Hampshire Bicycle Exchange

Nice shop with knowledgable staff. We have bought 4 bikes and been very happy with them and after the sale service

I traded in my bike here for store credit, and subsequently used some of that credit towards a safety check on my new bike. The amount of store credit I received for bike #1 was great, exceeding what I thought I’d get, and the price of the safety check on bike #2 was very reasonable. Service at the register and on the floor was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. When I was trying out replacement bikes, the employee helping me knew right away which bikes to show me based on my height and intended use – he didn’t try to sell me anything outside my parameters, and he actively tried to save me money. All in all, a really great experience.
With one exception. No, two.
Exception #1
When I brought in bike #2 (purchased elsewhere and assembled manually, in the end) for a safety check, I was helped by a person who vibed «why are you here? Why are you talking to me? Why don’t you already know exactly what you want and what a safety check entails?» through the entire conversation.
Let’s be clear. I like the New England dour, and I know the service industry is a grind, because I was there once too. So it wasn’t that this person wasn’t friendly enough for my taste. It’s just that I don’t know anything about bikes except that I can use them to get places. I don’t know how to maintain them; up until recently I didn’t even know what the proper seat height or frame size was for me. I am also not intimately acquainted with the discourse of Hampshire Bicycle such that I know what a «safety check» is and whether getting one is sufficient to correct any errors I might have made when assembling bike #2. I feel like ignorance in these matters, while not exactly admirable, is also not a crime. All I wanted was to ensure that, when I used my bike to get between my classroom, office, and apartment, it wouldn’t fall apart under me on the Rail Trail.
I asked her to check the bike seat height for me. I mounted the bike and waited while she checked. «It should be a little higher,» she said. «All right,» I replied. «Can you adjust it when you do the safety check?» She consented.
When I picked up the bike, I asked if they’d found anything wrong with the bike. After a long pause she replied, «Well…everything’s fine now.» And that was it. «Wow, all I wanted to know was if there were shit parts I ought to replace for my own safety. Guess I’ll find out empirically,» I thought.
Well, for anyone who cares to know: the bike hasn’t fallen apart under me yet. But I did fall off it four times during my first commute (and once dangerously into traffic) because it turned out that the seat height should NOT have been raised at all.
Exception #2
My friend, who bikes everywhere and unlike me knows about bikes, needed a replacement tube. He came to Hampshire Bicycle, gave the specific dimensions of his tires, and asked for the appropriately sized tube. Whoever helped him (I wasn’t there) sold him a tube that would have fit a tire maybe 6 inches wider in diameter.
So in conclusion: there are 1 – 2 employees here who need to beef up their bicycle lore. 1 of them seemed not to like me. Everyone else (and the store itself) is great!

Always super friendly and non-​aggressive with selling you just the stuff you actually need for your bike. Service is quick and good. I live in NoHo but it’s worth the extra miles across the river to visit these guys.

I love the staff and the large stock available at Hampshire. Between used and new bikes, parts and accessories, you will almost certainly find what you want and feel welcome for just browsing around. That said, I do have my concerns with some used products. A wonderful rehabilitated road bike now in my possession was well priced and well cared for; the brakes were awful out the door and tires low on air but honestly, for a place marketing to us poor college goers, I cannot possibly complain for the price, friendliness, and product encountered.
EDIT
I have since stopped into Hampshire several times and met only the best service. A slight hiccup in shifting was quickly adjusted to more suit my tastes. Most places wouldn’t drop everything to make an adjustment to a working product, but these guys did and I really appreciate that.

We stopped in to get a used bike. Since my college-​age daughter hadn’t ridden in a long time, we wanted something simple with only a few gears to manage. Jack helped us find a lovely classic three-​speed Raleigh bicycle with original fenders, chain guard and rear baskets. The head mechanic tuned up the bike, tested it and had it ready for us the next morning, which was perfect. Jack was extremely helpful throughout and helped us get a discount (used) lock, bell, and possible helmet and bike pump (We actually bought the helmet through Amazon in the end because of sizing). Jack and the mechanic were wonderful because they made the whole process fun while being extremely helpful. Definitely a good stop for us!

Can’t say enough good things about this place. Was looking for a small used hybrid bike and couldn’t find anything in the Boston area. Stopped in here on a weekend trip and saw exactly what I was looking for out front. Jack and Wilson had me outfitted from bike to bell and helmet to reflectors in no time. They made bike shopping fun.

I visited this store several times over the course of a month or so while I was shopping for a used bike. I ended up buying a bike from somebody on craigslist (and I’ve never had a repair done here either).
What I found is that they didn’t tend to have very good midrange selection for used bikes. There were lots of old bikes, which might be good for a low budget/​occasional rider. (However, if you’re trying not to spend very much money on a bike, buying from any bike shop is probably not a great idea. The same bike on craigslist or ebay is going to be significantly cheaper, maybe 25 – 50% in my recent experience.) Their nicer used bikes are quite highly priced. Also the higher end selection tends to cycle through, with only a couple for sale at a time.
To be honest, if you are going to buy a bike from this place, I would go for one of the new Salsa bikes. They seem like pretty awesome bikes, but I wasn’t in the market for a new bike.
In all the times I entered, nobody ever offered me any help, nor did I ask for any. I actually appreciated it personally, since I don’t really want people to try to sell me things, and I feel pressure pretty easily.

These folks know their bikes very, very well. I replaced some tires and a wheel today — they had a very nice used rear wheel for a reasonable $ 50. They didn’t charge too much for labor. They pointed out the price/​quality tradeoff with some things I was looking at, but appear happy with letting people make the low-​quality, low-​price purchase. Not a hard sell.
The selection of used bikes I saw was nice, but expensive.

There is a lot of bike competition in the Valley, so I feel it’s important to differentiate the bike businesses around. The vast number of suppliers can be due only to the vast number of hippies in the area, since it’s not a bike-​friendly climate 8 months out of the year.
Hampshire Bicycle Exchange can be hit or miss, from what I’ve heard. Their selection varies, since they specialize in used and consigned bicycles.
For me, they’re great. Every time I go there for a service, or a special request, they’re happy to help me out. They’re also good for a student on a budget, since as I mentioned, they have a lot of used goods. They’re also right on the bike trail, which is a nice bonus.
The people who work there are friendly and helpful. Their service prices are quite fair, and they tend to do more than asked without charging for it. They explain what they’re doing and why.
Just as an FYI, they don’t have clothing here, but there are plenty of other stores around (like EMS at the Hampshire Mall) which do.

Let’s be perfectly clear: Chris and Kurt love bicycles. I’ve known these guys for years.
Kurt got his start in the old Mountain Farms Mall (back when it was an indoor mall), selling refurbished used bikes by the old goldfish pond. These days, Hampshire Bicycle Exchange still buys and sells quality used bicycles either directly or on consignment. They also sell a variety of new bicycles as well, such as Jamis, Fuji and Bianchi, but they’ve only been doing that for the past four or five years. The shop keeps odd hours because Chris and Kurt do (or at least did) have day jobs. They founded and built Hampshire Bicycle Exchange out of their love for the ride.
This is important, you see. New bikes are nice, but Chris and Kurt find their real delight in exploring the older bikes and parts from the last Golden Age of Cycling in the 70s and early 80s when everyone had a ten speed road bike. It’s telling that with the buying power to bring in some of the best modern bicycles in the world, one of Chris’s favorite personal rides is an old powder blue DeRosa steel frame from the 70s dolled up with a host of rare components, like first-​generation Campagnolo Delta brakes. Look them up and see what I mean; they’re physically gorgeous. I think Kurt is still looking for that old, perfect Raleigh International frame with the pretty chromed steel lugs…
Bicycles are expensive, even if you go used. Walking into a traditional bike shop that sells only new bikes can be as intimidating as walking into a new car dealership; everything is new and shiny, you’re afraid to touch anything for fear of breaking it. Not so at Hampshire Bike, where old and new cycles alike are mounted on home-​made racks hammered together out of 2x4s. Large wooden display cases showcase both new and used parts. New or novice cyclists will enjoy patient, detailed explanations about anything from any of the staff. They’re friendly, too. Grounded, personable and approachable. Things can get pretty busy sometimes in their shop, so be patient. Even if they don’t get to you right away, you’re still usually greeted as soon as you walk in the door.
Experienced gearheads will find overflowing boxes of parts to dig through as well as a host of new gear in stock. Their adept mechanics love putting together «Frankenbikes», like taking an old ten speed with drop-​style handlebars and retrofitting it with upright bars, modern shifters, better brakes and a big, comfy saddle. Or maybe they’ll take an older steel MTB frame and morph it into a single-​speed lightweight commuting speedster. Then they’ll sell it off for a couple hundred bucks. They’re equally happy swapping out equipment on practically any bike in order to make you a happier customer.
See, the best thing about the staff at Hampshire Bike is that they simply want you to ride, however it is you want to do it. Name a budget and a style of riding you enjoy and you’ll likely emerge with a big grin on your face and a pair of wheels bearing your weight.