Olde Towne Cyclery

It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon, 75 and not a cloud in the sky. I walked into Olde Towne Cyclery with a polite smile on my face and asked the person at the counter how she was doing.
«OK… How can I help you?» she replied with a flat stare. «Oh well,» i think to myself, «some people are just direct and not everyone smiles. It’s fine.»
I say, «I’m looking for a bicycle, however I’m not sure if I’d like a hybrid/​comfort style bike or a mountain bike. I don’t need to go far on it. I recently tried a cruiser and was surprised at how well I liked the more upright position, so a comfort style bike to might be a good compromise, or I might still like the mountain bike better. I was hoping you could show me the difference and I could get a feel for each type?» I deliberately leave it on an open-​ended note; this after all her shop and she probably knows how best to proceed without me interrogating her to begin.
She meanders listlessly from behind the counter as I’m speaking, occasionally glancing in my direction. She stops in front of a large two-​tiered rack packed with bikes and reaches up to touch an apparently random wheel as she tells me they don’t have any hybrid style bikes. She practically radiates indifference.
OK, so they don’t have that. No problem, I can still pick out a mountain bike to have in mind for my ultimate decision. They have some nice cruisers, so I might as well check them out as well; it could turn out I like that better than either of the other styles. Still with my polite smile, I move toward the storefront and indicate a nicely proportioned cruiser with a double-​bar step-​through frame and handbrakes. «How about this one then, it looks like it could be a good candidate. Can we check it out?»
She frowns dismissivey at me, settles into what can only be described as a stance, and says «Oh that’s just a cruiser for, y’know, puttering around the neighborhood. You wouldn’t want that.» This confuses me because as I had informed her short distances is really all I need it for. I have eventual plans to install an electric hub motor to make it something I can commute with (while I’d love to go green, work is a few miles and I absolutely cannot arrive at work sweaty). I tell her this, as a means of explaining why I am open to the cruiser style as well as the mountainbike one typically sees a guy such as myself on. I’m not sure why I was still trying at this point, because it is now glaringly obvious how done she was with me the moment she laid eyes on me. Nonetheless, I’m there to get a bike, not a friend.
I should have quit while I was ahead.
She literally takes a full step back, and looks as if she wants to spit at my feet. «Maybe you want to see (moped store) down the street?» «Actually,» I say, «they stopped selling ebikes recently. I would rather do the conversion myself anyway; I’d trust it more.» With me buying a bike retail I’m not really saving money with that choice, but I can be sure of the components and workmanship. Thats why I want a nice new bike as well. And yes, I know the warranty on the bike is voided.
«I won’t sell bikes to people who are going to put a motor on them. That isn’t what they’re meant for.» She juts her chin.
I like to be reasonable, and have my patience worked up to a pretty high tolerance, but I have had enough. When all I was was a person wanting a bike, she was indifferent and dismissive of my preferences and selections, going so far as to flat out tell me that I didn’t want one of the store’s bikes. Then when in her eyes I revealed myself to be someone who would defile one of her precious bicycles by modifying it after I purchased it in full from her place of business, I became sub-​human and she decided that Olde Worlde Cyclery doesn’t serve People Like Me. Wow. Speechless. I told her to have fun with that and left. She yelled out the door at me. I’m sad to say that I yelled back. I have never in my life been «helped» by someone who cared less for the concept of customer service or even basic civility.
NEVER AGAIN.

My wife and I had a few cruisers that were banged up and took them to the shop to get fixed up. The workers were super nice, helpful, and really cared about getting us on the road. The price was beyond reasonable as well. We will be back for future bike needs.

Great customer service and great end result. I took my bike in for a tune up and new tire and they had it back to me within a day looking brand new. The price was very very reasonable as they even give you a quote beforehand and will call you if they discover anything else that may need attention. This will definitely be my new shop for my bike.

Phenomenal service, surprisingly competitive prices and expert help and advice. Really really nice to see a small family owned business compete and actually thrive in such a competitive market. They’ve fixed our old bicycles and sold us fantastic ones. We just won’t go anywhere else. Just go and have a browse. You will quickly see what I mean about the exceptional customer service. Great job!

Small family owned shop, with an absolutely awesome staff. Honest, genuine, and most of all, technically competent.

I tried to restring my back brakes and couldn’t figure it out. I took it in, thinking I would have to leave the bike. He unloaded my bike for me, fixed it so quickly while I waited, loaded it back up and said have a great day. Didn’t even charge me… how nice was that. Outstanding!

I really can’t say enough great things about the folks at Olde Towne! The owners, Tommy and Teresa, are outstanding people and very knowledgable.
They were very helpful when buying a new bike for my wife. They took the time to listen to what she wanted and find the best fit for her. And after I crashed (beyond repair) my retail store bike, I purchased my new bike from them as well.
Their customer service is second-​to-​none, taking the time to explain and share their knowledge and passion for cycling with you. The maintenance and repairs are reasonably priced and completed in a timely manner, because they know you want to get back out riding again ASAP!
And I truly believe in supporting local businesses whenever possible.
This is the place to go if you’re thinking about cycling, need a tune-​up, or a whole new bike!

Been to the shop twice for maintenance issues. Both times great service. Nice local shop in downtown Lake Mary.