Bicycle Stable

Love this place! Bought a used bike there and they replaced the handle bars and brakes! I go for regular tune ups and questions. They are super friendly and very helpful!

Great job on a bicycle I just purchased. Just one hiccup but other than that, they are a bunch of chill guys running a nice bike shop.

This review is long overdue! I am a novice (read: idiot) level biker, and have taken my bike there for several repairs. They are speedy, cost-​efficient, and are very patient with all my lovely questions (ie where’s the best place to put your lock when you ride?). I highly recommend them, and have always had a great experience.

I’ve been an avid rider for decades, and my skill level is intermediate advanced. That being said, I received an almost new, big box store mtn bike from a relative who got drunk and lightly crashed it. Front wheel was bent. Shifters were loose, and cables were tangled. Rear dérailleur was a little tweaked. It also was not put together well from the store. Since it was free to me, and the retail was around $ 250 after taxes, I figured I’d budget no more than $ 150 for parts and labor. This is where things got funny!
I took the bike to Trophy Bikes on 2^nd St, between Brown and Fairmount, and was completely blind sided with ridiculousness! After telling the «consultant» the story of the bike and what my budget was, she began to tell me how everything on the bike was bent or destroyed, including the frame! The frame didnt have a scratch on it! Dont even ask me how that worked out! She concluded that it would be cheaper for me to buy a brand new Jamis fixie from them for $ 400, since they were on sale! I dont even like fixies! I entertained her for a couple more minutes, while telling her what a few of my past bikes were (Trek, Gary Fisher, GT, Diamond Back, Dyno, and Fuji) and my years of experience, to see if she would realize the bs wont fly and just give me an estimate. She continued to tell me I should put the bike on ebay or craigslist so I could put the money earned towards buying a new bike from them! Uhh, NEGATIVE!
This is where Bicycle Stable steps in. When I got there, they were already with a couple of customers, while the other employees were busy making repairs. None the less, I was greeted almost instantly and they all were very friendly (Trophy Bikes waited until I was walking around for awhile and were distant/​distracted). They listened to my needs, addressed the issues, and answered all of my questions courteously. I left the bike in their care with the parts I purchased from Amazon, and they fixed it all within a couple of days! More importantly, my total for everything was under $ 100. Thats including the new dérailleur I bought from them because I neglected to foresee the new shifters I bought online not working well with the original tweaked out dérailleur that was on the bike. That was a few months ago. I’ve easily put over two hundred miles on the bike since then, and it’s been perfect.
I highly recommend that anyone expecting great customer service, and needing experienced advice, repair, or purchase, to make Bicycle Stable their first stop!

Upon first moving to Philadelphia, I browsed bikes here, knowing they were out of my price range. However, they were beautiful, and the guys were really friendly too. A couple months later, after buying an old Schwinn on Craigslist, one of the tires got messed up. It was really crooked, and I took it to two bike shops close to my house, only to have them both tell me it was in terrible shape and needed to be replaced. I know it’s an old steel wheel, but I was bummed. I tried one last time at Bicycle Stable and the guys had it on the stand, perfectly trued, and ready to ride within about half an hour, all for $ 15. Yay!
Fast forward about a year, I decided to go in for a full tune-​up. My bike was making some weird noises, and I know it’s an old bike with mostly original parts. I called to make a tune-​up appointment, only to be told that they don’t take appointments and I could just come in and drop the bike off. My bike is my means of transportation 95% of the time, so I was sad to part with it, but they basically assured me that there was no way it would be there for the entire quoted two weeks. However, yesterday marked 14 days, and I still hadn’t gotten a call, so I gave them a ring as soon as they opened. I was told that my bike was next on the list to go up on the stand. Soooo basically I had been bike-​less for two weeks while my bike sat outside their shop, getting rained on (they keep all bikes that are dropped off for repairs outside in a fenced-​in area). I am still a little upset about that. Then, the same back wheel ended up needing to be fully replaced this time, which was an additional $ 58, and I only found out when they called me an hour later.
Anyways, my bike is riding much smoother and quieter, and the new wheel seems to be fine. I trust that these guys aren’t trying to rip me off or sell me on things I didn’t need. However, having appointments would be a much more efficient way to do business, and would make me a much happier customer.

I dropped my bike off to get fixed and Chazz and the crew had it tuned up in no time, they were super friendly and it was an inexpensive. I love how they retrofitted the bike shop into the old Fishtown Police station, it’s an architectural marvel as well as a really interesting and fun bike shop. A must visit if you’re in Fishtown.

I just popped in here the other day while in the neighborhood. I don’t know much about bikes but was drawn in by the exterior of the building. (Cool looking spot) It seemed, to my uneducated bike brain, that they mainly carry road bikes. The staff was very friendly which is a big plus and they had some nice bike accessories!

Background:
I don’t know much about bikes. I don’t know much about my bike. All I know is that I like riding mine around and Philly streets aren’t kind to my two-​wheeled companion.
Anyways…
My bike was having some issues shifting. That’s about as technical as I can get.
Long story short, I took it to Bicycle Stable. Nice, small, clean store. There was a cute old dog in there. The guys working there were friendly and seemed to know what they were doing. They adjusted something or other and now my bike is back up and running. The price was reasonable.
Yay!

Dear Bicycle Stable,
I really wanted to like you. I live a block away and ride my bike everywhere. Thanks to my tires’ attraction to sharp objects, it was kind of important that I like you but sadly, you disappoint me. Every time I come into your store, your employees make me feel dumb for wanting what I want. To me, that seems counterintuitive since you need my money. I’m not naïve, I understand bikes and yet I leave feeling like somehow I’m the idiot for having a differing opinion about something as basic as a bike lock. Stop being pretentious or hire better employees and I might give you another chance.
My advice for others, go to Trophy, they won’t treat you like they don’t need you.
Sincerely,
Just a girl on a bike trying to go places.

The staff here is incredibly well-​versed and they don’t try to up-sell…although, if they did, it wouldn’t be annoying, since they *are* so well-​versed, that any up-​selling that might occur at this store would certainly be well-​intentioned. Bring it on, guys! (and gals?)
Anyhow, after my previous bicycle was stolen (hadn’t locked it in a comprehensive manner) My husband purcase a Marin brand beach cruiser for my birthday. He also purchased a beautiful wooden basket for the «hiney» of said bike, as well as a ‘Kryptonite’ bike lock. I am pleased.

I came in the other day looking for a new bike. As soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted and given many bikes to test ride. They dont pressure you to buy, are willing to change out the handlebars free of charge, and offer a 30 – 60 day check up after you buy the bike. If you’re looking for a «small town» feel— this is the place for you!

My first visit here was in 2010. Since then I’ve moved several times and tried many different shops. None were on par with the Bicycle Stable. Now, like a prodigal son, I have returned to Fishtown area and no longer have to settle for half rate shops.
Why I go to the Bicycle Stable:

— It is a family business.
— The employees are very capable and treat every job like it’s their own bike.
— The attentive and friendly customer service.
— If they say your bike will be ready Friday, it’ll be ready on Friday.
I’m don’t know if I would go here to purchase a new bikes (the selection is limited by the building), but I highly recommend the Bicycle Stable to anyone in the area that needs repairs or modifications.

I bought a bike here very recently. I went in «just looking» and walked out with a bike. Alex was very helpful and answered all of my questions. I have never purchased a bike before so he showed me a few different bikes after asking questions to find out what I was looking for.
I added fenders to my bike which they put on with no labor costs. While I was waiting Alex showed me different ways to lock up my bike (which seems basic but for me it was very helpful!)

I’ve found this place to be the most honest and decent (fair) priced place in town. They are very casual and not «bike» douchey. After buying two bikes and 6 years of good service, I am convinced they’re great.

I bought a bike here about a year ago, a mid ranged fixed gear bike. The owner and his son were personable and seemed like they knew what they were talking about. I came in with a budget, told them what I was looking for, said that I had done some shopping and wanted a bike as soon as possible. I did not know my size, just what I was looking for, style, stuff like that.
In the end, I spent about 1200 dollars. They happily exchanged my seat for a nice Brooks and pro-​rated the difference between the stock one and the Brooks, which was cool.
The reason for the low rating is that they did not size me for the bike at all. Overall, it seemed like they only cared about getting my money from me. I left with a 51 CM bike, and I am 5’9″, with a 30 inch inseam. After my test ride, the bike felt fine and I was comfortable, but they didn’t do a fitting or anything. I bought the bike, not knowing much about sizing, and figuring they would size me or know what size I should have, since that was what I read was the norm at bike shops.
The bike is too small, I should have left with a 53 CM. I realized there was a sizing issue when a friend of mine on a ride pointed out how cramped I looked, then I rode his 54 CM and it felt worlds better. I did come in to buy my bike at the end of the day about a half hour before they closed, but they should have spent more time with me or asked me to come back another day.
Another thing that I ran into here was that the drivetrain on my bike was really loud, unnaturally loud. Even when I rode it around they noticed and said something. I left it with them for a weekend shortly after buying and they played with it, but said that they would have to contact the manufacturer. They said they’d call me back about it, but never did. I called them a week or two later and they told me they had no solution. I have cleaned the chain, chain ring, taken the whole rear wheel apart to no avail. It’s kind of sad that they wouldn’t do much because I spent a lot of money and they told me it would be covered under warranty, but they just kept giving me a run around.

It’s hard to give this place a perfect 5 stars.
First of all, let me say: my bike has been riding well since I took it there. I have had to go there multiple times to buy parts and to get work done. Every time I go, the employees are extremely helpful, and you can tell they’re experts at what they do. I have never been there without at least 3 other customers, but I always feel like they are going to assist me for as long as I need without rushing me out the door.
The ONLY down side I see here is the pricing. Last time I took my bike, it needed a whole lot of parts and a whole lot of work. In addition to purchasing all of the parts I needed, I had to pay $ 15 for labor on each part. This adds up quickly…
My bike was basically out of commission before I took it here, and the difference is unreal. But, like I said, when taking it for such a big work up, it ended up being a hefty payment. Even going for labor here and there adds up. But I haven’t found anyone else in the city that does such quality work.

I went here on advice, and I dropped off my just purchased vintage raleigh 3 speed for a tune up. I didn’t know anything about bikes at the time, since this was my first bike as an adult. Well, I will never go back here and I tell everyone to avoid it.
1. they were a week late on the estimate.
2. they were expensive
3. they didn’t do any of the tune up work I was charged for, but just changed a tire.
4. the mechanic over tightened the kick stand, denting the bottom stays
5. when I picked up the bike, the front fork was not aligned with the handlebars, the gears wouldn’t change and the brakes were not adjusted.
6. the mechanic dropped stupid buzz words about how he «wailed on the cotters» (which really would never need to be adjusted) but it was obvious that they only changed the tire, yet still charged me for the tune up. The owner was there and I could see that he was conflicted and pissed at his worker, but decided to keep quiet and not offer a refund or stand by the work. Don’t go here.

Derrick at the Bike Stable hooked me up! I wanted a new bike for my daily commute and needed help comparing various bike options that would fit within my $ 500 – 600 budget. He was extremely patient and thorough, answering my gazillions of questions about the pros/​cons of various features.

He really made sure the bike actually fit me, going as far as to trim the length of the handle bars to better accommodate my lanky arms. (Not to mention, everything I wanted was done before I even finished the sentence… seriously talented, fast service).
The bike I bought is the Globe Live 1 by specialized. It originally came with a single speed internal hub (not fixed gear), a coaster brake and a front V brake. One of the other mechanics custom rebuilt the back wheel to add two more gears. Wow. I am oh-​so impressed with this shop.

I have been to many shops in Philly and I think this one is the best. The super-​friendly mechanics find solutions to tough problems, including figuring out how to fit a brake to my bike that the other shop I go to couldn’t. They also don’t mind showing you how to do stuff.
The shop has a very wide variety of accessories and components. The new bikes they carry include a nice selection from Globe, Marin and Bianchi, among others. They also usually have a few used bikes for sale too.
This is the only shop I will go to now.

I’ve been taking my bike here for a few years, and one thing I love about this shop is that I can trust their advice and workmanship. When they tell me I need a new cog, I know that I actually need it, and they’re not trying to up sell me.
The staff is friendly. They get repairs done on time or ahead of schedule. Their prices are good, but they selection isn’t amazing.
Still, this is always my first stop for work and parts, and I usually get everything I need here. They do good work and are honest. The labor charges are fair. These facts alone would make them five stars.