Brooklyn Bicycle Co. Office (No Repairs or Showroom) — Local services in New York

I bought my Brooklyn Bicycle Co Franklin 8 in December, 2022. I have been riding road bikes since the early 70s and I am switching to something more casual. I looked at many similar bikes but the Franklin had several characteristics and components that made the difference. After 6 months and several hundred miles it has proven to be a great choice.

The first thing that caught my eye about the Franklin 8 was the association with Grant Petersen. He has been designing great frames since the 70s and has been a great advocate of the kind of relaxed and comfortable riding I’m doing now. The Franklin 8 follows the general design parameters of some of his later models. Subsequently, It can be ridden for hours without stressing your body. Since my primary goal is now time on my bike rather than speed or distance this has worked out well.

The second thing I noticed was that of all the bikes I looked at the Franklin was the only one to come with a quill stem, which allows you to raise or lower your handlebars up to about 5 inches. All the other ones came with threadless stems which cannot be adjusted. All bikes allow for seat height adjustment but handlebar height is equally important. If you raise or lower your seat but cannot adjust your handlebar height you’re in for a lot of frustration, especially on longer rides.

The third thing I liked about the Franklin was the 8 speed option. I ride in Miami and we have no hills to climb unless you count the bridges. What we do have is wind. A breeze of 15-20 mph is not uncommon. After pedaling for an hour and a half with the wind on your back, going the other way can get really tiring. Just dropping down to 2nd or 3rd gear can keep you going all day. The shifter is entry level shimano but anything shimano does works very well.

The tires were Kenda 700x35. These are an excellent choice. They are comfortable and allow you to go on many surfaces that my road bike’s 700x26 cannot handle. They’re also much more resistant to punctures than narrower ones. The fact that they use Schrader valves is great. One caveat is that the rims are not quick release. This is not a big deal as they come off easily with a 15mm box wrench.

The bike was delivered to Revolution Bicycle Services and was assembled by Danny. This was a great choice. Revolution has a great reputation and has been around for a long time. The assembly was quick and very well done. The wheels were true, the brakes well adjusted, no loose parts, the derailleur worked well from the first shift and the fitting was spot on.

Other details have been very satisfying. The seat is much more comfortable than I expected. When I buy a bike I usually switch out for a Brooks B-17 but in this instance I haven’t done that and don’t plan to. The fenders have been most welcome. In Miami it rains a lot and it’s nice to keep the “racing stripes” off your back. The step through style is definitely a non-issue and makes getting in and out a little easier. However, to transport it using a car rack you'll probably need an adjustable extension to act as a top tube but these are inexpensive and easily available online.The back reflector works well for night riding. The grips are very comfortable and don't need replacement. The paint work is great and the cream color gets frequent compliments. My only modifications have been to add a mirror on the left side, a handlebar bottle holder and a small canvas handlebar bag.

Summarily, If you’d like a well built bike you can ride all day and that will be delivered really “ready to ride” you can’t go wrong with Brooklyn. When you add in the price point it really is...

I bought a Franklin 8 speed bike from Brooklyn two years ago. They had glowing reviews and there was a wait time (with the pandemic-related supply chain issues) for more established brands, so I decided to take a chance with this bike. I've only used it for everyday urban trips and had issues right from the start. It seems the manufacturing quality is suspect. The bike topples over easily and the parts come off. I thought that the balance issue would be resolved after a while, but it still lacks balance. Most recently, the derailleur snapped when the bike fell over, and the mudguard was dented. The commuter parts bundle that I ordered with the bike is also low quality. The lights are dim, the lock is falling apart and the bell's sound is not loud. When I brought up the snapped derailleur with Brooklyn and asked for a refund due to poor manufacturing quality, they said that the balance issue is because of the basket I installed on the front wheel. They also said the bike is past its warranty period and refused to provide any compensation. Actually, they had provided the basket and didn't say anything about its creating a balance issue. And I've had this balance issue even before I installed the basket. It seems they are also engaged in curating reviews. When I researched the bike two years ago. I didn't see them on Google or Yelp. They provided a link to provide feedback post purchase and I could only use that. My feedback mentioned the bike's lack of balance and they placed it in a less prominent spot as a company review and not with the regular bike reviews. I'm glad to have this chance to provide feedback on Google and I'd advise others to watch out for lack of quality manufacturing. On the positive side, customer service is quick to respond and provided replacement parts earlier when they fell off. The bike looks stylish and I've received compliments on that, but I'd rather have a durable and...

Had a great experience buying my first bicycle here! I'm petite and was having trouble finding a bike suitable for my 5'1" frame. My attempts at renting bikes were very unsuccessful since I couldn't comfortably balance stationary on them even with the seats lowered all the way, so I decided I'd have to buy to get a good fit. I came across Brooklyn Bicycle Co after googling petite friendly bicycle brands, and since it's a local brand I was excited at the ability to see them in person at the showroom and talk to someone knowledgable before buying.

Brooklyn Bicycle Co also fit my criteria for affordability and style. I didn't want the cheapest bike I could find, since I am hoping to buy one bike to last me many years, and I also didn't need advanced features or want to spend thousands. I wanted something reliable and cute for biking to the park or farmer's market, and these bikes fit the bill for an aesthetically pleasing, all purpose transport bicycle.

My husband and I came in and spent about an hour looking at bikes, and Ryan was extremely friendly, helpful, and down to earth. I was made to feel comfortable despite being a complete bike novice - no snobbishness here. He offered us drinks as soon as we came in, was attentive but not pushy, and did not try to sell us on products he didn't think we needed or rush us to make a decision right away, even though I came in ready to buy. I ended up purchasing the Willow along with some accessories, and I'm looking forward to my bike arriving at my local shop and playing around with it more. Now my husband wants a Brooklyn Bicycle too! Thank you, Ryan!

PS -- FYI, the showroom is slightly hard to find. Thankfully there were two signs outside that assured us we were in the right location, but I still almost missed it since you have to go upstairs to the 4th floor and then down a hallway to find the unit. Also had difficulty getting the buzzer to...