★★★
Workshop is busy

"Two-week wait for a full service in spring. Worth booking ahead."

— Dev A. ✓ Verified
★★★★★

"Booked in, waited all day, nobody came and nobody called. I took the day off for nothing."

— Priya N.

From the journal

Work with us

Bicycle mechanic — Cytech

Thornbury VIC · full time · closes 18 Oct 2026

We're hiring a bicycle mechanic — cytech. Read the full brief and apply on our site.

Apply →

What you get for coming back

Visits
123456A free check-up and clean
Passes issued
1 of 2 used

Good to know

PaymentsVisa, Mastercard, AMEX, Apple Pay, Bank transfer
LanguagesEnglish
Area servedThornbury, Northcote, Preston, Brunswick, Melbourne
Price range$$
CancellationFree to change or cancel up to 24 hours before. Inside that, the deposit is kept.
WarrantyAnything we get wrong, we put right at our own cost.

Frequently asked

Will you service a bike I didn't buy here?

Yes, any bike, any brand, any age. About two thirds of our workshop work is bikes bought elsewhere.

Why steel?

It can be repaired, it doesn't fatigue unpredictably, and a good steel frame outlives several drivetrains. We'd rather sell you one bike than four.

Do you take trade-ins?

We don't, but we'll tell you honestly whether your current bike is worth repairing — and about half the time it is.

How long is a service wait?

Three to five days most of the year, up to two weeks in spring. Same-day for anything unsafe.

Opening hours

Closed now
Monday09:00-17:30
Tuesday09:00-17:30
Wednesday09:00-17:30
Thursday09:00-19:00
Friday09:00-17:30
Saturday09:00-16:00
Sunday10:00-15:00

Also available

Already with us?

Have a booking or an order? Sort it out here — you'll need your reference.

Get in touch

Our repair-before-replace policy

Last year

3,400Bikes serviced
96Written-off bikes rebuilt
2.1 tDiverted from landfill