Bicycle Exchange

It’s a shame that the landlord won’t renew the lease.
This place is great for the neighborhood the way these guys treat you when you come in. This is not a snobby bike shop this is a neighborhood place they’re willing to help you. they are a great role models for kids in the neighborhood.

Love these guys! I took my old mountain bike from when I used to ride in Colorado in. Was going to buy a new bike. They told me no need to buy a new bike just update the one I have! How many places do that! They happily serviced it put on new tires changed the handlebars. Set me up well and showed me how to change a tire. And this was after they were closed. They threw in some extra stuff free and didn’t charge me labor on some things too.
These guys just love bikes!
In addition to telling me that my old bike was fine, they said that 4 – 5 people asked to buy my bike while it was being fixed apparently it’s now «vintage!» :)
Best bike place I’ve been to yet! Really informative too.

Okay, so let me frame this up for you: I’m a casual rider. I’ve never tuned up a bike or done a ton of research about cycling. I’m just a girl who lives downtown and uses her bike to commute to work and back daily, and occasionally takes a 20 mile ride to justify, say, a plate of nachos at Old Pointe. So when my trusty Schwinn was stolen a few weeks ago, I was really trusting the kind folk at bike shops to help me pick out a new ride.
I knew I wanted a used bike and I visited a couple shops before I found something I liked the looks of at the Bicycle Exchange. The guy who helped me was nice enough. I explained to him my needs and he said the bike I liked would be great. Win! I bought it.
Now, 10 rides later, I have had two flat tires with said bike. Now, maybe I was spoiled by my previous bike that never had a flat in the 5 years I owned it, but the 20% flat rate seems to me that something might be wrong. After flat #1, I consulted with BGI (since they’re closer to me than BE) and the super nice guy there told me that, while my tires are nice and fairly expensive, they’re not great for urban commuting because they have no puncture resistance. He suggested a set of $ 20 liners. I visited BE on Saturday and asked about liners and the dude who had been soooo nice when he was trying to make the sale when full jerk on me and said my tires were fine and I should quit running over things that would pop them. (Note: I am not gleefully pursuing every patch of crushed glass or thorny bushes, I assure you). He also suggested that it was my fault for not keeping proper pressure (I air them up before every ride) He even acted super put out when I asked him to help me identify my tire size so I could buy an extra tube.
Dear Bicycle Exchange, if you are reading this, I have since learned that there are a number of things that could/​should be checked if someone is having chronic flats: spoke tensioning, rim tape, tire type, etc. I would have been happy to give the Bicycle Exchange my money to check these issues out for me, but now I will give it to BGI instead. I don’t think I should have to combat someone’s ego to get good service.

I’m all about supporting local businesses but perhaps some of these local folks need to understand that big or small, customer service is important. Went here with my boyfriend to look at a refurbished bike. First off waited at least 20 minutes to talk to someone because the sales clerk was yammering on to someone for a very long time, all the while the guy behind the counter just kept working on a bike and didn’t acknowledge us. When I told him that we were trying to find a good bike at an affordable price for my guy to ride with me on the monon, something light weight, he asked me about what kind of bike I had. I told him I bought a Giant brand triathlon bike at BGI and told him what I paid for it and that it was at their big annual clearance event. He said, «well it must not be a good giant bike or a tri bike if you paid that little for it and they have a „low end“ series that they stock BGI with.» I’m sorry but as someone who has been racing for several years, how dare you say my bike is low quality and make me sound cheap or inexperienced? Yes, I’m no pro but the tone he took with me was the same exact tone I hear when a jerky used car salesman tries to rip someone off just because they’re a woman. He made me feel really stupid and I felt like he was really talking down to me. As someone who has spent 7 years in hospitality and customer service, I was shocked at his attitude. He just kept interrupting me with the rudest comments and my boyfriend was ready to tell him, dude, whats your problem? They bad mouthed BGI big time. Sorry but badmouthing your competitor doesn’t make me want to buy from you. We left and went elsewhere, and that was after they tried to sell him a rebuilt mountain bike from the 1990s for $ 375. I don’t recommend them at all. Futhermore, my Giant bike was regularly priced at over $ 1,000 and I got a great deal on it at BGI. I’ve learned me lesson, stick to BGI.

Took my bike in for a tune-​up, and it was done professionally and at a good price. I asked lots of questions since I’m trying to learn a little more about bike maintenance, and they were happy to answer all of them. They helped me pick out some new components for the bike and did NOT try to steer me towards the most expensive ones, but the ones that were right for my bike and my riding needs. Will definitely come back for any service needs I may have and any new purchases!

What a great selection of bikes, accessories & parts. Used & new road, hybrid, mountain, tandem, & kid’s bicycles; they’ve got ‘em fancy or plain. It’s interesting to see what’s in the shop, with the inventory changing as bikes are brought in & sold. I came in several times, trying out different seat & handlebar configurations with test rides in the parking lot. Then one day… there it was, my little brown hybrid beauty! Love at first sight; eagerly, I took a spin on the lot. With the comfortable fit & smooth handling of the bike, I confidently bought the Trek on the spot. My friend had come along to look — he bought a nice Cannondale for himself. So far I’ve purchased a bike lock, water bottle cage, a car rack, & had a tuneup done. It’s great to have a shop close to home, convenient, not big & impersonal, just the right size to have what I need when I need it. What a perfect location, too, right on the Monon, behind Vibes across from Locally Grown Gardens.

First thing about customer service… address the customer. When we he went in all the employees were talking amongst themselves. My boyfriend had to interrupt their conversation to ask for assistance.
At that time he was told his bike would be ready Saturday. Here it is Sunday, and they haven’t even touched his bike yet — we dropped it off on Wednesday. We had to call to find out the status and were further disappointed by this. At least the guy on the phone apologized and was honest. That’s why they get two stars.

I love this place! I bought my bike here and go here when the bike needs some work done. They are always so helpful!

I’m one of those casual bike riders. I’m not rolling around in a cruiser but I’m also terrified of the bike lane.
Anyway. When I got a flat I had no clue what to do so… I looked around for a shop near me and VOILA! I found Bicycle Exchange.
I was helped right away by a friendly staff person and was told $ 6 for the tube $ 5 for instillation. Not too bad of a deal. So less than 10 min later I was out of there only down $ 11.80. I’ll probably be back again to shop around for some bike accessories.

Went back on Sunday to get air in our tires and a bike serviced. The staff was once again extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They taught me how to use the new air pumps out on the Monon and explained why my friends brakes didn’t work in a way I could understand. «the brake pads are completely missing.» The pricing on service was extremely reasonable and fast, $ 15 to fix the brakes and have the bike looked over. This time I brought a friend in and she was very impressed with the atmosphere and staff and is going back to buy a bike.

I heard about the Bicycle Exchange at a CIBA (Central Indiana Bicycling Association) event. Since i was looking for a road bike (I spend most of my time on a recumbent, but I need to add another road bike to my stable. Bikes are like guitars… you can’t have too many). I had heard that the Bicycle Exchange has a large selection of used bikes and trade ins, so I decided to give them a try, even though I have a local bike shop.
I entered the shop and 4 employees were gathered around the work bench talking about their night out the previous night.
I wandered around the shop and and found a couple of bikes that caught my eye, and were in my price range. I tried a couple of them on for size, inspected them, checked them out very closely, all the while waiting for some help from an employee.
After 15 minutes of waiting… while I continued to check out these two bikes I had narrowed my choice down to, I realized the employees were more interested in talking about their night out than helping me.
I put the bikes back and left the shop, walking right past the group of employees. Even then, none of them spoke a single word to me. I’ll certainly never be back.

1053 E 54^th St is the new address… right behind Vibes!
I’ve been in here twice now, once at their old location (behind Good Morning Mama’s) and once at their new location (behind Vibes and Reclamation). The new location is a lot more spacious and has room for more bikes. There’s also kind of a bar set-​up with stools so you can sit around and talk bikes with the mechanics or sales guys.
They sell used bikes that they’ve reconditioned and also some new bikes and new-​old-​stock, as well as consignment bikes. You can find some pretty high-​end stuff here and also vintage cruisers. It’s kind of an odd assortment of bikes and gear but the price seems right on most things and they’re helpful. It’s also nice that you can take a long test-​ride up the Monon before committing to such a major purchase. They also sell used bike parts and gear, like pedals, helmets, bags, etc.
If you’re stopping in and don’t have a clear idea of what you want, be honest with them about your naivety. Tell them what kind of riding you’d like to do and where you’ll be riding, your price point, and they’ll help steer you in the right direction. However… because of their limited stock I would encourage you to ride a few bikes at a couple other shops before pulling the trigger on the first bike you ride, at the first shop you visit. Sometimes (but not always) that’s a good way to end up on a bike that’s way too big or too small for you, or just doesn’t suit your needs.

I bought my first road bike from the guys here. My wife and I stopped in just to look at their used bikes. They were very helpful and knowledgeable. My wife got a used Trek in great condition (for a great price) and I got a new 2012 Masi. I also got a great deal because they were have a clearance special on the 2012 inventory.
When checking out the employee told me I get a free tune up on my bike after I properly break it in. Obviously I asked what «break it in» meant and if I had a limit on the time. He told me that they were such a small shop that he remembers all of his clients, so just to come back when I felt like it needed adjusted.
I have now properly broken in my bike, and I’ll be going in to the shop soon to get it tuned up, and I’ll update my review at that time. However, I can say that about a month after buying the bike I stopped into the shop for some gear and the guy that sold me the bike clearly remembered who I was, what bike I purchased, and some details about me individually. They may not be as large as BGI/​Performance/​REI, but they do offer a very personalized service.

(Note: this review is replicated on Google Reviews)
I perhaps had a poor experience with Bicycle Exchange because of my lack of knowledge about bicycles.
I brought my bike in for a tune-​up on a Saturday afternoon. I was greeted immediately upon entering. I had previously called and asked how much the tune-​up was and was told it was $ 40 — much cheaper than BGI ($ 65).
I asked what the tune-​up entailed and was told: «We will check everything and make sure it works.» I was asked to write my name and contact info on a work order slip. I did not sign anything. I was not offered any other paperwork. I did ask if I could have a claim slip and was given the tear-​off number from the bottom of the work order slip.
The bike would be done by Thursday. I was told that I would be called if any more repairs besides the tune-​up were required.
Today is Wednesday. I called this morning because I was going to be in the area and wanted to know if it would by any chance be done early. It was, so I went to pick it up. I paid the $ 40 and asked what was done on the bike. I was told: «We went over everything and made sure it worked.» The man at the counter went to get the bike from the back. When he returned, I asked if he could please go over everything that was done so I knew. He said: «We went over the derailers (Derailleurs? I looked it up on Wikipedia) and brakes and made sure they worked.» I didn’t know what derailers/​derailleurs were so I asked: «And checked the gears?» and he said «That is what derailers are, gears.» I asked about putting air in the tires and he said that they did that also. I said thank you and left.
Why the rating?
I admit that I am a bike novice. I like to ride my bike, but I don’t know anything about what goes into a tune-​up on bikes. Maybe it’s par for the course to say «we make sure everything works.» I do know, though, that most places doing repair work (on cars, etc) — will offer a list of their services and explain where your dollar goes, I am sure I looked like a bike idiot to the folks who worked there, and yes, maybe I wouldn’t have understood all the terminology, but as a paying customer, I felt I deserved at least some explanation of the repairs performed without having to ask multiple times. (And this way I would also feel confident that something had been done, and that I hadn’t paid $ 40 to board my bike for 4 days!)
(EDIT: I note that BGI’s website lists explicitly the services performed during a tune-​up. I should’ve done a better job researching this!)
Anyway. I’m glad many folks have had excellent experiences with this bike shop. It seems like a good place for people who know a lot about cycling. But for me, not the right fit. After all, you wouldn’t be satisfied if your doctor said «I’m going to make you feel healthier» as a final explanation for treatment. At least, I wouldn’t.