May 21, 2020

COVID-19 SERVICE UPDATE (May 21, 2020)

Signs in the Door of Bicycle Roots Bike Shop

Things are getting a little weird around here.

There’s been a seismic shift in the bicycle industry. Due to pandemic-related factory closures in Asia, the supply of bikes is lower than it should be to meet normal levels of demand. And also due to the pandemic, the demand for bikes is higher than anyone in the industry expected. Much higher. Some customers want to ride a bike instead of taking germ-ridden public transit. Some are looking for socially distant exercise while their gyms, sports, or other activities are closed or cancelled. Some are looking for a way to find joy during quarantine, replace a cancelled vacation, or do something special with their stressed out kids. Regardless of why there are so many new cyclists, customer demand for new bikes and cycling gear has exploded at precisely the same moment that supply for the same has cratered....

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May 5, 2020

COVID-19 SERVICE UPDATE (May 7, 2020)

Bike Mechanic Fixing a Flat Tire at Bicycle Roots Bike Shop

Hello again, intrepid cyclists of NYC. Please make note of today’s normal:

At this time, we are not taking walk-in’s at all. For your health, and ours, no one is allowed in the store without at appointment. With that being said, our staff are super busy helping customers who have made appointments, as well as customers who have purchased bikes and gear from us online. And we’d like to help you! Do you need a bike, bike parts or accessories, or a bike repair? Please keep reading for how to get help…

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April 3, 2020

COVID-19 SERVICE UPDATE (April 3, 2020)

A mechanic at Bicycle Roots Bike Shop trues a wheel while wearing a face mask and gloves

To our customers, neighbors and friends:

Bicycle Roots has been has been in business since 2013. In 7 years, we’ve weathered some challenges, but the Covid-19 pandemic brings a whole new level of uncertainty. We want to keep you rolling, to keep our customers on two wheels. Especially now, when cycling is so obviously the safest, healthiest way to get from A to B. BUT the pandemic creates challenges in every single area of our business. We are experiencing shortages of critical inventory and supplies, reduced staffing, and intense customer demand. We have had to institute labor- and resource-intensive protocols to protect the health of our workers and customers. This is an evolving situation, and while we WISH we could keep things predictable, the fact is that things are going to change at our shop, and change again, and change again. We’ll post service updates here, on our blog, under the hashtag #covid19. Please read, and check back frequently.

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November 21, 2017

2017 Holiday Gift Guide for Cyclists

2017 Holiday Gift Guide for Cyclists

Is there a cyclist in your life in need of a thoughtful holiday gift? Or maybe you’re the cyclist, and you need help deciding what to gift yourself! We’ve compiled a list of unique, useful bike accessories designed to make cycling safe and fun year round… especially in the winter! Keep reading for gift giving brilliance…

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March 23, 2017

Bike Rentals are Here!

Bicycle Rental Kiosk at Bicycle Roots Bike Shop

Rentals are Here!

You asked, and we listened: We now rent bikes! Our rental rates starts as low as $10 per hour. All of our rental bikes come with a bicycle helmet, and, of course, a free New York City bike map. And you can always count on our awesome staff for expert local tips for biking in Brooklyn and beyond.

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November 23, 2016

How to Winterize Your Bike

Snow Covered Bicycle

Winter is coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. For many people that means it’s time to put the bike away for the season. However, there are those of us who hate the subway so much, who prefer the freedom of a bike over app-tethered ride-sharing to such a degree, that we are willing to keep riding our mighty bicycle-shaped steeds through the black-slush-lined streets of a New York City winter. We, the year-round commuters and cyclists, are entering the time of year when it is necessary to take a long, hard look at our bicycles and decide — is my bike ready for winter?

That’s exactly the question that this blog post has come to answer. What do you need to do in order to winterize your bike? What gear do you need, and what tips and tricks are there to keep your bike reliable and functional all winter?

Every bike and every rider is different, so the process for winterizing bikes will vary depending on you and your bike’s specific needs — but...

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September 8, 2016

All-City Pony Express Bikes Have Landed

An All-City Pony Express Bike at Bicycle Roots

If you’re not already familiar with All-City Cycles, you should know that the company specializes in producing high quality steel frames and complete bikes for road, track, cyclocross, and touring. But up until recently, they’ve never offered a flat bar commuter bike for the rack-and-fender crowd. Hence the new Pony Express, a practical and well thought out complete bike that just became available this summer.

The Pony Express uses the same frame as the All-City Spacehorse, which features braze on mounts for full fenders, front and rear racks, and a pump peg....

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September 16, 2015

Built to Last: the Mission Workshop Arkiv in Waxed Canvas

Arkiv 20L Waxed Canvas

Mission Workshop has been making well designed, functional, and rugged bags, right here in the USA for the better part of a decade. The Arkiv backpack is everything we’ve come to expect from Mission Workshop and has some interesting features that are worth mentioning.

It’s modular. The Arkiv backpack can be a standalone bag or you can add pockets and accessories via a built in attachment system. Optional add-ons include: pockets, organizers, cell phone holders, and a laptop sleeve. The Arkiv’s flexibility means that you can customize your bag to your day to day needs as well as add on to it for added capacity when you need it.

Waxed canvas. Waxed canvas is a tried and true waterproof fabric, is easy to maintain, and can last a lifetime if properly cared for. In...

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