Bikes Not Bombs

This store is the best! Everyone I talked to told me to look for a bike here. I got a great deal on a really nice bike and they had awesome service.

Awesome organization with a wide reach. They used to bring massive bike donations to a similar shop in Rochester, NY, where I’m from, that serves a severely disenfranchised community. Love seeing their impact and having them as a neighbor, here in JP.

I’ve read the reviews on this list to see how they coincide with my experiences. The range and consistency confirms my impressions. Wanting to like the cause and store should not be conflated with what they say and deliver necessarily. People are generally very friendly but the knowledge is sometimes questionable. Single speeds are on the slightly pricier side — but the frames are generally average to good quality cro-​moly, the retrofit is decent to good. I think if the shop began to focus on valuing their customers more by giving better quality advice and being more engaged and pro-​active, the store and its mission could evolve into a truly great direction that offered excellent value to their patrons. Yet, it ranges from adequate to good from each visit I’ve had.

I go to Bike not Bombs because it is on my way home from work. They have this deal on tubes, buy three for the price of two so the price of tubes become really competitive with online prices (wt free shipping). Mostly they give very good advice, but I am just a bit miffed from my last visit. i got contradicting advice about my wheel spokes. Someone else (at this shop) gave me advice and I was following that in terms of maintaining my wheel (which is less than 2 years old) while this person now told me I just need a new wheel. Well I wish I was told that the first time and I had not invested the time and change ($) on my wheel.
Other than that, it is a very good bike shop. I have bought tubes, bike pumps (yes pumps: P), bike lights, and tools from this place.
If you need to do some repairs yourself, they have tools by the door which you are free to use. Or atleast I have ;-)

I stopped by the shop this afternoon without an appointment to have an adjustment made to my brakes. They put it right up on the stand, and corrected the potential problem that I was concerned about. When I asked how much I owed, I was told that there was no charge! On a related note, 3 weeks ago while picking up my bike from a tune-​up, I purchased a rear view mirror that they installed for me on the spot at no additional charge! There are at least a few bike shops that are closer to where I live in West Roxbury, but I will pedal the extra distance to this place of business where I am treated fairly, and with respect.

I completely love this place. It is the only bike shop in Boston that is packed full of decent workers who respect cycling and social justice more than hipster posturing. I went through many awful experiences with boston bike shops and their insulting staff before I found this repair shop. I respect their values, skill, and honesty. As a year round cyclist I also appreciate their dependability. Great place!

When it comes to general quantity and quality of used and refurbished bicycles, BNB definitely delivers. However, in regards to knowledgeable and honest advice given in regards to accessories and parts (notably tires), BNB falls dreadfully short of the mark. I bought my bike in May 2014, and between then and May of 2015 I’ve gone through 4 separate bike tires! Keep in mind I bike on paved city streets, so I suppose some of the blame should go to the Boston Public Works Dept… but each time I went to BNB I asked explicitly for a durable tire that could withstand the rigors of the road, and each time that which I was given did not last long. On top of this I was charged each time for both the tire, a service charge, and labor fee (for a 5 minute process). I’m not half as upset about the money as I am about being misled.

I was really disappointed that there was only one option for a refurbished bike for a female who’s 5ft tall. Carlos was really nice but the service would’ve been more direct if he was a little more knowledgeable about bikes.

Most consistently professional bike shop in JP, in my experience. They took the time, at no cost, to inspect a part I had gotten «replaced» by a competitor (Revolution) and confirm that it was not, in fact, new. I’ll be doing business with them in the future.

I brought my bike here after being involved in a car accident, they gave me a quote for the damage so that I could send it to the driver’s auto insurance agency USAA. During my initial visit, I purchased a used quick release rim for $ 70 (still have the receipt) and an inner tube, in the hopes of a quick repair. Upon receiving a settlement check, I visited for a second time, to drop off my bicycle (containing the original rear wheel and the newly purchased quick release wheel).
Upon pick up a week later, the quick-​release rim I had purchased had been replaced with some cheap non-​German-​engineered bolted rim. Upon inquiry, both clerk and technician were clueless and claimed I never brought in a front wheel for my bicycle, when in fact I had, and placed it next to the work area upon drop-​off. My settlement check did not cover the $ 70 wheel purchased with my own money and is money lost out of my pocket.
Shop is unorganized.

I often think about writing Unilocal reviews and then when I get around to it forget, but I couldn’t forget to write one this time because I had such a fabulous experience at the BNB bike shop! I just picked my bike up after having a basic tune up because my gears were slipping. First off, they finished my bike a day early. Ryan explained all of the work they did, and that they accidentally nicked the bar tape while fixing everything and put on all new tape.
Just as we finished I asked about having them give me advice on adjusting my bike so it was at an optimal fit. Although they don’t do official custom fits which are pretty pricey, and which I didn’t really need, he explained what he could do and all along the way offered the most cost effective options. He gladly explained what you consider when making adjustments, watched me while I rode my bike around the parking lot and gave advice as to whether angles and reach looked good. He gave me honest feedback and advice and I really appreciated it. He ended up making a minor adjustment to the angle of my handlebars to make it more comfortable and voila! I will definitely be going back to Bikes Not Bombs for all of my cycling needs and highly recommend it.

I usually use a different bike shop that appears on Unilocal,but this time they were stumped about what to do with my shrieking front brakes. So I went to BNB who suggested a more robust set of brakes. I put them on myself in the front parking lot and though I had not hired assistance Isabella and Matt and Matt checked in on me to see my progress. Result no shrieking brakes and a new fan for BNB. You guys rock.

I’m not a «serious rider», I just wanted a quick and safe way to get home from work in the middle of the night. I rescued a bike from a friend’s garage and took it to BnB for a tune-​up. The staff were super friendly and seemed to know their stuff. They didn’t try to sell me any special features or items I don’t want or need. And they completed my tune-​up several days ahead of schedule, for less than the estimated cost. Next time I need help or repairs, I know where to go.

I wanted to upgrade from my craigslist-​bought mountain bike to a road bike. Figured I’d check out BnB since they advertised refurbished bikes starting at $ 340.
I wasn’t disappointed. The knowledgeable staff guy talked to me about the differences in bikes and asked what my main purpose was in biking (commuting) as well as sizing the right frame for my height. I was able to test ride around the back parking lot, and went for a nice refurbished road bike that came in at the $ 340 price.
The bike is in amazing condition– all new parts, and nary a rattle when I’m pedaling or shifting gears. They also have bins of used gear in the back– varying degrees of wear but definite bargain bin prices at $ 5, $ 10, $ 15 a pop, with bigger stuff a bit more.
The staff are especially great. I got fenders installed by the next day. My husband came with me for pickup and asked to get new wheels and new handlebars put on his bike (gear envy, perhaps? ;), and they did it while we waited! This was all at the tail end of a Sunday too. Quite a good number of purple came in around closing time, and as far as I could tell the staff took care to handle each customer.
All in all a great deal that goes to a great cause. And absolutely zero bike snobbery. I may never go to another bike shop again. Now if only spring can get here…

My friend gave me her old bike because she got herself a new one and she knew I was looking into getting a bike myself. The only thing was she had left it outside and it needed a few things.
When I got to her house to look at it, it was clear it needed more than just a seat and a new chain. The bike was completely rusted and needed some major help. I figured it would be about 150 $ to fix it and when we went to BnB it was more like a $ 250 fix. It was right at the limit I was willing to spend so I did. A few days later I picked up my bike and as me and my friend were riding home the chain broke ten minutes into the ride. I called BnB and explained it to them and after a few calls and some explanations they agreed to take my bike and do another round of alterations. I got my bike back and I’m happy to say it rides beautifully. This place was helpful and the people were nice.
I’m sure bike enthusiasts are more apt to want to go to them. When I discussed this matter with a friend who is much more serious of a rider she laughed at me and told me $ 250 is «a drop in the bucket». I just wish there was more of a understanding for people who arnt full time riders who just want an easy rider.

Helpful staff that explain everything for you. (Which can lead to long wait times on the weekends.)
Relatively quick turn around times.
They’re a nonprofit with a pretty awesome mission.
They are darn more expensive than anywhere else I’ve checked out.

I wanted to like this place because the mission and community aspect is so good, but I have to go with 2 stars because of a recent bad experience and the high cost of their single speed bikes.
I showed up at the shop with a broken spoke, which is normally something I would fix myself but I didn’t have an extra spoke or my spoke wrench and had a 7-​mile ride ahead of me. I figured it would be $ 5 or $ 10 at the most, but it cost $ 21.63! It took about 5 – 10 minutes and the wheel definitely was not trued as there was a noticeable wobble after it was reinstalled. I was not overcharged – the bike mechanic (who was a nice guy) got the rate from their book. If it’s $ 20 just to install a spoke, I can’t imagine what they charge for other services. What if I needed to replace all the spokes on my 36-​spoke generic wheel? $ 720?! The point is, if someone shows up at a shop with a broken spoke, you can do them a solid and not gouge them.
I had time to check out their single-​speed rebuilds and was a little taken aback at the prices, which were $ 400, $ 450, $ 500, and $ 550. Yes, they pick good steel frames to refurbish, and yes, they put new, good quality components on the bikes, and yes, it goes to a good cause, but I can’t see charging this much for single speed bikes. I think they could still make a profit and get people good bikes if they charged $ 50 – 100 less.

I bought my first bike here when i moved to the city. It was a nice Univega single speed, $ 425. I initially balked at paying that price, but it had all new parts so i thought, nice vintage bike, money goes to a good cause. I still think I overpaid, despite knowing it is a non-​profit. And this is for a few reasons.
One, the bike I bought was waay over sized. It was 58 cm and i belong on a 54 cm frame, but the un-​knowledgeable lady who sold me it said bike fit was more about how you «felt.» I went in another time to buy something, and the person sold me an adjustable wrench, and someone at another bike shop told me I was going to ruin my track bolts and strip them. There are a few great knowledgeable people in there, but some volunteers/​youths have no idea what they are doing. Ive had issues with a tune up I had done there, and it led me to believe they had one of their students work on my bike. Id rather not pay a premium if there is the potential for someone to practice on my bike.
Two, i really don’t know what they do with their money. All of those bikes are pretty much donated and they still charge an arm and a leg for them, and they have TONS of volunteer help, i know as Ive volunteered a few times with them.
Three, I know someone who’s custom fixed gear bike was stolen and ended up with them a few months later. They stripped the custom parts off of it and slapped some new parts on and tried to sell it. It was obvious this bike belonged to someone, and when my friend came to claim the bike, they gave him shit and wanted him to pay for the ‘upgrades.’ I’m sure the staff of BNB enjoyed his custom parts for their own collection. This was my final straw with them.
Id recommend them for tires, bike accessories and that sort of thing. And they have a great youth program and free classes. But you can get a much better tune up somewhere else, and you’d be better off buying a bike off Craigslist or out of someones basement and fixing it up yourself.

Love riding your bike, but hate the pretention you face from like, any local bike shop? Poor? Love JP? Love nonprofits? Curious to learn about bikes?
BnB is a lovely melody of all of the above. Their tuneups start at $ 55, which is easily half of what some shops charge. They’re awesome to talk about bike parts and figuring out what’s best for you at the time. I’ve never bought a bike from there but they appear to have a good variety of different bikes for all different needs. They’ve done some great work with my road bike, and had a far quicker turnaround time than I’m used to.
Oh, and the name is awesome. You can’t deny that.

Although I did not purchase a bicycle from here, I think Bikes Not Bombs is worthy enough for a review.
As I walked in the retail store (searching for a new bike), I was not bombarded with pushy salesfolk, no. Instead, I had a nice conversation with a woman who talked to me about the bikes they have, the prices, why they are that price, and what BNB is all about. It was great to not be pressured to purchase anything at the time.
I was impressed by the non-​profit organization status. I really like knowing my money is going to good use instead of fueling corporate bullshit.
I will say, though, the bikes here (for what they are) are pretty overpriced. If you aren’t a softie who loves non-​profits, I would suggest checking out Cambridge Antiques before coming here.