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May 1, 2009

Bespoke Bicycles Now Open on Lafayette

bespoke-bicycles-050109.jpgBespoke Bicycles, the new store at 64B Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene that we wrote up back in February, is now open for business, reports Clinton Hill Blog. “Our focus is on commuting, errands and city bikes, so most of what we offer is on the practical, every-day end of the spectrum," says owner Cassidy Vare. Check out CHB for an interior photo. Their website is not up yet. GMAP




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:15 AM | Comments (29)
Categories: Fort Greene, Streetlevel

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ooooh if anyone has stopped by what is it like? im actually looking for a bike but im wanting to pay about 100 bux? is that feasible? i got my last bike on craigslist for about 60 bux but im a little leery to buy a bike on craigslist again and rather buy from a shop.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at May 1, 2009 10:21 AM

I heard the bike store on Atlantic (I believe it's between Court and Smith) is a rip-off. Anyone have experience with them?

Posted by: Biff Champion at May 1, 2009 10:28 AM

For $100, you are better off ordering from Walmart. The bike shops are all high-end, no discounts.

Posted by: BH76 at May 1, 2009 10:31 AM

all "high end, no discount" um okay. a bike is a bike is a bike i aint gonna pay 3000 dollars for a stupid piece of metal with 2 wheels.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at May 1, 2009 10:37 AM

No shop will sell you something for $100. But you can find used bikes for that amount.

Posted by: zinka at May 1, 2009 10:44 AM

I'm happy to see some competition for Bicycle Station...those folks are super nice, but I always got the impression they were burnt out.

Posted by: Art Salt at May 1, 2009 10:52 AM

I stopped in earlier this week. Beautiful bikes, nice guys working there, but laughably priced. Least expensive bike was $500, which I can't imagine most people spending for something to ride around the neighborhood and do errands.

Posted by: qwerty at May 1, 2009 10:54 AM

The bike shop on atlantic is fine, brought my bike there and also had them do some tuneups. Going to try bespoke this week as the bike needs some work and bespoke is closer.

Posted by: DeLepp at May 1, 2009 10:57 AM

Bicycle Station is still the best bet especially for a cheap used bike. You tell the owner Mike what you want to spend and he'll put something together for you. They used to be on Vanderbilt but now I think they're on park and adelphi under the BQE.

Posted by: bagus at May 1, 2009 11:07 AM

Bespoke = custom = $$$.

Posted by: No one at May 1, 2009 11:17 AM

I once bought a bike at the fulton mall ToysRUs that cost me about $90. It served me well but fell apart after a couple of years - that was really my fault because I did nothing to maintain it (at some point the pedal crank came loose and I should have tightened it). I went to a local bike shop to get a replacement and I think it was like $25. Incredible that one little piece cost nearly a third the price of my entire bike.

Posted by: nycdelisauce at May 1, 2009 11:17 AM

Good to know there's more bike stores popping up. Hopefully more competition will improve the pricing situation. Though Transportation Alternatives runs free classes to teach people how to maintain bikes themselves. Tuneups are horrifically expensive.

Rob - $100 won't get you a new bike at a store. Seems like there are good and bad bikes on craigslist. For $100, you should be able to get something decent. Just be wary of people who mis-price their bikes. If you're going to use it for commuting, it's important to make sure the major parts are functioning and in decent condition. If you're just using it for fun on the weekends, probably not as big an issue.

Posted by: CG_ups at May 1, 2009 11:25 AM

There's a used bike store on down on the LES below the Williamsburg bridge on... Grand Street, maybe? I haven't bought a bike there but they look to have a good selection and have been there forever. I'd suspect their prices might be better than one of the new Brooklyn places.

Posted by: Heather at May 1, 2009 11:36 AM

Well, I have to mention that it is rather amusing (even ironic?) that this bicycle shop opened where a CAR service used to be. My goodness...that car service was there for ages...and the drivers often used that area as a kind of parking lot since they would come in to their dispatcher and have to sit around for a while.

I would love a tricycle that kind of collapses so I can cart it into the ground floor at home. I know it's kind of "retirement village" of me but I would feel MUCH safer on a tricycle and could have large baskets for shopping.

Anyway, I encourage Rob and those looking for not-to-expensive bicycle to look at:

http://www.recycleabicycle.org/shops

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at May 1, 2009 11:45 AM

BrooklynGreene,
That's a great idea! ("I would love a tricycle that kind of collapses so I can cart it into the ground floor at home. I know it's kind of "retirement village" of me but I would feel MUCH safer on a tricycle and could have large baskets for shopping.")
I'm gonna ask some of my bike builder friends about it.

this place seems to be a raleigh dealership, not much more than that. Why specialize in the average that you can get anywhere? I don't get it.

Rob,what happened to your $60 bike -- why are you getting another one I mean? Definitely look at used-bike outlets. Does brooklyn Flea have a used bike stall?

I got my bike for $80. I then put in another few hundred for new wheels, saddle, crank, pedals, etc . . . Rob, nice components can make a lot of difference, I think it's worth investing, but you can pace yourself and do it on your own time, and budget, specifically to your needs. Customizing your bike can totally make you fall in love with the experience of riding, and bring it 30 notches up from just "A stupid piece of metal with 2 wheels". You don't need to spend $3000 but you can put in some thought. A smart piece of metal with 2 wheels is a whole different experience.

If you do get that $100 bike, check this place out for replacing some of the old crappy components you'll end up with.
http://www.rivbike.com/

Posted by: iz at May 1, 2009 12:00 PM

i highly recommend recycle-a-bicyle...it's actually quite a good cause. they're not the cheapest bikes but i did buy an awesome vintage dutch bike there once for about $200 that i used for local errands. There's a store in Dumbo.

http://www.recycleabicycle.org/shops

Posted by: CGmodern at May 1, 2009 12:31 PM

Stopped by yesterday to buy a bike for one of my kids - $170. I had bought at least two small bikes from Target which were much cheaper but fell apart quickly.

You get what you pay for. No complaints from me. And if my kid's bike does fall apart they are right there. Target isn't going to help me.

Posted by: olavito at May 1, 2009 12:38 PM

there is a reason to pay good money for a good bike.

http://commutebybike.com/2007/03/30/commuting-101-bike-shaped-objects/

Posted by: randolph at May 1, 2009 1:04 PM

See,

They have bicycles for under $500!
I'm sure if I go in there and ask for something they don't carry they can order it for me.

I considered one of the semi-folding tricycles from Workman's which are made in NYC (I think Queens) but we never made it over there to their store and then I kind of lost interest. Plus, I think they are very heavy from what I hear. I manage with the "granny" cart.

My friend Pattie who passed away just after Easter in 2002 (she lived on the Cape) had tried to get me to take her tricycle when we spent Christmas together. She wasn't doing terribly well at that point but was managing and getting around. We had no idea that she would pass away just 5 months later or so. I guess I was in denial. I was hoping she would get back on that tricycle and get through that tough spot. She had breast cancer years before that came back. She was in her 70s.

Poor Pattie.

Well, I couldn't take the trike or anything else she wanted me to leave with. It just seemed so horrible, sad, a bad omen, almost revolting, something you know you're allergic too, like when someone tries, with good intentions, to get you to eat something you're allergic too and can put you in the hospital...all those mixed up feelings...things that many of you on Brownstoner will end up going through as you get older.

God she was a great singer! Pattie Mendenhall. She sang and was her own accompanist on the piano from the late 40's into the 80's in New York.

She really did up the trike thing: big sun hat with fake flowers and flags on the trike to make it visible. I was thinking I'd do the same in tribute to her.

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at May 1, 2009 1:18 PM

Let's try that again.

"Bike geeks like me and the other authors of CBB often snicker about the “Bike Shaped Objects” (BSO) sold at the mass retail discount stores for less than $200. They’re heavy, ugly, inefficient, poorly engineered, poorly designed, and poorly assembled by the same guy who scoops the the dead fish out of the tanks in the pet department. These types of bikes are recalled every year, and, in fact, the CPSC recently announced a recall of 34,000 Dynacraft BSOs sold at Target over the past year."

Posted by: iz at May 1, 2009 1:34 PM

Thanks for that link, Randolph. It's genius.

Posted by: iz at May 1, 2009 1:35 PM

my bike i left in the basement storage area when i moved out of chelsea a loooong time ago. i just didnt feel like bringing it with me when i moved to harlem for some reason. i kept saying id go back and get it but i never did. now i dont know anyone who lives in the building anyway so who knows if it is still there. i got it on craigslist from a chinese delivery dude hahaha. it was his old bike. it served me well the few times i used it. i wouldnt use a bike to commute but just for leisure in the park. i was thinking about maybe going to kmart or something to get one. thanks for the links to those other places tho ill check those out too :)

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at May 1, 2009 1:53 PM

aw brooklyngreene sorry for your loss. patti seems like a great person. (when you say tricycle tho do you mean. ugh duh, like a bike with three wheels?) im thinking like two in the back one in the front like a little kids bike?! i dont think ive ever seen anyone ride any of those.

on a slightly unrelated note. does anyone else cringe when they see babies on the back of bikes speeding all over heavily trafficked streets!?! i mean yeah most of the time they have helmets, but still!

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at May 1, 2009 1:56 PM

It looks like there's a bike store on Willoughby on the block before Home Depot, across the street. Anybody know anything about that one? It looks interesting but I haven't stopped in there.

Posted by: Stonergut at May 1, 2009 2:21 PM

Stonergut, I think you're referring to the Chicken Hut. It's not a bike shop -- it's the private club/flophouse of a group of maladjusted mutant bicycle enthusiasts that call themselves Black Label.

Posted by: wellheythere at May 1, 2009 5:27 PM

That's the problem, there are too many frakking bike geeks in spandex terrorizing dogs and children as they whiz around.

You should be able to get a good bike for less than $500, and I mean with fenders, bell, chainguard and rack. But the bike makers obviously go for the high end because there are not enough people like me who want basic transport that I actually USE to do errands and carry things and go places (as opposed to showing off in the Park.)

But I won't hold my breath. I have a 9-yr od bike made one year by Gary Davis, a simple, upright model with a 7-speed internal gear hub (if you don't know what that is, you don't know what you're missing.) When I need to replace it with a $1000 "commuter" I'll be crying.

Posted by: cmu at May 1, 2009 6:01 PM

Go to The Bicycle station and talk with Mike.

Order a Jamis Commuter. It's under $300 and comes with 3-years (THREE YEARS!!) of free maintenance. A friend bought one two years ago for his commute from Park Slop into Manhattan.

As for there being "too many frakking bike geeks in spandex terrorizing dogs and children as they whiz around."

Please.

The people who terrorize the neighborhoods are the idiots who ride on the sidewalk like they own it and the complete retards who ride against traffic with their iPod on and no helmet. Bonus points for the ones with the doggy in the front basket. Those folks are dangers themselves and to those around them.

Posted by: LimestoneKid at May 2, 2009 7:11 PM

I stopped in here over the weekend to talk about buying a bike. I found the shop pleasant, the owner helpful, and prices and quality to be pretty reasonable compared with what I'm seeing elsewhere. I'm not in the market for a $2,500 racing bike, and I'm finding it difficult to find an attitude-free shop that wants to sell me something that's neither that nor a cheap BSO (ha! love that term!). Sure, there are places that sell these bikes, but I often feel like I'm not being taken seriously when I tell someone at these shops what I want.

I do think that spending a decent amount on a durable, reliable, comfortable bicycle that I'll enjoy riding seems like a good investment. And, whoever said that you get what you pay for is totally correct.

I'm also planning to check out Recycle a Bicycle. Thanks for that link.

Posted by: BrooklynButler at May 4, 2009 10:40 AM

Hi everyone, this is Harrison from Bespoke Bicycles. I'm sure I've met a few of you in the shop! To answer a few questions and discuss a few points:

We do sell Raleigh bikes. Our least expensive adult bike presently in stock is $400, but Raleigh does make a few models in a lower price range and we are always happy to order them for any interested customers.

I absolutely agree that you get what you pay for (although it's very possible to over-pay for quality that you simply don't need for your specific uses given the price difference), and I absolutely understand not wanting to spend a ton of money on your bike, especially if it's not an every day tool or toy for you. Fortunately, used bikes help fill this gap. While there are a lot of poor investments out there, you can certainly get a used bike of good quality for a bit less money than its newer counterparts.

In addition to selling new Raleighs and building custom bikes, we do plan on selling used bikes as well. We just haven't gotten around to getting the license for it. We just got the necessary paperwork, so hopefully the rainy weather this week will afford us some time to actually fill it out and submit it! Once we do, we'll start building an inventory. This will probably be a few more weeks, however, so if you don't want to let May (bike month!) pass you by, there have been a handful of good suggestions already made on here. Recycle-A-Bicycle on Pearl St. is always a good option. And I personally have not met Mike at Bicycle Station yet (I've been meaning to ride over and say hi but it's hard to get away from the shop), but I've only heard good things. So definitely check out Bicycle Station and see what they have in stock!

And as someone noted, 'custom = $$$' ... this is definitely true. If you're looking to build something custom from the frame up, after the cost of labor and parts it's really only cost-effective for you as the buyer if the bike is in the $800 and up price range. Otherwise it'd make more sense to buy a pre-built bike (or used bike) and then make some modifications. And, that said, one should always determine exactly what they want out of a bike before they have one built. It's possible that it already exists!

Whether it's something we stock or not, we're always happy to help you in your search for a bike that's suited for you, so please feel free to stop by with any questions you may have!

Posted by: HarrisonBespoke at May 6, 2009 11:36 PM

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