Babcock Bicycles — Local services in Town of Union

Babcock bikes is where i go. I ride all year... and they have, or can get everything i need. You have to build a relationship with your bikeshop if you do not want to do all the work yourself. Babcocks Has treated me right. BC bicycles tried to charge me 10 dollars for 1 screw that i found at Fastenal for 3$ and i got a bag of 50 of them. Chenango Point (before they moved, and i think they have new ownership im not sure) could do nothing for my fender problem for my touring bike. they said the fenders were garbage and that none of their fenders would fit my bike. they reccomended i buy a new bike. they also made fun of an electric motorized pedal assist i had on one of my bikes. All of this was before Matt Guiles worked there, i have nothing but respect for him and his work ethic but the previous experience left a bad taste in my mouth. i did not like the feeling of going in there and feeling like i was looked down upon because i wasn't a racer, i was a commuter. Things have probably changed over there since they moved But things at Babcocks have not and thats a good thing. Kevin took my fenders and fixed them. He didnt replace them, he fixed them... and 5 years later they still function on that bike. the little extras like getting your derailler cleaned for no charge on top of my order was great. Kevin and John never looked down on my Biking habits, in fact they showed me many products that might encourage them. Thats how it should be done, they make money and i walk out with what i need. They sell Brooks saddles, which are the best in my opinion for my kind of Constant biking. They sold me studded tires for winter riding... they found the kind i wanted and did not just stick to nokian like other bike shops did. I got my schwalbes. They went through an annoying process to get a bike i wanted that took 6 months! but they got it when no one else could and he even through a free bottle in for my trouble. You have to develop a relationship with a bike shop. Babcocks is there to help you ride the way you want to. If your looking to drop 150$ on a bike go to walmart... If you are serious, and want to be treated with respect by knowledgeable and helpful staff, go...

At first his service was really good he was very helpful. But eventually I was pushed out of his shop he made a repair and after it was finished he raised the original price agreed upon.

That's not the worst part, his shop sells you both bikes and parts way higher than any other shop in this entire county. You could easily drive a little further and find a MUCH better deal. Let alone online prices.

The bikes sold here are higher quality, BUT the normal use scenario you will never need a bike that expensive you don't have to buy a 'Walmart©' bike but you shouldn't buy something top of the line if you're going to be using it for casual riding. Go buy elsewhere if you use it casually or with your family, if you need a professional bike for several hundred miles journeys this IS your shop.

Edit: he cares too much about ratings and is trying to get my review taken down. not cool would not recommend

TL:DR Don't overpay if you don't need to

There's A "brand" upcharge you don't need

Overly...

I bought my Trek bike here when I was 17 - I’m 31 now and still ride that bike! The quality of product and level of service here is unmatched. I had the fortune of being assisted by Kevin Babcock who was very transparent, extremely knowledgeable, helpful and incredibly personable. He helped me replace my back tire after I was having frequent flats. He showed me multiple spots in my tire that were problematic. I appreciated him explaining things in detail instead of keeping me in the dark. I made the mistake of taking my bike to another shop earlier in the year and they did not help me get to the root of the problem; they likely would have let me keep coming in to replace my tube even though I did question if my tire was an issue. My point being, I should have came into Babcock’s from the beginning! Don’t even question where to take your bike, this place has never disappointed me and I’ll be a forever customer because of that. Thanks again Kevin! I had a great ride with my new puncture...