NBX Bikes of Providence

Tune-​up + add on service/​installation of cables costed around $ 140. I specifically told them to check the rim-​tape (having reoccurring flats despite new tubes+tires). After I picked it up, I took the bike for 40 mile ride and got a flat at 30 miles, having to run/​walk the bike back home, getting stranded for 2 hours. I had also specifically noted a problem with the front dérailleur limiters, as the chain was rubbing in the high gears. Of course this was not addressed either. Furthermore, my bike rattles far more now than when I took it in. My drive-​chain is in decent condition, yet I’m getting MORE noise from it than before. I suspect maladjusted cables as the rear.
I brought the bike back after the ridiculous flat (that should never have occurred), told a nice employee to replace the rim-​tape, and low-​and-​behold, no flats for the past 100 miles.
Look, I understand the mark-​up and pricing for a tune-​up, but when a customer brings a bike in for a few specific problems, and none of them are addressed, I think that warrants a ¹⁄₅ stars, especially when such negligence causes the customer (me) to have to walk a flatted bike 10 miles back home, under the false pretense that everything was all fixed.
Very nice employees though, they do care about you, but I think there should be better communication and relaying of information in the tune-​up department. The other negative reviews pertaining to tune-​ups also substantiates my point.

Went there for a tune up, cost me 140 dollars and then as soon as i got home took the bike for a ride, 3 minutes later the chain came totally out of its place !!! Overrated place, over priced and no clue what they re doing.

These guys are great! I haven’t for the life of me been able to figure out how to re-​attach the front wheel of my bike after I brought it to Providence. The guy there serviced me right away and it was free! He gave me some helpful advice too.
I’ll defintely going back for my bike repair needs!

So I believe I may have written a review for NBX back when they were Castor’s on 4^th but I’m not sure…
If not, I don’t know how I managed to miss reviewing my favorite bike shop in the area. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. They seem to really care about their customers and I’ve been coming here for all my cycling needs for around four years. Annually, I come in Spring to have my bike tuned prior to getting back on the bike paths when it warms up enough for my liking. I’ve also bought a new bike rack here when my old one literally fell apart. They went through their stock of what was available to meet the kind of rack I wanted and even installed it for no extra cost. Even better is that they gave me a chip to get a free iced coffee at Seven Stars while I waited for them to install it.
Talk about awesome service. One of the dudes has gone above and beyond to be a good salesman by not only being friendly, but truly caring about his customers lives. I’ve had some really solid conversations with him and some of the other staff members and I’ve never felt more comfortable and have never felt pushed in to getting services that I don’t need or to purchase high end items. Just one note is that if you are getting your bike serviced close to Summer, their tune up slots get booked up pretty quick. This year I had to schedule my tune up about two weeks before they actually had a spot open. Plus side is that I had my bike back this time in about twenty four hours, where in the past they’ve kept it up to a week due to scheduling and availability. They not only provide maintanence and repair services but they also have a supply of bikes to purchase (most are high end models such as trek which can run upwards of 7k), biking gear, racks of various sorts, and they also do skate sharpening. Pretty rad place with some of the best customer service around.

This store is a fantastic bike store. The service is great and every time I have gone I leave happy. I was hit by a car once and they fixed my bike for free. A couple of weeks ago I got a full tune up and my bike felt better than when I first bought it. Frank and his staff are truly a great bunch and I would recommend them any time!

While putting together a fundraiser for the tomorrow fund, we received a bike that would be used to raffle off. The bike was donated by a national liquor distributer. After taking the time to put it together, we realized that the seat and the post were missing. We brought it to NBX. They not only donated us a seat for the bike, but they took the time to go over the bike and make sure we assembled it correctly, made some adjustments, and made sure nothing else was missing. They really appreciated what we were trying to do for the community.
We cant thank them enough. Super knowledgeable and very welcoming.
Thank you NBX

Long story short, do not come here if you want good service. I went in, no one said hello or offered to help, fine, whatever.
But I found an item I was interested in buying, went to the service guy at the back counter, he looked at me and then just kept typing at his computer. I figured maybe he was in mid-​thought so I waited, and waited, and waited. Standing in front of him for almost 2 minutes until I spoke up and he gruffly demanded to know what I wanted.
Nuts to this place.

People from work recommended this place to buy a bike in the area, although they admitted that it has deteriorated somewhat under new ownership.
I bought my bike here and the buying experience was quite positive; they took their time to ensure I found the right bike for my riding style. Unfortunately, everything went downhill after that. I brought my bike in a month after purchase (as suggested by them) to tighten bolts etc. When I brought the bike in I told them about the front dérailleur scraping. It took them a week (!) to get my bike ready for me although they promised me a turnaround of two days. I finally was able to pick up my bike. On the next ride I noticed that the dérailleur was still not adjusted properly.
Fast forward and I brought my bike to one of their other locations in Narragansett. I had a ride coming up and asked them if they could look at my front dérailleur and adjust it for me (I was perfectly willing to pay for the «service»). The manager told me yeah no problem — it will easily be done by that afternoon and I made sure they had my phone number just in case. I left my bike and when I showed up in the afternoon an hour after the agreed upon time they hadn’t touched my bike. I asked them why they didn’t call me and I just got a blank stare.
Overall I think the after sales service at this business is just poor — they sell you a fancy bike but after that you are basically on your own. Very disappointing.

Always an awesome experience at NBX on the East Side. Bought two bikes last summer and they have been able to answer any questions and we always have received great customer service. The knowledge and experience is always top of the line. Recently inherited a spin bike that needed replacement pedals. Went over to NBX which is only a street over and worked with Fred. He helped me find the right product and offered to come by and install them for me as I was unaware how to do it. He did this immediately! Wow, exceptional service! Will continue to visit for all my bike needs as the service is always great! Highly recommended!

The repair was slow and expensive. The results were of poor quality. However, the apology was offered.

I bought a Thule roof-​rack system for my hatchback after doing a lot of digging between REI and other bike shops in the area last summer. I went with NBX on 4^th street solely of the professional and friendly nature of one of the managers, Fred.
Fred was friendly and more eager to help on the first 5 minutes of my phone call into him than all the other stores combined in the 3+ hours I had called around and visited.
He recommended a lower cost system than I was looking at for more safety and appropriateness after gauging my needs. He did not have all the parts currently at the smaller shop but promised to get them sent from bigger stores (i.e. Warwick). Not only did he call me back, he flexibly and expediently scheduled my installation and told me he would do it himself for free!!!
He estimated it would take 1 – 2 hours but it ended up taking longer because it was the hottest day of the summer! Poor Fred! He did a spectacular job, I thanked him profusely, but the best reward for this kind of customer service and loyalty is a review to let people know what kind of shop crew experience they can get working here.
My subsequent interactions have all been fabulous — not just the «no problems» so 4 – 5 star but really exceeding expectations. A++

We recently moved to the area and needed our bikes overhauled. Fred and the other guys at NBX were fantastic. Friendly and extremely helpful even though we were not buying bikes. They serviced the bikes on one afternoon so we could go riding the next day. Fred made sure we were comfortable on our bikes before he let us leave the store. He even put our new bike rack on the car and made sure it fit perfectly before we left. Cannot recommend them enough. And, we got to support a small local store!
Great experience overall.

We came in today to have our bikes checked out before we put them on our indoor trainers. The guys were great about not just checking the bikes, but showing us adjustments to the brake mechanisms. They also showed us ideal bike positioning for the bike on the trainer itself. One of our bike skewers was not sitting flush in the u shaped slot, and they caught and corrected this. Great work, great shop!

I put a trek hybrid on layaway over the winter in Narragansett. When I visited again this month, the friendly gave me valuable input after I told them my intended use. I decided to upgrade 2 levels to best suit my needs.
The techs fitted me & had me try a few bikes & were so encouraging & patient; very laid back yet attentive. I am so thrilled with my bike and the entire staff that eagerly make suggestions that aren’t $ motivated. They really convey a commitment to have each customer, whether recreational or more serious riders, to leave with the best equipment for their personal goals.

Very friendly bike shop. Full of information and they won’t pressure you to buy right away which is very nice. It used to be Caster’s but now under new management and a new name. Looks like all of the old employees are still there and not much has changed. The only thing that I can think to mention is with casters, they offered one free tune up a year if you bought your bike from them. NBX unfortunately won’t have the same offer which is kind of a bummer.
Bikes are somewhat pricey but you are buying a bike that will last for a long time as long as its maintained

Formerly Castor’s (since the 70s!), Narragansett Bikes (NBX) now owns this neighborhood staple off Hope.
Liked the feel of the store and the range of products given the store’s small size. Like Castor’s before, the customer service was outstanding. And that makes all the difference in the world!
Alas, when it comes to buying a bike, there’s less inventory at a smaller store. I would totally recommend NBX for repairs, tuneups, and general info. I would consider a large shop for actually buying a bike.