R&A Cycles Brooklyn — Local services in New York

I recently had the pleasure of visiting RA Cycle Shop in Brooklyn, and I feel compelled to share the exceptional experience I had, largely thanks to the outstanding service provided by Felix and his team. From the very moment we stepped into the store, we were enveloped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere that made us feel right at home.

First and foremost, Felix greeted us with genuine enthusiasm, setting a positive tone for our visit. His respectful and fun approach allowed us to browse through the store at our leisure, which is often a rarity in retail environments. We never felt rushed or pressured, and this was particularly refreshing as we were eager to explore our options. Once we expressed interest in the bikes we had previously inquired about, Felix promptly took the display models down from the wall, ensuring we could closely examine each one.

As we immersed ourselves in the selection process, our excitement grew, but so did our questions regarding bike sizing and measurements. Understanding the significance of making the right choice for such a substantial investment, Felix dedicated his time to address every inquiry we had. His patience and expertise instilled in us the confidence we needed, and it was at that moment we made the decision to purchase not one, but two Pinarello bicycles. This level of customer service is truly commendable and speaks volumes about Felix's commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction.

In addition to Felix's exceptional guidance, he called upon Luis, the mechanic, to provide further insight into the components of the bikes we were interested in. Luis proved to be equally knowledgeable and passionate about cycling, readily answering our technical questions with clarity and enthusiasm. His expertise further enriched our understanding of the products, reinforcing our decision to invest in high-quality bicycles.

Once we finalized our choices, we had the pleasure of working with Sheila, who assisted us with the ordering process. Sheila's kindness and willingness to help were evident from the start. She went above and beyond to ensure our experience was seamless, even offering to price-match some of the accessories we were interested in. This thoughtful gesture not only enhanced our overall experience but also demonstrated RA Cycle Shop's commitment to providing value to their customers.

By the end of our visit, I felt a strong sense of appreciation for the entire team at RA Cycle Shop. Their collective dedication to customer service, extensive knowledge of cycling products, and willingness to support us throughout the purchasing process made our shopping experience not just enjoyable, but truly memorable.

As a resident of Morris County, NJ, I can confidently say that RA Cycle Shop in Brooklyn will now be my go-to destination for all my cycling needs. The exceptional service we received from Felix, Luis, and Sheila has created a lasting impression, and I am grateful for the care and effort they put into making our experience so positive.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend RA Cycle Shop to anyone in search of quality bicycles and unparalleled customer service. Thank you, Felix, Luis, and Sheila, for making our shopping experience so much fun and for welcoming us into the RA Cycle family. We are excited to ride our new Pinarellos and look forward to returning to your shop...

This is a sad review to write because of how hard I tried to make this experience great. My intention was to spend $20,000 on a best of everything custom built Colnago. They "sized" me for a frame and I complyed. We selected parts and then I went back to the shop to pick it up a week later. I immediately noticed when I left that the wheels were out of alignment - the brake rotors were rubbing and the rear wheel was not centered when you spun it. This is of course frustrating after picking up a 20k bike - but I patiently returned and they "corrected" it. A few days later I went out for my first ride and before I left home I could hear the brakes rubbing again. So I returned, again, and had to leave the bike over the weekend to be repaired. I picked it up a few days later and went home. I found a rather noticable dent/gouge in the frame, which is obviously very problematic - "why do I have to deal with this?" is how it felt. I returned to the shop, again. On the way to the shop I heard the rotors rubbing AGAIN. This time my patience had run dry. The shop owner assured me the alignment issue is "easy" to correct and offered to send the frame out for "repair" to correct the gouge.

I know what you're thinking. Thats how I felt too. This is starting to sound crazy. If the alignment is so easy to fix, why is this the third time around and regarding the gouge, sending it out for repair is hardly settling, how about a replacement right? you damaged it to begin with - and did so while you were trying to correct the "easy" repair to alignment for the THIRD time.

Now I've had it. No faith or confidence in them. I asked for a refund. They said NO. I spent DAYS arguing with them back and forth. Imagine that.... Customer spends 20k on a bike, retailer doesnt set up properly first, second or third try, then they damage the bike on that third attempt to set it up. Customer asks for a refund and the anser is "no". LOL. Exactly. Three days of fighting and I finally got a refund. I also lost a year of my life from the stress. I've found a very experienced fitter to build my bike for me now and during this experience I've learned that the size R&A had put me on was TWO SIZES TOO BIG. Jesus. This place tries, I guess, but wow is the risk and the fallout going to be on you as a customer and the odds of you being upset I'd say are high. I'd also expect that if someone is set up to sell 20k bikes they would be experts in sizing them, which is clearly not the case here. I'm just SO HAPPPY I didnt end up with a 20k bike that was two sizes too big and an incompetent retailer as my "support" for the duration of my ownership. I hate to say this, but go elsewhere. And if you're not sure about what I'm saying - go ahead and try it out for yourself. Don't say I didn't tell you so though.

They told me they issued me a refund a week ago. I still haven't got anything. I'm beyond frustrated and I believe you would be too.

Finally received a refund. Thank god the...

So, I am new to the higher tiers of cycling. A place like R&A, known for being a mecca to the most hardcore and demanding of cyclists, was intimidating to a middle aged, overweight, novice rider like myself. With lots of questions and things to educate myself on I figured it just isn't the shop for me. Being new to NYC, I would walk past sometimes and just drool at the bicycles that surely cost 10's of thousands of dollars. I finally buy the first really nice bike of my life, which further motivates me to go inside and see what's what (what I can buy).

Not only was it pretty cool to be in such an amazing place with so much eye candy, but the salespeople were super helpful, and informative/educational to me, a curious newbie nerd with a million questions which is probably my number one priority in these sorts of shops.

That being said, I was particularly impressed with two things.

1. I had just purchased a very expensive bike direct from the factory. R&A had no big ticket sale to eye while working with me. In fact, now that I think about I had stopped in once before making my purchase. (they didn't carry the brand I ended up with) and even though I wasn't set to drop a lot of money on a top class bike. I was treated warmly, patiently and truly felt like a valued customer. (unlike some other shops around the neighborhood!!)

2. I inquired a bit about a bicycle fitting, as I like to put in significant miles. Much to my surprise, rather than grabbing at my money and putting me into the calendar. They asked for how long I had my bike, and quickly said that I needed to put more miles on the bike so I can have more feedback and make my fit more effective. I thought this was another really honorable perspective to take.

And lastly today, what made me write this review, I had a Garmin light and the mount failed (RIP Light) and Garmin Support wanted a proof of purchase. I sent an email to R&A Customer support to ask for a copy of the invoice on Friday. Didn't hear back (im impatient!) and called but got a busy signal and thought to myself well, will I be important enough to them to reply in a timely manner and sure enough this morning, I was emailed what I needed, and even got another separate email personally reaching out to tell me that it was addressed and if I needed anything else to just holler.

I am here to say that R&A is amazing. Both in product selection and customer service. They do have a bit of a reputation it seems for being "snobbish" and only catering to the elite if you believe what you hear. I assure you I am very far from elite (LOL at the thought) and they've always treated me very well. I've worked most of my career in luxury hospitality and truly value and appreciate quality service as the foundation of long term relationships and I am an R&A guy now.

Now that I am not scared of carbon fiber, I can guarantee my next bike, and all the smaller purchases in between,...