Would have given them 6 stars if possible. These wonderful people ROCKED! We were just two confused girls who are new to biking and the staff at Wheelworks brought their A game, honestly show stopping. We recommend everyone bringing their questions and bikes to this establishment. We WILL be back. read more

Used to frequent this store years ago. Then went with Hubway/Blue Bikes for a decade. Now have my own bike again. Needed a new chain, old one felt worn and loose, measurement confirmed it was. Now, I have a Shimano internally geared drivetrain. It looks they choose to install a (1/2 x) 1/8th KMC chain. This is something one can question - the situation seems to be this: multi (derailleur) gear drivetrains, like 6, 7 or 8 speed drivetrains use a 3/32th chain - single speed bikes often use a beefier 1/8th drivetrain with thicker sprockets/chainwheels. Now, Shimano uses 3/32th sprockets for their internally geared hubs. Now, one could pair a 1/8th chainwheel designed for single speed or one of those stylish BMX chainwheels to pair it, that are thicker 1/8th. If one does that, one wants to use a 1/8th chain. However, my bike, like most that was designed for internally geared Shimano hubs, uses a regular 3/32th wide chainwheel that would be compatible with derailleur geared setups as well - Shimano designed it that way, probably to make logistics simple, makes sense to me - go Shimano. Now, why it was decided to install a 1/8th chain - no idea. Reading up says one can install a 1/8th chain on a 3/32th sprocket/chainwheel setup. One can expect a little more wear over the long run on chainwheel and sprocket as it doesn't fit as well in width, maybe also slightly more "noise" (not a problem - if there is, nothing I'd notice) etc.. Ok, so maybe not optimal and I'd expect a store like this to put a "proper" chain on it - it's not that difficult, is it? I suspect money might be a reason, the KMC 1/8th chain is inexpensive, goes for 5.99 on the KMC website, whereas 3/32th chain seem a bit more expensive, maybe because they are longer as they usually come for derailleur setups. I paid the same price ($25 for chain plus approx $20 for installing it) though as a derailleur bike would have been. All of this - may that be as it is, wouldn't necessarily have been a big deal. BUT there was a problem - they didn't use the right "magic"/"missing" link to join/close the chain. I had constant trouble, the chain dropped frequently, originally maybe once a month/3-weeks. I went back to the store and reported - this didn't happen before. They blamed "maybe" the control wire or housing needed replacement causing this. I asked how would that possible have an such an effect? blahblah... 7 month later the chain broke - and it was not the chain itself, it was the missing link - and it broke as in the rivetted axle part broke out of the side piece - it was not that the link came apart at the removable/undone-able side, the link was destroyed. I went back to the store to buy another link as I figured the chain itself seems ok - if I just replace the link I should be good. So I went in and the associated said they don't carry missing links for KMC 1/8th chains. I stated but I had this done here. He responded yes, they sometimes use KMC 1/8th chain, but they don't carry the KMC (or any generic) 1/8th "missing link" joining thing. So I had to buzz off without accomplishing my goal - but I wondered - how is this possible/ They install a chain on my bike that they say they don't have the proper joining thingee for. So I walked to the next bike store (Bike Boom). I went in and asked for a KMC 1/8th missing link - and they had it. Looked completely different from the one that was on my chain. The pin length was different as well - when you take a half of the magic link I had and the double pin portion of the "missing link" and hold them together. I went back into the store and asked - are you sure this is right - this looks completely different from what I had. i had the chain in my bike basked outside the store. The associate came out with me, looked at what I had and said - you have a multi-speed (derailleur) 3/32th link on your chain - that is not the right one. The one I gave you is the right one! Turns out he was right. I installed the chain with the new link he had given me - and all the problems I had before seem to have disappeared. No chain drops anymore. No funny noises/"klonck"s. No (extreme) sensitivity of chain tension apparently related to chain drops anymore - now apparently trouble free operation. This also explains why the link failed and the way it failed and the answer of the attended of not having such a link. So they use the chain and then use a different link for different chain types that kind of initially kind of fits as in it seems to join the chain together, but then causes a lot of operational trouble and prematurely fails. The combined time I wasted with dealing with these failures like chain drops over this 7 month period is probably a day's worth - including the time I went back to the store and reported that something doesn't seem right; I now frequently have problems I didn't have before. To get a bullshit answer and would have incurred additional cost for "bogus" follow ups if I had gone for it. read more

256$ tune up and brake repair for my 400$ bike! At least the employee sounded apologetic as he told me there were no other options. will not go again. read more

Fast expert repair service for reseaonable prices. It has been my go to shop in Somerville.

Had the brake on my bike that I bought last week break and begin leaking oil. When I arrived at the shop around closing time, I inquired when would be a better time to drop it off as the shop would be closed for the holiday. I was spoken to so rudely by the manager that I requested a refund. I do not wish to do business with such a poorly managed shop. read more

don't see eye to eye with all of the employees, but they do good work and they care about the craft.

I was a bicycle commuter for many years, 28 miles round trip. This is very hard on a bike and every few months I would have something break. I would stop by the shop in Sommerville and they always would fix it while I waited at least well enough to get me home. read more

I have been riding urban single speed bikes my entire life. I wanted to step my game, so I went to ace wheelworks to find my bike. I was greeted by Julian immediately. I knew I wanted a gravel bike because riding on the road in Cambridge is gravel like. But I was on a steep learning curve and intimidated by it all. Julian showed me a few sizes, he made eye contact and answered a thousand questions and he sold me me a bike that I love. He recommended pink petals that I love love love. He not once did I feel like I was being talked down to. I love this bike shop, its a great balance between a familial and bike obsessed culture. read more

Ace Wheelworks - Bikes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Had my bike in for service. The turn around was exactly what they said it would be and the work was high quality

I asked for a simple tuneup. The guy said one price. I agreed. When i went to pick up my bike they charged me 3 times what they said. And changed a bunch of stuff on my bike without asking me. Just horrible read more

I own a Tern GSD S00, an electric cargo bike with a belt drive and an internal hub gearing system. It is an amazing bike, but not super common parts and servicing it requires lots of specialized skill. The place I purchased it from didn't leave me with a good impression that they knew what they were doing and my vague "it's making weird noises and just doesn't feel right" were not really addressed. Since it was like this from the day I purchased it and I'd never ridden a bike like this, I thought it was just how it was. Still amazing, but not quite as quiet as I had expected. After the latest attempt to fix my issues at the original shop left the bike in worse shape, I decided to come to Ace Wheelworks. The mechanic knew a TON about this bike and in 15 minutes it was perfectly smooth and quiet. Better than the day I got it 500 miles ago. Now I know what the bike should behave like and I'll definitely be coming back just for the specialized skills this mechanic has. Oh, I should also mention that this was fixed on the spot and I was in and out in 25 minutes. That's pretty great. read more

I just had a super disappointing experience with ACE Wheelworks in Somerville. I took my bike in for my free 90 day post-purchase tuneup and I asked them to tighten up my brake cables and make sure the shifting was good (I could hit all eight gears but sometimes it skipped). When I retrieved it and rode in to the office, it felt like I couldn't get into the highest gear. When I actually looked, it turned out they had set the limit screw so I could only get into five (!) out of my eight gears. read more

Ace Wheelworks - Bikes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Ace wheel works Somerville is the bomb.com (sorry for such a 90s reference). I showed up 10min. AFTER closing with a broken bike seat on an e-bike with my 2 year old and 5 year old in tow. When the wheelworks employee found out the bike was a new purchase (just bought the bike a few days ago from ACE Wheelworks in Belmont), he said, "hang tight I'll be right out." They gave me a new seat and I was off in a few minutes. Happy to have purchased from ACE Wheelworks and happy to return when I need service. Best bike people in the Greater Boston area! read more

This review is unfortunate. I purchased two bikes from them way back when I was younger. Fast forward to the present and I came back and purchased four bikes for my family in the last year. Always been a great experience. My son's BMX bike was recently stolen from our yard (we live in Cambridge, capital city of bike theft unfortunately). We came in once again and purchased a new bike for him, a Specialized Riprock 24. They emphasized over and over again that we had 14 days to return the bike for any reason. We've never had a reason to return any other bikes but it was reassuring to hear this nonetheless. We get home, he rides in the park across the street, and realizes the bike looks pink in the sun and not white like it did in the store. We tell him we can exchange it for the black one that was in the store, no worries! We called in literally two days later on Friday and explained to them the situation and asked if they still had the black one we saw in the store. It was about 5 pm, they close at 6 pm, and we were on our way there. They gave us a run around story, had two different employees get on the phone, and ended up telling us to come in the next day on Saturday with the bike cause they had to build the black bike and they'll figure it all out while we there. They also were extremely concerned about how many times he had rode the bike and asked a bunch of questions about the bike (was it scraped, was it left outside, etc). Again, we had just purchased the bike two days ago and he rode it ONCE. We come in the next day on Saturday with the bike for exchange and guess what? They had sold the black bike! They knew who we were as soon as we walked in and gave each other questionable looks and then the young guy had a story about how they just sold the black bike (he didn't make a note or tell any of the other employees we were coming in so no one knew not to sell the black bike apparently) and unfortunately had no idea when the next shipment would come in. I asked for a refund immediately as I was not going to get stuck with a bike that my son did not want. While the guy took his sweet time to process the refund, a very nice girl was going over different bikes with us but they were not what we wanted. Several minutes later, she finally had to ask him if he had processed the refund while he stuttered and said yes. We left feeling used and our time completely wasted. If we called the day before and were already on our way there but were told to come in the next day, the black bike that had to be built should have been put to the side with a note. The nice girl told us to check the website for when the Riprock would be back in stock. We get in the car and check the website and guess what? The black Riprock is in stock and ready to be ordered and picked up by Monday! (I did the full checkout just to make sure) Deceiving, misleading, and unhelpful. For someone who has purchased thousands of dollars worth of bikes from them, I will no longer be giving them my business. They lost a lifelong customer. read more

Counter help really didn't seem very knowledgeable about bicycles or parts. Two employees had very little idea of basic disk brake replacement parts. A mechanic overheard the situation and was very helpful. read more

I've been coming to this bike store for about 7-8 years and the one in Belmont for 10. The Belmont store is much more friendly. At Ace, they act like they've never laid eyes on you before, even though I've had wheels built up there, put in several special-orders for specific items before. Same with my husband. They always act like you should be lucky for the opportunity to spend money there. Today, I called to find out if they have a very specific type of tire and was told "yes we have several!" I called ahead because we are in the middle of a pandemic and could have easily ordered the tire online rather than make an unnecessary trip. But I wanted to support this local bike shop rather than Amazon. I got there and was told, "We only have this other tire size." HUH? So the guy with the white bushy eyebrows who is always wearing a wool cycling cap comes out and tells me, "I spoke to you. We don't have that size you wanted, but this size will work." What?? He kept insisting it didn't matter (even though he hadn't asked me about my bike yet). I said, "But it's not what I asked for." and "Why did you tell me you had it???" I KNOW the size he wanted to sell me wouldn't work, because I know what bike I have and also the size I asked about is what came off my bike! He kept talking down to me about how long he'd been in the bike business and kept saying "this one will work!" UNTIL he said, "...unless the rim is really narrow or something. What bike is it for?" OH NOW you're asking this question????? Well, it DOES happen to be a narrow rim on an older bike. So, yes, THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC SIZE! I kept trying to tell him that he should have told me on the phone that he didn't have it but that he had the other size...would that work for you?" But he kept talking over me. So, I hope they read the reviews! Now, instead of trusting you, I will just go to Landry's or order from Amazon next time. I had fully expected to spend around $200 on tires, a seat bag, and some other stuff. So...maybe don't lie next time? You DON'T know better than I do what I need. THAT'S why I called in advance. read more

I called before going in to Ace to say that I was an hour away and I needed two items 1) to use the air compressor to seat my tubeless tire and 2) to tighten down my rear hub. When I get there, they tell me they won't do my hub, just my tire, because they're busy. They refuse to honor that one of the mechanics told me that my hub could be tightened down. What's bs on top of that is that tightening the hub is a ten-minute operation. The mechanic lies to me and says it's a big operation and that I'll have to take off my cassette. I ask if they will just hand me a cone wrench and I'll do it myself and they also say no. When I hand them my sealant to put in my tire they only put in a little over an ounce -- an amount so little it guarantees the setup will fail (which it does). For this I'm charged a $15 labor fee. The real kicker about this is that I've been in and out of that shop recently spending hundreds of dollars buying supplies for my upcoming tour and I spent lots of money here on my last tour. The mechanics have seen me before and many of them know who I am. I never loved this shop, but have returned because there's one nice mechanic -- who I have to try to time my visits around -- and the store sells touring gear. But this place is awful and I felt so disrespected. Don't go here. read more

Wheelworks is the closest and most convenient bike shop in my neighborhood, so I have unfortunately used their services on several occasions -- and my experiences there have never been positive. The bike mechanics are condescending, do not listen to your explanation of the problems associated with the repair in question, and are just downright rude. If I wanted to be gaslighted, I'd text my ex boyfriend, yet here I am, being mansplained to about how brakes work. And then, upon picking up my bike, the brakes still, in fact, don't work!!! I've had to get the same repair done multiple times in a week because they mess it up consistently due to not listening to my explanation of the issue... but then go on to charge me each round of repair even though THEY made mistakes. Not to mention, their services are over priced. I am officially not returning and will be making the trip to either Bike Belle, Bike Boom, or Crimson Bikes. Enough is enough. Give your business to other more well deserving shops, especially if you are a female biker!!! Not worth feeling like you're being talked down to about your own sport!!!! read more

I called prior to walking my bike from Winter Hill because i was told they would fix it "while I wait". Kyle MacIssac, the assistant to the manager, saw my son and I waiting at the door 15 mins early and he said (without even looking at us) "we don't open til 10". No greeting whatsoever, like we were a total nuisance. Kyle is an unwelcoming and angry person who lacks any semblance of "customer service". We walked in for our scheduled repair on 2 of my bikes and to also purchase a $1500 Ebike and left knowing I will never, ever do business here. Clint (owner) was no help and has no concept of how new business is the lifeblood and lifeline of his very small local business. I am taking my business elsewhere. I can't see these useless a-holes lasting much longer. read more

I don't know if this shop during their interview process looks for the most unhelpful, rude a-holes or if they develop this Talent working with the other rude discourteous unhelpful a-holes. Many years ago after having very unpleasurable dealings with them I figured I'd give them another try and called them up to see if they would work on a specific e-bike. The work that needed to be done was not specific to anything electronic but rather tightening of brakes, truing of spokes, Etc. The guy in the phone says, "Sure, you don't need an appointment, just bring it on in". Sure enough I bring the bike in and the a-hole behind the counter gives me a look like I just shot his dog and says, "Yeah, we don't work on those e-bikes." I explained to him the work that needed to be done was not electronic and the guy yesterday told me to bring it on in. Does he apologize or offer any sort of remedy? Nope, just another rude a******. Why anyone would ever patronize that shop is beyond me read more

What crap, the guy I dealt with didn't want to speak to me, didn't want to do anything. From the beginning of our conversation, he was just trying to end it. How do places with this type of service stay in business? I bet he was a millennial and had a hair bun. read more

I'm torn between two and three stars. Always been greeted by friendly employees, and they have worked on two different bikes for me (an urban belt drive and a 1x gravel bike) over the past two years with decent results. Up until now, all good. My latest visit was my last, however. Brought my bike in for a brake and derailleur alignment promised in two days - totally reasonable. Went back, picked it up, wheeled it out. The rear wheel was wobbly, by about half an inch of play. Not great, not rideable... So I rolled it back in and mentioned it to the employee at the register. He looked me up in the system and declared "Well, we only touched the brakes." Hm. You also "touched" the derailleur (I hope: I paid for it.) But are you letting a customer walk out of the store when their bike has an obvious issue? After I explained that the wheel was not in that condition when I brought it in, he agreed to look at it. I waited for 35 minutes. It was then returned to me without a single word of explanation or apology. Still not sure what was had happened to the rear wheel, or how it happened. The service I have received in the past has been solid and I understand everyone has an off day. But this was an obvious issue that went out the door without being caught, and I don't particularly want to be surprised by what else might have been overlooked as I'm pedaling down Mass Ave in traffic. Sorry guys. read more

The last couple of times I have gone to Wheelworks in Somerville have been so positive that I am prompted to write my first Yelp review ever. A couple of weeks ago I went there to see if they could replace the antiquated gear system on my ancient 3-speed. The guy I talked to politely told me "No way!" but then he offered to repair my existing 3-speed system. This took him about 20-minutes. When I asked what the charge would be, he told me it would be nothing. He just said he was sorry an upgrade wasn't possible because my bike was too old, but he thought he had fixed the 3-speed system so it would work without any problems. And he was right. It's worked fine ever since. I recently returned to the same Wheelworks to buy a headlight for the same ancient 3-speed. When I commented that I didn't think I had the right tools to attach the light to my handlebar, the guy I was dealing with said he'd be glad to do this. I then asked him for his advice on a tail light that I've been using whose spring mechanism hasn't been strong enough to keep the light from constantly falling off. The guy recommended I attach it to a bracket, and then he proceeded to find and install exactly what I needed. Without going into detail, I had a third concern regarding a broken strap on one of my biking shoes, and the guy went to considerable lengths to fix the problem. The cost for all of this? Just the cost of the headlight I bought. There was no charge for about an hour's worth of labor. I wish it were possible to give this place more than a measly 5 stars. read more

They have a good selection of bikes and accessories. Good location. And that's it. Their staff is really bad at their job. They do not know the details and specs. They will say anything they think you want to hear to sell it. So if you know your stuff, and know exactly what you need, they are not a bad choice. But it doesn't stop there. I made the huge mistake of buying an expensive bike from them. I am not knowledgeable, and wanted a e-bike to commute to work. I picked a famous brand to make sure I wouldn't have issues. My commute is quite long (10 miles each way), so I specifically asked for a bike that could do it (especially regarding the autonomy of the battery. I don't want to charge the battery every day, and I also don't want to end up without charge half-way home. Well, the sales guy guaranteed the expensive one I bought would do it. But later I found out the specs were just about right - meaning the battery would have to be replaced every year. I complained about it and they just shrugged. Second problem is that I suspect they sold me a test-drive bike. The battery started to decay fast (first month in) and after complaining they told me it's normal. Manufacture says it's not and I am talking to them and see what can be done. Third problem was a weird noise I heard from the engine. I brought it there and they said they didn't hear anything. I recorded it and they replied with a "this is not from this bike as we do not hear it". I invited them to go outside and I could show it, they rejected and said they were too busy at that time. Fourth and last problem was when I requested a new battery (more autonomy) and they said I had the best one already. I showed the manual and they said there were going to "double-check". I am requesting my money back from the manufacturer and suggesting they do not allow WheelWorks to sell their bikes. read more

Went in for some help after an at home bike tune up took a confusing turn. Taryn was phenomenally helpful with explaining pieces about safety and fit I wasn't aware of. Hands down the best bike shop experience I've had. Taryn was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful. read more

I come into the shop. Julian warmly greets me when he sees me before he asks whether he can help me and I tell him I'm there for the bike pick up. He wizzes bike to retrieve it and a couple of nice lads walk by me and ask whether I've been helped in the meanwhile. I felt well attended to and cared for. While I counted the remaining seconds before Julian presented me my newly upgraded "Vulcan" (that's my bike's name) I connected briefly with Corrigan, another wizard mechanic. In fact, he's the first mechanic that assembled my bike after I purchased it new a bit over a year ago at REI in Fenway! Julian rolls Vulcan out, and the first details I notice are the end tapes on the diamond white Lizard Skin handlebar grips (wow, stellar job!) and the green cables (GORGEOUS)...but then things went a bit unexpectedly downhill from there. I see what appear to be black, rubber cable sleeves on my very contrastingly bright green cables. The sleeves looked like band-aids as they were only covering up a small section of the cable, right beneath the front cable exits. I was quietly taken aback and waited for the guys to explain. Leo, the very veteran mechanic who did this amazing job outside the context of this snafu, did tell me of his struggles to route the cable through the frame, which led him to incidentally scuffing the cable in a few areas and gashing it a bit in the place where he placed the band-aid-like sleeve. I did sympathize with him as I knew my previous mechanic also struggled with the routing in the past; however, not as much. We moved on and I go to pay the total. As Julian rings me up I notice on the printed work order that the caliper installations were itemized as "Hydraulic Set-Up/Wheel" despite the fact that my brakes are very much mechanical. That also put me off. I head outside in dignity to stow Vulcan in the back of my SUV before driving a short distance home when I realize that my front rotor adapter kit I had bought to match the Paul Klamper wasn't installed on the bike and that the old rotor adapter was left on. That tipped me over to go back inside. I asked why Leo hadn't put the mounting adapter on and after another mechanic asked him he told me directly, "It doesn't fit." He didn't even tell me how it didn't fit. It seemed to me like he expected me to just understand, agree and walk away, which in turn made me angrier. I wanted to believe him, but I wasn't ready to after the manner of which he brought the prior things to my attention. I had NO idea of these things prior to my visit. I had only found out upon the mechanics presenting me the bike after the work was done. I would have been much more amenable to the outcome had someone called me right when they ran into problems. That way I would've known what to expect and be on the same page with the mechanics BEFORE I saw my bike in the metal. I'm highly detail-oriented and meticulous...& I do NOT like to see parts on my bike that don't serve either visually or functionally. Black rubber cable skin patches on beautiful build is not something I wanna look at as a surprise. The fact that they had the audacity to even charge me full price for this job when I wasn't even aware of the conditions of the result seems to me EVEN MORE SHADY. I was hoping to have a net positive emotional reaction to receiving my bike at the end of this upgrade process that took several months of planning, shipping & jostling around on waiting lists, and several hundreds of dollars; however, I was upset. I have never gotten that low level of treatment at any other local bike shop I've been to. Not Cambridge Bicycle, not REI, not Somervelo (which is less than a mile away from my home!), or anywhere else. I made sure to remain calm and didn't publicly reproach anyone for their work, but I think I reserve the right to be livid after spending almost 6 months, $700 on labour and parts, including the procurement of the brakes, cables and accessories and getting Ace to install the kit...all on the basis of a decision I made that was informed with over a year of experience and careful consideration. No one seemed like the wanted to give me room to talk about the origins of my bike or my experience/connection with it. I felt like I was being treated like an ignorant yuppie that asked questions from a position of self-entitlement, which is very false! Several hours after I returned home with the bike, I had examined it further to investigate why Leo told me the front rotor adapter wouldn't fit the bike...and it was because the mounting slots have a diameter more narrow than that of the bolts that fit into the fork of my bike. THAT MAKES SENSE!!! HowEVER!!...the fact that no one explained that to me in the store and I had to go over it myself to find out is UNACCEPTABLE. I love Corrigan; he's the man, I have a soft spot for Julian & I'm so grateful that Leo did a great job overall, but my overall experience with Ace regarding this upgrade process was a slog! read more

After getting my bike back I went for a ride and was having trouble shifting on the front gears. Turns out they put the wrong size chain ring on. It took them about an hour of tinkering (and me standing in the cold) to figure this out. Either they aren't good bike mechanics or they really didn't want to eat the cost of the replacement part. Not going back! read more

I have been a customer of Ace Wheelworks in Somerville for more than fifteen years and while the actual service has been great, I have found over the years that there a few staff members who have a it of an attitude. I let that pass. I recently purchased a bicycle online through Ace to be picked up in Somerville. I get it, bike shops are busy right now with the dumpster fire that is the "new normal." It was frustratingly difficult to get anyone on the phone. I received an email that my bike was ready, but when I called the shop (someone picked up on my THIRD try) they said it wasn't ready. I called every day for three days and happily it was finally ready. Like the important people at Ace, I have had a (gratefully) busy schedule--that's why I decided to treat myself with a new bike -- I deserve it and I needed the outdoor time to decompress. When I picked up the bike 3 +/- weeks ago, the staff member gave me the run through about "30 day to use 10% discount on accessories" and I forgot how many days regarding the return and something else... After trying to get through unsuccessfully MANY times to arrange a service time to get some accessories, I finally emailed. The person who got back to me insisted that the staff member made a mistake regarding the 10% off accessories "we haven't been doing that since March" and that the onus was on me to call the shop and sort it out. Well, I did try to call the shop--that's why I was dealing with the stubborn person on the other end of the email. I couldn't get through. The person wrote after three attempts to clarify, that they would not honor the %10 discount. I don't really care about the discount, but I do care about customer service. They dropped the ball on accessibility. Honoring that 10% would have cost them nothing but making me feel like I was a valued customer who spent a lot of money in their shop. It would have been an additional $400 in sales. I gave them a few chances to renege, but they doubled down. Boo. Hiss. Needless to say I won't be shopping there ever again and I will certainly tell, when asked, what I think about Ace Wheelworks. I used to feel badly when I saw a negative review on Yelp and think it was unfair, but I gave Ace Wheelworks about 20 opportunities to show reasonably good customer service and... they chose not to. read more

I hadn't ridden my bike for a while and needed to get it tuned up and some brake cables and pads replaced. I also wanted to switch out the drop handlebars for upright and get a new seat. I thought I would buy the new parts and have it brought back to life if the cost was reasonable. I chose the cheapest parts they had. Although the estimate was $175 (almost what I could get a decent road bike for on Craigslist) I stretched financially and decided to go with Ace rather than the hassle of looking for a new one. When I was picking up the bike, they informed me that they had made a mistake totaling $50 on the quote and I would have to pay $225. When I resisted, they agreed to reduce it by $25. Because they made a mistake on the quote, which I assumed covered all the repairs, parts, and labor, I don't think I should have paid more than they quoted. At the very least they should have called me ahead to authorize it. Or apologize. They just expected me to pay it. The original cost seemed high to me since it is close to the original cost of my used bike, but I went for convenience. Now I have paid even more for the tune-up and the cheapest new handlebars, seat replacement, pads and brakes. That is about the same price the bike was when I bought it used. read more

I had to bring my bike back not once, but twice to correct a botched standard flat tire repair. During both return trips, the staff admitted errors in the prior attempt. And yet when I asked to be refunded (on the third trip) for the labor costs only ($15), the manager refused to do so. He said something about how other less honest bike shops would have charged me from the start for the cost of a new tire (which I did pay for on my third trip). Cambridge is a great biking city and we have other great and honest bike shops. I've paid comparable rates for other flat tire repairs at two other Cambridge bike shops, neither suggested replacing the tire itself, nor required three attempts to do the work. Save yourself some effort and go to one of those. read more

Everything here is more expensive than it should be. It's nice that they have a 30/60 (?) day tune up after purchase though -- this actually does not apply if you buy a used bike, but when I brought my used bike in, they still gave me a free tune up! I bought a used beach cruiser bike here for $110. When I came back a few weeks later, sad about it being too slow for what I was looking for, they told me the bike wasn't worth more than $30-40. What a rip off!!! I definitely feel like most employees are pushy for their commission. Would recommend Bike Boom closer to Davis Square over this place any day. read more

Came in today with a ruined chain derailleur. They had the spare part and were able to fit me in in 1 hour even though I said it wasn't urgent. Efficient, friendly, and reasonably priced - and I have a working bike again! Will be coming back. read more

I've been there 3 times, and each visit was non-smooth, took way more time than necessary, and was filled with poor communication. It's incredibly poorly organized. During visit 1, I mentioned the services I would like done, and I asked how much an additional item would be, too, as I might be interested if it's not expensive. They didn't know the price. The guy then spaced out and did stuff as I patiently waited behind the counter. Minutes later, I was told, "Okay, please sign here". Perplexing because that is not where we were in the conversation at all, and in that bill included the additional service that I was inquiring about. Not a huge deal, just clearly they weren't listening to me. Upon picking up my bike, I waited over 10 minutes as they had to hunt for my bike. Super crowded. Visit 2, I asked if they could fix a spoke of mine, and they quickly said they don't know if they have any spokes for my bike in stock until they take my wheel off, so I can either leave my bike w/ them for a few days or not. It honestly sounded like he didn't think I should leave my bike with them, so I didn't. Visit 3, I returned for the same spoke service, and I was able to speak w/ an older gentlemen who was much better. I opted to leave my bike. It was ready in a day or two, great! I went to pick up my bike and it took about 10 minutes. I then rode my bike and realized they didn't actually fix it properly -- they left a piece of spoke dangling around in my wheel, so every revolution of the wheel, you could hear the piece jingling. Later that day, I went back and explained the situation. They asked for me to hand them my bike, I did. After 15 minutes of waiting, I have no clue why I'm waiting and for what. They never explained what they would do. Turns out, they were fixing it for free. They removed the piece from my wheel, and I walked my bike home (2 blocks). Next morning, I noticed that same tire was flat (my first flat in many years). Seems like they caused this. I'm not implying it was intention, just it seems due to their work. It's a waste of my time to come here. Too unprofessional. Will start going elsewhere. read more

The pros are that it's the biggest and best bike shop in the area, and the only place that has a serious selection of bikes and accessories. The cons are that every other person there is an impossible grouch that has an attitude about every damn thing before you even get there. I get that bike shops get busy, and are full of know nothings (*raises hand*) asking dumb questions and its annoying. That's called having a job though. Case in point: I got my bike back from a tune up, and I noticed that my rear derailleur was intermittently having trouble catching. Took it back to Wheelworks, at a time when I knew they wouldn't be super busy and calmly explained the problem. Furthermore, I made extra sure not to phrase this as "YOU BROKE MY BIKE!!1" or any kind of accusation. The bike was still relatively new and it could have been a warranty issue. Who knows. The guy at the counter gets immediately huffy about it. Grabs the bike and stomps over to put it on a stand. Cranks the pedal. Clicks the rear derailleur. It catches. He gives me a sarcastic shrug and immediately tries to thrust the bike back at me. As calmly as possible again, I explain try to explain it to him that it's an intermittent problem and if you try it a few more times you'll see. Desk guy doesn't want to hear it, and keeps trying to dunk on me telling me that he tried it and it worked. Meanwhile, this guy is making such a disproportionately huge spectacle out of trying to get me out of the store that another (obviously more experienced) mechanic catches wind of it and comes over to inquire what's going on. Desk guy is still dead set on dunking on me, and is telling the mechanic that I have no idea what I'm talking about and the bike is fine. It's legit the only thing he cares about at this point. The mechanic very calmly puts the bike back on the stand. Turns the pedals. Tries the rear derailleur one... two... three times and on the third time he sees that it fails to catch. Wow. Look at that. The thing I said. And the bare minimum effort it took to catch it. Desk guy storms off in a huff and is never seen again. Two minutes worth of adjustments, and I was out the door. I took the bike on a 100 mile ride like 2 weeks later and it worked flawlessly thanks to some great mechanic work and a willingness to listen for 5 seconds. read more

What happened? Brining my bikes here for years, spending a ton of money, I decide to upgrade my commuter bike to a simple pedal-assist e-bike, and they will have nothing to do with it. No help assembling (not really needed just front tire and handle bars) no help with general service and maintenance. They were super aggravated I would even ask and even more aggravated I didn't purchase my e-bike form them. I belong to a nationwide on-line group of people who own this particular e-bike and they all talk about how great their local bike shops have been and it's just so disappointing my shop is more interested in sales than customer satisfaction. read more

Terrible customer service. Worst attitude over a simple phone request regarding measurement for bike size. Went like this; do you guys measure for bike size? Reply from Ace employee, "well that depends on if you buy a bike here." And with that, on to the next shop to be measured and purchase a bicycle. read more

Great service, happy people. Needed a valve replaced on my vintage 10 speed. They do it while you wait. Reasonable price with superior service. Place was super busy. They have a lot of people working there on Saturday, so you get service really quick whether you're there for a fix or new wheels. Thank you for answering the phone WITHOUT voicemail or menus, and your cheerful attitudes. read more

I shipped my bike here from Oregon. I had Ace reassemble it. It went fine, except my seat post was the wrong height for me, and it was slightly crooked. I could not loosen the hardware with my own tools, so I brought it back in for them to address. They had me wait while they essayed the problem. I have a nice after-market saddle, and a proprietary locking collar to protect it. The mechanic told me there was no way to make my collar fit. And, anyway, if I am careful -- "and you look like you are", he said -- I really don't have to worry about my saddle being stolen. The mechanic had already unfastened my collar, and was partway through installing a new generic, nonlocking collar when he finally asked me if that was alright. So I said sure. He charged me full parts and labor, with no deference made for their original poor job on the seat assembly. The total here was in the $40-60 range. I forget. I regret losing control of the transaction and letting the mechanic perform a service I really didn't want -- given, especially, that his claim made no sense. If my collar absolutely can't be made to fit, how is it that my mechanic in Oregon had installed it with no problem? Yeah. Next time, I'll go to a place where the mechanics don't ploy me with appeals to guilt and vanity in order to cover for their own incompetence and make a sale. read more

The support I received from all the employees that worked with me was individualized, kind and friendly!

I've had some normal, no issues experiences here but...I came in looking for a small part for some brakes -- a threaded caliper retention pin. After a few painful minutes talking to someone who wasn't qualified and was unable and to understand what part I was missing I was handed off to an angry-seeming guy who seemed exasperated from the start. He spent about 5-7 minutes looking around for the spare part only to eventually tell me "Look, we don't have it and I can't waste anymore time looking around for a $2 part, just go to the hardware store." Thanks bud, next time I think I'll skip Ace! read more