Big Wheel Bikes

Category:	Bicycle Store
Address:	6917 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
Phone:	+1 301-652-0192
Site:	bigwheelbikes.com
Rating:	3.2
Working:	10AM–6PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 11

Reviews 7

Zyiad Mutawy

I went in this past Sunday to try and rent a bike from the store. As a first time customer it took me a couple minutes to be helped despite the store being slow. As he showed me all the available bikes i notcied they were in horrible condition. All very old and poorly maintained. Being tall, there was only a limited selection. The bike i was given didnt even have a kick stand. I decided to take it anyway. As i was checking out he stated that it would be a rate of 7 dollars an hour with a 3 hour minimum charge. Furthermore he noted that the bike had to be back by 5:45pm (it was 3:30 at the time). I asked if he could extend it past 6pm since we wanted to ride the trail near it. He said that he would extend it to 6pm and charge me a whopping FIVE DOLLARS for every MINUTE i was late. I thought it was absurd since 1) the store was clearly slow. There werent any customer in there besides myself. 2) the bike i was renting was super crappy. 3) who says things like that? I decided to take myself and my friends to Griffin Cycle down the street where everyone there actually seemed like they wanted to earn your business and had much better quality bikes. They also charged you an all day fee of 30 bucks and were kind enough to give us the option of keeping it over night for picking it up late in the day.

A Private User

I bought a Breezer Uptown 8 from Big Wheel Bikes on Arlington Road in Bethesda, Maryland on June 2, 2008. I was told the bike would be in the shop by June 6, and available for pickup the following day. Between June 7 and June 16, I called the shop multiple times to inquire about when I could pick up the bike. Each time I called I was told the bike had been ordered but no additional information could be provided. I was twice promised that someone would call me back, yet no one ever did. On June 16, I contacted Breezer only to learn that no bike with the specs I requested had been ordered by Big Wheel Bikes. I subsequently called Big Wheel Bikes to request a refund but was told that even though the order was done by phone, no refund could be provided except in person. This is contrary to the hassle-free return policy that Breezer requires of its dealers. Im now leaving it up to my credit card company to sort out Big Wheel Bikes. Ive placed a new order with City Bikes in Chevy Chase, and Ive urged Breezer to discontinue using Big Wheel Bikes as an authorized dealer. This is the worst experience Ive had with a company in a very long time. At minimum, Big Wheel Bikes is incompetently run.

A Private User

I have to confirm many of the horrible reviews of this hole. About 3 years ago, I went in here to buy a bike pump. We waited about 15 minutes in line with 1 person in front of us. Nobody else was there to help us, and the cashier didnt even acknowledge our presence. Then the cashier barely spoke a word as he rang us up after making us wait for those 15 minutes. As if it wasnt bad enough that the bike pump was grossly overpriced, and was so poorly made that it broke the first time I used it. I then went to Target to get a much better quality and less expensive pump which I happily use to this day. My then gf, now wife, at the time even remarked at how ridiculous this experience was as we walked to the car. Even 3 years later, the pathetic level of customer service, and piece of garbage bike pump that I got in this place clearly resonates in my mind. Im on the market for a new bike, and the manufacturer shows that this place is a dealer. I saw these reviews and wanted to add my 2 cents to confirm that, if my experience 3 years ago is any indicator, all of the other reviews you read about this place are believable. May god be on your side if you choose to shop at this dump.

A Private User

Bought a Scott Speedster S30, was quoted a price, and got it in writing. Wasnt sure about whether I wanted to buy, so I shopped around a bit, but eventually came back and bought it. However, the price was $100 more than originally quoted. Returned to store, and asked about discrepancy. Showed my original price quote, and $100 dollars was returned to my card. Very cool. After riding for a few weeks, two issues arose: gears were slipping quite badly, and tires were being popped for unknown reasons. Essentially, had to keep bringing it back and insist that some attention be given to the issues. Im not an expert, but I know how to change a tire, and know when gears dont feel right. Turned out that there were adjusters on the cables that were likely not keeping the tension correct, and some kind of shard or rough part on the inside of the rim that was popping the tube. All work was covered under the year of service with a purchase of a bike. Bike performed great for the tri, and rode like glass. It seems that you just need to be an advocate for yourself, and your service will be great.

victor Concepcion

Been a customer 3 times, mainly out of convenience. Each time a different problem. Two repairs botched. One of them was a simple handle bar retaping. The other was when I needed a new handle bar. They did the job, but the bike had a lose stem when they returned it. I almost hit the pavement as my bike went down (on the ride home, no less). In terms of sales, the owner is rude and disinterested. Tried to charge me twice for the same thing, then acted as if he were doing me a favor when he corrected the problem. You cant even count on them for simple stuff (tubes, adaptors, etc), as they overcharge for these, and the quality of these items is very low. This shop isnt interested in supporting a customer base. Its just an old man squeezing a few more dollars out of his shop before he sells it. Very sad...

Karen Conneely

I had a great experience renting a bike here. Dmitri went the extra mile to make sure I had what I needed for my ride, including loaning me a tool and an ear covering (it was 35 and windy, and I wouldnt have lasted 20 minutes without it.) The bike itself was a surprisingly good deal ($7 an hour including helmet, lock, and addition of SPD pedals). I was expecting the usual old/clunky rental that most bike shops offer, but this one was new, well-tuned, and extremely lightweight for a hybrid. Compared to a nearby shop Id stopped in earlier, Big Wheel offered better rates and was much more willing to help. I had a wonderful ride and will definitely be back next time Im in town; it sounds like they also offer a range of road and mountain bikes for rent.

Frank Shewmaker

I was enjoying a Sunday morning ride on my road bike until my chain came off. Luckily I was only about 2 blocks from a bike shop - Big Wheel Bikes in Bethesda. I arrived a few minutes before opening time, but the manager was inside. I knocked on the glass door and made eye contact with him. He waved me away indicating they werent open yet. I pulled my broken chain out of my jersey to indicate it was an emergency. He didnt even bother to open the door to speak with me. He wasnt interested in helping me solve the problem. It clearly wasnt his problem. He just gave me a rude look and turned his back on me. Big Wheel Bikes could have earned my loyalty by extending some human courtesy but instead will never get my business.