General Cycling Discussion - What US Bike Shops R 2 Cool?

There are places that sell bicycles and accessories... and then there are shops that are special places. Maybe its been there forever or in an ancient building, could be the personal (a cast of characters), the neighborhood, a seeming mess of stuff from floor to ceiling - but the shop has everything!

If you're all inclined, I thought we could compile a Top Ten.

What are the 10 Best Bike Shops in the USA in terms of being simply a great place to be in?

This will be hard since almost none of us would have been to a great many shops all across the country.

Two that would have to be somewhere on the list include:

► Harris Cyclery (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html), West Newton, MA as this was Sheldon Brown's (AKA: Jesus's personal bike mechanic's) former employer.

► Proteus Bicycles (http://www.proteusbicycles.com/), College Park, MD as it is just a really cool shop with some awesome bikes for sale and many rare/collectible/ridiculous bikes on display as well. Friendly staff too.

Tim's Bikes and RC, Everett, WA.

Two shops in a duplex.

Proteus Bicycles - couches in a bike shop. Thursday night 'happy hour'.

Tim's Bike Shop - I want the Orange Crate hanging from the ceiling.

And Harris Cyclery. All three places look important.

Thanks HandsomeRyan and thompsonpost

I went to Century Cycle in Peninsula Ohio, just stopped in. Nice selection, great staff. I'll have to check out their other shops.

Avoid River City Bikes in Chattanooga at all costs.

In Farmington, NM, it's Havens Bikes. Only drawback is a very limited inventory.

Ah, nobody in Farmington is going to make a top ten anything.

Proteus Bicycles - couches in a bike shop. Thursday night 'happy hour'.

Tim's Bike Shop - I want the Orange Crate hanging from the ceiling.

And Harris Cyclery. All three places look important.

Thanks HandsomeRyan and thompsonpost

If you look through the pics closer, there's a Lemon Crate hanging also.

As it stands, Tim founded and owned the shop for a lot of years, but almost ten years ago, Jay (used to work/drive for Millstone coffee) bought it and runs it now. I worked for them on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter for a couple years for parts. I didn't need the money, but got bored sitting at home watching tv in the rain, so (this was back when Tim still owned it and they weren't in that building yet) I'd ride the five blocks from my apt. and build bikes for wheels or chains or whatever. Most of the time I just kept the hours on paper and used it when I came back from the trails for brake pads and such.

I bought four bikes from Tim's over a five year period.