Via Bicycle

Very friendly service. I walked in to by a bike and the place was packed with customers and the staff was short (one staff member was out running errands) Graham took his time to answer every question I had. I was probably there for an hour checking out different options, talking about upgrades, and test riding bikes. Graham was able to juggle me and several other customers with questions about repairs and purchases. He let me know every price option, why prices go up or down, exactly how much each piece of equipment and upgrade costs. I left feeling great about the bike I purchased.
My advice: Go in with a general idea of what you want, make sure you have a little extra time and be patient. Everything will work out fine.

This place will scam you.
I should have read the reviews before going to the shop. They kept telling me parts of my bike were broken without actually showing me what the issue was. They told me they would need to take apart my bike to find out what the issue was. I had them do it in front of me… surprise, no issue!
Go to any other bike shop in the city.

Eager to find a quality used bicycle for my 14-​block student commute, I happened upon Via Bicycle. Before heading over, I read through a couple of online reviews about the shop. I quickly began to second guess my decision to visit the store due to some particularly negative comments about the staff. However, my eagerness prevailed and I nervously hurried over to the shop after work.
As I approached timidly, I was immediately (did not even have both feet through the front door) greeted by a wide-​smiled Mat. A wave of relief poured over me, as I realized that the negative online comments I had read earlier were offensively incorrect. Within minutes, Mat had several fantastic options for me to choose from. Mat answered each and every question (no matter how silly e.g. regarding the shops «sparkly» tape selection) patiently and made buying my first city bike a relaxed, informed experience.
Via Bicycle is a one of a kind, charming shop where you will definitely walk away a satisfied customer.

Owners of vintage or hard-​to-​find-​parts-​for bikes, take note if you haven’t tried Via. I have a ‘70s Peugeot bike that lost its original chainring bolts, and Via had them in stock… for a few dollars! Matt was very helpful both over email and in person. Now my bike is ready to use again, without sacrificing the original crank! Highly recommended; wonderful and friendly customer service.

Having Curtis in the neighborhood is like having an uncle who owns a bike shop. Got a problem? Wheel it in, and he’ll deduce what’s wrong without you even piping up, and then he’ll spray the thing with WD-​40 (or tighten the whatsit, or whatever it needs) and you’re good to go. Do you have a laundry list of small questions that never seemed enough to stop in for on their own, but now that you’re here… well, he’ll answer those as well. He’ll spin ya a story while he works, too.
Bought my bike here and never had a bad day on it or with them.

This is a true Philly style bike shop. Grit, grime and know how. Just what you’re bike needs to handle grit and grimy philly.

I’ve actually never in my life experienced such rude customer service. I came in to ask a question about my tires and without even getting a word out, one of the workers (Curtis, I presume?) yelled at me to «wait back outside and be patient.» REALLY? I didn’t even say one word to this dude, so I don’t know why he thought this was necessary? The other customers in the shop looked pretty appalled too. If you’re looking for a garbage bike that looks «vintage» this is the spot for you. If you want to purchase a nice bike that doesn’t fall apart every month from a genuinely decent person, look elsewhere. Having a hip mustache doesn’t qualify you to work in a bike shop. I’ll never step foot in here again.

great customer service — bit of a hipster haven but your on south st, wth do you expect.

Everyone here is extremely helpful and friendly. I walked out my door yesterday to find my bike’s back tire was stolen. Within a couple of hours they called me to stay my bike was ready to be picked up. After calling a couple places in the city with no luck in getting it back anytime soon, this was a score to have it done so quick! They even went above and beyond to make sure both tires were secure against thieves. They really saved my day! This is my new go-​to place for all of my bike’s needs.

I have been a customer here for a year, today I was very upset with the service, I called ahead to sell my boyfriends bike, I sold a bike to them before about 5 months ago knowing the process. When I called I asked if I could come sell my bike today knowing that the owner Curtis makes the decision. They put him on the phone and he said to come on over and the worst he could day is no. That is wrong because he was awfully rude to me commenting that the bike was not well taken care of. It has been sitting in a garage and was a little rusty from the rain, otherwise in good condition. I felt the comment was inappropriate. Also I stood out in the 90 degree heat waiting for Curtis to look at my bike. It was about 15 min in he looked at the bike and asked what was wrong with it, I said nothing its just too heavy and we use rode bikes instead. He then proceeded to answer a phone call, then go to another customer and chat. Finally he came back to me after apologizing for making me wait and rode the bike and told me he would consider it if I had a receipt. I do not understand why he didn’t tell me that on the phone when I called in early and was very upset about the 30 minutes total I wasted in the heat. I sold my last bike there without a receipt, if things changed he should have told me on the phone or when I first arrived that was the policy, which I believe it is not since I should my bike there in the springtime of this year. I did not appreciate being left in the heat and my bike being criticized, very unprofessional!

These guys are a bag of dicks. Now given I was expecting to pay more than average being a woman who obviously knows nothing about bikes when I came in with my bike. Both of my wheels were stolen oh and my seat for good measure. I had the bike for about 5 months and bought it new. I didn’t know I had bought a bike with quick releases when I ordered it online so is it my fault I got my shit stolen bc I didn’t lock it up correctly? Probably. Thing is I took my bike to three different shops knowing I’d get ripped off and figuring I’d opt for the best out of three but I didn’t expect such a huge difference in the quotes. These guys were by far the worst in terms of integrity and the best at profiling for maximum profit.
Via Bicycle was my last stop of the three I went to get quotes from. I had actually thought I’d go with these guys bc I originally bought my first bike from them and thought they were just being funny when they joke about charging you the most they can. While I was waiting for someone to take a look at my bike the owner or head guy with the mustache made three jokes to three different people about overcharging them. One guy was looking for a bike hat not like a bike helmet but an actual hat. Low and behold up on the ceiling there they were. Another guy also pulled out a box of more hats from behind the counter and then the owner joked that the customer was going to pick the most expensive one so he asked which are the most expensive ones. «Whichever one you pick» was the answer. Maybe it’s funny to them bc it’s true. Another guy said he was there to buy a bike but the owner or leader or whatever he is didn’t hear who said it bc he was writing something down so he asked who wants to buy a bike? When the guy answered again he joked about selling him the most expensive bike in the place. When my turn was up he said I’ll get you a quote but you might not even think it’s worth your while. I guess they bank on the fact that once you’re there and they spend a good 15 – 20 mins explaining why everything costs so much that you’ll just be too exhausted and say fine just fix it which I’m sure many people do.
The guys at Via Bicycle quoted me $ 267 to fix my bike when I didn’t even pay that much for it new. I knew it was going to cost me but I ended up going with a different place that only charged me $ 178 for the same exact repairs. New wheels new seat etc. etc. So yeah if you want to overpay some dbags who basically tell you to your face they’re going to rip you off then go here.

Fantastic customer service, perhaps the best in the city.
If you buy a bike here, they’ll oil the chains and put air in the tires whenever you need it (months/​years later). For all I know, they might do this even if the bike was bought elsewhere.
I bought a new bike at Via Bicycle last fall, a bike made by a third-​party manufacturer, and the saddle (the seat) broke this week. Via Bicycle didn’t even ask about the warranty and put a different saddle on for free. They also fixed the kickstand, which was loose. I didn’t have to pay for anything (no labor charges).
The employees are very knowledgeable and seem like bicycle engineering/​repair is their passion and not just a job. Kudos to John and Graham (I don’t know any of the others). You can look at them and see that it’s sort of their lifestyle. Curtis the owner works right alongside them and is very friendly to all.
I have lived in the neighborhood for a while, and I confess I went to another store for a couple of years because this other store looked more modest, and thus I figured it would be cheaper. But then I decided to buy my bike from Via Bicycle, and I realize now that if I bought it at the other place, this other store might have had to charge me for labor for fixing simple things.

i visited this location to sell and buy a new bicycle. I met the owner and he was fixing bikes and helping anyone who had questions. very knowledgeable and was able to give me an on the spot amount for the 2 bikes i had to sell. I was not attached the the bikes I had so I don’t know if it was a good or bad price.
I was set up with a good used street bike for cruising to work and home. The owner set me up with a really helpful staff member to do the transaction and my bike was adjusted based on my height and other needs within 3 business days.
my only complaint is that the place is organized chaos. there is far too much going on out front of the location, people waiting, hanging out, not sure exactly what we were supposed to do. the inside is packed to the rafters, but organized. i wish there was just an extra 2 – 3 feet of standing room near the register area just so you aren’t always in someones way. Basically no more than 2 – 4 people can stand inside at one time. the website is not super clear either. CASH ONLY fyi.
i say if you have a budget of under $ 400 for a really good condition used and ready to go street bike come here and you will find something.

If your looking for a used bike with good quality come here. Cheaper than buying a new bike and big selection.
Cash only ! You may have to wait for them to do a tune up on the bike you chose to purchase before you can ride out.

This place rocks! I brought my vintage bike in and they went out of their way to help me and get all the right parts for it. They made me feel like the only customer in a very busy bike shop! The staff was so pleasant and I will totally recommend this place! Curtis and his staff was awesome!

I stopped in here this afternoon because my boyfriend and I are in the market for a bike. When I walked in, the super-​helpful guy working at the store explained to us how Via Bicycle operates.
This place takes used bicycles and fixes them up so they are in great condition. They give a one month warranty on all (?!) used bikes they sell. The bikes very good quality and in extremely good (and fixed-​up) condition for a used bike.
The prices are a bit higher than you might find in another, less reputable, used bike shop. I was looking for a cheaper bike (I’m storing it outside…), so I didn’t purchase a bike from here. However, if you are looking for a quality road bike for a cheap price, this would be a good place to start looking.

I found both Phillip and Curtis to be very helpful both on the phone and in person. The level of customer service and expertise far exceeded my expectations. They gave me number of helpful hints to help keep my bike in top shape year around.
Additionally, I love the aesthetic of this place. It’s obvious from the moment you walk in that the people who work here don’t merely like to work on bikes; they love both cycling and bicycles as well as bike culture. I strongly recommend this place to anyone who wants to purchase a reliable bike or needs a reliable bike mechanic.

This bike shop is so disorganized. The bikes are thrown everywhere and the customer service is poor. Their prices are cheap so check it out if you are a poor student and desperate for a used vintage bike. I won’t be back for any reason. There are much better shops in the city.

Bought a bike here, they installed new shifters. Chain always comes off. Took it back for them to fix it. They said it was fixed. The chain still comes off.
I should have spent a little more somewhere else.

Two weeks into a new job that has me biking to work, one of my brake levers exploded. Or rather, the wire pulled out and the clip that holds it in disappeared. So on the way home, I swung by Via, and fortunately they were open late (Wednesday).
Curtis took a quick look at my bike and gave me a fair estimate. I left to give him time to work, and shortly after he called to say it was nearly finished, but recommended a repair to my crank as well. I told him to go ahead.
In the process of fixing the brake and crank, he also gave the bike a tuneup, and threw in a new rear reflector. Biking to work now is a lot smoother, and I’ll definitely be heading back for air and oil when I need it.