Plaine And Son

Category:	Bicycle Store
Address:	1816 State St, Schenectady, NY 12304, USA
Phone:	+1 518-346-1433
Site:	plaineandson.com
Rating:	3.8
Working:	10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–6PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 58

Reviews 11

Basil R Bhan

Background: Just traded a little-used, brand-name mountain bike for a new road bike. Radical tech changes since I last owned/rode a bicycle caused me to spend time in the store, asking lots of basic questions. I have no personal interest in the business nor personal gripes. Observations follow. Your experience/perception may differ. Pros: -Knowledgeable and helpful staff. -Sales force not pushy at all; may even suggest cheaper alternatives – rare phenomenon! -Spacious sales-room floor permits trial-bike-ride within the confines of its walls. Shopping in winter? No problem. Speaking of which, bikes specifically designed for riding in sand and snow adorned the showroom. -Clean and inviting showroom One is greeted with a smile. Cons: -During busy hours, apt to be served by staff who eagerly volunteer addressing questions but are seriously short on product knowledge. -Quotes are not generally offered in writing unless specifically requested. Recommendation: -Secure the quotation in writing. And bring the written quotation with you. (Resolved my predicament at the cash counter.) -If questions not answered satisfactorily, courteously request a different representative. Les, his son Matt and David (not his son :) ) are thorough gentlemen! Would I return to the store? Yes, definitely Yes..

Bob Jacobs

Very clean shop, open. Some of the employees are very grungy looking, rude, and condescending. We went to rent some gear, and the employee (one of the nicer ones) asked no questions about ski style, preferences, etc. Just grabbed what fit and gave it to me. Had to ask to get better gear. We called prior and asked if they were renting out ski gear yet, and they said yes, but it was only when we were checking out we learned that they didnt even have the machines to tune up the skis yet, and they would call us to drive all the way back and pick them up. Unbelievable. We also picked up a bike tube and tire, and the same guy gave us the wrong sized tire, which we figured out when we got home. For a bike shop? Seriously? Came for a tune up on skis last year, and the guy who looked quite scary and was extremely rude told us that they put away the machines but agreed to get them out and tune them up. He told us that the skis were actually past due, but we were told when we rented them a different, later due date. Thankfully we were able to keep them to the original due date. UPDATE: Came by to get the skis, gave me a different pair than I had picked out, this pair is bigger. Unbelievable. Didnt realize it until I got home. I dont understand how a shop can mess up this many times.

bcrich 1975

Service and initial sale goes very well. Employees are friendly and willing to help. Problems are that the employees give misleading/incorrect information regarding their return policies. If youre unlucky enough to have to deal with the owners son, you will encounter a condescending individual who will talk over you and do everything he can to not work with the customer. Long story short, everything is great until there is an issue. This business operates on the premise of not caring about future business or good customer relations. If the business chooses to debate this review, for those that read this, realize I would not spend any time writing this if there was not a valid reason to warn potential buyers. Be very informed of their policies and procedures as each employee seems to contradict the managements perspective.

jason dmers

Im an informed consumer and I met Les personally yesterday. Maybe one of biggest "knob ends" Ive ever met. His sales approach was to not listen to what I wanted, but to keep talking about what he thought was great. His lack of product knowledge shocking and seemed to be making up things as he went along. After 15 minutes of his hard sell he realized he wasnt getting anywhere. About that time the door opened and someone else walked in. Then without so much as a good bye he walked off in the direction of the customer / victim and started his canned pitch all over again. I walked never to be back. He owns Broadway bike too.

A Private User

I purchased a Giant hybrid from Plaine & Son last year. I love it! Les was so helpful by listening to what I wanted out of my new bike (price range, functionality, etc). He pointed me in the right direction with bikes he thought would suit me. Plus, any bike you buy from them comes with a year of free service. Every time I go to this store I am greeted by friendly staff that are so willing to help with any aspect of what I need. They are so supportive of the cycling community. They also offer free clinics that will teach you how to change a tire or basic bike maintenance. Best cycling store in the area!

Lexi Pelletier

Family owned bike shops are the best. Biggest bike selection in the capitol region by far. They have been around forever. Their staff is very knowledgable and friendly, with a ton of experience. Overall, these guys really seem passionate and often offer price matching on their products with excellent selection.They really took their time with me so I could find the right bike. I had two fits here one when i first purchased my bike and the second after I have been riding for two years and I couldnt have asked for better help. Highly recommended.

Richard Nathan

Stay away from this shop! What we knew as Plaines is NO MORE! Les Plaine (the psychotic owner) has fired anybody of value (well almost) and is terrorizing all the employees and every customer that comes through the door. His pricing strategy is right out of the 50s. Mark it up as high as you can and see how many sucker you can get to pay for it. His items are routinely priced way above MSRP and, when Les is around, its always a brutally hard sell. He owns several shops in the area, so beware!

Gus Hoppes

Paid $85 to get my derailers adjusted since the chain kept slipping and i couldnt get it to shift into 3rd gear. They fixed the gear issue, but the chain still continued to skip going up any incline. Took it back a 2nd time just to have someone tell me that it is "a common problem that most bikes have." Best part is this is off a 3-5 year old bike I bought from them, which Ive hardly ridden. Im sure their are better places out there to go. I would take your business elsewhere.

Chris Dooling

Mechanic came out from his shop area behind the counter to help me out. I knew what I wanted but he encouraged me to ride around the store for feel. He also saw a scuff on the frame I would have never noticed and offered to order a mint bike or give me a discount. On my second ride the rear derailleur hanger broke off, and they fixed it for free even though they didnt have to. Great Specialized dealer down there in Schenectady who I will buy from again in the future.

Mike Manning

We went looking for a new bike for our daughter and we all walked out with bikes. The service and attention to detail to getting us all fitted for our bikes was outstanding. They will service the bikes for a year, each month for no cost. A service that will pay for its self over the course of a year. We have been back to purchase other needed gear and again, the service was top notch. I highly recommend Plaine And Son for your biking needs. - Mike

Jonathan Moran

Extremely disappointed with the service I received from this shop. Very sloppy work that left my bike greasier than when I dropped it off. Grease on the frame, seat, and handle bars. A basic tune up does not include aligning handle bars with front wheel? Pathetic. Will never go back and plan to tell my friends to avoid this place of business. Overpriced beyond belief.