Greg Wright

Review of B & L Bike Shop

As an avid cyclist of over thirty years, I've been...

As an avid cyclist of over thirty years, I've been to a ton of shops and seen and heard a lot. I've done some racing, but never mention that when I go to a shop. Owning a shop in a college town offers many repair opportunities. On my first visit I had a positive experience. We needed very light adjustments which were done quickly and affordably. I spoke with someone and told him that I intended to make this our "home shop" for our son's bike needs. I wanted to keep my credit in his file so I could pay as repairs were needed. I was told it wasn't a problem. My son returned for a brake adjustment. The upsell and list of things to fix was extreme. The bike soon needed several new components and a complete tune up. He sent me pics and I suspected he was being given unnecessary suggestions with a heightened sense of urgency. I called the shop and spoke to a Mgr. We agreed on a more reasonable repair. Several days later when we were told the bike wad ready my son went to get the bike. He was told that they were unable to charge my card and he needed to pay himself due to store policy. This was curious since that was one of the reasons I chose this shop. He had to find his own way to pay. I no longer trust this place for service based on the excessive upselling and inability to accept payment as discussed. This store does however offer a great selection of accessories as well as new bike sales. I would categorize this business as a bike and accessory sales shop that also offers repairs. It's very centrally located and easy to find. It also very thoughtfully has a free tire inflator just to the right of the door so anyone riding by can fill up their tires.