Revolution Cycles

Category:	Bicycle Repair Shop
Address:	2330 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA
Phone:	+1 608-244-0009
Site:	revolutioncycles.net
Rating:	4.6
Working:	10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–5PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 23

Reviews 5

Russell Japikse

Ongoing problems with a new bike build at Revolution Cycles. I am an avid biker and bike commuter of 10+ years. I went to have a year round commuter bike built. During the build process they were friendly, appeared deeply knowledgeable about the process, great to work with, and appeared sincere that they would make the bike work right and be there in ironing out and post-build issues. The bike fits me very well but has been plagued with three non-stop problems since initial delivery. These have been: 1) Sloppy shifter that began progressively failing since 8 weeks since delivery. 2) Failing internally geared rear hub (skips, misses gears, and makes grinding noises every 1-3 miles) 3) Incessantly squealing brakes. I have had my bike back in their shop 5 times since purchasing it. Each time repairs have been minimized (e.g. I dont think your shifter is bad, well just swap the cable...) while the underlying components have continued to fail. Each time the work completion date has been missed with work often taking 2-3 times longer than planned. On the upside many of their staff have been pleasant and nice to talk with, on the downside I have a bike with wildly annoying brakes and largely non-operative drivetrain (broken shifter and rear hub). In hindsight it was clear that they were both inadequately experienced with integrating the components that they suggested nor do they have the business acumen to meet repair deadlines, communicate adequately with customers, or complete resolution of build issues. Update (1/1/15) Have been having several problems that were directly caused by their last service (last summer 2014). 1) Loose hardware - one of the two brake hoods was installed with finger tight hardware rather than being torqued down. Nearly fell off my bike when the hood shifted suddenly about 30 minutes after picking it up from servicing. Fixed that at home. 2) Poorly routed shift cable. A new cable was installed this summer in the hopes that this would fix the poor shifting. It made no difference, but it was installed so that it would catch water thrown off the front wheel and let it pool under the bottom bracket without any possibility for drainage. Missed this poor installation until biking to work in below freezing temperatures. I then had a single speed bike! What fun, a frozen cable. 3) Brakes still squealed, ugh. Having been nearing done in by the last service visit (failure to tighten critical hardware), it was off to another bike shop. Replaced the cable with a sealed and appropriately routed unit and swapped out the front brake assembly. No more frozen shifter or squealing brakes!

Sam Field

I had not been to revolution cycles before, but wanted to give them a chance based on my proximity to the store, its curb appeal, and what I had seen of their website. The time had come. I called to see if they had a minor part I needed, in a specific size. Sigh. The little girl who had better things to do than talk to me on the phone, said she didnt know for sure, maybe, and I could just bring my bike in for them to check it out....sigh. 1. I told you what I needed, I dont need to bring my bike in for you to "check out." 2. Get some sort of inventory system and/or learn how to use it. 3. I wanted to give you my money, busy or not, you cant check on that? Maybe offer to call me back? You know, attempt to establish a repeat customer...? Well, I went anyway, still wanting to give them a chance. I did not bring my bike. I entered...and waited. Waited. The little girl and someone way cooler than me in a v-neck t-shirt were enjoying a nice conversation about blah blah blah blah...hello? Hello? Then! I was finally asked if I needed something. Nope, I just walked into your retail establishment, stood here and stared at you for 10 minutes, not needing anything. Why do you ask? Look, I get it, not everyday runs smooth. Not every employee represents the business with the same vigor. This was one visit, one point of weakness...but it was my one visit, my first visit. What would your impression be?

Lauren Ledin

This bike shop has been my favorite since I took a womens bike mechanic course when I first moved to Madison. Though that class doesnt look like its offered anymore, they still have classes throughout the year so that you can learn how to fix your bike on your own--making biking more affordable and fun. There is a huge basement full of literally everything you could need for your bike, which is great for your wallet and the environment, and can make your bike really unique. I just scored some like-new bamboo fenders for a fraction of the cost had I bought them new. On multiple trips I have been talked down by the owner or another mechanic from a more expensive version of something to a more suitable or reliable cheaper option. As a student, I am very grateful for this. I stopped in specifically on a trip into town this past week and one of the mechanics took about a half hour out of his day to help us figure out what used fork would fit a bike that we only had a picture of. Ive also been to a film screening here back when I went to UW and it was a great venue for that, too. Only good things to say!

A Private User

I stopped in early on a Thursday afternoon to get a flat tire fixed (just needed a new tube). I was ignored for the first 10-15 minutes, as was another customer who asked me if I knew how to get any service at the shop. A repair tech finally came up to me, I told them what was wrong. Apparently, they were too busy tuning up bikes to change the tube (a 5 minute job, tops), and not one employee could spare the time to do this. They told me that it would have to wait until after the weekend. No matter HOW busy a shop is, I cannot possibly imagine having to wait any more than a day to get a tube replaced, let alone four days. I inquired about this and was treated in a rude manner, no apologies about the initial lack of service or the long repair times. I ended up walking my bike 2 miles to Machinery Row, where I had a fantastic (albeit more expensive) experience. Compared to the rest of the bike shops I have been to in Madison, this one is by far the worst.

Mr.Morality

Great service!! i stopped in to ask if they could fix a flat and possibly get new tires (i am nescient about bikes) and was told can-do, i brought my bike in within the hour and was able to get helped out right there on the spot putting aside other projects for a second that they were working on. John i believe his name was, was very honest and informative and told me all i needed was a flat and would be wasting money on new tires (thanks again John for the honesty) I was then helped by Matt who did a supreme job! Matt was fast and very knowledgeable. I asked if i could watch and be taught how to put a new tube on and i really thank Matt for his time to teach me how to do it. It felt like it was more of doing a good job educating me than just getting money for labor. Thanks again John and Matt for being awesome. Would highly recommend!!