Barney’s Bicycle

When it comes to bike shops, you can’t get any better than Chandler Bikes. The following is a review for the current incarnation of Barney’s on Chandler St. (known now as «Barney’s Chandler Bike»), which deals primarily with used bicycles and is different than their main store on Park Ave.
The first time I visited Chandler, I was thoroughly impressed with their selection of used bicycles and the professionalism of the workers. I had walked in about 10 minutes before closing and the guy up front (John, the store manager and head mechanic) gave me all the attention and professional courtesy that is sorely missing in many businesses these days. Even with the time crunch (he had to make an doctor’s appointment right after), he helped me pick out a used crankset for my wife’s commuter bike and I left the store 15 minutes later without feeling like I was rushed or given sub-​par effort. Now that’s what I call service.
In my subsequent visits to the store, I got a better feel for how the business is run and what can be expected from them. When it comes to repairs, John is as upfront and honest of a mechanic as you can hope for. There is a fear in many customers from hearing horror stories of mechanics taking advantage of their ignorance and milking out as much cash as they can get away with. Having a good deal of experience with bicycle maintenance myself, I can definitely say that you get what you paid for, whether it be bikes, parts or service. You won’t get $ 100 goods for $ 10, but you won’t get $ 10 goods for $ 100, either. Comparatively, the parts and labor costs are very reasonable. I’ve paid more for less at other shops.
There is also a great selection of new and used parts that customers can browse. Rims, bike seats, shoes, racks, brakes, gears, you name it. If you have the right tools and know how, you can buy the parts and install them yourself. Not a bad place to start looking for certain items where the line between new & used grows thin after a short while.
Like with any kind of maintenance, I’d rather there be none to be done. But when the need arises, I’ll definitely be doing it here at Chandler Bikes.

Great local bike shop, they’re always helpful and friendly. I do my own work, but I shop here for most of my parts and have found the parts they carry to be good quality and generally reasonably priced, compared to both other shops and even online sources. Their used bike shop on Chandler Street also has a lot of great used parts (and used bikes) as I recently discovered!

Came into Barney’s Chandler Street location the first week of July looking for a bike I could use to commute comfortably around Worcester (to/​from work, around the city, and on longer weekend rides of under 30 miles venturing outside the city).
Spent about 90 minutes in the store, talking to one of the salesmen about what I wanted, my budget, etc. Salesman was very nice, didn’t talk down to me for my obvious lack of cycling experience and knowledge, and helped me set up and test ride three different hybrid bikes (a Giant, a Fuji, and a Raleigh, all in the same price ranger of under $ 500). Was very happy with the feel riding the Fuji, so ended up buying that day.
5 weeks later, I’d ridden about 125 miles on the bike, and have been ecstatic with the purchase. Back in 2003 I tried to get back on a bike for the first time in years, and purchased an expensive road bike from a different Worcester bike shop that was all wrong for me (my fault: I was too timid to speak up and assert myself with the pushy sales guy who was talking down to me for not being a cycling gear head). So I am quite happy that the salesman at Barneys that day listened to me, gave me some basic tips and pointed me in the right direction, and made me try three different bikes to show me how they all ride a little differently.
I’ve had two experiences with their bike services since picking up the bike in early July: about 3 weeks after I bought the bike, I got a flat. Took it in, bought a couple of tubes, and asked the service kid if he’d give me a quick tutorial on changing the tire (I’ve never done it before). He brought me around to the «shop» area behind the counter and demonstrated what to do, gave some tips, etc.
Also just brought the bike in last week for the free tune up they offer following the first 30 days of ownership of a new bike. Had them add a water bottle cage and rear cargo rack, which came to about $ 60. The only issue I had was after bringing the just-​tuned-​up bike out to the street I tried to take the quick release front tire off (only way it will fit in my car), and the brake pads on the front tire had been adjusted far too tightly to let me remove the wheel. Struggled with it for 5 minutes, then brought it back in. The service guy took a look, made an adjustment, and gave me a quick demonstration of how I need to adjust the cable to get it off if it happens again. Brought it back outside, pulled the wheel off, and put it into my car. When I got home, pulled the bike out and tried to get the wheel back on, and again had issue with the cable being adjusted far too tightly to let me reattach to the front brake. Struggled with it for 20 minutes, trying to figure out how to adjust the cable and the brake, which was a little frustrating. I’m sure I’ll get better at this over time, but I’m not sure why after they gave it a tune up I had to spend so much time and effort correcting the adjustment they made. So that’s a minor issue, and as of today, the only knock I have on them, which is why I only gave them 4 stars instead of 5. Really wish I could give them 4.5, since I feel like this is pretty minor compared to the rest of my experience with them over the last month and a half.

My dad and I both use this shop for repairs and tune ups. Great service and reasonable prices. Much cheaper then big chain bicycle shops.

My experience seems to be a bit different than what others have written. I have visited this store on several occasions only to receive poor service on each visit. The staff «acts» like they are helpful but in reality I feel pressured to buy something. Each time I have visited I was looking for a specific item and was almost bullied into purchasing something else. To me, when you visit a shop and know exactly what you want and they don’t have it I don’t expect to be pushed into another product that isn’t even close to what I was looking for.

I bought a bicycle on January 14, 2013. I finally got to ride the past few months because of the long winter. I returned to the store 3 times with problems with shifting and many other issues. I was told I have to be gentle on the peddles when shifting, my bag is too close to the cables etc. I finally had it looked at by a specialist because the dérailleur got caught in the chain. It was not properly put together from the box. Missing nut from the pedal bracket made the crankshaft rock back and forth which made the bearings loosen and hit the dérailleur which broke because it ended up jammed in the chain. The breaks do not stop me. my handlebars and seat keep loosening up. Nothing was greased. the rims are warped because of the spokes were not adjusted. When it went back to Barneys today. They put a used dérailleur on it and broke the chain guard and did not fix anything else on it. I am 56 yrs old and paid $ 387 and this is what I got. A very unsafe bike alot of attitude with bad service.

The staff at Barney’s is awesome! They hooked me up with a great bike and after extensive research on my part, I think I got a VERY fair price. They offered to teach me how to change a flat and do some general maintenance on my bike the next time I stopped in and they also said they’d help me with some general cycling techniques. Definitely go here!

Honest people did only what was necessary to fix son’s bike

I recently brought my street bike into Barney’s for a tuneup and simple repair. It had been sitting in storage for awhile and was a bit rusty and run down. Without making an appointment (I dont think you ever have to?) I brought my bike in and explained what was going on. They were very thorough in telling me what they would do and what I might need for my repair. They also noticed a few loose pieces (lock holder, bell) and offered to fix them for me during the tune up at no cost. My bike was repaired within a few days. I went to pick it up on the day they were moving from Chandler st to Park Ave, and although things were hectic I never felt rushed or unwelcome, they spent just as much time with me as usual. They even offered to help me get it back into my car. My bike looks brand new, and I will never go anywhere else.

very good selection of bikes used and new, from higher end to last year’s models. its good to know that there is such a neighborhood store for everyone.
but i’m not sure if i would buy a bike from them again. just got a «new» bike from Barney’s but wheels weren’t true, cables weren’t tight, and brakes needed adjustment. felt like i got a poorly built bike than a solid new one.
still giving 3 stars b/​c i’m hoping my bike just slipped the cracks

Barneys is the best all-​around bike shop in Worcester. Definitely the friendliest and least likely to make you feel stupid or uniformed. There are no «dumb» questions at Barneys. Peter and his crew will bend over backwards to help you find the right bike, shoes, or whatever. They even have an excellent selection of used bikes in the loft area. I already owned a bike before I discovered Barneys, but I would definitely go there to buy a new or used bike should the need arise. Recently, I had them install a new rear cassette (gear cluster) on my bike – did it while I waited. I already had the cassette and they installed it for $ 5 and checked it out to make sure the new cluster would work with my dérailleur. Great service!
Also, there’s a bike ride that leaves from Barneys at 6 p.m. every Monday. 14 miles around Holden Reservoir. Very mixed group that’s open to all types of bikes and skill levels. The group stops at least 2 – 3 times to take a head count and wait for any stragglers. Racer dudes also go, but do some extra hill climbs and such during the ride.

I went into this shop to help my friend get a new bike a few weeks ago, and we got really great service. They were very helpful, and truly addressed her needs from bike style to price. This is the kind of shop where they will not look down their nose at you if you want an inexpensive bike, and they have some sweet used bikes, great old style stuff!
I look forward to stopping in here again next time I’m in the area, the only negative is that thye are small so the selection of accessories and whatnot is slim, but I bet they would try and get you anything you wanted.

Nice bike shop. Good prices. Good selection of used bicycles.
This shop is well respected in the community!

I ride my bike for pleasure and utility all the time, so when I moved to Worcester, I wanted to find a bike shop to be my source for parts, service, and advice. Barney’s is all that and more. The store is run by Barney’s son, Pete, who is also the president of the Seven Hills Wheelmen, a great cycling club. He and the other guys at the shop are very helpful and knowledgeable. They all ride all the time, so if you come in with a problem, they’re going to be able to spot it quickly and get down to fixing it. I’ve seen them handle customers from serious riders to neighborhood kids all very well. Their prices are fair, and they always seem to have a few good options at a deep discount.
Importantly for me, I feel very happy to spend my money at an independently owned shop that caters to its local community as well as all of Worcester. Other shops MIGHT have lower prices and more bikes to choose from, but these guys treat you right.