[MMcG]

I went into a bike shop today in Bristol, CT and while they had an impressive inventory, something was just not right for me.

The store sells mainly Specialized, Trek and Cannondale and a bunch of BMX bikes.......but it was almost too clean and "sterile" for my tastes. All the accessories, bags, gloves, saddles, etc. etc. were either Specialized or C-Dale or Trek aftermarket stuff. Hardly any independent type of stuff in stock (you know what I mean right?).

I dunno. It sorta makes me miss Scott's Bike Shop in Willimantic, CT where you go in and the floors are old wooden floors, and you can find old Trek Steel frames hanging from the rafters, and old school and rare parts and whatnot on the cases. Along with that they have Giants, Fishers, Treks etc. etc. But they also have that cool stuff you just like to look at you know what I mean? And the basement of Scotts is like a bike museum. Lots of old roadies and mtbs down there, some of them New Old Stock. When I get in that area, I usually stop in to visit just to look around to see what I might have missed on previous visits. And Scott is usually there and always friendly and ready to talk with you (even though he wants the same price for a Mag21 fork as the day he received it - lol) and often he'll throw a free water bottle your way as you head out the door.

I wish there was a shop like that closer to where I live now.

So Monkeys, what are your local shops like? Do any of them have character or characters that draw you in even if you aren't planning on buying anything?

Let's hear the stories.

 

[sanjuro]

My shop doesn't like to make money, so we have a lot of character.

 

[jimmydean]

Mine has PBR, does that count?

 

[Total Heckler]

Local shop has a wind chime made from bike parts (cut frame tubes, rotors, etc.)

The shop has a good feel to it.

 

[MMcG]

Beer on hand definitely counts!

 

[sanjuro]

Want some character? Go to The Devil's Gear in New Haven...

 

[jonKranked]

there's a shop in rochester that used to be a coffee bar or something. the workshop is where the bar is, and barstools are still there, so you can see the work and chat with the mechanics. very cool atmosphere.

there's another shop that has all sorts of cool bikes on the wall, including a very early model mountain cycle. then again they are still selling bikes from 2002 at full retail from when they came out. also they are owned by some real creepy old guys.

 

[Del]

My new local shop is great. There's the unopened bottles of beer, the old frames on the walls, used parts with deeply discounted price tags and great, friendly service. They sell all kinds of brands and actually keep a few nice freeride bikes on hand. Now they just need to get my bike order in :mumble: but it's not their fault I presume.

 

[McGRP01]

Beer on hand definitely counts!

Word. Elevate always has some beers in his cooler.

The in-stock inventory isn't always that great as Saratoga is a town full of rich, older people that like their comfort bikes, but on any given day you can go in and find one whole rack full of muddy bikes. It's as much a local hangout for us as any bar in town.

 

[amydalayna]

I always had fun at Pig Iron in Glastonbury, Connecticut. We'd go for night rides and drink beer and eat chili at the shop.

 

[jonKranked]

it'd be cool to see a bike shop and a bar as a single store.

 

[chicodude]

My shop is pretty awesome I have got to say. They have helped me a ton in the past with my senior project and shiz like that. The shop has got a bunch of different bikes and companies. They also have the old bikes that they rode around the world (Yep) on the walls.

The best part is that its owned by a wife and husband and the wife is AWESOME. She made the shipping guy for shimano apologize for lying and saying that he shipped my part when He hadn't yet. I got a free pair of sock out of it too.

 

[Mackie]

My bike shop has a web address.
When it comes to bike parts, I'll take cheap prices over cool atmosphere any day, and I shop accordingly.
Perhaps it's just that all the local shops I've been to pretty much suck.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I never really notice the "character" of a bike shop. Then again, I don't really consider the shop a hang out. I just get what I need and leave.

I like my shop because they always make me a high priority when I need stuff fixed.

 

[amydalayna]

I never really notice the "character" of a bike shop. Then again, I don't really consider the shop a hang out. I just get what I need and leave.

it used to be the opposite for me. the shop was a hang out even when i didn't need anything. i would go because they were my friends and i liked the atmosphere.

i wish i had that same sorta shop now.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

http://www.blacksheepcycles.com/

Its not the closest to my house, but my favorite for sure.

When I first got here, they always had good coffee in the coffee pot. But they are revamping that area. Lets see my dog is welcome but I dont bring him that often, but the dogs that are there are fun to play fetch with. Free use of a spare set of tools, stand and air compressor.

Lets see, I have been able to trade bringing in Ice Cream for labor to track down a shifting issue...

Sometimes I even have to tell them I want to pay for stuff so I can go and stop hanging out.

I think that covers it, lots of Character that is for sure.

 

[sanjuro]

it used to be the opposite for me. the shop was a hang out even when i didn't need anything. i would go because they were my friends and i liked the atmosphere.

i wish i had that same sorta shop now.

I should point out that Pig Iron has changed a bit since I was there. Even the CVC is sponsored by another shop.

They make more money with the new format, but....

 

[boostindoubles]

when i need work done on my bike, i can usually take in a 24 ounce pbr and get some work done free. I don't think i've paid full price for anything in 2 years, and i can always bum a smoke off some one. My shops got character out the wahoo! not to mention the 4 resident dogs

 

[MMcG]

I always had fun at Pig Iron in Glastonbury, Connecticut. We'd go for night rides and drink beer and eat chili at the shop.

Pig Iron has changed quite a bit. They moved out of the Addison Road location and into downtown Glastonbury and with it, lost some character.

 

[PsychO!1]

it'd be cool to see a bike shop and a bar as a single store.

Old Town Bicycle in Tacoma is an old building, under one of the local bars. The building and the bar have a ton of character, big old wooden beams, and old worn out wooden floors. It's not uncommon for the bike shop floor to have dried beer puddles on the floor from spilled beers leaking through the floor from upstairs the night before.

 

[Full Trucker]

it'd be cool to see a bike shop and a bar as a single store.

http://www.road34.com/

 

[narlus]

it's kinda like the difference between a Tower Records or Virgin Megastore, and say, In Yr Ear/Reckless/Quaker Goes Deaf/Aquarius/Rebellious Jukebox/insert name of fave mom-n-pop record shop here

although it's far easier to stock obscure items musically, rather than from a bike perspective. still, the owner and employees' passion for their trade is immediately recognizable.

 

[amydalayna]

Pig Iron has changed quite a bit. They moved out of the Addison Road location and into downtown Glastonbury and with it, lost some character.

very sad. i had such good times back there. it used to be more gritty. drinking beers and playing darts in the winter time when the shop was dead.

and those were some fun night rides back when.

i'm glad i'm not around to see it morphed into something else.

 

[skinny mike]

in short, no soul at all.

 

[hooples3]

I like mine .. it has a ton of stuff ... all over , very unorganized.. laid back... amd great discounts... she carries norco, SC, seven, marin, kona, giant intense merlin, litespeed... the list goes on!!! she is a riot too.. she tells it as it is.. no BS here... shes got a truck drivers vocabulary which is hysterical when you meet her

 

[Chunky Munkey]

My shop doesn't like to make money, so we have a lot of character.

My local bike shop has character. They only know ONE character!

$

 

[Mackie]

I like mine .. it has a ton of stuff ... all over , very unorganized.. laid back... amd great discounts... she carries norco, SC, seven, marin, kona, giant intense merlin, litespeed... the list goes on!!! she is a riot too.. she tells it as it is.. no BS here... shes got a truck drivers vocabulary which is hysterical when you meet her

Patrice is quite the character.
She sold me my first real BMX bike (Redline Proline 2) when I was a kid, and sold my dad a St. Tropez 10 speed at the height of the 80's bike boom. I used that bike stripped & chopped all through grad school as my bar bike.

All that being said, she's not my favorite person, and, if I were buying a bike in Brooklyn, I'd go to Roys.

 

[jdcamb]

I think mine does. I like working there.

The shop.

The dog.

The ceiling.

The owner.

Our welder.

 

[cadmus]

My fav shop rocks, there's only two full time employees and a couple pt'ers. Small shop w/ great customer service. They've set up the mech area so you can hang out while they wrench and have extra stands and tools for you to use if there's room. I hang out there somedays when I can't ride and there is no such thing as a quick stop.... always end up bs'ing about the latest trail work, the next trail work, the new bikes they just got in or the upgrades we'd like to do. I'd rather go there than a bar any day.