Bob Loblaw

I've had great experiences with Landry's in Mass. They have a few locations. I've dealt with the Westoborough and Boston locations. Each is staffed with very knowledgable people, who all seem to be experts in the field. Their shops are always very clean and professional and well stocked with good stuff. They don't mind taking time with you to explain product and teach you, even if you're not waving a fistful of cash... Always a top notch experience.

cadillacmike68

Get some tools, and do your own routine servicing - save some money after a while (after tool costs are amortized) and gain satisfaction that you know the job was done right!

About the only thing I need a LBS to do is:
1: Get my old Regina freewheels cogs apart (really hard to do without a bench vise)...
2: True a newly built wheel - a good truing stand is expensive
3: Glue a tubular tire on a rim - I always make a mess and one LBS charges less than $5

Notice I said trueing a newly built wheel - I do my own building - lacing of wheels / hubs and all bearing service / cleaning.

badkarma

Some good shops from places where I've lived:

Haymarket Cycles (Warrenton, VA), it used to be the Bike Stop, but the manager of that shop just started his own shop

B&E Cycles (in State College, PA) - the guy running the shop is fantastic, and they would do a lot of my service while I waited (I had no problem killing a half hour drooling over bikes). I've also used Mt. Nittany Wheelworks for wrenching, and they've always done a bangup job.

I've heard a lot of great things about Quad Cycles in (Arlington, MA), but I've yet to go there myself.

Ryleeryno

Is it Bikeway!!!!! I've had great experiences with the Bicycle Link in Weymouth, it's worth the long drive.

yak

Bingo! (You must be a local)

yak

The Bicycle Link rules. I've bought 3 bikes from Jimmie and his guys & gals are the best.

yak

Well say the pump blew off at 150, or 120? WTF is the rating on the pump?

lots of sewups run at high pressure, take a look and you'll be surprised.

And I can actually attain that pressure just fine with just about any other pump

LowCel 

Wow, most people I talk to seem to like Wamsleys. I was treated pretty well when I was there. Regardless, Charleston Bicycle Center is a great shop as well. I assume that is where you bought your Trek in Charleston, WV.

roccobike

I live in Raleigh, NC. I've yet to find a LBS I would consider "bad". Yes, there are some shops that are excellent and some that are only good or OK, but none that I would classify as bad. There are at least 20 bike shops within a 30 mile radius of my house. If you were classified as "bad" you would be run out of town by the stiff competition.

Speedy Gonzalez

Id call my experience with CycleLogic 'bad'. I was on the Greenway riding when I got a flat. I patched it, then rode to Cycle Logic to pick up a new tube. When I rolled my Litespeed in, the owner asked me what I paid for it. Then proceeded to tell me that I was severely ripped off and that my bike was garbage. He said I should have got the Fuji hanging on the wall instead. He tried to tell me that my chainstays WERE going to fail, and that I should expect it at any time. All of this, when all I asked for was a new tube.

HWS

I used to be a local. I lived a mile south of the center for a lot of years and bought my first ten speed from Bikeway, a Fuji Grand Tourer. That guy had a shop in Duxbury too. About a mile west of the pool near the library and High School if I remember correctly.

I have tons of memories from MarshVegas. (MHS class of 82)

PanPanX

Velo Pasadena - [Los Angeles, California] on Colorado Blvd sucks!!!

They have the worst attitude ever.
They're not patience, they want you to buy there stuff or gtfo.
Me and my friends brought some old road bikes we got from a garage sale into the store once,
and we wanted to convert them to fixed gears/single speed.
They just looked at it and said "pfft, these bikes are old and they suck. why waste your money building up these frames when you can just buy one of our new bikes"
AND THEN THEY WALKED AWAY!

Sometimes when I'm in the neighborhood, I'll drive by and want to look at bikes. I like to just go in and look at stuff and think about if I want to upgrade or not, and if i can afford it. Since I'm a kid, they dont give a **** about me. I never get helped or assisted around. And when I do need help, they have this attitude like "ugh, this **** kid cant afford a bike here anyways, why am i wasting my time to assist him" and they'll give me attitude. The ONLY reason why I step foot into that store is because they're the ONLY Kona dealers within like a 25 mile radius, and I had a 2 year warrenty thing with them for free service. I've sold my Kona now, so I never plan to step foot into that place again.

Helen's Cyclery on Hunington Drive sells mostly Treks.. They're just okay..

The BEST shops in my city is Temple City Bike Shop on Las Tunas, who sells mostly Specialized, and Jones Bicycle II on Hunginton Drive, where they sell mostly Giants. Other then Performance Bikes in Pasadena (which is bleh) for price matching stuff, I only go to Temple City Bike Shop and Jones Bicycle II.

jemoryl

That is why I used the word 'needs'. Even in your link Conti recommends a pressure of 115 psi. There are a few tires that have a 'max pressure' rating that is nonsensical. Tires become less efficicent when the pressure is raised above a certain level because real world surfaces are not perfectly smooth. Not the place to discuss this, but do a search.

AGGRO

I laff
When I walk into a bike shop I don't care if the people LOOK black, white, gay, fat, handicapped or (insert un-pc cliche here). I'm there to have a need serviced and I want it done professionally , quickly and with courtesy. I treat them with respect, they treat me with respect and it's all good.

Otherwise I shop elsewhere.

ovoleg

socalcyclings house, hands down worse bike shop ever. You come in and get insulted at first sight, then he "fixes" your bike so that you fall on your first descent

JNorm

I go to Goodale's in Hooksett NH, the closest shop to me. Thats where I bought my bike and have since purchased all sorts of goodies like new helmet, seat, tubes, gloves... etc. I havn't had a bad experience yet. The salespeople on the floor are all pretty young (HS or just out of it) but they seem to be fairly knowledgable and they're friendly. They're also pretty good at something older, seemingly experienced, salespeople often don't understand: not pestering the customer. They greet you when you come in the door, but then they leave you alone. They'll offer assistance if you look like you're searching for something or if you just happen to be walking around for a minute or so.
The point is, a lot of salespeople will jump on you to try and get their commission, even if you know exactly what you're looking for and where it is.

So Goodales, Hooksett NH gets an A in my book. They also have a shop in Nashua NH but i've never been there

richard_dupp

Bingo! I can't say enough good things about Bill and Dan and the crew there. Gave me a good deal and the service is great. My only complaint is it is not next door, but these guys are great. The Madone is going to come from there. John's Cyclery in St. Albans ain't half bad either, they made me feel welcome and were very helpful without being pushy.

If you talked to Chip at Wamsley's, he is a good guy, but some of the saleskids there are downright rude and obnoxious.

norskagent

The owner of that store is not exactly tactful, rather he is often brutily honest. I'm surprised he dissed your lightspeed, he respects quality bikes dispite your experience. He does get his fair share of people bringing walmart bikes in that were never assembled correctly and falling apart soon after purchase, expecting him to make them run perfect. He doesn't hesitate to inform those people exactly what they purchased. Was your lightspeed aluminum or titanium? He has had some aluminum Fuji and Raleigh frames returned to the store for warrenty replacement - cracks in the seat stays or chainstays where they meet the seat tube.

squarewheels

ROLL in Westerville, OH. Expensive, no inventory, didn't know what Gore-Tex was!

rworsnop

I don't think he's back-pedaling. I knew what he meant the first time, and agreed.

Pedal Wench

I own three high-end carbon bikes, in addition to a bevy of other bikes. I went to that same store to pick up a saddle, as they are one of only a few Specialized dealers. On my way past the bikes, I stopped to check out how Specialized positions the seatpost clamps on their high-end carbon bikes, as I had a problem with one of my Bianchis. The saleskid comes up and not-so-politely pushes me over to the Specialized Dolce - an aluminum women's bike and starts the sales pitch with something along the lines of, "You really should look at something like this..." Kid lost the sale of the saddle too.

acathi_cyclist

as a "white male" I find this quite offensive. *******.

yak

I'm familiar with the tire pressure debates, my friend. You like what you like, and I like otherwise.

yak

No shop in Duxbury anymore as far as I know - not surprising either, its a wonder he has any customers.

JayC

Not necessarily true.. shops you think are bad, others might love. I know Zimbo and I have differing opinions on his main shop in Cary which is not Cycling Spoken Here, All Star or Inside Out.