Machinery Row Bicycles

Great service today, as always. Purchased my bike there a few years back and I take it in for service when needed. Today I rolled in and was helped right away. 10 minutes later my honking breaks were like ninja breaks, and it was on the house.

Favorite LBS in Madison!
I’ve been shopping at the row for several years. Their stock of high quality bikes and accessories is second to none.
It’s cold common to be able to call up a knowledgeable mechanic, ask about a repair or parts, and stop by the shop to pick up the part I need because they actually have it in Stock.
Mechanics are friendly and confident. Special orders are easy.
They hire summer staff that’s not always the most knowledgeable, but if you get a salesman who’s been there, they have great background and will put you on the right bikes.

Rented bikes when visiting Madison from Chicago — was an easy and friendly process, reasonably priced and great location for setting off on a big ride around the lake! Go see them!

I got my bike repaired while I was at work. They did only the repairs I needed and didn’t try to sell me anything extra as I feared they might. I work at a bar, so I could not leave and go pick it up… so they brought it over to me! This was above and beyond and I was impressed. I will definitely return for repairs here in the future.

Went in to see if I could get a helmet to ride the public bikes and ended up renting a bike from this place. The first guy I ran into was wildly unhelpful. Not being from madison I wasn’t sure what the rules were or where to go to get around the lake. Once I found someone new to talk to things got a little better. The bike was decent but not great. They only do 24 he rental which seems silly seeing that the lake only takes an hour to get around. The only reason I would rent from them is if you want a helmet otherwise stick to the public bikes.

My favorite bike shop in the whole world. They answer questions honestly and patiently — Chris went above and beyond with his service and we are happy, lifetime customers!

Best customer service experience I’ve had with a retail institution in a very long time. I brought my bike in to see if someone could explain how to work my odometer. Derek, bike technician, helped me, explained all about my odometer, and then diplomatically advised me that my bike fork had been installed backward (I’d bought it from a bike store in Salem, OR). I didn’t have my wallet with me, but he was concerned for my safety on the bike and dropped everything and insisted on fixing it for me on the spot, while I waited, and for FREE. It doesn’t get any better than this. I’m a customer for life, to be sure.

Have used Machinery Row in the past and so fully expect the «we’re too cool to talk to you» from some of the mechanics. Brought my bike in for a tune-​up recently and waited about 4 minutes for the guy at the counter to even acknowledge me. When I finally told him what I was there for (standing there with my bike) he said «OK» and went back to his work. After waiting several more minutes I headed out for any of the many other bike shops in town. They might not be located as close by, but I won’t be going to Machinery Row for any type of service again.

I absolutely love this bike shop. They have the best selection of petite women’s bikes and this was the only bike shop in town with a small enough frame to fit my size. I bought my bike there over six months ago and have been back several times for accessories, which are always compatible with prices online. I haven’t had any issue with the staff, they have all been great.

This review is for their bike rentals. We rented 2 bikes to ride around the lake. You pay for a day $ 30 per bike… even though we just needed it for an hour or so it was still $ 30. So… the good news if you want it for the whole day, it is an okay deal, but if you want it just for a short time, it really isn’t a good deal at all. Service was below average. We had to wait quite awhile to get them and then upon returning them we barely got a «nod» acknowledging us. Next time I will just have to bring my bike with me! :)

I have recently bought two bikes here, one for my nine-​year-​old daughter and one for myself. We aren’t bike experts and managed to screw up my daughter’s rear brakes within days. They repaired it for free.
The customer service was okay. They didn’t spend much time with either of us (we bought her bike a week before we bought mine), but they seem to have a great selection and are very knowledgeable. However, being an out-​of-​shape newbie, I felt a little like I was dismissed because I am not an avid biker.
The location, of course, is fantastic. There is a nice area to test ride and they are right on the Lake Monona loop.

This turd sure is shiny with its fancy location and excellent selection of bikes, but my advice would be to just window shop and buy elsewhere. Spent lots of money on a new bike. Incompetent fitting. Jerks on the phone. I would not go here again. Go to Erik’s. Or anyplace else.
Never again.

Usually pretty busy and you can get lost in the shuffle and have to wait a bit to get service. Good selection of bikes. They benefit from their location right on the trail so you can easily take a bike for a quick test ride in a safe and enjoyable environment. Try to get to one of their sales, otherwise it can be more pricey than Trek or Erik’s.

I am a total bicycle newbie and finally decided to buy my first bike. I did some research on the Internet, so I had a fair idea of what I wanted. When I went in, the staff was so incredibly helpful and worked with me on my level. I worked with Hana, and she was great about teaching me about the different bikes, letting me try them out in the bike path outside and then helping me get the necessary accessories for me to get started.
Before I left, my bike was tuned up and all my accessories attached. I was able to ride my bike home right out of the shop, which was awesome. I look forward to going back there for all my bicycle needs!

Fixed my bike for free to adjust my tires. Very courteous and helpful. Really big selection too.

I went in with a rear flat. I knew the wheel wall was damaged so I was expecting I’d need to replace it. They offered to do what they could with the existing wheel to get the tire inflated (the advisability of which I lacked the expertise to weigh,) or to replace the whole wheel for twice as much as I’d been quoted elsewhere. At the quoted price for the cheap fix, I opted in because it seemed worthwhile.
Then the actual cost of the service was twice the quote and the repair only lasted a couple days. Total waste of too much money; there’s no way I’ll be back for service any time soon.

Was there over the weekend training for Ironman Wisconsin and my wife had an issue with her rear deraileur and I had an issue with my saddle. Dropped in unannounced and were promptly sent to the rear of the store to explain our issue with one of the available mechanics. The guy who took care of us (Nate) spotted within 5 seconds that my wife’s chain was on backwards which could have been a cause of her poor shifting. He kindly cleaned the chain before putting it back on correctly, adjusted her cable tension and deraileur hanger, leveled my seat and also changed the battery on my powertap. This took maybe 20 minutes and the bill was only $ 35!!! It’s nice to see a group of people that only care about whether or not you’re able to be out on your bike, enjoying it and not worry about your bikes performance.

My bike ride on ⁸⁄₃ ended up with a rear flat tire. I watched some YouTube videos and decided I could fix it myself. Went to Machinery Row Bicycles and bought a tube. I did a nice job with the flat, but messed up my rear brakes (rookie mistake). Took my bike in on ⁸⁄₄ and explained my situation. The repairman put my bike in the air and fixed it within minutes. He had the proper tools and experience. He didn’t charge me anything. Could it have been my Unilocal bell he noticed (thanks for the Unilocal schwag Corey!)? Regardless, I was very happy, thankful, and put some love in the tip jar.

There are different types of nerds in this world. You have the computer nerds, the science nerds, the band nerds, etc. One hybrid nerd are the outdoorsy nerds, part geek… part druid. Within this sub group are the bike nerds… people who just live for biking, know everything about it, and talk to you about the intricacies of bike design and construction. During these talks, you’ll most likely want to crush a cyanide pill and end it all, as the glassy eyed, non-​blinking sermon will just continue ad nauseum.
However, before you decide to check out, know that you are in the presence of passion. These folks know bikes, they love bikes, they ride bikes, and they are most likely married to bikes (hey you sexy Trek… can I blow up your tires tonight… how about we grind some gears… maybe after we go for a spin…). They set me up with a nice touring bike rental, impeccably maintained, and sized appropriately. They also gave me a map for doing the loop around lake Monona, a 12mi ride that is challenging but also beautiful.
The shop has hundreds of bikes and accessories all over, and I even saw a $ 20,000 custom bike there. Everything you could possibly want to complete your bike gestalt is here.
As someone who works out everyday, and is an unabashed gym rat, I sensed a strong pull towards getting into regular biking after these jaunts. Give me a few months to learn the jargon, and I’ll wax eloquently on the virtues of biking. Just please pretend to listen and don’t kill yourself.

Brought my bike in to get the chain and brakes oiled and the guy who helped me out also fixed my gears, tightened my handle bars, and didn’t charge me a thing! I waited for about 15 minutes and while he was doing what he does I was walking around looking at all of the bikes and different gear being sold. From $ 500 to over $ 3,000 Machinery Row has just about any type or stripe of bike you desire. They sell mostly Trek, which is my favorite brand, and have an area where you can place the bike you want in front of a mirror and ride in place while an employee watches so they can adjust the seat and handlebars to fit you perfectly.
They also sell shoes, clothing, helmets, and some really nice backpacks made specifically for riding.
Madison is an insanely welcoming city for bicyclists and has an ungodly number of trails and routes throughout the city. Machinery Row is in that perfect location on Monona Lake right on the bike path, all you have to do is coast on in.
Did I mention I was given a mini tune-​up for free?!