A-1 Bicycle Sales & Svc

Excellent service that goes beyond the date of purchase. They had good advice about my bike purchase options. I wish I had listened to them and bought a Trek as I ended up buying a Bianchi. The Trek they suggested for me that was also in my price range would have been a better choice for me. Great service department that is a wealth of bike knowledge.

Posted 11/08/09 | Report Abuse

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A1 is a great bike shop! I trust them with any service I need done. I think other reviewers are mistaking their reserved nature as 'snobbishness'. I am going to pick up a new bike today, my first fixed gear! I highly recommend them.

Posted 06/20/09 | Report Abuse

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My father has been a customer of A1 for nearly twenty years and I have recently become a customer as well. It seems odd to me that other reviewers find the staff at A1 to be snobbish and unhelpful, every time I have been there, I have been treated with the up-most respect and all of my questions have been answered succinctly and honestly. In my mind A1 is the best place for service as well. Their work is excellent and there prices are fair (especially in comparison to other shops such as Big Shark). While I admit that for the first time buyer or those who are ignorant to the basic facts of cycling, the laid-back demeanor or the staff may be daunting, in my mind this is what makes A1 stand out. When you walk in, you will not be pushed to buy right away or steered toward the most expensive product, you will be treated with respect. I will continue to give my business to A1 for many years to come.

Posted 04/25/09 | Report Abuse

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I've been to several bike stores in the area asking them to adjust my Ultegra derailleurs. After five years of unsuccessful attempts I stopped at A-1 telling them my sad story. They were surprised that nobody could adjust my bike (including the store I bought it from) and did not think that it was a big deal. They called me a half an hour later concerned that they could brake the frame, but it needed to be done in order to fix the problem. They adjusted the bike perfectly and for the first time this season I had a great ride without worrying whether the gears would switch on their own at will.

Posted 08/08/08 | Report Abuse

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I had the same experience as Patrick. I'm a novice and brought my bike in for what turned out to be a routine repair. But the person working there made me feel like an idiot.

I wont ever go back for bike purchases or service and will go out of my way to tell others about the experience here.

Posted 06/03/08 | Report Abuse

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I went here not knowing anything about bikes, expecting the salesperson to help me make an educated decision. From the moment I walked in, though, it was clear that this was not the store for me.

There was one salesman, who was very terse and unfriendly. I told him that I was a novice, and that I wanted some help in deciding, and he showed me four bikes. That is, he quite literally SHOWED me four bikes. I tried to get him to explain the differences, and what I should be deciding on, but he gave very short, direct answers to my questions. The problem with that, of course, is that I am a novice, so I didn't know what questions I should be asking. I was really wanting him to give more information, but I eventually gave. The *worst* part of the experience was that he kept laughing to himself at my questions. For instance, I told him that the rear brake seemed a little loose, and he chuckled and told me it was supposed to be like that, since you are supposed to break with the front mostly. That sounded odd to me, so I asked why and he laughed again and said that's just the way it's supposed to be. It wasn't clear to me if he was laughing cause my questions were stupid, or because he didn't know the answers. Another example is when I asked about the Edge GPS computer and he laughed and told me he'd rather I put that money into a better bike than an accessory, as if what *I* wanted didn't matter.
Another downside (which I didn't realize until I went to another store) is that you are only allowed to test-drive the bikes in the tiny parking lot in front of the story (I guess because they are on a busy street).

In the end, I went to the Hub bicycle store in Webster Groves, and spent about the same amount of money that I would have spent at A1 (around 400), but with the complete opposite experience.

Posted 05/25/07 | Report Abuse

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I bought my bike here and recieved a good deal as well as quality assembly and basic care instruction. The people working here including the owner are avid bicyclists who know their stuff. They sell both entry level as well as some high end bikes here. I've always gotten candid advice talking to these guys and I recommend them to my friends.

Posted 11/07/05 | Report Abuse

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