Mountain - Plains - Your Denver LBS- and anything else you want to tell me about Denver

As some of you already know, I'm relocating to Denver in mere weeks. When I was out there for the job interview, I observed there was a bike shop on every street corner, I'm surprised they haven't come up with some merger with Starbucks yet.

Anyway... whats your favorite? I'll need to get hooked up with some toys ASAP. :)
I'll be living in the Lowry area.

What else do I need to see/do/know?

Wheatridge Cyclery has been ok. They are pretty much Trek/Bontrager though, so I don't go there for much. We bought my wife's bike there because she like the Trek WSD for fit. I got a pro fit done there and the service was very good, but I actually bought my bike at REI because I wanted a Cannondale.

Lately, I am working with Scwabb Cycles on East Colfax in Littleton, because I am building a fixed gear on an Italian frame, and they are the place to go for that. Both of these are quite a drive from my house, so for other things I just stop into the closest shop.

What are you looking for in a shop? We have all kinds and I tend to go to the shop that best suits my needs. I do all my own work and oder parts and tools online.

You are right that bike shops are like Starbucks here and most are decent, but they all have their niche. This area is a cycling Mecca in the good weather. Wait til you go to the base of one of the popular rides and find two hundred cars with bike racks there, as well as many people riding out from the city as well.

I can't wait!

Hmm... what am I looking for? Well, one big gripe has been availability of parts for my 650 wheels. Had to wait >1 week for a new rear wheel, and I've usually only got one tire to pick from at any shop around here. If that's just life... than I'm essentially just looking for a shop with good, honest service. I'm pretty smart for the most part, but would like to go somewhere with a good rep for not swindling people as I don't do most of my own maintenance (fwiw, I'm trainable, just lazy). :)

Yep, lots of shops 13% of the population mtn bikes, 26% all other biking (meaning
they must lump unicycle in with road) Over 30,000 people participate in bike to work day
There are good shops all over town so you really need to decide where you'll living before it worth talking about bike shops.
One thing to pick up is a Greater Denver Bike Map ($4-6 at LBS) there are 650 miles
of bike trails and many other bike routes. the map makes it easy to explore your new hometown

Getting 650's tires (and having choices ) will not be a major problem

As noted above, a big question is where you will live. I am just east of downtown (by City Park), and I have shops along my various errand routes. I spend a lot of time at REI my various sports, so I often just pick up stuff there. Helps with the rebate too.

You'll have a Bicycle Village close to you too. They're kind of the "Super Mall" of bicycles around here it seems like. They carry Trek, Specialized, and Bianchi and usually have a pretty large selection of accessories and clothing in all the ones I've been in. (Castelli, P.I. Specialized, Sugio)

I'm mostly familiar with the shops around the University area. Our team runs with the BikeSource and it's a very nice shop. They have a very knowledgeable group of mechanics. They don't have much in the way of clothing though usually. For clothing they just have Pearl Izumi and Specialized stuff. They're mostly just a Specialized shop, but also carry Cervelo and Serotta for bikes as well.

The Denver Spoke is a really cool little shop. They have mostly all high end gear. They carry Giant, Pinarello, Merckx, and Colnago. The same goes for their clothing... it's all pretty expensive stuff; Giordanna and Assos. If you want to drool over bikes though, it's a great place to visit.

The last one that I've dealt with is Campus cycles. They pack a lot of bikes in there from Trek, Scott, Orbea and many others. They don't have too much in the way of clothing but they carry PI and Endura atleast. I've heard they have good mechanics there too.

Anyway, I know most of those aren't anywhere close to you... but I figured I'd throw out my experience with them anyway.

Welcome to Denver... you'll love it here! I've been here just 3 months and I love it! I've never ridden so much in my life. :)

Lemme throw in for Cycle Analyst. Tons of stuff you won't find anywhere else, meaning old/vintage, Campy of all vintage, odd bits you can't find anywhere! They deal in Surly, Merlin, Giant, Lightspeed and a few others. Alot of fixed for street and track. A funky shop with some really good guys. The owner, Richard is a handful at times and VERY opinionated, sometimes impatient, but if you know what your looking for he is a great resource. Kinda like dealing with a friendly troll?!
Anyway, I've had great luck with getting wheels built by Moe, there and if your a commuter they do a step above for you. Reasonable rates and turnaround times, too...
I've seen a lot of 650b in the shop. Wheels and tires and even some of the more 'exotic' sizes abound.

I don't work there but I do give them alot of my business because they have earned it even when Richard is being manic..!

I'm just a commuter, not a racer if that makes any difference...

And no I don't work there.

Oh yeah!
If you have a hip streak, check out Salvagetti on Speer. Not the best mechs but handy if your Downtown and just want to check them out...

Welcome to Colorado! You'll like it here...

If you are commuting down town you should get to know Scott and the good people at Salvagetti. They don't stock tons of stuff but are the very good turing a wrench, knowledgeable and always willing to help.

As noted above, a big question is where you will live. I am just east of downtown (by City Park), and I have shops along my various errand routes. I spend a lot of time at REI my various sports, so I often just pick up stuff there. Helps with the rebate too.I'll be in Lowry- I'm already a devout REI shopper, and am looking forward to the next rebate :) Also looking forward to the mondo REI in Denver!


Welcome to Denver... you'll love it here! I've been here just 3 months and I love it! I've never ridden so much in my life. :) thanks for the tips! I'm a cold weather wussy, but am hoping to get some riding in yet once I get there (just before halloween)


Welcome to Colorado! You'll like it here...Thanks for the info... and yeah, that "you'll like it here" is a common theme I've been hearing. Thats what I'm hoping!! :D

"Lately, I am working with Scwabb Cycles on East Colfax in Littleton, because I am building a fixed gear on an Italian frame, and they are the place to go for that. Both of these are quite a drive from my house, so for other things I just stop into the closest shop."

Err - I don't think East Colfax goes through Littleton, unless Littleton has annexed Aurora!

Perhaps West Colfax and Lakewood?

I used to recommend Treads - but no longer. Too many changes in management since Hans and Katie left the Parker shop.

Parker desperately needs a competitive LBS - a huge bicycling population and one bicycle shop!

By the way, Katie died recently - Lou Gehrig's disease.

"Lately, I am working with Scwabb Cycles on East Colfax in Littleton, because I am building a fixed gear on an Italian frame, and they are the place to go for that. Both of these are quite a drive from my house, so for other things I just stop into the closest shop."

Err - I don't think East Colfax goes through Littleton, unless Littleton has annexed Aurora!

Perhaps West Colfax and Lakewood?

Yes, you are so right. I can't keep Lakewood and Littleton straight, but they are both west of town. I am definitely a bit distracted lately...

I am not sure about LBS's on that side of town. The Denver Bicycle Touring Club (http://www.dbtc.org) has the most complete map of bike routes in for the Denver area. Most of the LBS's sell the map. The Highline Canal MUP is not far from Lowry. There is a Brothers BBQ (http://www.brothers-bbq.com) at Monaco and Leesdale. If you are thinking of using buses or light rail here, google maps works better than the RTD Trip Planer (http://www2.rtd-denver.com/TripPlannerHtml/TripPlanner20071220.cfm) for figuring out your schedule. You could drive to Nine Mile Station & park-n-Ride and then take the light rail to DTC or downtown for your commute. There are also plenty of bus routes that go near Lowry.

thanks for the tips! I'm a cold weather wussy, but am hoping to get some riding in yet once I get there (just before halloween)

:D

From one who lived in Green Bay MN/SP is COLD Denver with its 300 days of sunshine winters aren't usually that bad. You're used to a different defination of cold!!!! You might be surprised how much
you enjoy winter biking, if you can find time for a break from downhill skiing, xc skiing, snowshoeing ...

From one who lived in Green Bay MN/SP is COLD Denver with its 300 days of sunshine winters aren't usually that bad. You're used to a different defination of cold!!!! You might be surprised how much
you enjoy winter biking, if you can find time for a break from downhill skiing, xc skiing, snowshoeing ...

But then there was two years ago, when we got 5 feet of snow in late December and it stayed packed on the city roads until March. Not a usual occurrence though.

artifice,

You should be just a hop, skip and a jump from:

pedal pushers (http://www.pedalpusherscyclery.com)

They mainly focus on road bikes & I was told just this weekend that they have good fitting services.

I do most stuff myself, but when I need help my favorite shop is:

denver spoke bicycles (http://www.denverspoke.com).

*edit --- oh yeah, I think I gave you info on several denver hoods and you end up moving to Lowry?! :crash::twitchy:
:)

*edit --- oh yeah, I think I gave you info on several denver hoods and you end up moving to Lowry?! :crash::twitchy:
:)[/QUOTE]

Pretty funny. At least it is an actual Denver zip and they have porches in the front and garages around back, just like classic Denver.

I'll have to give a HUGE recommendation for Cycle Analyst. Easily the best shop I've ever dealt with. Friendly, helpful, and they won't try to sell you a brand new bike every time you stick your head in.

The first time I went in there they talked me out of buying something I didn't need, replaced a missing bolt on my rear rack, and trued up my wheel a bit. Then sent me out the door with no charge. They're very knowledgeable (Only place I talked to that knew that you could use a 9 or 10 speed derailleur on a 7 speed bike) and pretty reasonable on prices.

I also like the Performance at S. Yosemite and Arapaho... very helpful and when I had a blow out on a tire that was only a week old they replaced it (AND the tube!) no questions asked. Even offered to mount them for me for free (Though I'd have had to come back to get my bike back later)

I also like the Performance at S. Yosemite and Arapaho... very helpful and when I had a blow out on a tire that was only a week old they replaced it (AND the tube!) no questions asked. Even offered to mount them for me for free (Though I'd have had to come back to get my bike back later)

I didn't have a good experience - many years back - at this Performance.

I got roundly ignored, no interest in my needs at all by a bunch of young employees. Perhaps being a bit "older" turned them off?

Hopefully, it has changed

I have not had many bad experiences with the shops I have frequented.
Performance on Yosemite: friendly staff
REI on county line road: friendly staff. So so selection. Competent wrenches
REI flagship in Denver along the platte trail: friendly staff. Being right along my commute gives it big time pluses.

Northern area shops:
-Bicycle village westie: friendly folks. Decent selection. So so prices
-Performance village westie: friendly staff. Even better since another user here works there.
-Golden Bear bikes: horrid selection on accessories. Decent bikes but non competitive prices. Great employees and even better wrenches. My favorite shop.
-Derby bikes: friendly folks with good wrenches.

I am not that much help for the Denver shops. I tend to stick to the northern burbs unless I need a repair while commuting.
Next stop will be eschelon spokes and slopes in Lafayette. I would like to try out their group rides next year.

I like Green Mtn Sports on the west side of town. It's a small shop but they have always done a nice job fixing/tuning my bikes. Friendly staff, have even offered me beers near quitting time on a Friday.:D

The guys at Alpha Cycles off of Yosemite are some of the best and honest I know. They deal mostly in Gary Fisher, but they are great mechanics and know their stuff.
Oh and that old man in Cycle Analysis is psychotic. I will not step foot in there ever! They are just snobs and act as though you are wasting their time. :eek:

*edit --- oh yeah, I think I gave you info on several denver hoods and you end up moving to Lowry?! :crash::twitchy:
:):lol: oh no! Whats wrong with Lowry? Eeh, I spent half a day house-hunting, signed a 6 month lease since I'm not sure where I want to be out there, I'll test the waters :)

:lol: oh no! Whats wrong with Lowry? Eeh, I spent half a day house-hunting, signed a 6 month lease since I'm not sure where I want to be out there, I'll test the waters :)

Nothing wrong with Lowry.

From 1962-65 I was the administrative officer and then the Commnader of the 3428th Student Squadron at Lowry. We dealt with top-top secret training dealing with monitoring atomic bomb tests in the USSR.

Our squadron claim to fame was a huge fishbowl (a T-34 canopy turned upside down), a letter I sent to the base commander about cockroaches in the dining room, and the famous "always use both sides of the paper" for correspondence memo we all received, printed, of course, on two sheets of paper.

Lowery is also riddled with asbestos. Did they ever clean that mess up or not? I went to college out there. :eek:

:lol: oh no! Whats wrong with Lowry? Eeh, I spent half a day house-hunting, signed a 6 month lease since I'm not sure where I want to be out there, I'll test the waters :)

Don't worry. It is not dangerous or anything. It is, perhaps, too safe. It is a a new neighborhood and a bit like the suburbs except they built the neighborhoods like Denver's others, with front porches and rear alleys. That is huge, because the front porch is the key to a real neighborhood. We sit out on ours and chat with neighbors as they walk by and vice versa.

If you decide that you want a more urban experience, there are plenty of neighborhoods closer in. Feel free to PM me if you ever want info on neighborhoods around City Park/Capital Hill.

:lol: oh no! Whats wrong with Lowry? Eeh, I spent half a day house-hunting, signed a 6 month lease since I'm not sure where I want to be out there, I'll test the waters :)

car travel east to west west to east can come to a standstill so as long as you're not driving crosstown to your job you'll be fine.
Crosstown not so much so a problem on a bicycle
Plus Us west siders think we have better riding as we can easily ride into the front range

car travel east to west west to east can come to a standstill so as long as you're not driving crosstown to your job you'll be fine.
Crosstown not so much so a problem on a bicycle
Plus Us west siders think we have better riding as we can easily ride into the front rangeNaw, I'm working at the DTC, so it seemed like a good area. I wouldn't want to be any further than the city... in fact, I'm sure I'd prefer to be in it, but thought I'd get my feet wet out there a bit first.

Not in Denver, but Sports Garage in Boulder is fantastic. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and really nice inventory. It does tend to be carry mostly high end bikes and is a little on the expensive side, so depending on what you're looking for, it can be amazing or well over your budget.

Boulder Cyclesport is also great, and has a bigger range, carrying everything from entry level Specialized Hardrocks to Pinarello Prince dream bikes. Their staff is also really good.

Not in Denver, but Sports Garage in Boulder is fantastic. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and really nice inventory. It does tend to be carry mostly high end bikes and is a little on the expensive side, so depending on what you're looking for, it can be amazing or well over your budget.

Boulder Cyclesport is also great, and has a bigger range, carrying everything from entry level Specialized Hardrocks to Pinarello Prince dream bikes. Their staff is also really good.

Of you're talking about Boulder, then how can you forget FullCycle!!!!!????

That place rules....

Anyway, it's a bit of a drive to Boulder, but I'm sure you'll be up here for the fantastic riding!

If you are commuting down town you should get to know Scott and the good people at Salvagetti. They don't stock tons of stuff but are the very good turing a wrench, knowledgeable and always willing to help.

+1 for Salvagetti. Scott has a great little shop on Speer Blvd right by downtown; no pretense or BS. They are willing to listen and help and they have good demo bikes. They are good with a wrench as well.

If you buy a road bike and want a first-class fit, I recommend Tom at Bicycle Village just off South Wadsworth in Littleton.

I've been very happy with the Bike Source shop at S. University and Countyline Rd. They have always taken very good care of me, even for bikes I didn't buy there. They are mainly a Specialized ship.

+1 on Cycle Analysts and Campus Cycles, although I have had good experiences with every shop I have been in in the Denver area with the sole exception of Treads. Not a happy camp there. The big REI downtown is kind of a bicycle Mecca due to it's shop, Starbucks, and location at the junction of the Cherry Creek and Platte River trails.

I really like Denver Bicycle. They are located in the loft above the True Value at Colfax and just west of Monaco. They've been very friendly and helpful. They treat every customer the same (great) be they fixing up a junker they dug out of the back of their garage or tuning up a spendy road bike.

A friend of mine's fiance just opened the Track Shack downtown. While they are specializing in fixies and vintage stuff, they will work on anything. I've yet to stop by but plan to soon!

+1 on Cycle Analysts and Campus Cycles, although I have had good experiences with every shop I have been in in the Denver area with the sole exception of Treads. Not a happy camp there. The big REI downtown is kind of a bicycle Mecca due to it's shop, Starbucks, and location at the junction of the Cherry Creek and Platte River trails.

Can you say a bit more about Treads? Which one? Which problems?

WARNING: Rant.

I have been to Bicycle Village in Aurora several times now, and have been less than impressed with their knowledge and customer service.

I inquired today with two different sales people on a Fuji and when I asked what they could tell me about it they replied "well, its a Fuji..." and offered nothing useful. They were also less than interested in contacting any dealers to inquire about close-outs, OR to contact their other shops.

I gave clear direction on what I am looking for including price point, and one sales guy kept trying to push me toward a bike that cost 30% more. :mad:

I start to wonder if I just look stupid. Or poor? Maybe thats it. I'll take my 2k elsewhere.

I'd be willing to pay MORE for better customer service from a shop I enjoy working with. Its difficult for me to just walk into a shop to test ride as I'm only 5', so a shop typically has to order a few in my size.

I'll be checking out salvagetti this weekend. They have been extremely helpful in some emails we have exchanged.

^^ or try Golden Bike Shop or The Denver Spoke or Westside Cycling ^^

Do you have an idea of what you want. Most shops are tied to two or three brands. At Salvagetti, you will see Jamis and Giant (good brands), but you won't find a fuji, if that is what you are looking for. Wheatridge has some great service, but they sell a lot or Trek and I am not a fan of the value in Trek. They have Specialized too.

Why are you buying your bike now? The good bike store service season just ended with this warm-up. ;)

It is an aurora thing. :p
j/k

Honestly I would head into denver and take a look at those shops. For what it is worth BV seems to vary wildly in quality of service between the stores. I am relatively happy with the one in westie but the folks at the smaller bike shops in my area do a better job.
Plus, salvagetti is right off of the cherry creek trail. Though I never tend to break down around them but instead at REI.

Do you have an idea of what you want. Most shops are tied to two or three brands. At Salvagetti, you will see Jamis and Giant (good brands), but you won't find a fuji, if that is what you are looking for. Wheatridge has some great service, but they sell a lot or Trek and I am not a fan of the value in Trek. They have Specialized too.

Why are you buying your bike now? The good bike store service season just ended with this warm-up. ;)Eh I'm interested in buying a bike now because its a good time to sell my current rig for an upgrade. I know its not an ideal time at the lbs, but if I can find what I want, I'll take it!

I'm considering fuji silhouette, jamis xenith comp, canondale synapse and specialized ruby elite at the moment. Until I can actually find some in my size to test ride, its difficult to narrow down the list.

And, its difficult to find availability in my teeny-tiny size to test. :(

Boulder Cycle Sport has a huge selection including the smallest (48cm) Specialized frames (rubaix, ruby, tarmac), University Bike has a few smaller bikes - I know they carry Specialized & Trek. I've gotten pretty good vibe from them. Vecchio's is my favorite shop, but they aren't going to have anything for you to test ride.

There's a Bike Village here too, with lots of bikes, and um... Sports Garage, Excel Sports, Randall Scott - might be worth a road trip.

Have you ridden in Boulder yet? You can park at Amante (north boulder), ride to Jamestown (pretty canyon, ,moderate climbing, non-confusing route, ~30 miles) then come back and have coffee and shop at Boulder Cycle Sport right next door. I'll meet you there late morning if you want company. SLOW company - I'm saving my legs for Sunday.

Give Turin Cycles a call and see if they have anything in your size. It's a *smallish shop with a lot of inventory usually and they carry a number of brands as well. (Trek, Specialized, Bianchi, Scott, Look, Time, Colnago)

Also, another one near Denver Spoke is Campus Cycles, and I know they have a number of Orbea womens bikes in there if you want to check those out as well.

One more too if you want a Specialized definitely you need to check out Bikesource at either location. They typically have a great selection of womens bikes and I'm sure between the two shops they will have a Ruby Expert in your size. They might even have an 08 left over still...

Naw, I'm working at the DTC, so it seemed like a good area. I wouldn't want to be any further than the city... in fact, I'm sure I'd prefer to be in it, but thought I'd get my feet wet out there a bit first.

I used to live & work in DTC. I had three rides I did with regularity:
1. Cherry Creek trail, (can sometimes be congested with pedestrians).
2. High Line Canal.
3. Laps around Cherry Creek Reservoir.

Since I build & service my own bikes, I have no experience with LBS's, so I've pinged a friend who used to be a mechanic and a racer, for his input.

For *service*, I have heard good things about these guys: http://www.vecchios.com/

And, its difficult to find availability in my teeny-tiny size to test. :(

So how tiny are you?
You are one of those people that make us 190 pound guys look bad on the climbs, aren't you?:mad:

Edited to add: I just heard back from my friend, and he recommends Wheat Ridge Cyclery

http://ridewrc.com/

and added he has also heard good things about Adventure Cycling, but has no first-hand experience with them.

http://adventurecycle.net/

Performance Bike carries Fuji, good prices and they seem to have several stores in Colorado. I think you'll get what you're looking for there.

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I think if I can be a little more patient, this whole process will be easier :thumb:

So how tiny are you?
You are one of those people that make us 190 pound guys look bad on the climbs, aren't you?:mad:

Edited to add: I just heard back from my friend, and he recommends Wheat Ridge Cyclery

http://ridewrc.com/

and added he has also heard good things about Adventure Cycling, but has no first-hand experience with them.

http://adventurecycle.net/I'm 5' of tiny. And I suck at climbing! (need to HTFU)

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I think if I can be a little more patient, this whole process will be easier :thumb:
I'm 5' of tiny. And I suck at climbing! (need to HTFU)

So I'm guessing "And I suck at climbing" is tiny-speak for "I'll leave you a 1/4 mile behind instead of 1/2 mile behind".:lol:

naw, its more like Midwestern talk for "a foothill is a ginormous mountain to me"

naw, its more like Midwestern talk for "a foothill is a ginormous mountain to me"

What part of the MidWest?

Have you done the Morgul-Bismarck?

http://www.trailcentral.com/gps/gps_details.php?key=101

If, so I'm wondering how you would rate it for difficulty.

naw, its more like Midwestern talk for "a foothill is a ginormous mountain to me"

Oh, you're gonna have a good time in Colorado...
As for an LBS, I always go to Cycle Analyst, 722 South Pearl. It's a few blocks off the Cherry Creek trail, so it's quite easy to get to. They keep a bewildering array of odd/obscure/used parts in stock, the discount table is always overflowing, and the owner is a (sometimes curmudgeonly) compendium of useful trivia about older bikes.