ottoMesh

There are a lot of places in the city to take your bike. a million maybe. But if you already OWN a bike, the only thing that differentiates one shop from another is the service. I dont care if you sell Specialized, or Trek - I already own a bike. What I want is for you NOT to be a prick when I walk in. So the quality and experience of your mechanic, the level and demeanor of your service, and your prices are what will keep me loyal.

That said, Ive found that Liberty Bicycles up on 9th avenue around 56th street is AMAZING. They have a mechanic there named Freddy. Does anyone know this guy?? Hes just got an aura of honesty and goodness thats undeniable. I absolutely love this place. He took REAL care of my bike, while I sat there, spoke to me like a human being the whole time, and earned my loyalty for ever. I went around and priced what i needed in a few places, and his price was easily 30% lower than anywhere else.

hope no one answers this post with a wisecrack remark cause Im wasting time or something. I just wanted to trumpet the name of a good guy and place.

obstacle

I'm actually trying not to be snarky by saying this, but....

All bike shops = fail, especially in NYC.

Buy online. Don't support locals who jack up prices because they sell a product that can be bought anywhere...yet they try to guilt you into supporting them and their "service" (or lack of it).

A good tech at a shop is gold, a good shop owner is great (and I feel for them given what I said above) and a good rider working on the floor in a shop is great.... but all it takes is one schmuch to ruin the shop. Most shops have more than one, if they have anything good to offer in the first place.

sanderswm

I would ignore the curmudgeon. If you like your shop, good for you! I'm all about supporting my lbs, but all of them in my area have their pros and cons. If you found one that is all pros than congrats and good for you man.

ichitz

Just called them for bicycle rental. They told me they have 75 bicycles for rent everyday at $40 a day. This is great! Thank you for bringing up Liberty Bicycles.

Have never been there and they don't have a website. Just wondering, is the store big? Did u see lots of bikes for rentals like they said?

obstacle

If you like your local shop great. Lucky you. If your local shops all have pros/cons they you know where to go for what. All the online shops have the same deal. I know where to go for what.

I just don't buy the party line of "support your local LBS". As I said, if you like your LBS, great. But why do I need to support some lame shop that just happened to pop up in my area? Better yet why does anyone need to support it? The "buy local" argument doesn't work with me.

That being said, a good shop is good when you find it. I ski and my "shop" is 300 miles away...but it's worth the effort as the boot fitter there is maybe the best boot fitter in the country (not just by me, but most of the US Olympic ski team). As for bikes, I've had amazing service and help from Competitive Cyclist online, but I wouldn't be caught dead in Arkansas to visit their actual shop, even as much as I dig them and their knowledge/service.

It's all about priorities I suppose.

ichitz

Yes, it's all about priorities. You can do whatever you want.

But here is why I support LBS
1. u can feel them before u buy them
2. save on shipping
3. preventing monopoly

While a lot of shops have lame mechanics, we could still buy products and have them assembled ourselves after we go home. And I think it's sad that, for example, local bookstores and also barnes and nobles are going out of business because people go on amazon. Not to say i don't like amazon.

geist

NYC Velo on 2nd Ave is a good shop. They have lots of FG SS stuff.

wykid

NYC Velo rocks. They are friendly, very knowledgeable, and do not have the holier/hipper/cooler than tho attitude of some bike shops (....cough...Trackstar...cough)

obstacle

The bookstore example doesn't work here. All major brick-and-motor bookstore (media stores) are doomed by digital downloads. They should have seen that coming long ago.

Bikes are physical things, that won't happen. A skilled shop with a employee that knows the ins and outs of the little things is a great find. As for "feeling things" before you buy...if I order something online and it is off it goes on ebay and is recycled (for brand new items you can sell it for close to what you paid, even then it's cheaper than buying from a shop).

As for monopolies... ain't going to happen, not in shops. There is no real dominant online merchant. Performance/Nashbar are up there but pricepoint, Jenson and Cambria are all up there...but the smaller online shops like aebike, universalcycles and competitive cyclist are in there.... not to mention the other 50 or so shops that pop up in google for any search.

If anything supporting that LBS and getting all your buddies too as well can create a local monopoly.

With the internet and consumer goods there you can't have a consumer monopoly for goods like bike parts....because you always have another choice.

ottoMesh

yes they do. the place is rather small, but they do rent. In fact, when Freddy took my bike in for repair, I happened to mention to him that damn it, tomorrow Ill have to take the subway, he said: 'no Ill give you a bike to use' and that was one of the rentals.

That in itself was a funny experience! one of those huge cruiser type bikes with the handlebars that reach my shoulders. Im not a very image conscious guy, but Ill admit, i felt funny on that thing.

dubbs5050

I personally think the best shop in NY is my LBS down in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn....Bay Ridge Bicycle World... However, when I need a bike shop when at work in Manhattan I like this place on 17th St btw Irving and 3rd ave...forget the name, but they are nice, and won't try to stick you. That Velo place on 2nd ave is cool, and they do have a lot of ss/fg stuff, but it seems pretty expensive and is a bit hipsterific for me. City Cycles on 38th btw 8th and 9th is good too....

there are a bunch of good bike shops in NYC, not sure what that dude was talking about....

dubbs5050

interesting, because that is exactly the feel I get when I go in there....that said, only been there a couple of times...

ottoMesh

very cool place. They are friendly, very knowledgeable, A lot of great stuff to buy, but lets say maybe " a bit less holier/hipper/cooler than tho attitude" Go in there and act like you dont know what youre talking about. see what kind of reaction you get.

ichitz

+1 to NYC velo. They are great.

Do they only have cruisers? I need a road / cross/ track, whatever i can run 66 miles with.

BRMC

recently went to Chari and Co to pick up a tube and it was almost half the price of any other shop I've been in the city. Nice guys too

MysticRats

I actually find it easy to get good/competent mech service at various shops in NYC area.
What will stand a shop out to me is if they gots a good selection of parts (and I mean everything) in stock and for close to the online prices you can find. And have it easily accessible to examine (not behind some display case or somethin).

NYC VELO has good store layout for browsing stuff but that place aint cheap.
Chari and Co dont even sell floor pumps and last time I was there to
get some Chainring bolts, they didnt even have any. (I guess thats what happens when they spend all their money buyin hipster stuff like SAG BAGs and AEROSPOOOKS)

dubbs5050

I also like shops that have used parts, and don't mind if you sift through a scrap heap in the back to look for what you need. I went into Sids on 19th btw 6th and 7th, and asked if they had any used risers that I can buy and the guy looked at me like I had three heads and responded very smugly "we don't carry ANYTHING used." didnt make much sense...

MysticRats

Continuum Cycles (https://continuumcycles.com/)
sells used parts and they specialize in Fixed n SS.
But cant browse for the parts,
gotta ask for everything but they gotta pretty good inventory of used stuff.
Theyre sure to have used risers (already cut to traffic weaving length no doubt. Ha!)

dubbs5050

when I say go through a bin in the back, I mean I can go in the back workshop and go through some stuff with the guy....for example, I wanted risers, he brought me back and showed me a bin of used handlebars, and I one other time I wanted a brake lever, and he showed me what was laying around in the back ... $15 for the handlebars, and got a brake lever for $10....not like he is just letting me rifle through his **** in the back unattended....

...my LBS, and that shop on 17th btw Irving and 3rd are cool like that....obviously, I built a relationship with these guys before running through their shop like I run the place....

geist

They take trade in's too.

StOCK

NEVER been to a even DECENT shop on Long Island. Everyone tried to over charge me 250% more, sometimes they literally did scam me. Please show me a good shop on LI. I went to one in Brooklyn and they tried to sell my girlfriend a used road bike literally COVERED in rust for $270. "I don't think it's that rusty."

waste of my damn time.

queerpunk

lol. I'll take your "buy online" advice next time I need an integrated derailleur hanger helicoiled, or my headtube shaved down, or some input on a tricky wheelbuild, some spokes cut and threaded, or sponsors for the next race or benefit party that I organize.

If you don't need service, don't go to a bike shop and yeah, buy your tubes online or something where they're not $7.

But that's not to say that bike shops don't provide a service.

queerpunk

for tricky wrench jobs I'll go to Conrad's on 40-something street in Tudor City. For something like a headset installation or a steerer tube trimming (don't have tools for that), I'll take it to Bike Works, because they sponsor my team, a bunch of races I've done, and I like them a lot.

For dropping in to say hi, I'd choose Continuum, because they're nice and smart and have cool stuff, and if they're not busy, Fritz and Jeff and Amanda are great folks.

If I were to buy a new racing bike I'd probably go to NYC Velo.

If I need some commuter crap on the now, I'll swing by Bike Habitat if I'm in that area, or City Bicycles if I'm up there.

There's no Best bike shop in NYC - there are lots that are good for certain things.

queerpunk

Manhattan Velo is that place near Irving. Good shop.

ddddeuces

for brooklyn i would definitely say brooklyn bike and board. it's in prospect heights right by the atlantic center. these guys are super nice and knowledgeable. their service is super cheap too. most of the small things i get done there will run like $5 or nothing. if you're in greenpoint, b's bikes is a great shop too.