Small shop in a very convenient location (Old Town) and with very knowledgable staff.

Customer Service

I needed a shifter replaced on my son's Burley Piccolo trailer bike. (For those in a similar situation, Burley is known to replace the hard-to-operate grip shifters with Rapidfires for free.) The mechanic took care of me right away, and for a very reasonable price. Great experience!

Big Wheel Bikes of Old Town is, without doubt, the best LBS I've ever been to! Period. I've been going there since around 01, when I lived in Old Town, and even after leaving the area for San Diego (as biking friendly as it gets) and returning--and moving deep in Fiarfax County--I still make Old Town of Alexandria my exclusive LBS. The shop has the look and feel of what bike-subject-matter-experts and their goods & services should be all about! Products meet the broadest range of customer needs, and the atmospher feels personalized from the time you walk in. Prices for all products and services are as competitive as you will find in the National Capital Region.

Customer Service

The store manager, Bennett, and his staff are the best! I have never encountered so strongly a customer-oriented approach. Bennett and the guys consistently and unfailingly are responsive and convey a deep and genuine love--and expertise--of all things biking. Bennett for years now has offered me spot on recommendations and advice re best fit for bike and products, tweaks and adjustments, and training ideas. I've had some crazy repair situations (noises and sudden "grind" drive me nuts) and Bennett and his crew have NEVER failed to quickly and effectively make the fix.

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Big Wheel Bike of Old Town Alexandria, VA, is simply the LBS I've ever experienced!

Cool little shop right off the Potomac in Old Town, convenient to the Mt. Vernon Trail. Can't miss the yellow building. Old school feel, non-pretentious staff.

Customer Service

The staff at Big Wheel are people who love to ride. They have never tried to sell me anything I didn't need and went above and beyond to make sure I got what I want. This is my kind of Bike Shop, not flashy, convenient, and great service. I bought my Kona there, and I will be buying my next bike there as well. Compared to the other places I've shopped in the DC area, I feel completely at home at Big Wheel.I am proud to call it my Local Bike Shop.

Full service Independent Bicycle shop. Sponsors youth programs and are big cycling advocates and community supporters. Helpful with local trails and scenic routes. They have rentals bikes and even rental burleys, the carriers for kids. The shop gets packed with customer repair bikes and New bikes , not a cosmo scene if that's what your looking for. Great shop to get work done on your bike or get a new one,fun to hang out in and talk bikes and sports. Not some dufus site like outdoortravels.con.

Customer Service

Great customer service, they even credit you back your rental fee when you purchase a bike or burley from them. They special order custom parts and bikes from Independant bike makers, the Big wheel folks love bikes. They even will contact another shop for you if they feel that the other shop has what you need at the moment. These are bike guys not salespeople. How many other shops put a bike stand out so you can work on your bike or keep the air hose out for you?

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Great memorabilia on the wall and they rotate the displays. I would ignore that first poster who said ""I wish I would have bought a couple of $150 department store bikes and a patch kit and left them with our friends in DC. "" I would never trust any advice from his site. He would have you riding on a Magna or Huffy. What kind of travel site needs instructions on how to ride a bike or cant find the local trails??

Definition of a Bike Shop. 'Enough Said

Customer Service

Once upon a time I went to the nice and clean and spotless bike shops that plague the DC metro area... And I kind of liked it; but then I went to Big Wheel Bikes in Old Town Alexandria. This place is what a bike shop should be. I spent my youth hanging out at bike shops and learning simple tricks the mechanics used to do menial tasks such as take off grips (Who would have though a compressor could be so useful) and always loved cycling... Time passed and I got caught up in the "cycle" (Pun intended) and before I knew it I was a police officer. Not just any police officer but head of the bicycle unit... This is about as good as it gets. I have always ridden but never been in a shop that impressed me to the extent that this one did. Granted it may be dirty (not really) and a bit small but these guys know what they are doing! Everytime I go in that store one of the mechanics jumps to his feet to make sure to help me with whatever may be wrong... Even if I am just trying to hang out. The few good men that staff this shop know bikes and what they are doing with them... This is the reason why all my departments bikes are serviced here. A++

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Good atmosphere, great mechanics, nice dogs.

Great little shop

Customer Service

These guys seem to live and breathe bicycles,i think they would rather work on bikes than **ck!
I cannot imagine what better service is,after my dealings with this store,they always go the extra mile to get it right.
This shop is like sex,we all want it,we all crave it,but its not for everyone.

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I would travel to Timbuktu if this shop were located there.

This place is legit

Customer Service

The staff is friendly and quite helpful... The young men who work at the store know a good deal regarding bicycles and the ways in which they should be maintained; on more than one occasion I have taken a problem bicycle to these guys and they have fixed what other shops have overlooked (this is especially true of this particular Big Wheels location). The great thing to note regarding this shop that makes it so different from other shops in the area is the bike "feel" to the shop... While most other mechanics ride occasionally I know that the men who staff this store ride alot and commute by bicycle 90% of the time... This plays a great deal into their knowledge of bikes. The customer service is great, these guys always bend over backwards to make sure that I get what I need and even give me some parts they may have laying around for the multiple projects I am always working on. Anywhere where the mechanics don't wear uniforms and there are dogs running around the store is a good place. These guys ROCK! I have nothing but positive things to say about this great shop and the very attractive men who work there.

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I am sorry to the man who had such a bad experience with Big Wheel.... He sounds like he might have chip on his shoulder. Maybe if he kept his cell phone on during vacation this whole problem could have been avoided (Hence the reason 98% of shops request a phone number where you can be reached: In case something like this happens!!!) Maybe if he doesn't like Big Wheel Bikes he should go throw a brick through their window before he sets up his crappy rental shop across the street.

Cool shop in Alexandria

Customer Service

I ride by Big Wheel to just hang out with the guys!that is how cool the shop is,I wouldn't even think about having my bike worked on anywhere else.
The bad poster here probably kicked their dog or something cause I've known these guys for YEARS and they are the best in the business and rentals are just a small part of what the do but the rentals look pretty good to me anyway.
They loaned me a bike while mine was being serviced and it was a carbon fuji with ultegra, you cant get much better than that for a rental.

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I usually don't listen to the haters anyway but I can tell you all that I will never recommend or visit www.outdoortravels.com in my lifetime.

Place has character. Looks "lived in" if you know what I mean. Not fancy and pretentious (been there, done that). Shop used to have two cute and friendly dogs (shop mascots) to greet you :)...but one passed :( Miss the little guy! :(

Customer Service

One word: AWESOME! The guys there are always helpful. Was just in there recently with a broken spoke while on my ride. Manager and worker fixed it on the spot - no charge. Can't beat that! As a matter of fact, I drop in there a lot with my Orbea bike, which they sold me, to have things tweaked and adjusted at no cost. They ALWAYS service it on the spot without a hassle. They have even let me square up with them the next time I visit the shop (when I'm on my ride and don't have cash/c. card on me). I don't let anyone else touch my bike!

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Not sure what that one really negative review is about. I couldn't disagree with him more. I can't imagine Ben or any of the staff treating anyone like that! I've NEVER witnessed anyone being treated in any way but with respect and friendliness and I go by there quite a bit. I know his wife (sweet as can be)and his kid (all boy) and they're all great people. If there is any truth with what that reviewer wrote (and I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT) he must have been acting like a complete jerk to have gotten treated with anything but respect and genuine consideration.