I Really can't see why some of you speak positively about this place. I've now officially given up ever going there again since this was the third time I've stopped in for help and every time was a failure.

Today I stopped in to see if they might have an allen bolt and securing plate to go on my Dura-Ace brake to hold the cable. Somehow the bolt came loose and fell out on a ride last fall. The jack-ass who took my bike put it on the stand where I couldn't see what he was doing so I couldn't stop him before he began to damage the treads on my caliper trying to get the wrong thread bolt in there. Luckily after a few tries and seeing that he was having some problems, I said screw it and stepped over to see that he had just a regular bolt, large bolt-head on top, with a few spacers between the cable securing plate and the bolt head(because the regular bolt head hit the brake caliper if he didn't use spacers). Obviously I went in to see if they had the proper allen bolt, not to have some jack-ass just take my bike, act as if they must have the bolt since he was putting something in there, and have him try to cobble together some crap with the wrong bolt and spacers. I don't see how the hell this place stays in business.

Luckily I went a mile down the road to Machinery Row where the mechanics have always been helpful and they had a proper allen bolt and plate that they put on for no charge except the few dollars I dropped in the tip jar.

Staying in business, no problems with lots of clueless students around. If BBC can do it selling $400 bikes for $1500, then yellow jersey can certainly do it with their higher brow inventory. Most of what they do is fix tires etc.

you allow strangers to wrench on your bikes?

It's the only place so far in the state that knows what Kool stop continentals are and has them in stock. Makes me stop in every time I'm in Madison.

I hear a ton of good and bad about them. Since I work at Budget, haven't had much reason to go there. But the one time I did go there wanting info on a Sekai 5000 I had, the idiot working at the time tried to clamp it in the stand by the seat tube. I quickly stopped him, but I can't think of a worse bike to do that to.

There's a Forest Gump in every Business.

I once called them with a question about a fork on their website....they didn't seem to know what fork I was referring to, then mumbled something and hung up on me.
I tried again by email with the question and model number in writing. They never replied.
I think their customer service sucks.

Not my experience at all.

We were there for yet another soccer tournament and another parent wanted to look at Waterfords.

The young lady that was working behind the counter spent a half an hour talking to us about the brand and showed us a beautiful example in the front window.

Heck, I almost bought one.

She ended up giving the parent web site info on the brand and an order form.

To make a long story short, the frameset was ordered and the Waterford delivered.

She showed us what a great value a custom Waterford could be and if I end up ordering a Waterford touring frameset, I would do it through her and YJ.

Still can't talk me into their el cheapo 3 for $50 tubulars though.

+10 I never allow a shop to touch my bike. Most shops around here have little to no respect for older bikes, and handle them as if they are Xmart crap. Now I have taken in an odd part, say a wheel where I did not have the right freewheel tool. Of course, they didn't either...

Why didn't you just go to Machinery Row in the first place if you like it and it's a mile down the road..

I have been to Yellow several times when in the area, I find its a great place to see rare stuff nobody else has. I have never had anyone ask me if I needed help. A lot like Cabelas, fun to look but prices are high.
I did buy a Brooks saddle there a few years ago.

Haven't to been to the shop, but have ordered on line and conversed with Andy on several topics in the past. I've always been impressed with the service.

If you had a problem with the shop wrench, perhaps you should have brought it to the attention of the mgmt staff. I wouldn't be so quick to toss out the whole bushel just yet.

I ordered their 24mm seat post for my Peugeot (after an eternal search all over), it is a very nice seat post but it cost me $80.00 with shipping and it was made in china.

I called them also about a 22.0mm stem and 50cm road bars for my other Peugeot, It was about $150.00 for the set so I decided to wait.

I asked them about a 7mm wrench for another Peugeot which has an atax stem and phillipe handle bars,
they proceeded to tell me that the atax/phillipe combo was no good and could easily snap/break of I rode it a lot.

I hope they are not the only game in town as French sizing makes some parts hard to find, they were also very short and fast talking like I was buying a used car....lol

I am still on the fence about them and looking for the elusive 50cm bars, I could sand down a 22.2mm stem so that is not a problem.

Any other resources for Peugeot pts besides BF,Ebay and YJ?

Make for the perfect spare.

I have discards from the shop.

I can't believe how little wear some folks will tolerate on their tires.

Andrew helped me via email with some Suntour Shifting stuff. I'm very grateful and happy for the information he gave me.

The one time I was in the shop I was looking for hoods for Arabesque levers- the person said they didn't have those.

Whatever you are looking for, it's almost guaranteed Budget has it somewhere. Of course, there is a price, which could be totally reasonable, or totally ridiculous ebay price. Might as well stop by and see if you get lucky.

We have them on two bikes, Jake just found out that small pieces of glass will go through them, got a flat while riding his Viscount.

+1000

just buy the part and do it yourself. Wrenching bikes is probably one of the easiest things to do. Normal mechanics generally don't care about your bike, they just want to get it done and out.

Since you keep touting Budget, what is up with their ebay prices on bikes?

Yes, donor bike. The french imported so many bikes into the US during the 1970s, there are hundreds of thousands of them out there, if not millions of them. Pick up a few just for parts. That's where a lot of the bits you see on ebay came from.

I keep a box of french parts acquired this way.

Some items like stems it just makes sense to sand down a standardized size one.

I never had a problem there but I've only bought the 3 for $50 a few times and know what I'm looking for while there. Everything else is a little rich for my blood. Cool store to just look around.

Reading stuff like this makes me more hopefully on landing a mechanics position even before going to UBI this summer. lol.

I've never been to the shop personally, but I've done a lot of business with them, including multiple sets of 3 for $50 tubular tires. Helpful, knowledgeable folks. Andy's done a very difficult repair job on a vintage Cyclops without destroying the paint and decals and is currently repainting a San Rensho frame for me. I can't speak to the OP's problem at all, but my experience at my level has been all good.

BBC is where he went to get it fixed properly, just fyi....

No criticism of BBC's wrenches. My roommate in college was one, taught me a fair bit of stuff. He was properly trained prior to starting work there. His dad said it would pay off as a flexible hour college job for him, he was right.