that guy on 17th st, between Park and Irving, just east of Union Square, is cheap, plus he's a nice guy running an independent store by himself. does anybody know his or his shop's name, phone number?
other, cheaper (or at least junkier, if you're looking for used stuff) shops around, off the top of my head: bike works, on like rivington and attorney; frank's, south of the williamsburg bridge; in williamsburg, on lorimer, just south of the BQE there's that unnamed shop that does mostly vintage schwinns. there are also small, relatively cheap latino-run bike shops in williamsburg: one around the intersection of south 3rd st and hooper or thereabouts, another around the montrose stop of the L.