60!
My Mom turned 60 this year and she’s decided to do a triathlon. She’s decided to invest in a better bike for the triathlon and beyond. She bikes quite a bit. Sometimes we run into each other in distant towns on long rides…
However she didn’t know what type of riding she would do when she bought her bike- a mountain bike. As anyone who’s biked for a bit knows, the first bike you get is always the wrong one. It turns out she prefers to be on a road, so a road bike it is. But somehow the average bike shop employee is having trouble wrapping their head around this…
However they shouldn’t underestimate my mom. Or that she will just to go to another shop that will offer real help.
I second Hub Bicycle in Inman, Emily has always been incredibly helpful, friendly and just generally awesome every time I’ve brought my hybrid and road bike in to be looked at. Also, I’ve stopped in at Ace Wheelworks in Davis en route to the Minuteman and they’ve always been awesome as well. Both have been the polar opposite of your typical “cooler than thou” bike shops I’ve frequented around Boston/Cambridge.
I totally know the “distant town” to which you refer above! love the ice cream reference! hope your mom finds a great bike! as a newbie to triathlons myself a few years ago, I got the Specialized Allez bike and am still loving it! I highly recommend!
p.s. I’m sorry for all the exclamation points above. sometimes I don’t realize exactly how many I’m using.
In my experience, the folks at Broadway Bikes know their stuff, listen, and are not distracted by macho stupidity.
I’ve had only Meh experiences at Broadway, which is unfortunate, given that they’re my closest shop.
I’m a big fan of Harris, but have also heard great things about Emily at Hub. She has a nice new space, closer to Inman than she was before.
Check out Bikes Not Bombs in Jamaica Plain, too. Not only do they listen to you if you are a woman (or a man or a kid), but purchases there help support their international bike-sharing programs and their programs for kids, including bike bulding and repair classes specifically for girls.
http://bikesnotbombs.org/