What do you think I would do to kill time in a new city? Visit their best local bike shops of course! I did a little searching on the net and found 5 shops that seemed to be well liked. First up, Trek Bicycle Store of Pittsburgh. They have four locations in the area, the shop I visited was the Robinson store. I showed up about 15 minutes before they opened and was allowed in. As if the name on the building didn’t give it away, they specialize in Trek bikes. Unlike so many of the Specialized concept stores that rarely carry other brands, this store also carries LeMond, Pivot, Gary Fisher, Kona and a few others. The store is extremely well organized and seemed to be having a big sale so prices were about the same as most shops which meant they probably run on the expensive side normally. The older gentlemen that greeted me was very nice but when I mentioned I only ride 29er bikes, he no longer made eye contact. Weird. It felt like I shattered his opinion of me because I prefer big wheels. Not that I give a shit what this man thinks about me or what I ride but with an attitude like that he will scare off a great many customers. Here are a few pics.
Next up, I traveled a little more into the heart of the city to find Thick Bikes. TB is owned by Chris Beech who has been in the frame building business since 1996 when his shop was located in Brooklyn, NY. This was my favorite shop of the tour because it’s the kind of shop that we just don’t have in SoCal. Or, I have never been to one like this. Walking around the shop felt like I was rummaging through a fabricators toolbox. Well, I was! Prototype frames, jigs, and various tools were scattered about. They did have some “normal” bike store goods like bags, parts, bottles, etc but that wasn’t why I liked it. Their back room is stuffed with used bikes! I found a couple of old LeMond, Trek, Centurion and Ironman frames that I used to own. Most of them were complete bikes that could be had for less than $75. If I was driving home I believe my wallet would have taken a beating. I also found two really cool 29er bikes that sparked my curiosity. A 29er SS dirt jump bike called The Big Ripper and a SE Stout SS 29er. I hadn’t seen or heard of either of these before. The Big Ripper would definitely be a sweet ride around town rig and I believe it was only around $600! I didn’t spend any time talking to the guy working the counter as he was busy helping other customers fix their bikes. This seems to be the favorite downtown bike shop for locals. Everyone that rode in knew each other and the shop had no problem offering a free hand, pump and even threw a guy a used tube to get him by. I really couldn’t tell you all the brands they carry as the shop was very spread out. I did find the one bike I was looking to try for some time now, the Redline D660. This is Redline’s aluminum hardtail 29er that I considered building before I purchased my Niner Air 9. Let’s just say I am glad I bought the Niner. If you are in downtown PITT, check out Thick Bikes. Pics…
After leaving TB, it was time to find some lunch. I really wish I could remember the name of the small cafe I ate at, it was really good. If I remember it later I will edit this post. (I mentioned this as a reminder) Only a few short miles away but what seems like light years is Pro Bikes. The surrounding areas neighboring both shops is dramatically different. TB feels like you’re in downtown NYC and Pro Bikes feels like you’re in a strip mall. The location I visited is in Squirrel Hill a newly revamped area of downtown. The streets reminded me of downtown San Clemente with all the shops having their own mini version of a Saturday Street Fair. After spending about 30 minutes in the shop I quickly realized that if you are a pro bike racer in the area, this is probably your LBS. In the short time I was there, 5 or 6 riders came in riding various team kits asking about races, sponsorships and some events coming up. The walls of Pro Bikes are littered with race memorabilia, teams and riders they support and community events. They carry a lot of the big name brands including Specialized, Giant, Bianchi, Seven, Trek and Independent. There were definitely more road bikes than mountain bikes in the shop. Everyone was friendly and helpful and the shop was very well organized. Sorry for the blurry pics my camera was having some issues. A new P&S is on the way.
Traveling just outside of downtown my next stop was Dirty Harry’s. Even though this bike shop looks like most shops, it turned out to be something special, to me. This store was the largest in size of the tour for sure. Brands included Specialized, Trek, Niner, Gary Fisher, Santa Cruz and Titus. So, why was this shop special? Well, just by reading off the brands they carry should tell you something about a shop. The guys that work here, race. The makes and models of bikes found in the shop are the same bikes I see on the race course. It was really nice seeing some Niner bike and I even picked up a pair of Niner Pedal Damn It socks. I really wanted to pick up one of their kits as it says DirtyHarry’s all over it, I mean that IS a really cool bike shop name, but cash was low. A talked with a couple of the guys there while standing next to a few Niner’s about the shop and what they specialize in. They told me 80% of the staff races mountain bikes, I knew it! I found the selection of parts and products to be better than most shops as well. They have a pro bike fitter on staff that does a basic fit on EVERY customer that buys a bike from them. I wish ALL shops did that. Shops, are you listening? DH’s is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. I didn’t take very many pictures here, I was too busy chatting.
Last, but definitely not least, is Kraynick’s Bike Shop. Kraynick’s reminded me a lot of Bicycle Kitchen in LA., but with a lot more history. Steve Kraynick first opened this shop in the 1940’s and it has become a staple of downtown Pittsburgh life. In the late 1970’s, Gerry Kraynick took over the shop from his father and has been running it since. If you search out Kraynick’s I should warn you, it’s not located in a great part of town. The kind of area you want to lock your doors if you know what I mean. That being said, it is definitely a diamond in the rough. This shop will not sell you the new Roubaix and he probably doesn’t have the latest Fox fork either. What he does have is 6 works stations ready so you can work on your bike, 60 years of spare bike parts for sale, every tool you should ever need to build or repair a bike and a great leader. If you need that odd part for your old bike that nobody has, Gerry has it. I found a couple cool panoramic shots of the shop here. There is no website but you can google search the address.
That concludes my bike shop tour of Pittsburgh. I hoped I helped someone out there find a LBS if they are seeking one out in the area. I had a blast and look forward to killing some time in a new city soon!
