Brooklyn bike tune-up recommendations

April 3, 2014 9:13 AM

Where should I take my bike in Brooklyn (preferably near Downtown/Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens) for a tune-up?

Is there a place that you know that's both good and affordable? Any places to avoid? I'd prefer a place that's relatively close to either Carroll Gardens/Red Hook or Downtown, with "relatively close" meaning under a 30 minute walk, but I'll travel further if there's a consensus perfect place that's farther away. Bike is a generic one-speed track bike that is super-grungy from a winter of neglectful use, if that matters.

posted by saladin to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Best answer: I've always trusted Bicycle Station. They're a tiny bit outside your range (they're on Park Avenue and Adelphi, by the Navy Yard) but they have very fair prices, do pretty quick work, and have been taking care of my own bike for 6 years now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:27 AM on April 3, 2014

+1 to Bicycle Station. Mike is really great, super knowledgeable, fast and well-priced. I managed to really mangle my roommate's bike while he was away...I brought it in to Mike, prepared to drop it off and pick it up in a week, but he told me to have a seat while he cleared everything up in about 20 mins, and even provided a nice tutorial on internal gearhub bikes, since my cluelessness about them led to the problems!
posted by undercoverhuwaaah at 11:47 AM on April 3, 2014

Thirding Bicycle Station on Park and Adelphi.
posted by mhz at 2:23 PM on April 3, 2014

another ++ for the Bicycle Station
posted by tip120 at 2:38 PM on April 3, 2014

Bicycle Roots are good people.
posted by spilon at 2:48 PM on April 3, 2014

I got my bike tuned at Atlantic Bicycles on Atlantic (between Smith and Boerum Place). I don't remember it being that expensive but you might want to try them - much closer to Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens than the places people are recommending here.
posted by sweetkid at 4:18 PM on April 3, 2014

Best answer: Mike at Bicycle Station is great. Another option is Ride Brooklyn, who have two locations (Park Slope and Williamsburg) and are very good.

I know you didn't ask this question, but at $60+, a tuneup is one of the bigger ripoffs in the biking world. This is especially true on a bike with only one gear and maybe no brakes. Bike New York, Bicycle Habitat, Transportation Alternatives, Times Up!, and other organizations run bicycle repair workshops that will teach you how to take care of it yourself for a fraction of the price. Plus, you'll feel super handy after you're done!
posted by soy_renfield at 5:52 PM on April 3, 2014 [2 favorites]

I've been going to Red Lantern Bicycles on Myrtle. It's on Fort Greene, but close enough to Downtown Brooklyn. It's a great shop, friendly people and has a cafe with a chill vibe.
posted by gertzedek at 5:22 PM on April 16, 2014