Belmont Wheelworks — Attraction in Belmont

I have been a long time customer of Wheelworks in Belmont. After my recent experience I will never go back.

tldr - In summary, Belmont Wheelworks doesn’t stand behind its work, they will not proactively ensure your bike is safe to ride, the quality of the work they do is subpar, and their pricing is inconsistent.

Visit one:

I brought my bike to Belmont Wheelworks for a tune up in late March. The bike had been sitting idle for a number of years and I knew that it was going to need some repairs. After inspecting the bike the customer service representative recommended that I replace both tires, tubes and rim tape, replace the shifter for the rear gears, and perform the tune and true service. After a short 4 mile test ride, I took the bike out for a little longer second ride. About a mile from home while descending a steep hill the stem collapsed and the handlebars dropped towards the frame and front tire. The stem had built in shock absorption and the bushing inside had deteriorated over time. I decided to ride home and while riding up the hill and shifting in low gear the chain came off the rear gear.

I purchased the bike from Belmont Wheelworks and as a specialized dealer my expectation was that they would have checked the stem given the age of the bike.

Visit two ( about 2 weeks after visit one ):

Returned the bike to Belmont Wheelworks to get the stem fixed and the derailleur adjusted. I demonstrated to the customer service representative that the stem will collapse if pushed on hard and also mentioned I just had the bike tuned up 2 weeks ago. He noted this on the receipt. I received an email informing me the bike was ready to be picked up but the receipt only noted that the derailleur was adjusted. There was nothing about the stem. Additionally I was not expecting to be charged for the derailleur adjustment as that should have just been fixed. I called to schedule a pick up and asked the customer service representative how the stem was fixed and the response was I don’t know but the tech that worked on it has “good juju”. When the customer service representative brought the bike out to me I pushed on the handlebars and they collapsed. He said wow that doesn’t look safe, oh and look it says here on the receipt that the stem will collapse if pushed on hard. He took the bike back and they replaced the stem.

Visit three ( about 2 weeks after visit two):

With the stem fixed I took the bike out for a ride. This time about 4 miles into the ride the rear tire deflated. I only ride on the street and bike path. I didn’t hit any pot holes or curbsides. I walked the bike home. I took the tire back to Belmont Wheelworks and explained that the tire had around 10 miles on it and that it was just installed. The issue was a pinched tube. I asked if there was any possibility it was installed incorrectly. The customer service representative quickly said no as he handed me my receipt. I was charged for the tube and for the installation. Interestingly the cost of the tube was $1.00 more than it was about 4 weeks ago.

In summary, Belmont wheelworks doesn’t stand behind its work, they will not proactively ensure your bike is safe to ride, the quality of the work they do is subpar, and their pricing is...

I bought a Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVO bike (it's an e-bike) from Belmont Wheelworks (BW) at the end of February. I had trouble locating this bike at any bike shops in Massachusetts but BW had three of them in stock (M, L, and XL) so I was psyched to check the bike out in person. I bought the bike (well over $10K with tax) when I went to their Trapelo Road location to look the bike over and bought several biking-related items (Garmin bike computer, headlight, shoes, tool bag, bike fitting, seat, etc.). The bike purchasing experience was great. I worked with Scott, who was very friendly and patient and knew tons about the model I was purchasing as well as about e-bikes. I spent $100 for a fitting appointment and Jack handled that and ensured I got fitted to the new bike with the new shoes I had purchased. I had an issue with the bike I purchased being put on sale by Specialized for $750 less – I called BW to ask if they would refund me the difference (this was 2-3 weeks after I purchased the bike) and the person I spoke with was aghast that anyone would ask for a refund like this. Less than a week later Clint from Belmont Wheelworks left me vmail apologizing for the confusion about getting the $750 sale price difference refunded and stated that he would be issuing a credit to my credit card for the $750 plus tax. I was very happy to hear this! I was so thrilled that I returned to BW to purchase tire repair tools + sealant for the tires on my new Creo (and spent another $87). Clint was not available during my last visit so I was unable to thank him in person but hopefully he sees this and knows that I greatly appreciate him working with me on this issue.

I also want to mention that there is a H-U-G-E selection of bikes at BW - the biggest I've seen since International Bike had a store in Allston in the nineties so if you are looking for a new bike, I would recommend you stopping at BW. I love the Specialized brand and to me they have the best and biggest selection of Specialized bikes I have ever seen. I went to Landry Bikes in Braintree before I purchased my Turbo Creo from BW and they worked very hard to sell me a Trek bike at a similar price point but my research and personal experience showed that the Specialized is a MUCH better bike. BW also has an excellent selection of shoes, seats, helmets, tubes, tires, repair kits, headlights, Garmin computers and tons of other gear for bikers of all descriptions. Some of the clothes I saw were very expensive ($200 for a pair of biking shorts???) but the selection is quite large and I would venture to guess that you can find anything you need for your biking workouts/excursions/commutes/whatever during one visit to BW. I will be taking my bike there as soon as I get ~150 miles on it for a free tune-up and I am looking forward to seeing how their service department is (I am sure they...

I really wish I'd read these reviews before going to Belmont Wheelworks. The reviews are right on target. Great selection of products. The store was recommended for cycling shoes and they had the best selection around. I had to wait a long time for someone to help me, with several people seeing I needed help but just ignoring me. Finally a lady came over and asked if I wanted any shoes. She seemed annoyed to have to help me and would sigh and look up at the ceiling impatiently as I tried on more expensive shoes to find a pair that would fit a wider foot. I finally bought the most expensive pair she showed me, then she brusquely told me to ask about the shoe/cleat fitting and disappeared. So I wandered over to the checkout counter with the box, waited another 10 min until someone finally took my money. I asked them about the shoe/cleat fitting, but he didn't seem to know about it. When I called back the following day to schedule the shoe/cleat fitting, they scheduled me for a full bike fitting.

When I came in for the fitting, I again got the long wait for help, multiple sales & service people walking by me after making eye contact, and then eventually being shown downstairs after I corralled one of the salespeople. Mike was my fitter. Like other reviews, his demeanor came across as if he had better things to do, and he was dismissive and condescending about my bike (I didn't buy it at Wheelworks). I actually found myself apologizing for the bike and the components (the SRAM crank didn't match all of the rest of the Ultegra components). I also appealed to his expertise by letting him know that I was new to this kind of road bike, having ridden mountain bikes for the past 20 yrs. He started to soften a little bit at that point. He seemed to know what he was doing and tried to help me get a better fit on my bike, and I do appreciate it. Like other reviewers, I went in for a $35 fitting ("discounted" because I bought $270 shoes) and ended up spending $145 before getting out of the store (an extra $100 for a part to make the fitting better). When I asked for recommendations on a better saddle, he told me to just keep the one I've got since he'd have to charge me to refit the bike if/when I swap out the saddle (really?!).

At the end of the day, being as objective as I can, I think I got a good pair of shoes and a good fit on my bike. But I'll never go back because I went into Belmont Wheelworks feeling great about their store, about my new bike, and about cycling in general... and I left feeling like a burden to every single staff member I met, feeling that I didn't buy a good enough bike, and all the enjoyment and excitement for cycling was sucked right out of me.

I don't ever want to feel that way again (let alone pay $400+ for the "privilege"), so I'll look for other bike shops that actually care about the customer and their...