Urban Cycles: The Bike Shop at Urban AdvenTours

Polite enough and seem to know what they are talking about if you ask a specific question, but these folks have no customer service skills. Last year, when I went in to get a flat fixed, I said I’d wait in the park nearby. They said they would call or text when my bike was re andady. They did not do so, and did not apologize. Recently, I went in to purchase a new bike helmet, and it was like pulling teeth to get them to answer my questions. In other bike shops, employees would ask questions about my riding habits to determine the best helmet for me. I also asked questions about fitting, and they did not help to ensure that that the fit was correct. I really only go here under duress…

Bottom line is when you drop $ 400 for a tuneup and new parts I expect at the very least for the bike to be fully functional. Is that too much to ask?
Brought my bike in for a tune up:
First, they said I needed a new chain and cassette (chain was 2 years old and maybe had 5,000 miles on it) which is fine but before I agreed to this service they took bolt cutters and cut my chain forcing me to have the service done… I ended up purchasing a new chain, new cassette and the overhaul tuneup (which is $ 200) for a grand total of just under $ 400.
Next, I came to pick my bike up and rode it home (13 miles) and the front dérailleur wasn’t shifting to the big ring so I returned to the shop the next day to tell them and the mechanic came out and said «It is because your front dérailleur is dirty as hell» mind you I just paid for the overhaul tuneup whether he knew this or not and that wasn’t cleaned? So he «cleaned it» and again I ride home and still not shifting… I only went to this shop because it was close to where I work so I returned to my normal bikeshop and they adjusted the dérailleur for me in 2 minutes free of charge…

Place rules. Great location. Also, I once pushed a little too hard on a bike that was already heavily discounted and they let me live. Thanks!

I love these guys. Friendly staff with tons of bicycle knowledge. The best place to tune up the bicycle, sign up for the tour, as well as, to find the American brand, Giant. I moved from WestEnd to Braintree so I cannot get my bike tune-​ups anymore, but recently I drove back here to purchase a bike for my daughter. Bike purchase came with one free rental pass with the bunch of cute stickers. They also have the coolest bike accessories in their inventory. Yes, there is few great bike shops in Southshore area too, but never better than this place.

I was looking for a helmet and lights. I could not find the lights that I was looking for (i was looking for a retro look) but the guy who was there recommended another store, which was nice of him. And he even fixed a problem with my bicycle without me asking!
I highly recommend!

Very helpful and friendly. They always give me fair prices on parts and services, and the work is always done quickly. Great to have a local bike shop that just gets it.

Super knowledgeable and friendly staff, very helpful and willing to let me test ride. They were good at picking up on what I know (and not talking down to me) and also filling me in on things I didn’t know about. They were extremely honest about the products they sold, and even had some suggestions about a potential custom build that would be a good fit for me, which I’ve never had a shop mention before.
I’ve been visiting a ton of shops lately trying to test ride different bikes, and this is definitely one of the better ones I have been to. Really liked these guys and recommend the shop.

I can’t dish out enough praise for this shop. Super friendly staff and unbelievably fair and reasonable. Considering this shop is smack in the middle of the city and attached to a tourist centric business, one would expect high prices and suspect service. Craig took great care of me and made some simple adjustments in lieu of charging me for a full-​blown tune up. We’ve been here several times with small bike emergencies, and they always have helped out swiftly and fairly. Fortunately they are close to home — but definitely my go-​to bike shop for good now.

I have nothing but great things to say about the bike shop (aka Urban Cycles)! I inherited a ten-​year-​old bike that was in decent condition but needed a tune-​up. I brought it into the shop on a late Sunday afternoon and the guys immediately started checking it out to give it a diagnosis. After about five minutes they told me exactly what they were going to do to the bike to make it road-​ready, and they gave me a quote of only $ 30! About 36 hours later I got a call that my bike was already ready to go, and it was in excellent condition!
The staff is very friendly and knowledgable, and they’re just straight-​up nice people. I initially came here because I heard that Landry’s (by BU’s campus) was expensive and had caused some smaller bike shops in the area to close down. Needless to say, I’ll be coming back to Urban Cycles for all of my bike needs!

Great experience buying a used bike at Urban Adventours.
When I was in the market for a bike I noticed living in the North End that Urban Adventours sells their used tour bikes. When I visited the store I test rode a couple new bikes, and one used tour guide bike that was only 1 – 2 years old. Although it was slightly cheaper than the cheapest new bike I tried out, it seemed far superior to anything else in my price range. I decided to get it, and I’ve been very happy. It’s been just under 2 months and it’s been riding great. I just took it in for the complimentary tune-​up that they offer on all bike sales and what a surprise – they gave me a front fender for free! When I bought the bike I noted that it didn’t have a front fender but didn’t realize how much I’d want one riding on wet streets. When I brought the bike in for the tune-​up I asked the tech if they had an old one I could purchase, and he said he’d definitely put one on for me. I absolutely did not expect that it would be free. That was really cool. As a side note – they offer a free bike rental or tour with any bike purchase, and my friend used the bike rental with me and we went riding all over the city for a day. It was fun, and as I mentioned before, they are great quality bikes.

So I rented a bike from these guys on 6/​25, and I got a bike that was in pretty poor condition, the disc brakes kept making noise with every revolution of the wheel and when I was in the lowest gears it sounded like I was riding a cement mixer. Overall I had a decent biking experience around Boston, but the noise almost made it unbearable.
I will have to say that folks that were there that were helping me were nice enough, but I’m thinking they don’t really care about their rentals.

I stopped in at 5:40 pm on a Friday after work when I discovered my rear tire wasn’t holding air. Craig fixed it right away and put in a new tube for me. My bike is kind of a pain because it has an internal hub for the gears and brakes, so taking off the rear wheel is not easy. I was very grateful for his assistance just minutes before they close (at 6 pm) on a Friday afternoon. Craig was awesome: very helpful and friendly at a time when I certainly wouldn’t want to be dealing with a difficult bike! I’ll definitely be back. These guys are great!

Great bike shop– the staff is very helpful and knowledge and they have a lot of merchandise there for your bike! $ 75 for a tune up, $ 60 ish for snow tires, and 35ish for very good lights. I’ll be back for my winter gear soon!

Cool store and helpful staff.
The bike pump they have outside comes in handy at least a couple times a month when cruising around town.

Blew a tire on my lunch ride and these guys had me back up and running in 15 minutes.
Super friendly staff. Talked with my about upgrades on my crappy bike.
Oh yeah, after three other shops tried to adjust my front dérailleur, these guys had it purring in 30 seconds.
Prices were pretty solid, but the service really makes it worth the money. Especially compared to other shops across the river.
Can’t wait to check out their shop rides (Thursdays at 6?)
¹⁰⁄₁₀ I will be back

I was originally going to use the Hubway however the Hubway is $ 6 plus a $ 102 dollar hold and like a yellow NYC cab with every minute has a time limited before you have to pay for the time.
The Urban AdvenTours is the best rental bike shop I have seen in forever, for $ 35 you come with a helmet for safety, and a lock for the day. An excellent commuter bike allows you to travel anywhere at any pace in Boston. The shop is located in Boston’s North End and the workers inside are so helpful and friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone in the visiting the city or within the city.
If you want something that is cost friendly this place is amazing and clean on the inside. I will be back in Boston later in October and definitely borrowing from this place again.

Urban AdvenTours is far and away the best bike shop around! I bought my first (used) road bike from UA a few months ago, and seem to find an excuse to go back whenever my pay check allows.
The staff was incredible: they walked me through all of my options, and helped me honestly weigh the pros and cons of each bike, with out ever giving me the impression that they were trying to make a sale. As I ride, I’ve returned to UA again and a again to buy gear and customize my bike. I occasionally check other bikes shops stock and prices, but UA consistently has better quality options at a reasonable price. Every time I stop in the staff is friendly (remembers me!) and puts up with my annoyingly uninformed questions. The place is great.
Plus, the shop just looks cool!

Had a flat tire and these guys were so nice and very helpful. I had a lot of questions and wanted to learn how to do it on my own the next time, Brandon couldn’t have been more patient. Learned this shop was an offshoot of Landry’s and I could totally tell based on their courteous service and witty banter. Also they have very cool merchandise to check out. I highly recommend this shop for a repair if you are in need, they are also open longer than the average shop! Props to Stu and Brandon, thank you!

I came in to spend $ 300-​$ 500 on a new bike, but was convinced to just convert my mountain bike to a city bike because it would only be $ 165 total covert it everything I need, and apparently I have a great frame set up.
Well the basket I wanted wouldn’t fit so they replaced it, they splash guards they quoted didn’t fit quite right, and I agreed to one $ 40 maintenance issue but then I pick up my bike and it’s $ 320! I got them to come down on some of the install they were trying nickel and dime me on on but still walked out paying twice as much as I was quoted to «upgrade» my bike.
If I knew it was going to be so much, I would have just bought a new bike! That’s what I came in to do after all.
It was too late after they did all the work, so what can I really do?

I rented a bike from Urban AdvenTours this Summer for an 150 mile bike ride for MS. While the bike was AMAZING and I wanted to keep it because it was so lightweight, the service I got was not so great. I am not an avid biker, nor did I bring any tools, as I had traveled from the Midwest to rent a bike and ride to my heart’s delight. I had gotten on the bike for them to adjust the seat for me and they didn’t do it enough. I couldn’t even place a toe on the ground after stopping. My teammates pulled out their tools at the starting line and had to adjust it for me (hmmmm sounds like something that I should have been helped with on-​site at Urban AdvenTours).
I also didn’t have anywhere to put a water bottle and wasn’t about to spend $ 30 at their store for something to hold my water. Another girl that I biked with was given a water bottle holder after renting from the same place. I had reserved this bike months in advance and this should have been included! When I asked about it, they said I would have to purchase one if I wanted one. NOPE! I taped a water bottle to your lovely bike… yes… your lovely bike may be a little sticky now! Cheers for the great bike, suck it for the poor service!