Ace Wheelworks

Overall, friendly service, and a reasonable bike shop.
I took my bike in about a year ago for a shifting problem and general tune-​up, and got a thorough inspection and we found a number of things to take care of. Unfortunately, when I got my bike back it was still having shifting problems (sometimes failed to shift or took a few minutes or a bump to do so). I took it back and Randall, who had done the repairs, was nice enough and adjusted it some more. I took it up and down the street and had to come back for a third try before I didn’t have any problems after a few minutes of pedaling. Maybe there’s something weird about the way I ride that made it hard for the mechanic to reproduce the problem, but I think it’s more likely they simply didn’t check their work after they thought they were finished.
I usually go to Cambridge Bicycle on Mass Ave, and after several repairs and tune-​ups there I’ve never had to go back to get something re-​adjusted (much less twice) so in the future I’ll probably roll the dice on the mechanics there.
The other thing I found hinky was that a mechanic there once tried to convince me that the side reflectors (the white ones that spin around on the spokes) don’t do anything important. Mine had broken, so I was trying to find a replacement; ended up getting one off Amazon because Wheelworks didn’t have any. And because I strongly disagree — side reflection is important to prevent a car from running into you at night at an intersection or driveway! The circular motion is eye-​catching and unmistakably from a wheel.

I’ve had nothing but stellar experiences here. On separate occasions I’ve purchased a u-​lock, a helmet, a mudguard. Brian and his crew were extremely helpful and they consistently go above and beyond: they saw that my tires weren’t as full as they could’ve been and helped to pump air; they took the initiative to oil my gears and adjust my handlebars. I’ve always left feeling very warm and grateful for their help.

I’ve had mixed experiences here. Most of the time I can go in and buy things at around twice the price I expect them to be, but when I need something right now at this second and don’t have time to shop around, it’s fine and bike boom’s selection of parts is limited. I’ve had them give me great advice and be extremely helpful. However I have also had staff be very condescending. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman or I’m young, but I’m a pretty decent home mechanic for the basics but have been told several times when coming here that I don’t know what I want or that I can’t or shouldn’t do what I want to do. I once even had someone tell me my eccentric choice in components was silly and I probably saw it on Sheldon Brown’s website (no I actually didn’t, I have used those components before and liked them). I have been taking my bike mechanical issues to Bike Boom now and have had nothing but great experiences.

I’ve had two ends of the experience here. It completely depends on who you see.
If you see Kat, you will have a great time. She is knowledgable, friendly, and helpful.
I’ve dealt with 4 – 5 other people here at various times, and they have all been unhelpful, lacking in knowledge, and outright rude. To top it off, everything here is very expensive.
I’ve had much better luck at the Wheelworks in Belmont. The people at Cambridge Bicycle — while I can’t comment on their knowledge about the bikes — are at least so much nicer and more friendly that I will be going there from now on.

Everything here is more expensive than it should be. It’s nice that they have a ³⁰⁄₆₀ (?) day tune up after purchase though — this actually does not apply if you buy a used bike, but when I brought my used bike in, they still gave me a free tune up!
I bought a used beach cruiser bike here for $ 110. When I came back a few weeks later, sad about it being too slow for what I was looking for, they told me the bike wasn’t worth more than $ 30 – 40. What a rip off!!! I definitely feel like most employees are pushy for their commission. Would recommend Bike Boom closer to Davis Square over this place any day.

Great shop, great people working there. While I don’t live in the city anymore, they were my go-​to when there for 2+ years. In fact, the shop can be credited for me getting back into, and rediscovering my love, of biking. Boston is the perfect city to ride in, and these guys/​gals will ensure you have everything you need to enjoy and take the most advantage of it.
Tl; dr — the best shop in Boston!

I purchased a new road bike from The Somerville shop in April 2015. I had such a wonderful experience purchasing my bike and highly recommend using either shop location for purchasing a bike, tune ups, repairs, etc. I shopped around at 3 – 4 different places and felt most comfortable here. I was really looking to stick within a price range 1200 – 1300 with aluminum frames. Other shops were pushing carbon and was going outside the price range even with closeout models. I came to wheelworks and explained what I was looking for and they fit my budget and frame preference! I was so relieved and felt comfortable with my purchase knowing that they listened to what I was looking for and my riding ability. My bike came with free tune ups and adjustments for 3 months. Each time
i went in again I received excellent service.

I’ve used Wheelworks here and in Belmont on other occasions and thought they were pretty expensive. Tonight I was riding by and decided to give them a try for a pair of disc brake pads. The guy rang them up and told me they were $ 50 for the two sets. I have bought these in the past from other shops in Cambridge (look at my other reviews) and it is usually closer to $ 30. This is just too big a markup to continue to support this shop.

I’m a first time bicyclist in Boston, and this shop has been so great. Ask for Brian, he’s an older guy and usually is around on the weekdays. He helped me avoid getting a really sketchy Craigslist bike, made sure I got some lights for riding at night, and gave me advice on good streets to use on my daily commute.
I didn’t buy my bike here, and I’ve never felt compelled or pressured by anyone working here to buy more expensive stuff than I needed. Everyone at Ace has really been a great resource for me, and I drag all of my friends who are starting to bike around Boston to this place. None of us have had a bad experience, and I’m really glad that there’s an awesome bike shop like this in my neighborhood.