Behind Bars in Brooklyn

This is my first Unilocal review ever, but I love this shop and Sandra (the owner), and feel super grateful to have found a place where I can trust that my bike will be taken good care of.
I first came to this shop by chance, when I got a flat tire. The costumer service was amazing and Sandra was super welcoming that I decided that I would do my next tune up in here. I have a Montague Navigator (a folding bike which I am completely in love with) and I took it previously to 3 other bike shops for check ups. With each one of them, there was always something off with the bike, i.e. Either the brakes, or handle bars, were off, or they would put the wrong type of brakes. Once, I even had to take back my bike 2 times after the tune up! The work that Behind bars did was AMAZING! It road better than when I just bought it, and the attention that I received was beyond fantastic! Since then, I only go to Sandra, and she always greets me with a huge smile :) every single time she asks me if I need to pump my tires and is super willing to answer any questions (no matter how silly) very honestly and happy! Thank you so much Sandra for all your work and for making enthusiastic riders part of a family!

An accident on my morning commute turned out to be really lucky, because it led me to Behind Bars.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when my bike basket bungee net came loose and got wrapped in my cassette, but some friendly bystanders pointed me in the direction of Behind Bars.
After getting the bungee and all but one of the hooks out of my cassette, my bike was still inoperable, so I rolled it over to Behind Bars. I was convinced my cassette was done for, but the man working this morning just took it apart, cleaned it up, put it all back together, and made sure everything was in great working order. He had my bike fixed up and I was back on the road to work in less than half an hour, my bike riding even better than it did before the accident!

Awesome bikeshop, I just stopped by and the owner checked out my Brooks saddle and immediately noticed it was damaged. She offered to repair it and even gave me a loaner saddle to use. Everyone kept in contact with me concerning the progress, and in no time I was given back my saddle which was not only repaired but already broken in for me. It was pretty much better than new. She even gave me great instructions to maintain it. Mind you my saddle was pretty old and worn out. Normally I like shopping online for my bike stuff, but this level of help can never be replicated from the web. She shows that bike shops can be friendly and helpful, and not money pits like a lot of other shops. Pricing has always been reasonable and there was never any pressure to buy anything. Just great advice and conversation. I normally never write reviews but that is just how impressed I was with the service. Defiantly my favorite brick and mortar shop.

Sandra has set up an amazing bike shop here.
She and her staff are very welcoming and this will be a big change for anyone who’s ever felt hesitant about asking questions at the other cycle shops around town. No question is stupid here and Sandra is super proactive and I feel like she’s always one step ahead of me brainstorming the next way to make my ride more comfortable and complete.
She really cares about her business and it shows; not only do you often find customers sharing cycling anecdotes at the counter, but oftentimes, neighbors with kids and dogs will stop by to say hello and the place feels like a real anchor in the neighborhood. That’s a quality that’s hard to find these days.
I won’t take my bikes anywhere else.

I needed some bike lights. I checked Unilocal and Behind Bars had a full five star rating. I have to agree. The shop is full of real-​world solutions and quality merchandise. The woman who helped me was great. Very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Make the trip to Behind Bars… you will be glad you did.

This place is fantastic. They had previously worked on my commuter (Kona Jake), and I was impressed with their attentiveness, knowledge and friendliness.
When I decided to build my dream Ti bike this was the first place that came to mind. Sandra was receptive to every question I had re: the build on my frame. She gave me great advice and discussed all the pluses and minuses of how I wanted things set up. Each piece of the build up was given the utmost attention and consideration. The best part of yet process is that they treated this project as their own. If you want to bring your bike and frame to a place that will make you feel welcome and confident in the job, this is your place. If you love riding, this is the place that shares your love.
5 stars without qualification.

Very nice owners, quick service, and reasonable prices. Will be my new area bike spot.

I wanted to love this place. When I first met with Sandra she seemed attentive and knowledgable. I brought in my road bike for a gear tune up, as well as a three speed Peugeot– that was something of a family heirloom– to be cleaned and rebuilt from the original frame (a process I was well aware would likely cost hundreds of dollars– as I had an emotional connection to the bike I was prepared to make the investment). I first became concerned when I picked up my road bike and, upon first ride, the gears were noticeably more jerky and erratic than before I brought it in. Further, while the Peugeot was a «project» that I understood would take some time, I was surprised after Sandra told me she’d clean it and call me in a week to discuss new parts/​next steps, and I hadn’t heard from her almost three weeks later. Finally I called her to inquire– she was initially apologetic about the delay, said she was very busy, and that she would call me «early next week» with an update. Another two weeks passed without a word from her. Finally I went back into the shop and told her I was going to take my bike elsewhere. To my surprise, instead of apologizing that she had gone over a month without contacting me after telling me the first phase of my project would take one week, she was defiant, telling me she didn’t have time and that she «doesn’t rush repairs for nobody, for no amount of money.» I tried to explain that my real issue was the lack of professionalism in not being accountable for a deadline that she herself had set, but that point seemed to be completely lost on her. I’m sure Sandra could be a competent mechanic, but her (lack of) time management skills, inability to communicate, and misguided self-​righteousness has unfortunately ensured that I will never set foot in Behind Bars again.

I came in with a seriously wobbly rear wheel that I had gotten from a different bike store just a month prior. I was concerned that if I just trued the wheel again, it would get out of true quickly again. Sandra offered to true the wheel, and if it quickly got wobbly, she would apply the price of the truing to a new wheel. Sandra spent a lot of time helping me decide whether to repair the wheel I had, buy a new machine made wheel, or get a wheel hand built and I’m super happy with my new wheel.

I love this store! Sandra is amazing. She is so knowledgable and welcoming and always provides the best service. I came in with an ancient tricycle which needed a lot of care and Sandra was so patient and kind to me. I LOVE her store and am so thankful for everything she has done for me. I spend a lot of time at her store and she is always so polite and willing to help anyone. Bring your bikes and tricycles in to see Sandra. She is the best!!!

Great service with a smile and reasonable prices

A true neighborhood bike shop for all types of riders. I was excited to see them open months ago and stopped in for some miscellaneous supplies. I brought my Brompton commuter bike and my endurance bike in for tune ups and they were cleaned up and are running smooth as can be. Prices are very reasonable and the service is top notch. Sandra is as pleasant and knowledgeable as they come. She will give you honest advice and answers to any question and always in your best interests. I’m happy to have them in the neighborhood and see them doing well.

Good value, excellent repairs, and Sandra (owner) is as hands on as you can get, jumping between the repair rack and the register. Her knowledge of bikes and parts is encyclopedic, and she and her staff couldn’t be nicer.

I finally tried this place to see if it’ll be my go-​to destination for servicing a stable of bikes. It’s certainly a convenient location and the hours are hard to complain about, longer than any bike shop in the area.
Impressions, in the order of things that matter to me:
— The people are very friendly and accommodating. Sandra, the owner is a pleasure to talk to.
— Prices are very fair as far as I’m concerned.
— Amount of space in the shop is fairly good, I don’t feel cramped when I walk in. It’s amazing how many LBS forget about this.
As far as the actual quality of the job — I’ve never seen my bike so clean, including the day I got it. Those darn white pedals were a bad idea.

Sandy, the owner mentioned in other posts, is such a gem. She is friendly and makes you feel comfortable. When I took my very old three-​speed cruiser in for a tune up, she fixed things that I had tried to get other bike shops to look at, and that they had refused. She got me a new gear shifter, and the brakes are much improved. She called when it was ready to let me know I could come get it earlier than expected, and when I arrived she encouraged me to take a ride up and down the street, test out the new gear she’d installed, and make sure I felt comfortable before paying. Definitely a place I’ll be returning for all my bike needs in the future!

I bought myself a floor pump and some tire levers today, so I could replace some old inner tubes. I found the staff friendly and helpful, and the prices comparative to Internet + shipping costs. Sounds like a strange thing to stay, but this place had a great atmosphere about it… there was a good buzz inside, and it felt like a rider’s community staple. I’ll definitely be heading here for all my biking needs from now on, especially because it’s a small local business. I’ll be back for my service after the summer!

Loved this shop. A nice woman, Sandy greats everyone as they come in, no matter how busy she is. A professional, friendly place!!! Some bike shops I’ve been to treat you like they could do w/​o your business, NOT here. Welcoming at any level of cycler you are. Reasonably priced and great turn around time. HIGHLY recommend.

For context, there are two bikers in our apartment. He — a more advanced practitioner, with a custom-​built road bike doing 30-​mile runs. She — relatively new to bike commuting, twice a week making a 10-​mile Bklyn-​to-​Manhattan commute on a tank of an old hybrid and still finding it a challenge.
We are both very high on Behind Bars and not just because its location is so close to our apartment we can practically fall out of bed and land there — there are other options less than 7 blocks away so we do have choices.
BIKE GEAR: For such a small shop the selection of accessories is pretty amazing and well-​curated. There are at least two or three selections in almost all categories. We’ve been happy with purchases of a pannier, fenders, rack, seat, lights, and assorted other safety gear. The usual suspects in terms of brands. Prices are standard for the area, no better /​no worse.
When we were unable to find the specific glove we wanted awhile back, we noted that they then ordered and carried it a short time later. The owners are eager to please and responsive to suggestions, so I think you can special order anything they haven’t got on hand.
BIKE SERVICE: So far we’ve had two. Routine tune-​up for the road bike and a complete cleaning and overhaul for a bike we got from a friend that had been in dusty storage for no-​joke eight years. It came back looking and riding like new. Guys in the back are quiet but obviously know their stuff.
Price was very competitive with other shops nearby. Super speedy, but we were among the very first customers and we see that they have a lot more bikes coming and going, so ask about current timing.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: The woman who runs the front end of things is incredibly pleasant and well-​informed, which works for both of us — she can talk gearhead stuff with me; my wife, who is a more laissez-​faire biker, credits the welcoming and upbeat attitude as part of the reason she’s become a more routine commuter.
She says: They don’t make me feel stupid about bikes. That’s kind of a big deal, as I was pretty much turned off any real investment in biking before by the indifference or outright sneering vibe I often got at the bike shop in our old North Slope neighborhood. Since I’ve had to drop a boatload of cash on this new commuting ritual — more than I’d expected — it makes a difference that I’m not paying it to people who treat me like dirt.
So, big thumbs-​up for this place. Worth a trip from farther out in the slope, even if other shops are closer, especially if you are a new biker who could use encouragement.

Great experience. Everyone knows that bike shops can be snooty, but that doesn’t happen here. Knowledgeable and kind staff — to the max. Full tune up is a reasonable price with a great turnaround. I will now be riding around the slope with a smile on my face and one reason is because there’s a bad-​ass bike shop up the block from me. Support local business and bike riding, darn it!

This has become my go to local bike shop. The owner and staff are very friendly and knowledgable. They are genuinely nice and cater to all levels of bikers. I was shopping for a few parts and accessories and was given honest advice — some which was to buy cheaper vs expensive alternatives. All the prices are reasonable and the service can’t be beat.