Ace Wheelworks

Category:	Bicycle Store
Address:	145 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144, USA
Phone:	+1 617-776-2100
Site:	wheelworks.com
Rating:	4.1
Working:	10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 9AM–6PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 61

Reviews 5

A Private User

Ive bought a bike and had work done on my bikes here quite a few times in the past and had always had a good experience. This past time I had a small fix with a broken wheel spoke and had the work done on a busy friday afternoon. On my first ride after the bike had been fixed I came off a sidewalk and the wheel dropped out of the frame. When I checked the bike it turned out that they must have lost the original spindle cap to my wheel when they trued it and put back on rusted smaller spare one which had a broken cover (only reason I noticed it wasnt the original). When I took the bike back to the shop the younger mechanics I talked to were quite rude and told me that the wheel fell out because my bike was broken down and old. When I showed them the cap that was clearly too small and sinking into the frame notch for the spindle they argued that it must have been the same one I brought in originally. After some more back and forth trying to prove that I wasnt trying to scam them out of a $2 cap one of the senior mechanics stepped in and told them to just put on a cap that was the right size, which they did in a big show saying, "see this is me putting on the new cap, see this is me tightening the wheel, see the wheel is on now but you still need a new bike anyway." I can understand on a busy friday how someone could have just thrown on a spare cap without checking, and even when the wheel dropped out I wasnt too upset because I didnt get hurt. But the absolutely rude and juvenile behavior I experienced is inexcusable. There are plenty of bike shops in Cambridge and I think I will try out a few of them before I go back, perhaps by then some of those guys will have moved on before alienating too many more customers.

Justin Loiseau

I bought my bike here in 2014, have always gone here for repairs, and will never go back again. I went in for a "Tune & True w/Drive Train Cleaning" ($119) and initially had an additional $90 in parts installed. When I first picked up the bike, I immediately realized they had entirely failed to remove, inspect, and clean the front derailleur and chain ring. They took it back and worked on it for another hour while I ran an errand. When I returned, I took the bike out and it took one pedal to hear a strange grinding sound. I turned around, took it back in, and they worked on it for another 20 minutes. They handed it back to me, I took it back out, and it took one pedal to hear that the strange grinding sound was still there. I left the bike overnight, they replaced another $150 in parts (to my surprise, as there was no mention of this additional cost in a follow-up phone call), and I got the bike back the next evening. They gave me a $90 discount on my $360 service + parts bill. I had to point out their half-finished job, as well as their imperfect repair on two occasions. I had to return to the store three times and go an additional day without my bike. The manager was mildly apologetic but altogether disinterested in admitting and recompensing for how poor their service had been. My suggestions: (1) Change your final inspection process so fewer incomplete or imperfect maintenance/repair jobs occur, (2) be more transparent about pricing, (3) when you inevitably make a mistake, value customer service above saving a few bucks and comp a substantially larger portion of the bill.

Andreas M

I dropped off my Mountain bike with a fork that leaked oil. They sent the fork to Fox for repair and that worked well. However the mechanic was obviously asleep when they reassembled the bike at Ace Wheelworks: -the front brake caliper was only attached loosely to the fork. The bolts were not tightened up at all. This is unsafe as the brake doesnt work and it can damage the brake. -I asked them not to service or touch the rear shock. The rear shock had clearly been serviced in some way. However the rear shock pressure was all the way down and its adjustment was completely off. I had serviced the shock before so that has to be redone now and I have to find out why the rear shock is now losing pressure. -The rear reflector at the seat post is broken and loose now. not a big deal for a mountain bike that is used as such but come on..... -The break cables were reattached in a sloppy way so that the front wheel could not be turned all the way. I had to redo it. Lousy job. Letting a bike out the door that is not only not ready to ride but also unsafe is unprofessional. I picked up the bike 4 days after they said its ready so there was no time pressure on my side. The shop was full of people and they rushed me through the checkout. I took the bike and loaded it in the car immediately so thats why I noticed the sloppy work only when I was home. I wish I could give zero stars. Dont let them fix your expensive bikes and think twice if you want to buy bikes there (I bought my bikes there but wont shop there again).

mike moriarty

Positives: Great selection and its really convenient to be able to try out so many different models before you buy. Negatives: Snobby or non-existent customer service. Horrible place to work. If its obvious you are planning on spending a lot of money or theyre not busy at all and the salesmen are bored, you will be helped. They may even refrain from treating you rudely. If its busy or you just want accessories, good luck. As far as employment, I worked briefly at the Belmont store in early 95. Since my mechanic experience was fairly limited, I was assigned to work with an experienced mechanic, Mark. Right from the outset, it became clear that this snobby nerd was not going to answer any questions at all. It took me a month to learn on my own how to assemble bikes. I was having trouble with brake adjustment/installation but, other than that, I was starting to feel pretty comfortable. Had I been able to ask questions and fine-tune my skills/knowledge, I would have become a pretty good bike mechanic. Instead, the owner fired me because my progress was slow. He initially didnt know what was going on behind the scenes and when I told him, it seemed like he had already made up his mind and I was out. I would not recommend working here. The snobbery doesnt end at the front counter. If thats the way they train employees, no wonder there are so many complaints about mechanical issues.

A Private User

Aug 15 09. I went to the Belmont store and received *excellent* service. Unfortunately they didnt have the Dahon Jack (I tried the smaller ones, nice bikes!). For the DJ they referred me to Somerville. Sommerville was mobbed, and the clerk I was supposed to ask for was unavailable. Nathan said he could help. I explained I was there for the Dahon Jack, and was sent on a test drive (without a helmet). Great bike, but I indicated frame size was too small and I wanted to order the 18". To my surprise Nathan said he was not going to do that. HUH? I tried again... can I leave a deposit or order it? He said he thought they were sold out for the year, but wouldnt confirm that for me... but we have other bikes in stock for your price range. He admitted he did not know anything about folders, but would not ask one of the other clerks to get me an answer. His attitude definitely conveyed it was not in his best interest to do anything but sell floor models. Training? Commission? Who knows. I can see everyone else here reported good service. After I left, I emailed my complaint, and after a week with no response (still none) I ordered from Bicycle Bananas (free shipping and no tax delivered to Mass) and got the bike in 2 weeks. The Jack is awesome BTW... great ride. You can fit it in a Corollas trunk and I store it there when not used.