NYC Bike Shop: City Bicycles...anyone familiar?
 

Has anyone got something good/bad/indifferent to say about these guys?

CityBicycles.net

Thinking of using them to build up a new road bike for me (BMC Team Machine), only because from my phone discussion with them it sounds like they could do a pretty fast turnaround...but I don't have any familiarity with them at all.

I am not familiar either, and because of that, I would hesitate. I'd go with who I knew best already.

I think Conrad's in Tudor City sells BMCs, the guys has always been a really decent cat to deal with, and they don't do any low-end stuff. I haven't bought a full bike there, but it's near work for me, and they've been really helpful with stuff both for my newer bike as well as my beater.

Don't know City bicycles. SBR (www.sbrshop.com, the store is located on 57th or 58th street) also has BMCs, they'd be worth a try as well. Conrad's (42nd Streetish, Tudor City Place, just east of 1st ave.) seems to have a focus on custom spec'ed bikes, and they don't have pre-built stuff in the store that I've ever seen.

I haven't really bought much from that shop (a few tubes and other odds and ends) but I know the owner and he's a pretty stand-up guy. I'm sure you'd have no problems getting your bike through that shop.

Thanks guys, Conrad's looks to be just just around the corner from where I work...probably stop by this afternoon.

My frame just arrived this morning *droooool* and of course now I'm chomping at the bit to get it set up. Embarrassed to say that for now, it's going to be equipped with used Ultegra group set (with 105 brakes)...this bike seems to scream for a brand new Ultegra or even Dura-Ace ;)

I've only ever bought tubes from City Bicycles, but I've had their mechanic work on two different bikes of mine for three different issues. They're located one block away from where I work, so it's almost a no-brainer to bring the bike to them if a problem occurs during my commute.

Let me see if I can come up with a really polite, charitible way to say this...

How about: If they were located two blocks away from where I work I'd look around for another bike shop.

Seriously. They're nice guys, they seem to mean well, they try to be very helpful...but every single thing they've fixed for me has had to get subsequently re-fixed within a day or two. Brakes, wheels, & drivetrain. 0 for 3.

If you said you wanted to buy your BMC from them I probably wouldn't have an opinion. You want to buy your BMC elsewhere and just have City Bikes do the build?!?!? I'd rather enlist preschoolers to perform brain surgery. Nice, well-meaning, helpful preschoolers, of course.

Thanks for the insight; I was getting that impression when speaking to them...Spoke with someone over at Conrad's - gonna have them begin working on it this Monday.