BikeSmith- Boerum Hill

This review is actually for the new location on 3^rd ave, but it seems like that location isn’t up on Unilocal yet.
In any case, I had to have my bike shipped via fedex, so I brought in here, they did a fantastic job packaging it up very well, and even brought it to the shipping location down the block, very happy with the service.

The service:
They took 4 days to tune-​up my bike and I had the gears totally break 3 days after getting the bike back. Dropped it off again and they took a week to fix it. To their credit, they didn’t charge to fix the bike, but less than two weeks later the chain completely broke off. Mind you, this started after a TUNE UP. The bike is only a year and a half old.
Attitude and customer service:
Most of the guys seem lackadaisical, but I’m learning this is a common theme at bike shops in NYC. I could go on about the crew at Bike Smith being dismissive or rude, but all I really care about is being able to have my bike fixed and it working. They failed there. Pretty hard.

went in this morning to have a very simple repair made to my bike and the gentleman assisting me was extremely rude and as about as unenthusiastic as they come.
I asked a simple question about how much air to put in my tire and all he said ‘read the tire’. I felt like I was pulling teeth to get any additional information out of him regarding an issue I am having with my brakes and am feeling unsure about the information i did get.
Think I will be taking my bike to Manhattan from now on for repairs.
LAME!

The best thing about bikesmith is that they usually fix for free the thing they screwed up the first time you go.
I went there to get a tune up. Later, riding down a hill, I start losing bearings. I bring the bike back and they fix the wheel.
I went there to get a flat tire fixed and replace the tube. When I got the bike back they’d replaced my schraeder valve tube with a presta valve. I’ve never filled a presta and I can’t top up the tire. It seems like it was losing air pretty quickly as well. I’m going to just start taking my bike somewhere else, it costs too much time to take it to bikesmith.
I believe the other reviews about bad service and that they are probably going out of business. I’ve tried to buy a bike there and am just met with tons of apathy. I really want to like my local bike shop but I’m really disappointed here.

Came in on a Sunday to price and shop for a bike. Bearded man near back of the store was anything but friendly. Asked us why were there. I said shopping for a bike. Bearded man pointed to bikes and said this is what we got. I asked if they had any mountain bikes, bearded man said no and gestured towards front of store and vaguely said closest thing is that one. Uh which one bearded man? Which one? Service sucks. Don’t bother.

A single bike shop can have great service, helpful staff, quick turn-​around, and cheap pricing. I’ve had some work done on several bikes here over the past couple years and each time I’m stunned by how quick the job gets done and how affordable their work is. Highly highly recommend this place.

I dropped my bike off last night because the chain kept jumping off and the shifting was getting wonky. I picked it up tonight (next day), and it shifts more smoothly than when it was new and after it’s last tune up from another shop. They also adjusted a couple other things, brakes mainly and only charged me 20 bucks. Friendly, competent service at a great price. Very pleased!

I hate to sound dramatic, but choosing this bike shop almost cost me my life today.
I took my bike for a tune up because this place is close to where I work. The bike was ready a day later than they told me it would be, but whatever. I picked it up today. When the bike mechanic brought it out of the basement the back tire was dead flat. I thought this was weird for a freshly tuned bike. He replaced the tube while I waited.
I rode most of the way home. I was riding down Caton Ave. (a busy truck route) when I heard a noise like a shotgun and my bike stopped suddenly in traffic. My tire had blown out — violently. I dragged my bike off the road and immediately called the shop to alert them to this major safety issue. They remembered me and my bike from 45 minutes ago. Their response to my problem? «It’s not our fault. You must have run over a piece of glass.»
NO. There is no evidence of a puncture in my tire — and punctures cause slow leaks, not explosions. A blowout is caused by extreme temperature (not the case today) or IMPROPER INSTALLATION of the tube. I have changed my own tubes for years without incident. Until today I had never had a single blowout. I am now out $ 100 for a tune up that was probably incompetent. Now I have to take my bike to a more capable shop to have it checked out because it may be unsafe. If BikeSmith can’t change a tube, what else might they have done wrong?
Incompetent, irresponsible, and quick to blame their own dangerous mistakes on the customer. Great business model.

Great little bike shop. They fixed a flat on my Torker and upgraded my tires.
The guys that work here are all super nice and full of good advice about bike riding in NYC.

I really wanted to like this shop. It is in my neighborhood and I like supporting local shops. However, they are NEVER nice when I walk in and act live I’ve never been in there before. I was given a bike as a gift from there and it was so poorly assembled that the guys at Bicycle Habitat on Lafayette had to rebuild the entire thing. There was no grease on the seat post, the front brakes weren’t positioned correctly, and the 6 and 7 gears were skipping. Go somewhere else.

UPDATE:
They also f-​ed up the installation of my shifters. So basically, they did nothing right and now I’m going to pay someone else to clean up their mess. Awesome.

These guys saved me the other day with new tubes and tires after I ran over some sort of craziness on my afternoon bike ride. Nice guys and did good work. They seem to know their stuff. A welcomed addition to the neighborhood.

I normally go to the Atlantic Bike Shop because the owner knows his stuff and his no none sense Brooklyn attitude is oddly endearing and definitely old school. BikeSmith is the newest bike shop in the neighborhood. They’re very clean, organized, and have a nicer approach to helping you out. They’re also open until 9pm which definitely has saved me a couple times. The stock here is ok but it’s a small shop so they definitely have their limitations.
They’re a tad cheaper than other shops I’ve been to but not by much. A basic tube runs $ 6, tune ups are $ 60, a spoke replacement is $ 21, and air (as always) is free from a hose outside. I came here and they hooked me up with a new wheel for $ 75 and didn’t charge me to put my gear on it. I was a little annoyed that they told me it would take 20 minutes to true the wheel and put the gear on it and when I came back to the shop in 30 minutes they hadn’t touched it. I came back in 50 minutes and they were still working on it, and it took 60 minutes. They do take credit cards and are a decent shop to stop by when you’re in need.

Nice enough guys, but they don’t really know what they’re doing.
Misdiagnosing my problem and attempting to fix. Sending me home with half a fixed bike, telling me they’d call me when the part came in. After two weeks of me calling them I gave up.
I ended up taking my bike to another shop. They said I didn’t even need the part and fixed the problem in 30 mins.

I had two pretty terrible experiences at this bike shop. It’s not a shop with bikes and boxes of who knows what all over the floor and a bunch of adolescent boys hanging out, cursing and generally acting as if it’s their living room rather than a business where they might learn some skills and professionalism. Meanwhile, the mechanics barely said hello when I walked in, didn’t tell me what they were doing with my bike and their idea of «fixing» my flat meant failing to remove the glass that was causing a slow leak, notice that a spoke popped, or replace the brake pads that needed replacement. They also let my bike fall off the stand in the midst of all this.
I took it in again so they would fix their mistakes. Instead, they charged me for another flat fix, the replacement of the spoke, but then they didn’t tighten the wheel down so it was entirely crooked as I rode.
Thankfully, I was able to get to Ride Brooklyn where professional mechanics are employed who are knowledgeable about all types of riders — not just little boys in spandex — and they made sure everything was working before they sent me on my way in addition to speaking to me as an adult capable of understanding a bicycle.
Bike Smith may have a great location for their business, but I would rather walk several miles with a flat than go to this shop again.

I discovered this place a month too late. Replaced my old cannondale mountain bike (clunker) with a sleek new hybrid — at Bicycle Habitat. I really wish I had given Bike Smith the money instead.
My front breaks «snapped off»? I’m not sure the technical term but they weren’t working — I wheeled right into Bike Smith and Manny fixed it on the spot, in less than 5 minutes. Sure, this is probably a common problem and an easy fix, but Bicycle Habitat had me waiting half an hour for the same problem 2 weeks ago. The best part? I asked Ron, the owner, how much to pay and he didn’t charge me! He said that they do like cookies, though.
This is why it’s great dealing with a mom and pop shop, where the owner and staff are good at what they do, and really believe in their work. I’ll be back for all my future bike needs, even though they are not anywhere near my neighborhood (bed stuy).

These guys are new to the neighborhood, but have established a friendly bike shop with no attitude whatsoever. (I feel like I have to point this out because I’ve been to sooooo many bike shops with attitude that are either only for spandex-​clad triathletes on $ 2000 racing bikes, or for Williamsburg hipsters on their fixies.)
I went in to get a tune-​up and the bike needed some additional repairs, which I was expecting. The clerk, Manny, was very helpful in explaining what needed to be done and asking if I had any questions before taking the bike in. It was fixed in a few days, all for a reasonable cost. I recommend this place!

This shop is fantastic. I went in looking for a bike that would do better than my old cruiser as a commuter bike, and the owner was incredibly helpful. He recommended a very solid pre-​built right in my price range and tweaked it a bit so that it was just what I wanted – a single speed with coaster breaks and fenders.
The bike is clearly very well put together, but they will also do repairs for three months after your purchase, and they’ve always been able to do mine right when I stop by. After having the bike for about a month, I went in to get the fenders realigned and mentioned the saddle was uncomfortable – so right there it was replaced with a wider woman’s saddle that has significantly improved my ride. Even after I blew a spoke and just about bent my front fender in half, I was riding again in half an hour with a brand new fender at no charge. This is a great, unpretentious bike shop that understands the needs of many different customers, and I’m so glad to be a customer.

Went in just before close with my first flat in over 10K miles over the course of two years riding in and around NY. They got me in and out quick and even gave me a deal on the tube and labor. Looks like they have a nice cross section of utilitarian commuter and more stylish fixed/​SS bikes for sale as well. They also stroked my ego a bit about how nice my Salsa Vaya set up as a light tourer is. When I looked at the bike the other day I noticed they tossed on a schraeder/​pista adaptor also. No mention /​no charge. That’s class.
Thanks guys!

Just
Opened
But will do
Repairs and has
A small but growing choice of bikes and parts.