Davis Square now has a bicycle shop: "Bike Boom"

[ron_newman]

Bike Boom is a newly opened used bicycle shop in a space I never thought a business could occupy: 420 Highland Avenue, off the tiny little alley between Sessa's Italian Foods and Snappy Sushi.

You have to walk down the alley past the dumpster and turn left to find the business. I hope they can do something to improve their visibility.

They sell used bikes and accessories, and they're also a repair shop.

ETA: Somerville Patch has an article about the store.

Comments

[kazbotch.livejournal.com]

I saw this last week and wasn't sure if it was new or if I simply hadn't ever, in 8 years of living here, noticed it in the alley!

[ron_newman]

It's new. I found out about them because they've been aggressively leafleting bikes parked at the T station bike racks in Seven Hills Park.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this -- I'd been meaning to since we stopped in a couple of weeks ago. (When it was even harder to spot but my curiosity got the better of me and I had to follow the signs.)

One oddity: the nice guy working there couldn't tell us what anything cost. If we were really interested (I was just curious), he'd have to call the owner for prices. Kind of annoying, and maybe they've since changed the practice.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I went looking for them last week. Found the signs, followed the signs, past the (overflowing) dumpster - but once I got all the way back into the backmost reaches of the alley, there were no signs indicating which door was theirs. My friend was convinced we were going to lose a kidney back there, but I'm glad that someone has (apparently) found them open for reals.

[ron_newman]

I told the guy there this evening that they need to drastically improve their signage. He pointed to a red arrow on a sign high above my head. I said, "Nobody can see that arrow."

[teko.livejournal.com]

I stopped in recently. It's a tiny little shop, about the size of a bedroom. Most of their bikes were refurbished 70s and 80s vintage road bikes and the like, lots of fixies -- bikes made for high-utility, low-theft. Prices in the $300-$500 range.

[ron_newman]

What does it mean for a bike to be 'made for low-theft' ?

[teko.livejournal.com]

Most of the bikes I saw there didn't have much attention paid to the frames, and many had worn paint and wear. One of the guys said something like "Some of 'em aren't too pretty, but they ride in new condition and won't get stolen."

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

So, ugly, in other words.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

It's not the smallest bike shop I've seen. That award goes to the former Harvard Square Bicycles, which consisted of a display case in the Garage mall piled to the ceiling with bikes. When it was open, the owner had to unpile them and line them up in the common hallway.

[ron_newman]

This one I don't remember. How long ago was it?

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Maybe 7 or 8 years ago.

Their website is still up: http://www.google.com/search?q=site:angelfire.com+%22harvard+square+bicycles%22

[ron_newman]

Wow - Angelfire. Haven't thought about them in years, surprised any business was still using them even in 2001. Their page says they were moving "to a location more convenient to Harvard students"; did they perhaps become Quad Bikes?

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

No, Quad Bikes was started from scratch.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I honestly wondered if it was a front for selling stolen bikes... but i have to hope that no one would be that stupid/blantant?

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

sorry, blatant

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Many regular bike shops don't deal in used bikes simply because of the high chance they would wind up pedaling stolen property. Doesn't make used bike shops "fronts" but I'd say chances are pretty good they'll end up selling some stolen bikes.

This reminds me - I saw a would-be thief casing bikes at 7 hills park on Saturday morning. Examining every bike for locks. My wife and I stood there staring at him until he realized we were watching. Should go without saying, but be sure to lock your bike well if you park there. I'd suggest a cable and a u lock.

[ron_newman]

wind up pedaling stolen property

Dunno if you intended that, but I laughed.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

sounds like what we're doing up in gloucester, only we just work out of our carport and the farmer's market. well, and the internet. god bless the internet.

[ron_newman]

Do you advertise by tagging parked bikes? That seems to be Bike Boom's main form of self-promotion, and might work well for you too.

[squirrelitude]

I really hate that. I don't know what the alternatives are, but I'd prefer something that doesn't end up generating garbage for each bike rider to either toss on the ground or hunt down a trash can for.

[dibalh.livejournal.com]

This. Unsolicited paper on my bike, my wife's car, or menus or phonebooks left on my doorstep are all litter, and I'm inclined NOT to support anyone that does it.

Open 10 to 8pm 7days a week.

[peter hilby (from livejournal.com)]

Yup.

bicycling and swimming (continued)

[pingback-bot.livejournal.com]

User hermionesviolin referenced to your post from bicycling and swimming (continued) (http://hermionesviolin.livejournal.com/1529454.html) saying: [...] with newest-coworker!Jen, though, which was nice.) After work on Tuesday, I stopped at Bicycle Boom [...]