Machinery Row Bicycles

Category:	Bicycle Store
Address:	601 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703, USA
Phone:	+1 608-442-5974
Site:	machineryrowbicycles.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 9AM–7PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 11

Evets Smith

An overworked staff makes for poor customer service. Underpay that staff and youve got Machinery Row. Ive been in this shop periodically for the last 10 years. Ive purchased a few bikes there and had a lot of repairs done there. You never know if its going to be a great experience, or one of the employees is going to treat you as if you should feel like its a privilege for them to take your money, as though youre a second class citizen. They do have some exceptional employees (who should probably start their own shop). I realize that after a while its difficult to get excited about someone buying a new bike. And no one should expect a free ass-smooching with the purchase of a bicycle. HOWEVER, any customer should be able to expect to be treated with the level of respect with which they treat others. There are a few Machinery Row employees who shouldnt be interacting with the public. After 10 years and close to $7000 spent there, today was my final visit.

Nick Janous

This is a fantastic bike shop with a huge bike selection, huge variety of parts, tons of clothing and in my opinion, the best mechanics of any bike shop in town. I have been here for repair/parts for my racing bikes countless times and I will never go anywhere else. Ive been to Williamson, Budget bikes, and the dreaded Yellow Jersey and nothing comes close to Machinery Row. I have even brought my bikes in with problems and the mechanics will take 10, 15 even 20 minutes to show me whats wrong and how I can fix it myself to save money. If there is anything wrong with my bikes, they go nowhere but here. Part prices are fair, mechanic labor costs are very reasonable and the quality is unbeatable. My parents from Milwaukee will wait to buy parts/gear from Machinery Row in Madison because no bike store in Milwaukee can compare. I highly recommend this bike shop.

A Private User

My SO and I went there the other day looking for some specific bikes. My SO used to race semi-pro both road and offroad and knows what he likes. The salesman was very rude and snobby just because my SO already had a good idea of what he wanted to buy and what manufacturers he preferred. My SO wasnt snobby at all but the salesman took offense anyway. Refusing a sale because my SO wanted SRAM components instead of Shimano, how stupid. He even talked about us behind our backs as we walked out! My SOs suffered REALLY incompetent repair service there (no wonder theyre so cheap) as well. Yes, they have a huge selection but theyre very selective about what they carry, and I dont mean that in a good way. And they charge MSRP as the sale price, haha. The building/setting is cool at least but I cant imagine Id ever want to bother with these jerks again.

Jill Gillis

Machinery Row service department rocks!!!! I just had my bike serviced after a tour back from Montana. It was a mess (dirty), had shifting issues, the front brakes were shot, and my handle bar mirror was cracked so I asked them to install a new one. I got my bike back in PRISTINE condition. It road so smoothly it felt like a brand new bike. Day two of riding around town resulted in the mirror coming loose and flying into traffic. Unfortunately, it was demolished by a car. I stopped back at Machinery Row to explain the situation and they replaced the mirror for free! Even upgraded it to a nicer mirror with better hardware at no charge. I really appreciate the friendly, professional service department and intend on using their services again in the future. Thank you!!!

A Private User

Ive been to all the bike shops in Madison, and theyre all good. Machinery Row, however, is the best. I was a bit bitter when Williamson Street Bikes moved and Machinery Row took over, because I bought my first real bike at Willy Street, but since then Ive been totally sold on Machinery Row. Even though everyone there is usually busy, theyre all extremely helpful, especially the mechanics. Unlike many bike mechanics, theyre not pretentious or condescending and are willing to work with the budget that you have. With all the options in Madison, the consistently top-notch service at Machinery Row has earned my loyalty.

Ben Wilz

I went in looking for a cheaper fixie or commuter bike. The cheapest they had was $500. When I asked the employee if they had anything cheaper, he told me that the owner, who also owns three or four other bike places in town, deliberately prices bikes higher so customers think they are getting a better bike than walmart sells. Dont get me wrong, they are much higher quality than you would find at a convenience store, name brands and alloys and what not. Yet he still let me in on the fact that the bikes would all be a lot cheaper if not for a monopolized price fixing.

Nolan Thomas

I realize the quest to find a bicycle shop that is not staffed with pretentious and presumptuous children is futile. Sometimes you need to just pick one. I picked wrong. I just wanted some help on a bike project/build that Im trying to have some fun with. Before my intentions were even explored with questions or allowing me to elaborate, I was told that what I wanted was wrong. Mr. Pierced face had no time for anything outside the realm of screw A into hole B. Having bicycle knowledge should not make a customer the enemy. The opposite should be true.

A Private User

I stopped in on a Friday night about 10 minutes before close, just looking to borrow a pump to pump up my tires - what I got felt like the royal treatment. The nice fellow who helped me not only pumped my tires up for me, but oiled up my chain and fixed up my saddle and seat stick, including installing a new seat saddle for me (really reasonably priced and feels great on my tush!). My Trek was in pretty rough shape on the way in, but riding home felt amazing after 10 minutes of quick fix up. I will be back again for all my bike needs. Thanks!

David Cornell

High prices, although the attitude is free. I went in looking to replace my broken seat post. I wanted one with a shock, all they had was one without a shock, for $30. I asked if they had anything cheaper, he gave me this annoyed, disappointed look, went downstairs, returned and said no. I asked if there were any extras in the parts department, he rolled his eyes but we went back there and asked anyway. They had a used one with a shock, it was like pulling teeth but they finally sold it to me for $5 and it worked great.

A Private User

The thing that attracted me to this shop is that they have something for everyone, all types of bikes, from beach cruisers to the new Trek Speed tri bikes. The thing that kept me coming back was the way I was treated, didnt matter if I was buying my first $350 hybrid with fenders or a $2700 mountain bike, I was treated like I belonged on a bike. Their service dept is like none Ive ever seen before, they stand behind everything they sell and try to make everyones bike experience a great one

Jason Holman

Came in here on a whim to get parts and a new front tire/innertube for a temporary bike that i was riding at the time. In that the bike was only temporary I didnt feel the need to spend a whole lot of money on quality. I felt the whole time i was there talking to the parts guy he never tried to sell me anything i didnt need or anything exceeding the quality tier that i was looking for. this is a very professional establishment and they will always be the first to have my business.