Laughing Dog Bicycles

My husband and I had a great experience here last month. The owner immediately saw we were lost newbies and offered a wealth of helpful information and knowledge. We didn’t feel snubbed because we were obviously not cycling fanatics, as we had felt in other local bike shops. He is clearly passionate about his work, and he even talked us down from buying a more expensive bike which made us confident he truly wanted us to have the right fit for us, not just a quick sell. He even waived the tax because we were willing to buy two bicycles and the rack that same day. We have to yet to go back for our free 30 day tune up, but we plan to do that this weekend, and within the first month, you also get 10% off anything in the store, so we’re so excited about installing that bell and water bottle rack!
They seem to carry a lot of great high end equipment which can be expensive in and of themselves, but compared to other rates at other shops or on the internet, I found their prices are actually quite spot on and reasonable. We have been loving our 7.1 Trek hybrids and our Saris Bones 2 bike mount rack, exploring all the neat bike paths around here on the weekends.

Decided I wanted a project, so I bought a rusty old bike on craigslist to clean up and restore. The guys at Laughing dog were a big help! They looked over all the parts of the old bike to tell me what could be restored, and keep the replacements to a minimum. They gave me lots of advice about how to do all the work (which was the fun part anyway!) Highly recommended.

I have had my qualms with the vibe I get here but as far as quality and sense of satisfaction go, Laughing Dog is top notch. You get a quality product and knowledgeable staff at Laughing Dog.

I got my bike repaired here and I’ve been regretting that ever since. The repair was extremely expensive, they tried to upsell me on the parts and on top of it all, now my bike is broken again (it literally fell apart after their hack of a job) and I don’t even want to come back because of how unfriendly the people who are working there are. I felt very unwelcome.

Laughing Dog Bikes rules.
Was having a ton of noise coming out of my drive train, thought it might be the crank set. Brought my bike in hoping they could figure it out. In less than two minutes the super nice dude new exactly what the deal was. All he had to do was tighten down the crank arm bolt, but instead he took apart the bottom bracket, re-​greased it, used some teflon tape to seal it up — all under two hours of time and only for $ 10…
Amazing.
If your new to town and looking for a great bike shop, just go here.

Been coming here for a few years for spare parts and some repairs. They are always pretty helpful, free with advice, and pretty quick with service when necessary.
They have a good selection of accessories and parts, and are very conveniently located if you ever pass through downtown Amherst. Whenever I need something, I stop by on my way home. They have whatever you need, and have done the research for picking out which is probably best. Prices are fair, but not cheap. The convenience and personal advice is worth the difference from online warehouses.
Their used bike selection is great, with fewer bikes but less junky ones than Hampshire Bike Exchange. If you don’t really know what you’re looking for, and can afford it, you can rest assured that the bike they sell you will be in good condition. Prices reflect the selection (relatively high), and if you are looking for a cheap bike, go to Hampshire or look on craigslist/​ebay, especially if you know something about bikes. I had my eye on several of their used bikes, but ultimately found a better deal on craigslist. A good friend of mine found the bike of his dreams there for pretty cheap.
For new bikes, I think they only carry Surly, which is a good bike for commuting around Amherst. I appreciate that they’re not racing bikes, but also not mountain bikes sold to people who will only be riding on roads.
Until recently, they had a decent website. Bummer about that.

What makes Laughing Dog so great?
Well, the yellow lab always there… but besides that
This is the bike shop most people NEED.
I will explain. Yes, they don’t have a huge inventory of high end bikes. They doesn’t have shiny floors and bright lights showing off all new technology, etc
Which is FINE, and GOOD. Why because that appeals to 5% of the population.
Most people, especially a college town, want a bike to get from point a to point b. and when it breaks, they want it fixed. easy, done well and inexpensive
check. check check
Need some accessories for your commute? they have them need a part? they have them. need to know how to rebuilt a sturmy archer 3 speed internal hub. well, yeah, parker and do it for you.
Like any shop, they can order just about anything and everything you want and need. but why stock super high end components and bikes when the market does not call for them? So you can discount them at the end of the season just to try to get rid of them without making money?
They do what you need to keep your bike running. they do it friendly and safe and keep you happy. They don’t oversell, they don’t push, and they don’t lie.
If you have a bike and need service, go there. if you need a bike to commute. go there. if you need some good avid, funny stories, and want to listen to NPR mixed with some great eclectic music, guitar strumming and classic indy rock, then go there. Its just a great shop for bike people

These guys are really great. They are incredibly friendly and helpful, and don’t make you feel like an idiot for needing even the most trivial amount of help with your bike. Their prices are very fair, too; I honestly don’t think I’ve spent maybe more than $ 40 there, and that was getting a substantial amount of work done on my bike. Also, they work really quickly and do a solid job. I ride my bike everywhere, so she gets beaten up a lot; these guys do a great job of making sure I can continue this.

Parker and John, owners of Laughing Dog, are both extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone there does excellent repair work, and they don’t push expensive parts or upgrades on you. I can always trust them to recommend the best products, not the most profitable. John did a bike fit for me and did the most thorough job I’ve ever seen, he even had a protractor thing. They helped me pick out a bike that has been absolutely perfect for my needs and that was within my price range. The atmosphere there is friendly and relaxed, and prices are very reasonable. My bike shop back in seattle isn’t half as good as them and charges more to boot.