General Cycling Discussion - Favorite bike shops

What is the most interesting or your favorite bike shop you've been to or heard of? I have three:

http://centurycycles.com/articles/rocky-river-pg286.htm

http://www.spinbikeshop.com/

http://www.ohiocitycycles.org/

All of these are in Cleveland, Ohio and all very fun to visit :]

I enjoy going round a few of the Big chain shops over here and listen to the salesmen trying to sell bikes. Some are just out to sell bikes- any bike to anyone and some have a conscience and try to match the bike to the prospective owner- but that is not a common occurence. If I want advise or parts- or bikes I go to my local LBS. Not a big shop but they carry what I want- sell at a good price and the only downer is that I have to buy the donuts.

My favorite local shop is Around Town Bikes (http://atownbikes.com) in Wilkes-Barre.

I like their shop more than their web site. I think Tom and Rich know all of their regulars or semi-regulars by name.

I don't visit bike shops much as I do my own work. I'm not a follower of shops but think more of the person behind the apron. I have a buddy Mark at Competitive Edge in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Know him for about 13 years. He's a mechanical person! If I do need something from the shop like spokes, he's the guy. Figures out spoke lengths by dimensions rather than plugging numbers into a website. The Real Deal.

Good thing is that he's a Clyde and used to race so he knows what works for us big guys. I had several wheel problems till he built a set I Deep V's for me when I first met the guy. The one guy that does things right the first time, everytime!:thumb:

Made this video right before Christmas. I stopped by Jenson USA to pick up a Deep V I ordered ($64 after tax), then headed to the shop to pick up some spokes from my buddy Mark. Funny guy!:D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG4owpDm7tQ

My favourite shop doesn't exist any longer, as far as I can tell. It was "Bike Shop Bill's" in something-or-other Colorado. He used to have ads in one of the MTB mags. I drove to Colorado from Indiana just to go to his shop.

My favourite shop that's somewhat local is Bikesmiths in Bloomington. I spent a LOT of time and money there.

I can't really count The Bike Wave I don't think, since I ended up working there. If it's in the running, it beats all of them.

http://bikeshops.mtbr.com/

Lots of bikeshops and reviews.

My favorite bike shop is my LBS. http://harlansbikeandtour.com/ They call me by name whenever I walk in and are very helpful. One time I called in and said only "Hi Sean, is Kevin available?" Then heard Sean ask "Kevin, can you take a call from (my name)."

They just started getting into the e-business side and have been offering good prices and free shipping for February. I kind of wish I lived outside of South Dakota just so I didn't have to pay sales tax.

I am a big fan of Bikeworks which is the shop run by our local commuters society... I am a volunteer, former mechanic and board member there and aside from my own shop it is the only place my bikes have ever been worked on besides my garage.

We have good local shops and they always cut EBC members a good deal and for the most part are pretty decent although there are only a handful of people I would let work on my bike.

This one's cool:

http://www.mellowjohnnys.com/

Lots of memorabilia from Lance's exploits.

Here in the Dallas area, we have several. This is the largest:

http://bikemart.com

I have a buddy Mark at Competitive Edge in Rancho Cucamonga, California. ... He's a mechanical person!

But he looks so biological in the video!!

But he looks so biological in the video!!



Don't let him fool you!:D

Bike shops are like bars.. I like to go where they know my name.. My favorite shop, if not super busy he'll come out from behind the shop counter , shake my hand and say Hi ( my name.) He'll even look at my bikes for a few minutes without getting out the ticket form and say.. No cyclezealot . You don't need to do that repair quite yet.. Wait another 1000 miles.. . The other nice aspect. Just before closing , club members will hang about talking cycling..... Especially with this shop owner because , sometimes on regional rides he'll even ride with us..

Gotta be http://www.coveredbridgecyclery.com/

For nostalgic reasons: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/new.html. My first bike came from there in 1955 (used Schwinn with a tank and horn).

Many years later: http://www.onyourleftcycles.net/ (Louisville KY).