Jerrys88

A question for New York metro area folding bike owners: Did any of you buy your bike at nycewheels and would you recommend them? I bought my bike at bfold and have been very happy with them, but now we're shopping for a bike for my partner who is a more timid rider than me (we're from Jersey - I'm pretty certain he'd not get the thrill I get riding New York streets) and riding to and from and in nycewheels neighborhood would be closer and I think less intimidating for him. PM me if you prefer.

Thank you.

rhm

I haven't bought anything from NYCEwheels, but I've been in their shop at least twice to test ride a Swift and a Brompton. Very nice shop. I would have been happy to buy from them, but the Swift didn't fold up well enough and the Brompton was ... uh ... well, the word "overrated" comes to mind.

neilfein

I test-rode a Dahon MU there. The only reason I didn't buy is that it was, frankly overkill for my commute. The salesman was helpful and knowledgable; I'd consider buying there for the next folder.

Scholasticny

I got my new Brompton from BFold as well...David and Steve are great and very knowledgable about folding bikes. I think Nycewheels is a folding boutique shop as well, should be reliable to purchase from, although I can't vouch with personal experience.

Why not get a Brompton from BFold and ride the subway up to an area he's comfortable riding in. After all, isn't that a big reason why we get the Brompton?

Jerrys88

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm just thinking he'd be more comfortable test-riding in NYCWheels neighborhood and it's a closer (we live in northern NJ - usually come into city via GWB) and more convenient location to ride to if he needs to go back for service in future.

BTW, we're considering Dahon MuP8 or Swift for him - he'll be using it for pleasure rides, not commuting, and mostly just need it to fold for convenience of putting our bikes in car trunk. Also on tighter budget.

poboxnyc

I think Nycewheels is a great shop. The only reason I didn't buy my Brompton there is I live in Brooklyn and Bfold is so much more convenient for me for servicing and followups. If I lived in Northern New Jersey or the Upper East or Westside, I would have without a doubt bought the bike from Nycewheels. Bfold is a great shop as well. I wouldn't hesitate dealing with either shop.

makeinu

I haven't dealt with either shop, but I've heard a few complaints about nycewheels whereas bfold's reputation is spotless.

nycfoldee

Nycewheels is a nice shop. We got my wife her little dahon curve there. The place was knowledgeable, and friendly. A teeny bit teutonic on the owner's part, but since he's german I can't fault him for that. The shop differentiates itself as an electric conversion shop more than just a folder place.

My wife's an infrequent rider, so we haven't had to take the bike back for service or anything, but their advice was spot on, and my wife loves her bike. That was about 2 years ago, and I would recommend them. I found them no worse to deal with than Dave at bfold (where I got my tikit) and have nothing but confidence in both shops.

-Peter

Jerrys88

Thank you everyone for your input.

alpacalypse

I actually worked at Nycewheels last summer, and I was pretty impressed. Burt, the owner, isn't much of a gearhead; he leaves that to his head mechanic. But he's an extremely fair businessman and very concerned with customer satisfaction. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything from his shop.

The main thing you notice about Nycewheels is how different its general approach to cycling is. In this forum and in the Utility cycling forum people often complain about how LBSes focus on "sport cycling" and don't really get the idea of transport cycling. Nycewheels gets it entirely. They don't sell anything you couldn't ride every day for transportation for several years. Everyone working there has extensive experience not in racing, but in commuting and travel by bicycle. They don't sell jerseys or powerbars or race videos; they sell racks and saddlebags and lighting sets.

As you can tell, I really like them.

Urbanis

If you're on a tighter budget, why not consider a Downtube? There are at least a few of us in the city who own them and could potentially meet you and your partner for a test ride. Like several on these forums, I ride a Downtube Mini and love it!

Jerrys88

Thanks for the offer, Urbanis :-) We test rode some Downtube bikes in Brooklyn last year but my partner preferred the Dahon we test rode then. It'll probably be a choice between the Dahon and the Swift, which I think are comparably priced.