Griffin Cycle

I want to thank the staff at Griffin cycle for helping with a mechanical problem while cycling on the Capital Crescent trail.
Excellent service

Brought my bike in to get a tire replaced that I blew out on my morning ride in. Staff was very kind, patient, and told me exactly what costs were upfront for parts/​labor.

My first time to Griffin Cycle and the team was very friendly, knowledgable, and provided great service. I bought a helmet, training wheels, and new grips for a bike my 4 year old got from our neighbor.
I had to return a box of training wheels that seemed like they were returned once before because there were bolts missing and the bag with them had been opened.
Kate apologized, took great care of the return, exchanged it for a new box and had the wheels installed on the bike at no charge. Would absolutely go back when we buy new bikes.

I came here to get my bike fixed. Great location. Friendly service. Knowledgeable staff. They also had a good bike selection for purchase.

I was visiting from out of town and stripped the threads on my travel bike. I luckily ended up at griffin where Bert went out if his way to get my bike back on the road, including calling three other bike shops and lending me parts that he could not sell me. Amazing service and value.

I haven’t owned a bicycle in 8 – 10 years, and recently quit my gym membership to start running, biking outside instead. I have very minimal knowledge about biking, purchases, etc. I knew I wanted a Trek bike and Trek’s website says to go to either Griffin or one other DC shop. Since Griffin is a family-​owned shop, I thought I’d give it a shot. These folks were super helpful over the phone when I called to inquire about the bike I wanted (which was already in stock), so I was able to put it on hold and come take a look after work. Conveniently located near Bethesda Metro, this place is easy to find and is open until 7:00 pm.
From the time I walked through the door to the time I picked up my bike today, the customer service was spot on. (Ask for Kate!) My bike was fitted perfectly to my needs, along with a few add ons and a bike lock. I was even able to pay on two separate cards (one over the phone). I highly recommend this place to anyone, and especially those just starting out.
Support local, family-​owned businesses and make sure to stop by Griffin!

I came in late on a Saturday to buy a bike rack. The staff member quickly asked if I needed help, recommended a product, and offered to install the rack on the spot. And then he offered to look over my bike for any other mechanical issues. Great service and great products. I’m very impressed and will certainly come back.

Always had great service. Very knowledge staff.

The long winded story: I recently went in with a bike (which I know isn’t worth that much) that needed to be fixed, and I felt Bert (apparently the manager) was very honest with me and answered all my questions about the cost of repair and whether it was actually worth paying to repair the bike. When I asked about the minimum cost to fix the bike, he did not try to push me to pay for extra things, but was honest about what the minimum was to get the bike in working order.
In the end, I decided to instead purchase one of the used bikes (one much sturdier than the cheapo one I had) in the store, which cost just a little more than if I had decided to fix up the cheapo bike I had. Bert offered 1 month of free tune-​ups.
The bottom line: no-​frills mom & pop bike shop that seems honest. They do sell some bikes and accessories, but it seems you would most likely come hear for bike repair/​adjustment.

Super rude owner! Didn’t even get to the front door. As we were pulling up to the front parking, he asked us to move… no «please“or «sorry but can you move your car…» we decided to spend the $ 4000 somewhere else. So much for supporting small local businesses.

I broke the seat and I drove to the store to twist it. I just needed a screwdriver to secure the seat. Time was five minutes before 11 and owner refused to help me — although it is not worth anything. I was very surprised — by what he mumbled something to the account of the fact that he is not friendly before 11. I usually paid 80 – 85 dollars for setting up the bike — but now I’ll do it in another store. Zero stars.

Good experience here, I am a beginner to the biking world and the service was good. They let me test drive any bike I wanted to and they also helped me get fitted for a bike and help Me know what to look for. I recommend this place especially for the non extreme bikers. Mostly Trek bikes here.

Ran into the store 5 minutes before closing, desperate to fix a tire on my toddlers bike. I was ready to leave it overnight, but Marc insisted on trying to fix it on the spot. 3 minutes later, the tire was reseated and the problem fixed, for no charge. Thank you!

This is the quintessential neighborhood bicycle store. My family has purchased 6 bikes from Griffin — everything from a carbon frame road bike to a kids bike. The service is personal and professional with the owner, Nick Griffin, often in the store. The service department is excellent and fairly priced.

I visited Griffin Cycle today to get a tire on my old bike fixed. I also wanted to try out a new hybrid to see if I noticed a big difference in performance, thinking I might purchase one. The sales clerk was great. After my test ride, I remarked that I didn’t feel much of a difference. He affirmed my experience saying, «no need to spend money on a new one then». He didn’t think my bike needed a tune-​up either. We talked about differences between road bikes and hybrids, and switching the pedal system to improve performance. I felt no pressure; on the contrary I felt supported, and I learned something.

Great place to buy a bike whether you are a pro or beginner. Did a lot of research on my own and was pleasantly surprised they suggested the same bike for me. Good amount of accessories ranging in price range. Free tune ups for 15 months. Great staff and mechanics. Family owned.

I just bought a bicycle from Griffin Cycle and have had an excellent experience with them so far. The bike was on-​sale and a great deal. I looked online for various prices, and couldn’t find a deal sufficiently better to make me not shop locally.
Despite not having had a bike in over 10 years, they didn’t make me feel ignorant and they didn’t talk down to me at all. They were patient in explaining all the component differences and let me ride all the bikes I wanted to test. Since I had gone way over my budget (spent 2x what I planned with the bike and gear), I decided to put the bike on lay-​away, and they too made this as easy as possible. It was very clear that I had 60 days to pay the bike off, so in response to Deborah N’s comment, she apparently did not read anything. They also had given me a receipt for my down payment with the terms of the layaway on it. It was very clear if you can read.
I got a great deal on my Trek, and purchased quite a few accessories for it. My son liked my bike so much that he decided to buy his own. They gave him a great discount on our «2^nd» bike and took plenty of time to fit him and adjust his bike. Alex, Katherine, and Arsenio (? I think is his name) were ALL very friendly and helpful. Alex even came out in the horrible downpour of rain to help me put on my bike rack to take the bikes home.
Some of the prices for the accessories did seem to be a little steep, but this is how local shops usually are. I didn’t feel like driving around or buying online just to save a few dollars, but if you can afford to wait or have an online source, you could save some money on shorts, shirts, etc. If you’re like me and like to support the local guy and build a relationship with your local business, then just snag the stuff up at the store. They do have pretty much everything you could want in various sizes. Pretty amazing for such a small store.
I also dropped my son’s BMX bike off to be «restored» (had been loaned to his brother and sat in the rain) and they estimated all the parts to be around $ 100. They understood that I didn’t want to spend a fortune, and pointed out where I really had to buy new parts, and the parts that could just be adjusted and cleaned. That probably saved me at least $ 50, so I felt they were very honest vs. some business that just want to make a buck. It’s obvious that the Griffins care about their customers.
They also do have Wednesday organized rides. They suggested my son and I should go so we can learn the local trails and there is also some instruction for newer riders my son will greatly benefit from. I appreciate the extra effort that Griffin makes to build a relationship with their customer.

I put down a «refundable» deposit on a bike. When I realized I couldn’t afford it they refused to return the whole deposit. I had never signed any paperwork saying anything about keeping a portion of the deposit if the bike hadn’t been purchased by X date. Rip off.

Just came from an amazing one-​on-​one bike tune up tutorial (2 hours) with Bert (Manager). He couldn’t have been nicer, more generous with his knowledge and information, or patient. He gave clear unpretentious explanations and answered every question I had with respect (i.e. no question was «too» moronic). He should be everyone’s «go to guy» on all things cycling.
Highest recommendations! This is a great shop.

Fantastic little family run store. While they aren’t as large or stocked as some of the larger places, they do still have inventory online, friendly and helpful service, and a decent supply of stuff in store, with the ability to order more items.
I bought a Trek hybird bike there earlier this year after some deliberating between a few places. They were good about test rides and did a decent job fitting me. Once I made the decision on a Trek, I went with Griffin since they had not only the lowest price (same as another store I liked and almost went with), but also offer free tune-​ups for 18 months. Given that I’m a casual rider, and haven’t done a lot of bike maintenance in over 10 years (and bikes have changed!), this won it over for me. They were fast and friendly about putting accessories on the bike right when I bought it.
I’ll definitely be taking my bike there for maintenance, and buying more in the future.

Just bought a bike from there last week and it was a great experience. Nick helped me find my bike, and also helped out with all the peripherals required for it. He very effectively broke down each bike that I was interested in looking at until we got to the one that I own today. Very helpful staff alongside him from what I could tell.
The selection of helmets, seats, and additional accessories appeared to be very good. They had good variety and didn’t plug just one brand. They also provide great warranties on their new bikes and fix everything in the back.
Only one problem… they don’t take AMEX, so plan accordingly! That’s not enough for me to knock it down from five stars however, as it really is difficult to find someone that will help you find EXACTLY what you’re looking for.