Bike shops on Instagram: fill the workshop diary and keep every safety question with a mechanic

Why riders message the shop on Instagram

Riders follow the shops they trust, and Instagram is where they see what you do: the builds, the group rides, the new stock. When they need something, they message the account they already follow instead of hunting for a phone number. Many of those messages arrive in the evening or at the weekend, when people are planning a ride and notice their gears are slipping.

Workshop questions are the most valuable of these, because a booked service is income in the diary and often leads to a parts sale. Stock questions matter too, but they change fast. The setup below keeps the agent sharp on the workshop and honest about stock, so it never promises a bike you do not have.

The rule: the agent never diagnoses a fault

A rider who writes "my brakes feel spongy" or "I crashed and the fork looks bent" needs a mechanic, not a guess. Tell the agent never to say whether something is safe to ride, never to suggest a fix and never to price a repair it has not seen. It can say "please don't ride it until we've had a look" if you write that wording yourself, then book the bike in and hand the chat to a mechanic.

E-bikes need the same care. Battery, motor and charging questions often depend on the brand and the warranty, and a battery that has been damaged needs proper handling. Give the agent your wording for these and keep the detail with the person who works on e-bikes.

What customers ask on Instagram

• How much is a full service and how long do you need it for?
• Have you got the blue gravel bike in a medium? I'm 5'10".
• Can you look at my e-bike? The display keeps cutting out.
• My gears keep slipping, can you fit me in this week?
• Is my bike ready yet? Dropped it off Tuesday.
• Do you do bike fits?
• Do you take part of the Cycle to Work scheme?

An example conversation

This illustration shows a rider booking a service from a DM sent on a Sunday evening. Names, prices and details are examples.

What the agent answers

• Service levels and prices, and what each one includes, from your workshop list.
• Booking drop-off slots into the workshop diary you share with it.
• Telling a rider their bike is ready, once a mechanic has marked it done.
• Sizing guides for bikes in stock, given as guides with an offer to come in and try.
• Whether a bike or part is in stock, from a list you keep current.
• Opening hours, parking, bike fits, group rides and cycle schemes you accept, in your words.

What it always hands to you

• Every safety question: brakes, steering, cracks, bent forks and crash damage.
• Fault-finding, including e-bike motors, batteries and displays.
• Warranty claims and anything about a bike or part that has failed.
• Quotes for repairs beyond your standard service list.
• Custom builds, wheel builds and bike fits that need a conversation.
• Complaints and refunds.

Use your posts to start conversations, not to chase followers

When you post a new bike or a finished build, people comment "price?" or "medium?" under it. Spaces can reply to Instagram comments and, when Instagram allows it, send the commenter a private reply in DMs, so the agent can answer "sent you a message" in public and give the detail in private. It does not cold-message followers or people who liked a post. Instagram limits messages to people who have not written to you, and the riders who asked are the ones likely to buy.

The Instagram limits that matter here

Instagram only lets you message someone who has not replied inside its messaging window, so replies in existing chats work best.

Set it up in an afternoon

1. Write a shop note: workshop services and prices, turnaround times, drop-off slots, your stock list, sizing guide wording, e-bike wording, cycle schemes, and what always goes to a mechanic. There is an example below.
2. Connect the shop's Instagram account in Spaces. You sign in to Instagram through a secure link and approve the connection. Turn on two-step verification on the account first.
3. Connect your AI agent using the steps on our agents page. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT reply when you ask them in a chat, so for replies as messages arrive use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes. Give it the shop note. Spaces does not connect to workshop software or your till system, but your agent can reach one through its own tools if you set that up. Otherwise, update the slots and stock list in the note.
4. Agree who answers handed-over chats. A safety or crash question should get a mechanic's reply the same day while the shop is open.
5. Decide when the agent answers. Many shops let it book services in the evenings and at weekends, when riders plan ahead. Tell it in its notes, or pause sending when you want it quiet.
6. Ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts for the first week, and nothing goes out until you approve it. Once the answers read the way you would write them, switch drafts off for the everyday questions.
7. Check message requests as well as the main inbox for the first few weeks, because first-time riders' DMs often land there.

A sample shop note

Keep it short, and update slots and stock when they change. Here is the shape of one, with example details.

SHOP: Chainline Cycles, 14 Canal Street. Bike parking outside.
HOURS: Tue to Sat 9am to 5:30pm. Closed Sun and Mon.

WORKSHOP:
- Safety check: £25, same day if dropped off before 11am
- Standard service: £75, gears, brakes, wheels true, usually next day
- Full service: £150, strip and rebuild, 3 to 4 days
Parts are extra. The mechanic messages before fitting anything.
DROP-OFF SLOTS THIS WEEK: Tue am, Thu am, Sat am.

READY: never say a bike is ready. Ask for the name, pass to the workshop.

STOCK (update weekly): Gravel GR2, blue, sizes S and M. Hybrid H1, L only.
SIZING: "As a guide, M suits riders about 5'8" to 5'11". Come in and try it."

E-BIKES: we service most brands. Batteries and motors: hand to Ben.

NEVER: say a bike is safe to ride, diagnose a fault, price an unseen repair.
IF THEY MENTION BRAKES, A CRASH OR A CRACK: "Please don't ride it until
we've had a look." Book it in, hand to a mechanic.

SCHEMES: we accept the main Cycle to Work schemes. Details from the team.

Sizing questions without promises

"Will a medium fit me?" is one of the most common DMs a bike shop gets, and the honest answer depends on more than height. Give the agent the manufacturer's size guide for the bikes you stock, tell it to call it a guide, and ask it always to offer a test ride or a fit. A rider who hears "as a guide, M suits 5'8" to 5'11", and you're welcome to try both" feels looked after, not sold to.

Tell the agent never to hold a bike for someone over DMs unless that is how your shop works. If you do hold bikes, give it the rule in plain words, such as "we can hold a bike until close of play the next day", and let a person confirm.

A second example: crash damage

This is the message that should never get a guess. Names and details are examples.

The agent did not say the scratch looked cosmetic. It used the wording Ben wrote, booked the inspection and handed over.

Common mistakes bike shops make

• Letting the agent say "that's probably just a cable" or anything else that sounds like a diagnosis.
• Saying a bike is ready from the diary before a mechanic has finished and test-ridden it.
• Leaving the stock list unchanged for a month, so the agent offers sizes that sold out.
• Pricing parts it has not seen fitted. Parts prices come after the mechanic looks.
• DMing everyone who liked a new bike post. Answer the people who asked.

Who you message

In short

For an independent bike shop, an AI agent on Instagram books workshop slots, answers service prices and sizing guides and tells riders when their bike is ready once a mechanic says so. Safety, faults, crash damage and warranty questions always go to a mechanic.

Write the shop note, keep stock and slots current and check message requests. Spaces paces every message and keeps the account inside safe limits, but no tool can promise Instagram will never restrict an account, so keep the agent to riders who message you first.

Pricing

Free to start, then $9 per connected account a month

Can the agent book bikes into the workshop?

Yes, into the drop-off slots you list in its note. It offers a couple of slots and books the one the rider picks. If your agent can reach your workshop software through its own tools, it can read live slots instead.

What does it do with a safety question?

It hands the chat to a mechanic and, if you have written it, tells the rider not to ride the bike until it has been checked. It never says whether a bike is safe or suggests a fix.

Can it tell riders their bike is ready?

Only after a mechanic has marked it done. Ask the agent to take the rider's name and pass it to the workshop, rather than reading "ready" from a booking date.

Can it answer sizing questions?

It can give the manufacturer's guide for bikes in stock, called a guide, and offer a test ride or a fit. The final call on size is the rider's, with your help in the shop.

Does it reply to comments on new bike posts?

Spaces can reply to Instagram comments and, when Instagram allows it, send the commenter a private reply in DMs. A short public reply with the detail in a DM keeps your posts tidy.

Can it help with e-bike problems?

It can book an e-bike in and pass the details to whoever works on them. Motor, battery and display faults depend on the brand and warranty, so those go to a person.

Can I message riders when their service is due?

You can message riders who asked for a reminder, one at a time, written for each person. A scheduled message or a routine works well for that. Avoid sending the same reminder to everyone who has ever messaged you.

Can I still reply from the Instagram app?

Yes. When you or a mechanic reply in a chat, the agent stays out of it until the chat is handed back.