hexron

Just moved to Twin Cities and need a great LBS! Was going to go to Yelp, but figured I'd start here first.

Mr Pink57

If you're downtown look at One on One on Washington Ave, Geno is solid and has been doing this for 100 years. If you're in south Minneapolis look at Angry Catfish on 28th. Josh and Thomas (Thomas is a master at building wheels) are great, they focus more on adventure cycling than anything else these days, lots of Rapha stuff if you're in to that. A little unknown even though he's a legend is Jay at Hollywood Cycles, he's tucked on 31st just off the greenway near Lake Street, however he keeps bankers hours which is unfortunate, I befriended Jay many years ago and we still chat like we just saw each other yesterday.

For a mainstream shop I say go to Freewheel, they are on 6th in Riverside/Cedar also on 10th right on the greenway and out in Eden Prairie which is a suburb out west, I also hear Kevin (owner of Freewheel) is opening another location. He's just big enough to have most of what you need but small enough to be a local. If you go to 10th street location ask for Ian, great mechanic, him and I used to work together wrenching.

jmeb

+1 to One on One, Angry Catfish and the Cedar Riverside Freewheel. One on one has the best basement graveyard of old weird stuff to look through in MPLS. Angry Catfish is next to A Bakers Wife which alone is a reason to frequent it as an LBS. Both of those have limited stock and are certainly upscale oriented places.

Freewheel is a bit more mainstream and has a larger stock of bikes.

Cycles for Change (in St. Paul) is a great organization and if you're interested in a used bike or learning how to repair your own it should be on your radar.

I used to live by the Hub Co-op off of lake street -- it was my most frequented shop. Sometimes a bit understaffed, but often super helpful if you can go at less busy times (i.e. not 10-3pm on a Saturday.) Good selection and lots of commuter accessories.

Bandera

Grand Performance
1938 Grand Ave · Saint Paul · MN · 55105

(651) 699-2640

Grand Performance

Dan is great guy as well as being a US Hour Record holder.

-Bandera

tjspiel

I work within three blocks of One-on-One, live within 3 blocks of the Angry Catfish, and the Freewheel in Cedar/Riverside is two blocks off the bike path on my commute.

All three have received some of my hard earned dollars.

The bicycle graveyard at One on One is something you have to experience but honestly lots of folks, including myself at times, have been put off by their... um, unconventional approach to customer service. They basically ignore you. If you want some help with anything, including just paying for a part, you'll often need to ask. Otherwise you'll wait a long time. People they know seem to get a more personal touch. On the other hand, I did get an offer for a free lube from Geno himself when he observed my rusting chain while riding on the train one winter.

You can also get a sandwich and coffee.

Angry Catfish - definitely an upscale place. Not somewhere you're going to find many bargains. They also sell coffee and pastries from the awesome donut shop next door. They have indoor and outdoor seating. I'm impressed with any bike shop that has the hutzpah to open in a Minneapolis Winter.

Freewheel is definitely more of a conventional bike shop. I used to do a group ride that they organized and I've met several of their staff. Their Midtown location is right on the Greenway. Of the three, they're the ones I'd prefer to visit, but because Angry Catfish is so close, that's where I usually go if I need something quick.

Another place is The Hub which is a co-op. They have a smaller salvage yard which has some organization to it (compared to One-On-One). They also used to rent tools and space so you can work on your own bike. I'm guessing they still do but I haven't been there in awhile.

Mr Pink57

I live pretty close to the U of M Hub and used to go there a lot instead of all the other shops, and reading more I am inclined to recommend them as a good bike shop. The hub does still rent space including at the Oak St location, my only thing with them is most of their events they put on are all LGBT only and never for just anyone to go.. If you're near any of their locations I'd say go in and look around, they keep a pretty good stock. Morgan over at Oak U of M location keeps a lot of odd things. I used to go there a lot when Ben was there (RIP) and really enjoyed his company and just chatting with him about anything, of course his short shorts and tool belt were hilarious while smoking from a pipe.

A good tip with Geno is go to one of the parties he hosts at the shop and when he gets real drunk he'll discount just about anything you ask him about.

hexron

Thanks so much! Angry Catfish looks like top at this point because of the coffee and location - although it looks like they cater to a more upscale clientele. Might as well hit them all since I'm "working from home" since the move

CrankyOne

Depends a lot of what kind of bike stuff you're looking for. For road/racing the I put Grand Performance at the top followed by Angry Catfish. For transportation then Varsity in Dinkytown or Calhoun in South Mpls.

Mad Scientist

I work right near One on One. They are my go to shop any time I need something beyond my capabilities. Despite the gruffness, they are very skilled bike mechanics.

I have also had good experiences at Freewheel (U of M West Bank location), and The Hub (both locations).

When I worked in NE Mpls, I occasionally bought parts from Behind Bars (Behind Bars). I have also purchased parts from and had snowboard repairs done at The Alt Bike & Board (ALTBIKEBOARD.COM). They have developed into quite the chain and feel a lot more corporate than the other shops listed so far, but Penn Cycle (Penn Cycle and Fitness - Minnesota's Largest Trek Bike Dealer) is also local and family owned. I also had a couple good experiences at County Cycles (County Cycles | Roseville MN | Felt | Giant | Liv) in Roseville.

I would feel comfortable supporting any of these shops.

Welcome to the area!

PaulRivers

If you want friendly service from people who have no idea what they're doing, go to Erik's Bike Shop.

If you want slightly gruff service from people who have a decent level of knowledge, go to Freewheel Bike.

But for the best maintenance/service, in my experience it's Calhoun Cycle (perennial cycle now I guess by lake calhoun). They've done the best job for me in tuneups, overhaul, installation, etc. They only sell niche bikes though (recumbants, foldables - but somehow none of the folding bikes I was interested in, etc).