BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Thick bikes on the south side. They have new and used and if you tell them what type of cycling you want to do, they are helpful.

Ditto what Stef said. thickbikes.com and twitter.com/thickbikes They'll talk you through exactly what works for you and won't be dicks about it.

Stay away from Craigslist - unless you really know what you're talking about, there is just so much crap on there, you might even think you're getting a steal on a bike for $300, but its actually worth $20 in scrap metal and even worse, could be dangerous.

I agree with going to Thick, they always have good stuff. I've never bought used from there but have seen some really nice used bikes for sale.

This is almost my very favorite kind of thread.

And, yes, Thick bikes.

Have fun!

I got my mountain bike from thick used. no regrets.

You mentioned Dirty Harry's - I like their shop a lot.

There is a shop in Lawrenceville too. I think it's in the ally behind the bowling lanes. Might be worth checking out since it's so close & would be handy for repairs, etc. +1 for either DH or Thick

Love Bikes, a block off Butler at 44th? St. Great place to get a bike repaired.

Dirty Harry's is very good. If I recall correctly, when ejwme was researching her bike, she went all over the place and found success at Dirty Harry's. I've had good experiences there as well with service.

Dirty Harry's has a nice shop and I know people hate it but I have had nothing but great experiences at Pro Bikes.

I can't say I've had the same experience as Orionz at Pro Bikes. To me, they are now the worst of the bike shops in terms of their treatment of women and non-competitive cyclist women. I won't even go into Pro Bikes anymore.

Dirty Harry's shop is awesome but they don't have much in the urban category.

I'm a fat noncompetitive suburb-to-city commuter. In the last two years I've bought a hybrid at Trek of Shadyside and they were very friendly and helpful, and bought a touring bike at Thick and they were very friendly and helpful. I recommend both.

DH is great also. I have only dealt with them when it comes to big bikes with squishy tires though.

@Swalfoort, that's a shame. I can only speak of one person at one store though as I only deal with him anymore. I have no stores I will *not* go into but one seemed to not give a shit that I had questions and made it seem like I interrupted their day to spend money there.

I havent had the best experiences at ProBikes either. I bought my road bike there, and really had to struggle to get anyone there to help me. Seemed like they were only caring about folks that looked like they had money. Ive bought at BikeTek in Squirrel Hill, and the guy working in there was extremely helpful and nice. Someone mentioned Love Bikes in Lawrenceville.. great great place to get your bike fixed, but I think Nick only does custom builds as far as sales goes.

But I agree with everyone saying Thick Bikes. For your price range, its probably your best option. Good luck!

i like biketek in squirrel hill as well, and you will be able to get an under-$500 bike there without difficulty. especially since they give you a 15% discount on all purchases with your bike pittsburgh membership!

iron city hasn't been mentioned, but i like them as well. not a huge selection, but they seem to specialize in the sort of bikes you'll probably want to be riding.

one thing you want in a shop is a place you're comfortable taking your bike when it needs fixed, and both iron city and biketek do good work, and treat me well.

+1 I've had good experiences with sales & service @ Iron City.

[edit] and I'm a middle-aged female