NYC bike shop?

Triathlon Forum
1

Sorry in advance for the esoteric post, but I’m looking for some NYC advice:

I moved to Manhattan several months ago and need to find a good bike shop that can be trusted to do major adjustments, & tuneup a high-end road bike.

I’ve checked out a lot of well-reviewed shops based on Yelp and other articles; but truthfully (and understandably) most of them feel like they cater to the commuter and everyday street cyclist. Haven’t found one that instills the confidence that they specialize in more advanced road bikes…

Is there a shop in Manhattan that I can bring my bike to and trust that they will return my prized possession humming like new? I’m usually pretty handy with my bike, but am in need of some advanced repair/improvements. I know I’m paranoid, but I’m also looking for a long-term shop to use while I live here.

Thanks a lot.

2

NYC Velo on 2nd Ave. between 3rd and 4th in the East Village. Impeccable service, great attitude.

Yelp reviews are next to useless. Any dumbass can write one.

Go check out a few shops in person, see which one you like. But for my money, it’s NYC Velo.

I worked in bike shops for 9 years so feel like I’m at least somewhat reliable for the recommendation.

3

You should do the work yourself.

4

Sids on 19th st. Good mechanics. Good place to buy a bike. Good selection of gear. It was not a great place to get a fit for a tri bike last time I bought a bike there but maybe they have improved.

5

+1 for nyc velo.

Also strictly bikes, just over the bridge as you head out for the long ride on the weekends is great.

Nelson (owner) is amazing and they have some fantastic mechanics. They’ve seen just about every bike made.

6

You should check out Toga bikes, great place that’s been around awhile and they have some great mechanics!

7

Since he asked for a shop recommendation.
+1 NYC Velo

8

+1 on both Toga and NYC Velo, NYC Velo also has a location on W. 45th street if that is closer to where you live.
If you live downtown and can venture into Brooklyn then Ride Brooklyn is also very reliable (with a location in Park slope and Willimasburg)

9

Thank you all very much! Going to check out NYC velo on w 45th today. Appreciate the responses.

10

+1 for nyc velo.

Also strictly bikes, just over the bridge as you head out for the long ride on the weekends is great.

Nelson (owner) is amazing and they have some fantastic mechanics. They’ve seen just about every bike made.

+1 for Strictly

11

My vote (after decades of using bike shops in NYC) is for Conrad’s (25 Tudor City Place / 41 Street, 212-697-6966).

12

I know that it might be out of the way depending on where you live in Manhattan, but I have had a lot of luck at R & A Cycles in Brooklyn (105 5th Ave, Brooklyn). I travel to NYC often and ended up there on one of my trips a few years back and was impressed. The reviews are less than stellar (I think Google has them at 3 out of 5 stars), but my experience was and has been great with them. (They’ve always spent time with me when I had a lot of questions about their experience with the brands that they carry …)

13

I have to say my experience at R&A was TERRIBLE. I was there to buy my first triathlon bike and I was being helped by their well-known fitter who I had been told was “an artist”. He was helping me pick out a Cervelo and helping a female lawyer at the same time. I’m not a PC guy but he was constantly making the most obscene come-ons to the woman - very sexually graphic - that I was just disgusted. She just tried to laugh it off and I kept almost interfering, but I never did. I wish I had. I told him I wanted the Ultegra drivetrain and he said that it is sacrilegious to put Ultegra on the bike. He said that it will constantly make noise and annoy anyone I am riding with. I told him I’d been riding a Bianchi road bike for years with Ultegra on it and it was just great. He then called over someone else from the shop and said, “He can’t put Ultegra on a bike like this can he?” The other guy knew just what to say and said oh my gosh no, it HAS to be Dura Ace. Ultegra is crap - you would ruin your bike blah blah blah. The price he ended up quoting was probably 30% higher than buying all the components individually at retail price.

I could not get out of there fast enough.

14

You’re echoing other reviews that I’ve read of R & A. I have no oar in the water with them and if I had experienced what you’re describing, I’d have run for the hills, too. (Plus, the commentary on Ultegra vs. Dura Ace is total nonsense… I have an 10 yr old Dura Ace 10spd setup that I just replaced with a 105 group set - because I wanted to stay 10spd - and am blown away at how much better the 105 group set is on the same bike. I also assume that most of us on the forums are not shaving minutes off of hours of racing, so, I just don’t buy the argument that you would somehow see such a difference between said group sets…)

15

Let me just say that I have lived near R&A for about 18 years, over this time frame I have bought numerous, Road, Mountain and Cross bikes, and I would NEVER buy anything there nor send anyone there.

If you happen t find yourself in that part of Brooklyn again, I highly suggest walking 2 blocks over and checking out Ride Brooklyn, nice and honest people, nice shop, good wrenches.

16
  • 1 for Velo. Just went there and the guys were very helpful.
17

Rover Cycle Co are great. They offer pick up and drop off too.

18

Master Bike on West 72nd Street is also good. They sell all kinds of bikes but are good with high end repairs and upgrades. They recently converted my Felt DA to 1X11 and did a great job, fast and affordable. Ask for Imbert. One bit of caution, don’t let them glue your tubular tires, if you do you’ll be fine for criterion racing but will never get them off.