THE Bike Shop in Seattle, Wa?

[Hai H. Ho]

I am in Seattle till Sunday and am allowed to visit 1-2 bike shops. With this being said, which shop should I visit? I want to see really high-end goodies (bikes, frames, goodies, etc).

Thanks. :banana:

[old fat man]

it sounds like you have others who are not bike-minded with you. go check out Zac Daab at Cascade Bicycle Studio in Fremont district. Call ahead because he is a studio and doesn't keep firm hours.

http://cascadebicyclestudio.com/2010/01/we-have-moved/

There is plenty for the non-bikers to see in that area, including very good cafes and fun shopping.

You won't see a warehouse of goodies but you'll see clean, high end bikes that get ridden, not hung on the wall.

[texbike]

I am in Seattle till Sunday and am allowed to visit 1-2 bike shops. With this being said, which shop should I visit? I want to see really high-end goodies (bikes, frames, goodies, etc).

Thanks. :banana:

Elliot Bay Cycles seems like the obvious choice to me. Lots of nostalgia AND high-end stuff....

www.elliottbaybicycles.com

Texbike

[buck-50]

If yer a parts hunter, you can't beat recycled cycles in the U-district.

At least, it was awesome when I lived there like 10 years ago...

[Vancouverdave]

If just 1, it has to be Elliot Bay. If 2, include Recycled Cycles.

[OperaLover]

If so, then I recommend Veloce Velo in Issaquah on the east side just outside Seattle. Plenty of nice high end bikes, clothing and friendly service.

[yakstone]

Elliot Bay and Veloce are both great shops, however, there is 30 miles and traffic between them. I would do Elliot Bay and the Fremont stop if time / travel is an issue.

[nahtnoj]

I went to Elliot Bay back in October. The place is 1/2 museum, a must see.

[Ozz]

Where are you staying?

Downtown - Elliott Bay Bicycles
University District - R&E Cycles (Recycled Cycles is just around the corner, or at least it was years ago.)
Eastside / Bellevue / Issaquah - Veloce Velo
Eastside / Bellevue / Redmond - Sammamish Valley Cycles
Bainbridge Island - the shop just off the ferry (Bicycle Museum?)

[northbend]

If you had to choose only two and you are staying downtown, Go to Elliott Bay Cycles, then hop ona ferry and go to Classic Cycles on Baindbrige Island. This is the name of the shop Ozz was thinking of:

http://www.classiccycleus.com/

Both are standouts from anything else in the Seattle area.

Have fun

[rcnute]

If yer a parts hunter, you can't beat recycled cycles in the U-district.

At least, it was awesome when I lived there like 10 years ago...

Most of the parts in the bins are junk these days.

[buck-50]

Most of the parts in the bins are junk these days.
Boooooooo.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying the Campy Deltas they had on sale for like $100...

[Hai H. Ho]

Thamks for all the suggestions. Maybe later today.

We do have a car and am staying in the Capital Hill area.

[Kirk007]

If Il Vecchio is still open down on Lake Washington Blvd I'd put that at the top of the list. Elliott for nostalgia and well done custom ti and steel and all the food next door at the market!

[rcnute]

If Il Vecchio is still open down on Lake Washington Blvd I'd put that at the top of the list. Elliott for nostalgia and well done custom ti and steel and all the food next door at the market!

No more Il Vecchio. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30684316@N08/sets/72157622462401560/

[victork]

Great selection here and very cool bike shop.

[BengeBoy]

There are lots of nice bike shops in Seattle, but if I were visiting I would try to catch the ones that are "most different."

- Elliott Bay Cycles, custom-made Davidsons on the floor and many vintage bikes hanging from the ceiling.
- R&E Cycles, home of the Rodriguez (semi) custom bikes; you can get a tour of the frame shop in the basement if you ask nicely
- Classic Cycles on Bainbridge Island (short ferry ride away): vintage bike museum in back.
- Counterbalance Bicycles: more steel-framed production bikes than you're likely to see anywhere else in one place (Jamis, Surly, Salsa) plus Co-Motion and Independent Fabrication.

As noted above, Recycled Cycles is a very nice shop but their used parts are mostly very, very used bargain bin stuff.

Il Vecchio is, sadly, closed.

Bikeworks, in the Rainier Valley, is a cool Bike Co-op. If you're in Fremont, stop by Wright Brothers, a very funky shop, and FreeRange Cycles, a little commuter-oriented shop. None of these 3 are your "typical" bike shop.

Nobody has mentioned REI -- I know that's not exactly high-end bike territory, but if you're an outdoor enthusiast I wouldn't miss the chance to see their flagship store near downtown Seattle; take a cruise through their bike department and browse the clearance racks. They're particularly good at wet-weather gear (this being Seattle and all). Plus often good clearance stuff all around the store, and a great store to visit on any account.

[Velo Cult Bicycles]

I'd recommend Elliot Bay Cycles also. Good shop with plenty of eye candy and not far from Piroshki Piroshki (m-m-m) if my memory serves me correctly!?

[sand fungus]

Another vote for Elliott Bay and Counterbalance in the U district.

[Hai H. Ho]

I had plans to stop by only 1 shop Saturday afternoon but had not decided which on yet.

The group's plan was to eat brunch at Etta's and then break up before the wedding. We were being driven by the Bride and Groom, who had no idea of my intentions.

It ends up they parked their car about 2 cars down from the very front of Elliott Bay Cycles. Bill was on site and an Associate provided me a tour. If you ever have a chance to tour with any builder, please do. In my opinion, it is one of the neatest things a cyclist can do. You should learn alot.

Also, the Groom's mom & dad have a business that is 3 doors down from Branford Bike, in which the owner was present at the wedding. I guess it was meant to be!! Funny how things work out.

I wanted to share with everyone a few pictures of my adventure in Seattle. I saw a few neat things. Thank you everyone for the suggestions again. Also, thank you Serotta Forum for allowing us to share our experiences with each other.

Take care.

[BengeBoy]

Thanks for sharing the pics!

I went by the store on Saturday -- I woke up Saturday morning, and realized I hadn't been in Elliott Bay since November, which is practically a lifetime, so I planned a ride around a visit to the shop/museum/shrine. There are always a bunch of interesting projects moving in and out of that shop -- restorations, new Davidson custom bikes, old frames that Bob Freeman has purchased from who-knows-where, and used Davidsons for sale on consignment.

Took me 20 minutes just to take in everything I hadn't seen before, and then I resumed my ride...