The Bike Route

Well I went to this place with high hopes. I rented a bike for 5 days. They charged me for a full week. I guess they don’t know a full week is 7 days. I asked for a mountain bike and got what seemed to be some bike an old man would ride that had front suspension. Ii’m six foot tall and they gave me a medium and just told me that was the size !! I’m an xl or large frame guy !! This bike was a real hunk of junk. By the end of the week my back hurt and I returned the bike. I’ll never go here again. Save your money and find another bike shop. This place is a clip joint.

I brought my bike here for a tune up — and I was quoted a set price. When I picked my bike up — the receipt showed over $ 30 what I was initially quoted and I noticed there were all kinds of little extra charges on my receipt, between $ 3-​$ 10 charges. I was very put off by this and thought it was extremely deceiving. I would have given this one star, but the staff is very knowledgable so I can’t totally discredit the place. I just don’t appreciate dishonesty. I would have been fine if they had just quoted me the extra $ 30 initially. It’s the fact that I found extra charges on my receipt after the fact.

I have walked in on 2 occasions looking at bikes. Never greeted at the door or even spoken to.
Bike selection is mainly focused on the novice to beginner. No higher end bikes on display.
They stock Cannondale and Specialized

They were inflexible with their rentals if less than one week. Their claims if being the only rental place in town are untrue.

Great place to look at bikes and accessories. Staff is knowledgable and helpful. I bought shoes for spin class from them. They ordered them for me and installed the clips. My shoes arrived in about 5 business days. Everyone I spoke with was very nice.

I needed a flat tire fixed. I was informed the chain needed changing, and the gears were very dirty. I went for the new chain and a cleaning the bill $ 68.00 The next day I tried to ride the bike and was shocked the chain slipped repeatedly, the bike was not useable. I returned and was informed if the chain is changed and not the gear, often they will not mesh. I was not informed about the problem! I opted for my old chain and a refund. It was given. What was missing was an apology for all the aggravation. It was not a pleasant experience

These guys are THE BEST around. Their bicycle and accessory selection is great, and their service/​repair folks know what they’re doing.

I came to Fort Myers on vacation with the intention of buying a cheap bike at a big box store and leaving it here at my brothers who has a place here. The big boxes had limited selection and sizes and limited knowledge. I stop in at Bike Route and Bob had a great selection of used bikes. He switched out the seat and stem for a better fit. He made sure the bike was in good working order before I left the store. Great service , friendly staff what more can I say.
By the way, they have a great selection of new bikes and their prices seam very reasonable.

I went in today, after putting it off for over a year.
I needed my tires looked at, possibly new tubing.
I was promptly greeted by several gentlemen behind the shop counter. They happened to be each working on various forms of fixing bicycles. When I explained I was having issues with my bike, Jason (said the name on my receipt) told me he could help me. He followed me to my car, and as we were walking, I explained I had recently (3 months before I moved to Florida) fixed my tires. Both had new tubing and I was told everything was hunky duck. I had rode every day, 6 miles, back north, and then I come here and my tires don’t hold air. He said it definitely sounded like tubing problems. In some cases, I was shocked, as I had mentioned to him I went to a reputable bike shop up north and paid close to a hundred dollars to now not use my bike. The fact that the tubing failed in less than six months was weird. He couldn’t understand how I could have paid so much, as he explained that depending on what tubing I need, plus labor, could run me under 50 dollars. I guess that’s the big price difference between south shore Massachusetts and Fort Myers Florida.
After we got my bike in the shop, Jason re-​iterated my options. Normal tubing, which was slightly thinner, would run me seven dollars a piece (I think that was the price). The next step up, which is thicker, is better for riding around down here, as it’s harder to puncture. Spurs and broken bottles are more of an enemy to the lesser model, as this one can take the punch. It also costs $ 13 a piece and I wouldn’t have to re inflate a lot. I asked him what he suggests, and he said that if the area I live in has a daily maintenence crew, or I ride around where there could be broken shards, go for the more expensive. But it *is* a matter of preference.
I decided to go with the 13 dollar one, as I plan to ride around on city streets and through parking lots.
I was then told 15 minutes and I’ll be good to go.
Promptly done, I ended up paying $ 44.52 — that’s 13 dollars for each tube and $ 16 for labor (broken down to 8 bucks a tire).
I got my bike back, put it in my car, and went home. After putting the front tire back on, I decided to go for a test ride. 30 minutes and almost 6 miles later, the tires are amazing!
Thanks, Bike Route; you have a very satisfied customer who will be returning in the future (and referring friends)!

I’ve bought three bikes from this store so obviously I like them. Everyone there has always been helpful and friendly and they give great advice. Bob is one of the nicest guy’s you’ll ever meet. They also have great prices. Many of their road bikes sell for $ 200 less than the same bike at another local store. However recently I had an experience that really proved the worth of the Bike Route. I had an accident with my new carbon bike which caused some frame damage. It was a possible warranty issue so they dealt with Cannondale for me and they were my advocate throughout the process. Cannondale was great too and I quickly received a new frame. The Bike Route put all my old components on the new frame and threw in a new chain all for free! Bill, the owner, is a quiet and reserved guy and that may give some people the wrong impression but the truth is he’s got the happiness of the customer first and foremost in his mind. I highly recommend this shop for the new or the experienced cyclist.

Giving Bike Route 5 stars since the service was great and my mom found a bike!
Walked into Bike Route looking for a cruiser for my mom. Bike Route is the only dealer in Ft. Myers who carries Electra bikes. Mom already had in mind what she wanted — a simple cruiser.
Bob was extremely helpful in giving details and specs about all of the bikes. Mom had an Electra cruiser selected and Bob brought out another higher end Townie bike which Mom loved. Now, it was a typical up sell, however, Bob knows his stuff and knew that the women love the Townie since much research was put into them in the pedal and seat positioning. He knew that based on what Mom was saying she wanted in a bike that t would fit. So basically, I don’t blame him on the up sell one bit. Mom is ecstatic and loves her new bike.
Bike Route has tons of accessories from baskets to bells to fenders to bike bags to water bottles to parts. If you’re not into the cool Electra cruisers, there is also a substantial inventory of Cannondales and Specialized racing and road bikes. We were there on a Saturday morning and there were four guys behind the counter doing repairs.
Bike Route also did all of the adjustments for my mother before the bike left their lot and told her that once she rode it for a bit, to feel free to bring it back for additional adjustments.
Note that the shop is tucked in the way far left back corner of the mini mall complex. There is plenty of parking lot to test ride the bikes in.
Solid customer service, the prices were reasonable (on the higher end but it’s the brands that they carry), and good selection of add-​ons if you want to pimp out your bike.
Plus Mom got a quality bike that she loves that will last a long time. That’s worth the 5 stars alone.

I love the Bike Route. Everyone I’ve talked to in the store has been helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. There’s no hard sell, and they are as happy to work with novices like me as serious cyclists. I bought my bike there last fall — I got a used Electra Townie in great shape. I could have gotten a new Townie for $ 150 more, but the used one was in such great shape that I couldn’t pass it up. I just went back this week and bought a trailer for my 9 month old daughter. They showed me how to hook up the trailer to my bike and let me take it for a spin around the parking lot, and also helped me shop for a helmet for the baby. I paid $ 20 more for the trailer than the cheapest price I found online ($ 200) but I also got great service. I’d recommend the Bike Route to anyone!