I am a cross country rider that is looking to do some major upgrades to my otherwise stock bike (new TI BB, carbon fiber cranks, chainrings, shifters etc). The shop that I bought my bike from will remain nameless as I feel they try hard, but they just don't seem as well informed as I think they should be regarding performance upgrades. Are there any shops in Houston that are really into the race side of MBing that would be well informed about upgrades and do the job right the first time, treating my bike as their own?

I am a cross country rider that is looking to do some major upgrades to my otherwise stock bike (new TI BB, carbon fiber cranks, chainrings, shifters etc). The shop that I bought my bike from will remain nameless as I feel they try hard, but they just don't seem as well informed as I think they should be regarding performance upgrades. Are there any shops in Houston that are really into the race side of MBing that would be well informed about upgrades and do the job right the first time, treating my bike as their own?


Unfortunately there are not a lot of great bike shops that stock high end parts in Houston. Any of the shops can order them, but you are going to pay top dollar and may have to wait several weeks. I've tried many of them..Bike Barn, West U, Bikesport, Sun and Ski, and several others. My advice is find one who has a good wrench and get to know him (or her). This can be a good source of information.

With that said, I do most of my own repairs, but when I need help I go to Bike Barn on Kirby and talk to Kevin. I think he is the head mechanic and has been there a while. He is usually pretty good if you can get his attention. I find the guys on the floor are hit or miss regarding how much they know.

I don't race, but have pretty much all high end aftermarket components (none of which I bought in Houston). I really consider my LBS to be Larry Mettler at Mountain High Cyclery in Loveland CO. (he post on these boards as Ventanarama). He has great prices (typically better than most of the mail order stores) and often has hard to find items in stock. I also have ordered a lot (including a frame) from go-ride.com.

I know this is not the answer you were hoping for, but Houston really is not a great bike city. Most of the bikes sold are the entry level type. If you visit shops in other places (like Colorado, Utah, or California) and compare them to Houston shops, our local shops look marginal at best..

PS - I have heard good thinkgs about West End Cycles (by Memorial Park) but have never been there. You might also try emailing some of the Ghorba guys, I think there are some racers there. (ghorba.org)

I also would like to mention Bike Lane at 1960 and I-45. Ask for Ken.

I have been happy with Schwinn (in Clear Lake and Pasadena).
The people at the big chains upset me too much, but the guys
at the Schwinn shops have always been helpful and honest.

Check out Bicycles Etc.. on 1960 near W. Lake Houston Parkway. Ask for Ryan. Best tune up and service I have had in Houston (14 years).

I also would like to mention Bike Lane at 1960 and I-45. Ask for Ken.

where do you live central houston...if so you got West End and Bike Sport live north then it's Bike Lane or North West Cyclery south houston Webster Bikes if you have a road bike then it's ProCycles any other place your just gambling any of those places i've mentioned i would not have any problem with them working on my bikes.

I gotta go with thehemi. The guys at Bay Area Schwinn (Pasadena)are great! Fred and Anthony the wrench's are both excellent. Fred has a vast knowledge of Road and Vintage, while Anthony knows MTB (XC & Freeride). Together they feed off each other and do a great job.For fine tuning I wouldn't trust anyone else! Usually sit down and BS with them while they do it.

I admit most of the parts I purchase on-line (ebay, Jenson, etc...) and put them on myself. I always check with them first and see what kinda deal they can get and often times I get a great deal through them.

Are any of those bikeshops close to Katy? (suburb of Houston).

I'll be living in Katy next month (moving there soon!) and just wanted a heads-up on what's availible.

I can't wait to ride & meet with you guys down there. (on the weekends, since I'll be attending U.T.I)

:D

Take care!!

-Matt

Are any of those bikeshops close to Katy? (suburb of Houston).

I'll be living in Katy next month (moving there soon!) and just wanted a heads-up on what's availible.

I can't wait to ride & meet with you guys down there. (on the weekends, since I'll be attending U.T.I)

:D

Take care!!

-Matt

I'd recommend Acme.
www.acmebikes.com

There are several good bikeshops in town. See Chad, or Will Black at West End Bikes, Jeff Boone at Boone Cycles , Mark Blackshear at Clyclone Cycles, Adam Potter at Planetary Cycles or Mark Chambers at Bike barn (Westhiemer/Dairy Ashford location).
Here is the order I've seen shops in the Houston area keep trick parts at hand.
1. Webster Bicycles (Webster Tx.)
2. Boones cycles
3. West End Bikes
4. Cyclone Cycles (university area)
5. University Schwinn
6. West U Schwinn
7. Planitary Cycles
8. Any Bike Barn is good, and may have lots in stock depending on the manager.
9. Sun-n-Ski Sports (but be sure you are dealing with a cyclist)
NOTE: Mail Order is sometimes the cheapest with the best selection, but you better know how to install and tune the parts for yourself. If you take the bike to a shop to get things right, then expect to pay for a good mechanics knowhow.

If you want to really upgrade your bike with Knarly components, give Dennis Quick a call at Third Coast Bikes (713-620-1959). He was a pro bmx'er that also slaved for Bike Barn for many years. He can get just about get anything and can repair even the nastiest of wreckage. They are located in the Clear Lake area, but do mobile bike repair so they will pick it up from you.
http://www.thirdcoastbikes.com/
-Josh

I bent a rim (Mavic X211) the first time out on a '05 Stumpjumper. I would think an $1100 mountain bike should be capable of traversing a little ditch, after all this is its intended purpose.

Specialized would not replace it.
:mad:
West End Bikes would not replace it, they just saw it as an opportunity to sell me a new rim and installation. They already sold me one inferior product, I wasn't gonna have them sell me another one.

Neither Specialized or West End will be getting any more of my money.

A poor craftsman always blames his tools first…

Neither Specialized or West End would be in business very long if they replaced every taco'ed wheel, bent frame, damaged crank etc...of every customer who had nothing to do with the damage.

Just an observation ;)

:rolleyes: :cool: Neither Specialized or West End would be in business very long if they replaced every taco'ed wheel, bent frame, damaged crank etc...of every customer who had nothing to do with the damage.

Just an observation ;)


As a shop owner, I am torn as to how to respond. It isn't feasible for a shop to replace
every damaged or broken part, they have no way of knowing what truly happened to cause
the problem in the first place. One alternative would be to split the cost,you pay the part cost and the shop covers the labor. It generally takes a little more than simply traversing a ditch to merit wheel replacement so, you have to be a little understanding of where the shop is coming from by not replacing the part for free. At the same time, you are a customer and everything within reason should be done to make you happy and ensure repeat business. I noticed that someone mentioned our shop as one of the Good bike shops in the Houston area, thank you and we will do everything that we can to maintain that reputation. Anyone interested can visit us at www.thirdcoastbikes.com or call 832-428-8951. The number that was posted before was incorrect but thanks for the plug!

I just thought that if a product fails the first time a load is put on to it then it is probably a manufacturing defect and should be replaced.

I'm just disappointed that my new bike broke the first time I rode it. I expected it to be more durable than that.

I just thought that if a product fails the first time a load is put on to it then it is probably a manufacturing defect and should be replaced.

I'm just disappointed that my new bike broke the first time I rode it. I expected it to be more durable than that.
what did you hit? your not telling the whole story here because the trail you say you broke it on is not technical or difficult besides bike wheels just do not break it's obvious that some abuse or rider error took place why should the bike company or bike shop have to pay for your mistake? think logically about it what would a car dealership do if you bought a car then backed it into a pole and you came back blaming the car model and the dealership for the dent in your new car.

it's my understanding that the owner of west end did everything possible to solve your problem even offering you a much better wheel for 1/2 price and yet you refused and now try to slander a business because of your admitted mistake? i suggest you chalk it up as a learning mistake and turn the page

A little info for the dude with the bent rim who blames his riding style on west end

A 1000 dollar bike doesn't come with the strongest rims around. If you ride a lot, you would be lucky to get two racing seasons out of the wheels that came on your bike, especially if you don't know how to ride w/out trashing your rims. If you bent it crashing or jumping, that's your own fault... specialized doesn't need your money, and west end or any bike shop in Htown doesn't need whiny customers who want stuff for free. Good luck finding a bike shop or bike company who gives rear wheels away. LOL

ontheone just got...

http://img182.exs.cx/img182/5080/owned5.jpg

A little info for the dude with the bent rim who blames his riding style on west end

A 1000 dollar bike doesn't come with the strongest rims around. If you ride a lot, you would be lucky to get two racing seasons out of the wheels that came on your bike, especially if you don't know how to ride w/out trashing your rims. If you bent it crashing or jumping, that's your own fault... specialized doesn't need your money, and west end or any bike shop in Htown doesn't need whiny customers who want stuff for free. Good luck finding a bike shop or bike company who gives rear wheels away. LOL

HellMutt, you're not helping WE look any better. Dan owns/runs the place. He's in a Customer Sevice driven industry. Whiny customers exist. Period. We both know the bikes/parts sold in that shop or any other are not indestructable. When someone pays out $1k for something that breaks almost immedialty, whether the consumer is at fault or not, he or she will 99.99% of the time feel angry about having to replace the failed part. This does not warrant free services or goods, but it does the Cust Svc. TTN mentioned in the second half of his post.
If Dan would have given the guy a free wheel, the situation would most likely still have a bit of a negative impact on WE/Specialized.
1. because the bike came from WE and they are a face for the name. They are someone to point a finger at.
2. not many people will accept responsibilty for a f/u

Besides, giving away non-warrentied items does not make sense financially. Discounted replacement maybe yes, free no. Dan offered options. He's there to run a business and support his family, as well as provide salaries to employees so they can also support thiers.

To say you are a WE team member, then to say WE does not need whiny customers is not cool. Is whiny customer money less green that happy customer money? I doubt Dan would like to read your negative comments used in the same statement as "I am a WE team member".

HellMutt, you're not helping WE look any better. Dan owns/runs the place. He's in a Customer Sevice driven industry. Whiny customers exist. Period. We both know the bikes/parts sold in that shop or any other are not indestructable. When someone pays out $1k for something that breaks almost immedialty, whether the consumer is at fault or not, he or she will 99.99% of the time feel angry about having to replace the failed part. This does not warrant free services or goods, but it does the Cust Svc. TTN mentioned in the second half of his post.
If Dan would have given the guy a free wheel, the situation would most likely still have a bit of a negative impact on WE/Specialized.
1. because the bike came from WE and they are a face for the name. They are someone to point a finger at.
2. not many people will accept responsibilty for a f/u

Besides, giving away non-warrentied items does not make sense financially. Discounted replacement maybe yes, free no. Dan offered options. He's there to run a business and support his family, as well as provide salaries to employees so they can also support thiers.

To say you are a WE team member, then to say WE does not need whiny customers is not cool. Is whiny customer money less green that happy customer money? I doubt Dan would like to read your negative comments used in the same statement as "I am a WE team member".
I completely agree with Brewdog, regardless of who is at fault or how the situation was handled, there would have still been some negative vibes stemming from what happened. I thought that the purpose of this forum was to give riders and enthusiast alike a place to get advice or discuss openly, their experiences without having to face the jury. Ontheone posted his opinion on HIS given situation and was immediately attacked by the three musketeers. He was compared to a poor craftsman, his riding ability came into question (do you know him personally? ) and he was told that his business wasn't needed by any shops in houston. I own a shop in the houston area and don't need anyone to speak for me on the type of customer that I do or don't wish to deal with. West End is a fine establishment and I'm sure that everything within reason was done to appease the customer but,in the end, that is between West End and THEIR customer. Ontheone could have handled things a little differently and maybe in the future he will. We as adults and forum members should consider a little less malicious and more helpful approach when responding to other members post and not be so anxious to "SLAM" them.

what would you of done if you sold some one a bike and a few hours later they came back in your shop and started a fuss over a broken bike PART that they admitted to abusing and wanting a FREE replacment? Please tell me because depending on the answer you might have a instant customer for life.

what would you of done if you sold some one a bike and a few hours later they came back in your shop and started a fuss over a broken bike PART that they admitted to abusing and wanting a FREE replacment? Please tell me because depending on the answer you might have a instant customer for life.


If you read my initial post, you would see that I never argued the fact that shops can not replace every part that a customer has an issue with. My response would have been to offer labor on a new build while the customer paid for the part, just as I stated in said post.
I'm sure that West End did everything that they could, that isn't the question. The question is, did we as forum members and representitives of the houston cycling community react the way that we should have? As I said before, ontheone could have handled things a little differently. The man spent $1000 on a bike and had a failure in the first day, rider error or not, we would have all been beside ourselves to a point.

Basically, I think it isn't right to blame a bike shop or bike company for your bending of ontheone's rim. If WestEnd ben't the rim somehow, or if it was robbed while WestEnd was fixing it maybe I could see them working for free

and

Calling out any LBS here (on MTBR in this thread) because they don't work for free isn't cool and anyone could be doing it for some reason or another. I have a complaint about the bike shop I got my old MTN bike from, which developed a hairline crack in just over a year of use and the bike company and LBS didn't warranty it, you don't hear me calling them out on MTBR.com. If someone knows of a good bike shop... I can see a reason to post. Complaining about a LBS, on this thread isn't what it's about. I am just watching out for the West End

To say you are a WE team member, then to say WE does not need whiny customers is not cool.

Brewdog,
I appreciate your critisizm, but you didn't quote that sentence correctly...

I said "West End doesn't need whiny customers who want stuff for free"...

There's a big difference there,

Whiny customers are come in like they do at all LBS's, West End helps them as much as they can, every step of the way. When people want labor/bike parts for free because they broke it for whatever reason, that is when you'll usually get turned down.

What is "not cool" is someone misusing the Text in my post and shooting that same post down.

Brewdog,
I appreciate your critisizm, but you didn't quote that sentence correctly...

I said "West End doesn't need whiny customers who want stuff for free"...

There's a big difference there,

Whiny customers are come in like they do at all LBS's, West End helps them as much as they can, every step of the way. When people want labor/bike parts for free because they broke it for whatever reason, that is when you'll usually get turned down.

What is "not cool" is someone misusing the Text in my post and shooting that same post down.

Hellmutt,

cut your losses and walk away. It's obvious you feel your feedback has helped, but it has not. If you would like, I will interperate your original post into how it reads to most mtbr readers. If you don't, this will be my last post on the topic.

I am Brewdog.

personal responsibility is what this all about back in 97 i got a set of mavic crossmax wheels Whoo! Hooo! i was the sh*t so i thought at the time...and believe it or not on my very first ride on them i got a stick in the spokes tearing them out and destroying the front wheel in an instant and sending me over the bars.

did i go back storming in to the shop ranting and raving demanding another wheelset blame'n mavic or the shop? hell no...i did go back in and they let me swap for another front crossmax wheel they had in stock while mine was being sent back to mavic to get a new rim and re-laced up. i paid to have the trashed wheel fixed at a reasonable price and was not out one day of riding.

ontheone just seemed to not want to accept personal responsibility for a riding goof and pointed the finger at everyone but himself and is now without a working bike. i would suggest that he swallow his pride and go back in to west end and try again i'm sure that they will help him out and get him back on the trail asap!

No one will ever care more about your bike than you. The best thing you can do to make the most out of your enjoyment of the sport is learn how to build and service your own ride. The time, money and aggravation saved amounts to less downtime (on that next trip, maybe?) The sooner you make the gradual investment we all do eventually in tools, the sooner you'll see them pay for themselves. Years of my experience have shown that LBSs live off the helpless and uninformed. I buy my frames, custom wheels ect. online because I want the best stuff for the best price (Do you like paying sales tax?). Sure, we all need some advice now and then, but we're no longer confined to the local retailer. Parts are overpriced enough online. Anything you need to know is readily available online for free, just because people want to help. Nothing worth while comes easy-you have to EARN it. Do some research, start buying tools and enjoy maintaining your own ride ;)