District Hardware – The Bike Shop

Washington, DC, United States

3.8

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 202-659-8686
Website:
www.thebikeshopdc.com
Address:
1108 24th St NW, Washington, DC, DC, 20037
b/t N I St & N New Hampshire Ave
West End
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
380 ftNW Pennsylvania AV & NW 24th St
0.2 miFoggy Bottom-GWU Elevator
0.2 miFoggy Bottom-GWU
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Dogs Allowed
Yes

Today

Today 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Washington, DC) 12:36 Friday, 29 November 2024

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Hardware, home goods, bike sales and service. Helping you survive the city. Family owned and operated since 1971 proudly serving Foggy Bottom, West End, Georgetown, Downtown and Dupont Circle specializing in professional, old-​fashioned friendly service, in a unique retail environment.

Our full service bike shop features top brands including Raleigh, Neilpryde, Public Bikes, Dahon, Chrome Industries, Brooks Saddles, Adamo saddles, and Mavic wheels and apparel.

We offer free inspections and fast service on all brands of bikes and specialize in «re-​furbs», modifications, upgrades, custom wheel building on any bike regardless of frame material or age.

Our hardware side features vacuum, hand tools, cleaning supplies, pet accessories, Pratt and Lambert paint, and a great selection of plants and seasonal items

History

Established in 1971.

Established in 1971 by Stanley Conway, a British immigrant and a veteran of WWII and D-​day. From 1968 to 1971 the original District Hardware was located at the corner of 22nd and P St in a group of row houses which is now the site of the Soho café. The store moved to the corner of 20th and PSt in the basement street level of the Blaine Mansion. District Hardware was incorporated in 1971 and then became a TrueValue store in 1974.

For 33 years District TrueValue Hardware and The Bike Shop remained at the Dupont Circle location until 2007 when it moved to the present location on 24th St., the site of the former Columbia Hospital for Women.

Stanley Conway passed away in 2005, and the staff of District Hardware/​The bike Shop continues to preserve his legacy, vision and business ideals.

Today, District Hardware/​The Bike Shop remains in the hands of the Conway family and is even staffed periodicaly by grandchildren of Stanley Conway.

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Fresh Breeze

20 reviews of District Hardware – The Bike Shop

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
I needed a snow shovel for a snowstorm projected to hit three days later. I work long hours and would not have been able to make it to the store until after the impending snowstorm hit. So I called up and they delivered it to my apartment a few blocks away from their store at 7:30am the very next day. And were happy to do so. Outstanding customer service and really helped me when I needed it by doing anything they could for me, just so I could buy a cheap shovel.
Place rating: 2
Rockville, MD
I really wish I didn’t have to write a negative review, but after unsuccessfully requesting a refund for a shoddy $ 15 brake adjustment (that I didn’t even ask for), I felt the need to. The mechanic was friendly enough, but the customer service is really lacking here. Take your business elsewhere…
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
I purchased my bike here and was very pleased with the service. I was looking for a basic but quality bike. Although this shop doesn’t offer a huge selection, I was able to find what I was looking for and ride out that day with a new bike. The mechanics were super helpful in installing my new basket to the bike and the shop keeper helped me pick out a helmet and lock. I’m happy I purchased my bike from the bike shop and would recommend to others.
Place rating: 2
Washington, DC
This is a review of the hardware store. I work near the store, so I’ve been here a number of times. The owner is odd, but he’s fine, so I had okay experiences other than the minimal stock is really expensive.
Unfortunately I recently had what I think was a new employee who «helped» me. First, I had literally opened the door, and he said really loudly, «Can I help you?!» I didn’t even have time to think; usually I just look around and then ask. But I felt put on the spot. Anyway, he pointed out where the extension cords were, and took off! He didn’t offer to help me. I ended up buying the wrong size cord, because I didn’t have the faintest idea what I was doing, and didn’t want to ask. I suspect he took off because he also had no idea about extension cords.
I then asked about nail filler in a tube. OMG, you would have thought I asked for a pound of nitroglycerin. He had *no* idea what I was talking about, and kept asking me what it was. He acted like the stuff doesn’t exist! Which isn’t true, I’ve always used it, and actually ended up buying it at Target later on (the brand is DAP). He did ask his «manager» about it, and then told me his manager told him they don’t stock it because it’s poor quality. As noted, I’ve used it many times and it works fine; i prefer it in that formulation because it’s easier to use than the stuff in a tub, and it lasts a bit longer. Then when I checked out, he insisted on going into a long explanation about how they don’t stock stuff if it isn’t up to snuff. Whatever. I’ll go back if I’m desparate.
Place rating: 1
Seattle, WA
Went in for some help with my disk brake. The mechanic was nice enough to true the rotor for me on the spot, but told me I needed my hydraulic brakes bled, which would cost me a minimum of $ 50. I told him that I’d stick with the trued rotor for the time being as I’m in graduate school and can’t afford to put a lot of money into my bike at the moment. Upon hearing this, he looked at my nice (read: expensive) cyclocross bike and said sarcastically «clearly,» as if to say, you obviously have plenty of money. The way he said it was insanely offensive. I told him that the bike was a hand-​me-​down from my sister (a pro racer), and that I was lucky to have it. At this point, he was done, and I asked him how much it would be. He proceeded to charge me $ 38 to true a brake rotor!!! Last time I had one trued (at a different shop), the mechanic told me I just owed him a beer.
I’m a competitive cyclist and I’ve been to a lot of bike shops. I have to say that this is the absolute worst shop experience I’ve ever had. I can’t imagine how any small business could treat their customers in such a judgmental and condescending way and then charge about four times more than any other shop would. I’ll definitely never go back here, and I would recommend that you stick to a different shop if you’re looking for mechanical help.
Place rating: 5
Ashburn, VA
My derailer broke off in the neighborhood today and I was fortunate enough to find Edward at the shop. He was quick to track down the part that broke (my derailer dropout) and got me back on the road in 30 min. He was super friendly and provided additional feedback on my bike without any pushy up sell. Glad to be biking home and not walking the 15 miles!
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
Honestly, I can’t say enough great things about this place. Briefly, about the Hardware store… I had been in several times for random hardware purchases, and every time they were well stocked and supremely helpful and friendly.
Now to the real reason for the review: the bike shop. I recently bought a hybrid bike that I used for a charity century ride. I took the bike in to have it looked over to make sure it was ready and appropriate for the trip.
My first interaction was with Edward, who literally stopped everything else he was doing to patiently listen to me ramble on about my concerns about using a hybrid on a century ride, and repair issues. After hearing me out, he explained the pros and cons of the different bikes and then took the time to explain how the gears worked and how to best utilize them on such a long trip.
I left the bike with them and came back the next day and only one minor repair needed to be done and the bike was declared road ready for the ride. The gentlemen in the store helped me to find all the appropriate accessories, and even installed the clip-​in pedals I bought, at no charge. The bike was great during the ride, just like Edward said.
Upon return, I needed a tube replaced and I took it back in and they very quickly replaced it, and also, changed the pedals back to the standard pedals for free.
In conclusion, these guys are awesome. They’re super friendly, knowledgeable, prompt, have a great selection of products and completely reasonably priced. As a new bike owner, this is definitely my home base for all things bike related from here forward!
Place rating: 1
Petworth, Washington, DC
So I bought a bike from this shop less then a year ago. When I bought the bike I was told by the store owner Neal that I would get free tunes ups for a year, just as long as nothing needed to be replaced. So after about 6 months of riding my bike daily about 15 – 20 miles a day, the back rim became bent and the gears where off a bit. So when I took in to take advantage of my free turn up for a year deal. The owner Neal told me that since I bent the rim there was a 30 dollar charge to get it straighten back out. Then I asked «what about my free tune ups for a year?» He said that doesn’t cover wear and tear and some other bs. Bottom line I’m never back to this store again. The only reason I went is because I saw all the good reviews but it has been a terrible experience from start to finish with me. The guy Neal doesn’t care about his customers just money.
Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA
Edit: We went in last week as my husband wanted to purchase something and to talk with the owner about his attitude. While we were in line, the same guy rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath when two customers with heavy accents needed him to repeat himself. This guy is the worst and I have no idea why anyone frequents this business.
Original review: I’ve never bothered to give a bad review on Unilocal but need to go out of my way for this place. We recently moved to DC and were happy to have a hardware store in the neighborhood. Have been here 3 times. The first two times I witnessed who I believe is the owner be rude to customers on the phone and then complained about them to me. The last time we went, which was last Saturday, we asked him for help finding anchors. We were specific about what we needed. He tried to tell us we needed something else. After we told him we just wanted to get the anchors, he walked past me and muttered under his breath «you don’t know what you’re talking about.» So we left and I told him in front of his customers that if he wants business then he should reconsider talking about us under his breath. I would never spent a dime here.
Place rating: 4
New Buffalo, MI
Needed some tubes — walked in, asked for and received. Friendly and unpretentious
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
Sells the usual hardware store stuff, a long with some extra stuff such as grills. and a large selection of quality bikes. In addition, the staff was helpful.
Place rating: 5
Denver, CO
This bike shop is excellent. Their mechanic Edward is the best mechanic I’ve seen in five years of repairs on my carbon road bike. The store owner Neal is a great guy as well.
Edward is an expert mechanic, very friendly, quickly figures out what is wrong, seeks to understand the customer’s priorities, happy to explain what is wrong, happy to explain what he recommends fixing and assign priorities based on safety, comfort and cosmetics, and happy to discuss preventive maintenance. He has twice made important repairs for me on a walk-​in basis when other shops couldn’t figure out a simple problem. He has saved me hundreds of dollars.
I’ve worked with mechanics at other shops who don’t have enough knowledge to make the correct diagnosis, so they recommend fixing a bunch of stuff hoping that one of those treatments will fix the problem. Plus they make more money that way. Not this shop. This is my go-​to bike shop in DC.
Place rating: 1
Washington, DC
I’ve been here more than once for bike repairs. On all occasions, I was either quoted a lower price than charged or was told by the mechanic that I would need major repairs for something that could be fixed with a repair costing a fraction of the quoted price.
It felt like they were trying hard to add on charges. Some of which would be excessive.
I recommend going elsewhere or pushing hard against their suggested repairs by asking for minimal work on your bike and seeing if the issue is fixed.
Alternatively, purchase parts online and watch a YouTube video on how to do the repair yourself.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
The Go To Bike and Hardware Shop! I always go here to fix my bike – 5 stars for being knowledgable, affordable, and overall being a fun and easy going store.
Knowledgable: If you ever feel like you have a problem with your bike, they are super helpful in inquiring about how it might be broken! They don’t try to hustle you out of money and really care! With assortment f parts and pieces, they make great suggestions on how you can fix and maintain your bike. They even have parts and pieces for almost every problem.
Affordability: Even when you get a flat tire, For a little more than 20 dollars, you can instantly get it fixed! Haven’t seen much cheaper or affordable places than this!
Easy going: the workers here are super nice and understanding about almost everything. Since they are a hardware store, I told them about a costume idea I had for Halloween and they immediately hooked it up with the proper prices I needed for my costume! Random, but they are an all purpose store!
I would definitely suggest checking this place out even if you aren’t a bike rider. They are super knowledgable, affordable, and easy going! Makings of a great hardware and bike shop!
Place rating: 5
Chevy Chase, MD
After reading other reviews on Unilocal I brought my internally geared Bianchi Milano down on a Sunday. Within minutes, the knowledgeable gentleman working as mechanic diagnosed the problem and set about to fixing it. Some perspective here — internal gearing on bikes can be great but it is rare to find mechanics who have any serious experience with maintaining them. After spending about 30 minutes on it, he had the problem fixed and gave me great advice on ongoing maintenance. When I asked the manager how much it cost, he tried to charge me $ 10, at which point I insisted on giving him $ 20.
If you have any internally geared bike, PLEASE give these folks your business. I have 4 types of internally geared bikes and will not take them to anyone else after such a wonderful experience.
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
Fast work! Reasonable prices! Especially when you’ve lost a part on your bike seat and have to be at work in 15 minutes.
Shout out to Edward!
Place rating: 5
West Sayville, NY
So far I have been to this little gem 3 times in one day. I’m setting up my daughters apartment and we forget that it is so easy to run to the tool box if you need something. They have had every little item I needed so far. In fact before I start painting today I’m going and getting some spackle as well as a sanding block and putty knife. All of these items are in my basement at home.
For the next week I will be on auto pilot going there. If my ironing board does not arrive by Thursday you will see me walking on the streets with one because they sell them
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
This is what I love: a store where you walk in just to find excellent customer service! I purchased my bike there last December. The staff was very helpful and assisted me to select the right bike for me.
I have been there for questions and adjustments to my new bike and they have been so kind! I’m not going anywhere else and I am thinking on buying another bike with them.
Place rating: 5
Mountlake Terrace, WA
Update: I’m extremely impressed! Best bike shop in the DC area! I brought a bike here that I first tried to get fixed at other shops (BicycleSPACE and Proteus). Both of those shops were unable to fix my Sturmey Archer Hub. You wouldn’t believe how awesome this place was — they took my bike, and immediately worked on the hub, spending an entire afternoon taking it apart, diagnosing the problem, showing me the issues, and putting it together correctly (something BicycleSPACE and Proteus were unable to do). He only charged me $ 50 to fix the hub which is incredible considering the hours he spent working on it, and the immediate service I got.
Awesome shop! I brought in my raleigh 3 speed and they were able to fix the hub quickly. I’ll definitely be coming here to get my bikes worked on.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Honest, NOT pretentious, kind, knowledgeable staff.
Having been to many bike shops in DC, I have to say, this is the best.