Bike Tune Ups

[ludimagist.livejournal.com]

I checked the memories and didn't see anything within the past couple years:

What are people's recommendations for places to have bikes serviced in the area?

Comments

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

http://www.paramountbicycle.com/ these guys are absolutely awesome!

[rax.livejournal.com]

I agree, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Paramount.

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

Is there someone there besides Tyler? Is Tyler still a dick to everybody in that charming Tyler-ish way?

He did good wheel work for me, but I haven't been there in years.

Saga: I was kind of disgruntled after I asked him about a replacement for a seat bolt that snapped, he asserted that it was a weird part I would have special-order and no way did he have one, and it turned out to be a perfectly ordinary bolt that I was able to replace successfully as soon as I got to Tags. I do all my own work now: I was kinda on the edge at that time, and this was the last in a series of frustrating experiences with bike shops in the area that motivated me to go all-DIY.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

I had Tyler doing my work, He has a few people working for him now. he was very nice to me.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Huh. Could have been a weird seat-post lug; there are some which have a notch in one side of the hole through the lug so that a detente on the underside of the bolt head itself is held securely and thus the bolt and nut can be tightened with jut one tool. Such a bolt *is* a special-order item, but of course a regular bolt will work just as well in the same lug - but require two tools to tighten and loosen.

Doesn't excuse poor behavior, but I've certainly seen seat-post lugs designed that way.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Tyler seems mostly to be a dick to people who are not men. People who are men, or who he *thinks* are men, seem to be treated fine. It makes me curious about your story. I've never known a man to go in there and be treated anything other than great. I've rarely known a woman to be treated well. I was treated well the first time, and after that? Crap. He used to be the geographically closest bike shop to me. Now that he's not, I never have a reason to see him again.

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

He wasn't a dick to me; just gave me bad advice. He was a dick to my companion and others when I was around.

(Well, I wouldn't entirely say he's not a dick to guys and he wasn't a dick to me; it's more like, guys are familiar with the "I am a skilled tradesman who acts like a dick, but I'm good at what I do so fuck you" act and don't read it as dickishness the way we would, say, someone who disrespects the rules of the road.)

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

P.S. Your icon appears to be a single-speed with aerobars. This is causing me cognitive dissonance: now I can believe anything.

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Tyler's excellent for heavy-duty work. He rebuilt a rear wheel for me 6 years ago and I haven't broken a spoke since, and it hardly every needs truing (sp?).

One downside is that he doesn't deal in the volume of parts that bigger stores do, so if you're looking for (say) a new seat and want a big variety to choose from, Paramount isn't as good.

I go to Ace Wheelworks (Elm at Willow, btn Davis and Porter) for most of my parts and for little adjustments. They always do good work for me and are generally helpful. Most of their staff seems to have been there a while; low staff turnover is usually a sign to me that people like working there...

[hoppzor.livejournal.com]

Ace Wheelworks has been a hit-or-miss for me. While I commend them for wrestling with my bike's seat post when it was stuck tight, when I went in for a simple tune up and they were so judge-y and disrespectful and insisted that all I needed was some chain grease for my squeaks (thanks, tried that). I figure if a place doesn't want me to pay for their services because it's beneath them, then I should do them a favor and take my business elsewhere.

I've heard good things about Open, particularly for non-"hardcore" cyclists (like myself).

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I find that Ace is better in the off-season; their longtime staff are generally pretty awesome, but the extra help they bring on in the summer is a grab bag.

[jere7my.livejournal.com]

My bike is sitting at Ace even as we speak, awaiting a tune-up. This is my first time bringing my (new) bike there, so I don't know how the tune-up will go, but I happened to mention in an offhand way that my bike seems to lean over too far, almost unbalancing, when the kickstand is out. I was perfectly happy to dismiss it as my own imagination, but the guy I spoke to eyeballed it, then walked around it and eyeballed it again, then flipped it over and compared my kickstand to another one he got from stock, and finally concluded that my kickstand was a centimeter and a half too short. They're swapping it out for free. Then he recommended I buy the screws I need at Tags, because they sell them cheaper.

So I'm pretty happy so far. :) I suspect it's a matter of winning the salesperson lottery. I also suspect it's the kind of place where, once you've identified a salesperson you like, you can hunt him or her down on future visits.

Quad Bikes

[frugaljoe.livejournal.com]

Quad Bikes on Radcliffe's campus is pretty top-notch, and the cheapest tune-up around.

http://www.quadbikes.org/

[georgy.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend Open in Union Sq. They sell a lot of high-end stuff but will do tune ups and maintenance for anyone (and without judgment).

[djdreilinger.livejournal.com]

Seconded. I should note that I am now friends with the Open guys, but that happened because they were so great at having a neat shop and fixing my bike.

Hub Bicycle?

[mfinnigan.livejournal.com]

I'm in need of a tune-up for my road bike. I stopped in for some parts at Hub Bicycle on Cambridge St, outside of Inman. The owner (I think) was really nice and knowledgeable, it seemed like a good shop. I'm thinking of going for it there - anyone have feedback?

[ron_newman]

I've been pretty happy with Ace Wheel Works.

(putting on moderator hat) We don't do much with 'memories' in this community, but I tagged your post 'bicycle'.

[ludimagist.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant tagged posts.

I'm going to try either Paramount or Ace tomorrow.

Thanks everyone!

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I always go to either Ace or the Bicycle Exchange. The latter is cheaper and usually faster. Both places have generally very nice ppl working for them.

[latvianchick.livejournal.com]

I've had only good experiences with Ace.

[vonelftinhaus.livejournal.com]

Paramount-Tyler is the best, and yes he has his good and bad days like we all do but the work is top-notch! it's local and Family run

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

If I needed someone to work on my bicycle, I would go to Broadway Bicycle School. The times I've needed to ask questions they've been awesome, and they are woman owned and do a lot of great work about getting women into mechanicking.

Also, if you are interested in learning how to service your bike by yourself (and tune-ups are not hard to learn!) they offer stand-time with instruction where you rent a stand, and tools, and a teacher, and they do the work with you and explain as you go along. I did this with a weird chain routing anomaly and it cost me 20 for a little while of fiddling on my own and about 15 minutes of instruction and I also now have new information in my brainz!

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

+1: nowhere near Davis, but on my commute, very helpful, loads of obscure parts on hand, and shades easily into learning to DIY.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Just over near Medford Square, but JRA Cycles is the friendliest shop, hands down. Going there reminds me of the record stores of my youth, where the guys seem to be working there because they genuinely like working there and bantering with each other and the customers. Good prices and selection too. I went to Ace for years and they have some great staff, but some are not so great. I work in Teele so JRA is almost as close.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I like Broadway, and really it's not *that* far away.

One big dis-recommendation: ATA Cycles. Total sleazebags. I don't know anyone who's had a good experience with them.