Sid's Bikes in NYC - never again
 

Just picked up my new Capo from them yesterday. They were all smiles and cool until I completed the purchase. Then as soon as I got my receipt they couldn't wait to get me out the door. No offer to adjust fit for me, nothing. I went to their mechanic to see about mounting my sugino 75 bb and crank and he just shot back a disgusted look and said, "nah, I don't feel like doing it today, bring it back tomorrow", followed up with "you guys can go it's gonna take me a while to write up the labor order". You'd think they'd want to hook up a first time buyer to encourage future sales and service but it seemed that the customer service stopped with the sale. Oh and the twink manager said something along the lines of "the capos have been selling really well. I guess all the hipsters are into the black as we haven't sold to many of the red ones..." (my bike is black, ha).

Called Liberty Cycles who said they were closing at 7 but that we could work something out if I got there soon. Got there at 6:45, they swapped out the stock bb and cranks, bars, adjusted brake, and shortened my chain. They kept the shop open late to finish my bike and even gave me a lower price than the estimate from Sid's.

Liberty Cycles will be getting my business from now on.

1) Which Sids?
2) Was the mechanic named Patrick?
3) Are you actually a hipster (doesn't have to be a bad thing)
4) How do you like the Capo?

1) Chelsea
2) didn't get his name
3) not really, no tight jeans/button down shirt/ironic ink or anything
4) LOVE the damn thing

Sids = total useless snobbery and pointless people.

I loath that shop more than any other in the city. Oh and I love beating the guys who ride for Sid's too. Just seeing their team kit makes me mad enough to get a second or third wind...

Is it possible to live in Chelsea and be buying a stock Capo and not be a tad bit "hip"?

Also, what do you mean adjusted your brake? You mean turned the barrel adjuster? You might be a hipster if...

Why are you swapping stuff out without riding it? You have been reading the forums too much. Ride your bike until it doesn't work, then replace parts. Sugino 75s. Yeah, you definitely need and notice $200 worth of stiffness if you can't do any of your own work...

On another note, you just learned a good lesson about cycling and the LBS: many mechanics are total d-bags. There are a few great, cool, helpful ones, and plenty of dudes who sport serious 'tude and assume anyone asking them a question is totally clueless. This is the incentive that will inspire you to buy your own tools and do you own work.

Wow, easy there champ. I don't live in Chelsea actually, I live in alphabet city but thanks for inferring that my neighborhood determines my persona. It is actually possible to live in an apt for it's proximity to your job and reasonable rent price. I've been riding a beat up Fuji Track until the capo and simply wanted to swap my parts from it onto the bike. I was only interested in the FRAME to begin with but the price difference wasn't enough to not just spring for an extra set of beater wheels and cranks. Also, thanks for the lesson in bicycle mechanics, my post if you had read it clearly instead of getting ready to blow your "noob" load all over your keyboard was actually about finding a decent, helpful mechanic. One of my buddies in bk is, heavens to betsy, a real life bicycle mechanic who will definitely be showing me how to do things the right way as I get along. Forgive this poor ******* for wanting to ride a bike he paid over $800 for the way he liked from the start. kthnxbai.

So he did just turn your barrel adjuster for you, sport?

New bike - $800; bottom bracket puller and hex wrench - priceless.

Only thing I don't understand is if they treated you so bad right as they gave you the receipt why didn't you just ask for a damn refund and storm out! I hate when stores treat us like that and i've been in a similar situation where I was treated the same way. I had the manager give me a full refund right there on the spot as I went to a much better LBS.

sigh - brakes were rubbing after Sid's set it up and he told me he took care of it.

Should "The Hui" imply you're from Hawaii? Because, I'm actually from there and if you represent the present fixed gear attitude down there I'm glad I ride 6,000 miles away from the likes of you, muppet. *kisses*

To be honest, I just wanted to ride my damn bike and I wasn't prepared to wait for another bike shop to source me a black capo in my size. I had already waited two weeks and once they brought it out I just wanted to get it out to the street. I figure my bad review and vow to never return *might* discourage at least one other person from dealing with them.

Chelsea Bicycles. 26th b/t 5&6

"thanks for inferring that my neighborhood determines my persona"

Hey, wait a second...are you implying that something appearing below my username (but not my location) might be used to infer my persona?

You had to wait two whole weeks? Wow. The horror. Some folks spend a few years locating a frame they want. Didn't you already have a bike to ride? Oh wait, that bike isn't quite cool enough since you already told me that you don't live in a place where your clothes, hair, shoes, tattoos, piercings...bicycle are equated with your persona:)

You are going to have to lighten up lest you become a punching bag in this subforum.

As for the brakes...it does sound like you needed help turning your barrel adjuster. Sir, if you are buying a new bike when you have one that works and you haven't learned how to adjust the distance between your pads and your rims, you deserve to be made fun of for a few posts.

Go back to Hawaii. NYC doesn't need anymore dbag hipsters with fashion builds that can't adjust their own brakes.

the unwritted rule off the streets is that all bike shop employees call everyone who buy a complete bike in a store a hipster :(

As far as what you believe NYC needs or wants, I could care less. In fact I like to ride my bike in complete solitude a lot because I actually care more about RIDING than being seen posing or whatnot. The cranks are second hand so any ideas of a fashion build are borderline ********, much like how you're presenting yourself here. Be safe, ride the hell out of your bike, and understand the joy others have in riding bicycles regardless of what kind before pontificating. You look a little silly. Also, it was more than just the barrel adjusting sir, it was the removal of the stock bars with my own and the installation of a cross lever. The brakes were rubbing from Sid's my point being a good bike shop would have noticed that before they brought it out to me and fixed it. The fact that my post about ****ty service descended into something as trivial as a brake lever is hilarious. Silly me trying to help a fellow rider out by suggesting a decent bike shop in NYC.

In the end, don't we all come to the same conclusion? F all the haters because it really is all about 2 components and NOTHING else, you and your fing bike!

I just went to Sid's in Chelsea yesterday and the mechanic put on a new cog and lockring for free, plus he put air in my tires and adjusted my headset (without asking mind you..!) I mean I can do all that stuff but he just did it because he had the bike. So, I can't complain about Sid's. Chelsea is good too (it's right across the street from my job) and so is A Cycle (22nd and 7th).

Haha, ok, last post I promise! Sir, if you would like to watch me adjust my brakes all by my big wittle self come right on down. Then you can wipe for me.

Picture trying to rush uptown to a bike shop before it closes, not much time to check the brakes, but again you fail to see the point. Oh and the Fuji belonged to a friend of mine who lent it to me for a whole year and wanted the frame back for his girl. Imagine that, a nice fg rider in nyc?

God forbid I become a punching bag in an internet forum, but if that is the case, I'll be a punching bag that is too happy with his new bike to care anyway :). Don't worry your e-qoq size has been reaffirmed!!

ladies... can we move on?

Sids sucks.
NYC hates Hawaii.
Hawaii hates everyone.
NYC hates everyone.
Hipsters can adjust brakes.

Bing bang boom. [/THREAD]

I hate, hate.

Congrats on getting a nice bike and glad you're happy with it. Sorry that you had to deal with a bunch of butt heads since getting it, though. As for adjusting brakes, nobody here was born with that ability and had to learn how to do it at some point in their lives.

Ride safe and often.

I hate you.

Thanks. Ditto. Especially sobering yesterday was passing a fresh bicycle accident a block from the lbs. Kinda hard being excited about your new bike when you have to pedal between an ambulance and fresh blood on the pavement.

hawaii doesnt hate everyone :( </3


DEATHHAAAARE MAKE THEM STOOOOOOPPPPPPPP
PEEDTM TO MY RESCUE?! OMG KEMMER WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU


metaljim bring home bread, kthx

You're so tough.

If you live in Alphabet City you should just have gone to Continuum on Avenue B. Best shop in the city, hands down.