Utopian Park Sloper pitu writes on the Park Slope Message Boards:
Every biker I know hates this place for their assholitude, so it was funny to read about ’em in this week’s Time Out. Funny that the rest of the list is Time Warner, Kinkos, and the US Postal Service.
The ConEd Awards for Bad Service…
http://www.timeoutny.com/newyo…..ervice.xml
| Quote: |
| R&A Cycles Bike shopping? Apparently the staff at this Brooklyn store was trained at the Rikers Island Finishing School: At least one TONY staffer found a special animosity for women who dare to ask specific questions. |
They got the high-end goods, that’s for sure. Drill down for unsubstantiated claims of alleged douchbaggery on the Park Slope Message Boards
I ride my bike almost everyday, it’s my way of getting around to work etc. And I can’t stand that place or the Lance Armstrong wannabe wall street douchebags that shout biking commandments as they race up past you dressed like some C list X-Men. I went in there asking if I could get brake handles adjusted on my wife’s bike so she could reach and squeeze them a little easier and the greasy jerk started lecturing me at how the bike is the wrong size for her and how she could die and it would be my fault – oh, and she wasn’t even there.
I had a terrible experience there too! The nice guy at Dixon’s who I asked to give me an idea of what size road bike I should shop for sent me to R&A thinking they’d measure me. When I walked over there and asked, the guy said that measuring is an extremely complex procedure and depends on what brand of bike I’m considering so there was no way they could help me without charging me a significant amount of money and spending about an hour there. I asked if there was any way he could just give me a rough idea of a size range to look in, and he was like, “Nope… Impossible!”. Jerk!
Yikes!…To be put in the same bad service line up as Duane Reade, and holy crap! Kinkos, this place must be bad. If you can’t get simple customer service right, then what the hell are you doing? Come on R & A…the last we need in this city is another %$$hole!
Bay Ridge Bicycles is the way to go!
Honest and sarcastic, Patrice is a straight shooter who is funny and patient and knows her stuff, as does her husband and son.
I used to live upstairs from R&A. My landlord actually owned that store, the hardware store (who’s customer service is just as good), and the discount store accross the street. It goes all the way to the top, the super would threaten us all the time, they never took care of the apartment (there was no heat, you had to climb on furniture to turn on the bathroom light, the window in the kitchen wouldn’t close which meant freezing windows with no heat).
If your not willing to drop 3 grand in that joint , they treat you like crap. If your looking for friendly honest service in the area dixons the place to go, I hope those snobs at r&a go out of business.
Yes, I couldn’t agree more. One of their employees once “jokingly” threatened to “beat me up” when I got upset at having been sold a faulty bicycle. They refused to return the bicycle, and were jerks when i kept bringing it in to be repaired, because it was under warranty. Do not buy a bicycle from these guys! You WILL regret it!
yeah, I lived in a Cabaad apartment too. When I complained about my leaky roof, he told me to think of how bad it was for the children in Pakistan.
Try out the awesomely customer focussed staff at On The Move Bicycles on 7th Ave – they go out of their way to assist no matter what you need – a brake adjustment or advice and sizing of a new bike.
R&A just want your cash – I gave up on trying to buy a bike there – they were really rude and told me that if I spent any less than $3000 on a bike I was kidding myself. Ahem (Cough) Yeah Right!
I thought I was the only one treated like crap in that store when trying to buy a seat.
Ran into Mr. Machismo. Felt like kicking is ass he talked down to me so bad.
By the way, I did get a referral to them from the guys at Dixon. I’ll tell them TODAY when I visit.
Ditto… if you buy a bike there, you won’t get the kind of service required to keep a Schwinn running. Went in for Campagnolo brake cables for my Orbea, they looked at me like, “cables we don’t sell them to anyone.” Ditto with everything else I have asked for, I just buy online. The days of complete parts stock like used to be at Conrad’s is OVER.
Go to Sid’s in NYC, real people, real nice people. Dixon’s if you want nice guys at the lower end of the price range.
Felix at R & A told me my bike was shot. Went to Brooklyn Heights Bike Shoppe and the guy checked it out for free and said everything was ok. Also asked a girl at the counter at R & A if speedplay frogs were compatible with spd shoes. I knew they were but just wanted to reassure myself. She said hmm SPD then spelled out speedplay and because the letters S, P, and D are in Speedplay, she said yes. She happened to be right but it was definitely not because she knew the answer. It would have been nice if she just said i dont know, let me find out. I was interested in buying a cervelo. They said they would charge me for a fit. I went into SBR on 58th and 7th. They only have higher end bikes however if that is what you are in the market for, they offer a free hour fit which is about a 250 value that people fly in for, and four free tune ups a year.
This place is a candy store for yuppies.
Go over to Bicycle Station on Vanderbilt at Bergen.
They love bikes and they like people!
Yeah, R&A sucks, but On The Move isn’t any better. They fixed a flat for me once, but pinched the tube and did not fully inflate the tire. When I got home I checked the pressure because it felt low (it was), pumped it up and the tube exploded. On The Move tried to charge me again to fix what they got wrong in the first place. I go to Bicycle Station, the customer service is waaaay better.
I boycott R&A! Even though I live 1 block from them, I chose to buy my new Cannondale at Sids in Manhattan. R&A are rude and threatening. They don’t want to fix your bike, the just want to sell you a fancy new one.
they are royal jerks at r&a. but what that douche bag john said is fucked up. we aren’t a bunch of “C list x-men” we go fast cuz thats the way that we ride. so fuck you! if your in the way then were gonna yell @ you to get the fuck out of the way. but that is also the way that the people @ R&A act.
also, there not going to listen to you if you don’t spend big money over there. im talking like $4500-$15000. they’re selling a bike over there that coasts $15000 plus measurements(250)