Josh was very informative and helpful! I came in with a bike my friend gave me--he answered all of my questions, gave me a few tips, and was very transparent about what the bike needed and what the cost would be. The shop also has two super cute cats :-) read more

So fast! Came in for a issue in gear shifting and it was fixed in 30 min! Perfect price and even explained my gears to me a little further so I could understand my bike better!! Yipee! read more

I've been coming here for a few years now. Mostly for parts and repair. Reasonably priced. Always easy. Always helpful. Excellent spot!

I've come into Old Town Cycles twice now for repairs, and each time my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. The owner has a no nonsense, honest approach and a true passion for bikes. Great prices, great communication, and excellent service, you really can't go wrong with this place. read more

This is a bike shop run by a guy who loves bikes. We needed a tune-up and some unconventional accessories installed on an unconventional bike. We called Old Town because it was nearby and easy to get to with the bike lane on Johnson. Josh made a careful and honest assessment of what he could install (which turned out to be everything). In the time it took us to grab lunch across the street and window shop a bit, he was finished. When you work with Josh, you feel like you're working with a craftsman. He knows his stuff and takes pride in his work. The store looks like it's been there forever- another good sign. We'll be back. And feel lucky to have met Josh. He's good people. read more

Josh was great! He fixed my flat tire in no time (I had a brewery tour to get back to, so this was much appreciated). He educated us on all of our bicycle questions and helped me get a better tire so my tube wouldn't bust again. He was knowledgeable and didn't try to sell us the most expensive gear in the shop, just because he could. He listened to my needs and helped me get back on the road. I would totally suggest this shop to my friends. read more

Old Town Cycles - Bikes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Called ahead, and the person said they could do a brake adjustment same day while I wait. Got into the shop and met the owner Josh. Super knowledgeable and friendly. Did a quick repair while we chatted about some options for accessories, and other work for the bike. Second visit, like the first, super nice and knew options right away (needed new wheel ) Call ahead if you have questions, a habit I have for all businesses. Great to have in my neighborhood. read more

Old Town Cycles - Great neighborhood bicycle shop - fun signs. - Bikes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

If a shop (regardless of size or number of employees) isn't willing take the time to listen to you explain a request, how can you trust your bike will even get the attention it deserves? Can't rate products or services, just customer service. read more

Old Town Cycles is where I go for all my tune-ups. Josh gives an honest assessment of what is needed, and tells me when repairs/replacements are *not* needed. When I needed new tires, Josh presented me with options, including a more affordable option, which I really appreciated as a student at the time. Josh does excellent work. I highly recommend Old Town Cycles. read more

Old Town Cycles is the best place to go for bike repairs and honest advice. Josh always delivers on time, is upfront about repair costs and has often recommended less expensive options for tires, parts and accessories, talking us through the pros and cons of each. Most of the time he is able to fix the bike and get it back to us within a few hours and if not, he lets us know ahead of time so our bikes are in the shop for as short a time as possible. Highly recommend! read more

Josh has been my preferred bike mechanic since I moved to the neighborhood in 2010. He has worked with me through a variety of bikes, most of which have been basic commuting bikes. Josh has always been very honest with the urgent needs of my bike(s), and his pricing is incredibly reasonable for how quickly he can turnaround bike repairs. Can't recommend Josh enough, he does great work! read more

Today I had my first experience at this establishment. My experience was excellent and I will likely return for much more work in the future. The owner was friendly and offered great suggestions on my repair. I was told all my options (he had a standard, mid-grade and luxury tire) and didn't try to point me in any certain direction or sell me anything I didn't need. Without an appointment or notice, he did the repair while I waited. The price of labor was more than fair as well. This place is a lovely little gem in a wonderful neighborhood. I've gone to other bike shops in town and will certainly be coming back to Old Town Cycles when I need another repair. read more

I can't say enough good things about this shop. The price is right, the owner is upfront and does exactly what he says he is going to do. I brought my sons' two bikes in for their first tune up in years this week. I knew they were in rough shape and needed work beyond the basic tune-up. I thought I'd be lucky to get the bikes back within the week. Josh quoted me a very fair price for the parts we needed and for the labor. He understood that the bikes I brought in were kids' bikes and was great about advising on fixes that made sense given the beating the bikes get. He told me he'd have the bikes ready in 3 business days at the latest. The bikes were ready a day and a half after I dropped them off. The bill for each bike was within $5 of the estimate Josh gave me. The work was done well. I'll definitely be back the next time we need service! read more

I have been to Josh for a couple of general tune-ups, in addition to smaller, more specific jobs, such as replacing my gear shifter, saddle, and tires. Every experience has been positive. Josh works quickly and for a reasonable rate (he once replaced my gear shifter in under two hours and for under $40), plus he's the owner and sole employee, which is (in my opinion) super cool. Another neat thing about the shop is that there is a certain amount of resale happening there. I bought a like-new Schwinn bike saddle for $5! I just dropped off some studded winter tires I won't be needing anymore, and he gladly took them. Trustworthy spot, I'd say :) read more

The guy that owns and operates this place was very rude and did poor work. I went to him to fix a gear slipping problem, and he upsold me to a full tune up. Ok, I figured, it's not that much more, and couldn't hurt. When I came to pick up the bike, he told me to come around behind to look at something he did, but then he yelled at me for standing on his grey mat. You're the one that told me to go there, dude! And after all that, the gears still slipped. Go to Machinery Row, instead--better quality work, friendlier people. read more

Solid. Brought my bike in with a wobbly wheel and a shabby tire. Turned around in 30-minutes and rides like a dream! They also corrected a few other issues without being asked. Great service, reasonable pricing, and nice people. Best experience I've had in Madison. read more

Came in for a long overdue tune-up. The work was finished on the same day. Friendly, honest service at a competitive cost. Wouldn't go anywhere else. Edit: Just realized this is my second review for this shop - oops! Oh well, 5 stars again! read more

How would you feel if you brought in a bike for repair and were told that it "was a clusterfuck" that wasn't worth his time? Well, that's what happened when we brought our bike to Old Town Cycles a week ago. We had taken the gears off my old bike so my 14-year-old son could paint it, and then we ran out of time putting it back together, so we brought it here. The owner (i believe Josh) took one look at it and called it a "clusterfuck," said he had other things to do that were more worth his time. (This was after we'd already done business with him this summer, and had a third bike to tune up along with the gear-repair one.) We politely said "well, okay" and left, but then just yesterday, the bike we had him work on this summer fell APART! In his tune up of my husband's bike, he had forgotten to secure the high-low screws on the gears, and guess what just busted on his ride home yesterday. Yup. It's toast now. Terrible manners with customers. And his work doesn't last. Don't go here. read more

Josh is awesome. He did an awesome job tuning up my Specialized women's commuter bike and she rides like a dream now. I really appreciated that he gives you a quote before he does any work and if there's something else that comes up he will let you know before he does anything. He thought my rear brake pads needed replaced so we priced it out, in the end they were fine so the final cost was lower than the quote. Also really appreciated that it is first come, first served and he got it all tuned up and shiny clean in two days. This wouldn't be the place I'd go to get accessories, but I would definitely bring accessories here for installation. I highly recommend Josh for repair and tune-ups. read more

My wife and I have been to Old Town Cycles several times now for repairs on our commuter bikes. We have also purchased a number of items there as well as had my bike serviced multiple times. On all occasions, I have found the owner to be quick, prompt, and reliable in our dealings. He is clear about exactly what the work will entail and provides quotes and estimated times for repairs up front--and sticks to them. Most recently, I brought my bike in for a punctured tube. He had the bike up and the tube off and repaired quicker than I have seen some Indy crews work. In fixing the tube, he also noticed a spoke that was too long on my rim and adjusted that to the right size, along with a few other tweaks to my ride--all part of the very reasonable labor fee he quoted me. I am always nervous about repair shops and I have certainly experienced some charlatans in the past. Old Town Cycles earns my business because of the owner's honesty, pride in his work, and care for his customers. read more

Just got my bike fixed up here. I can tell already how much I'm going to love my bike. It rides so smooth and comfortably. After some much needed work the bike is working like it should. I recommend this bike shop! read more

This is my go-to bike shop! Josh is always up-front, non-judgemental, and I always leave my bike with complete confidence in his work. Nice prices, too! read more

My bike is old and has been in storage for several years, so it's not in great shape. The guy looked it over, oiled the chain, and put air in the tires for free. It took less than five minutes. He was super nice and said to try riding it for a couple of days and then come back if anything's wrong, so now I have a functional (if somewhat janky) bike again. I'm definitely going back there if I need anything else fixed or have to buy new bike lights. read more

Awesome experience! Went in for a new tube. Was in and out in 5 minutes, it was cheap and the guy was super friendly. More people in this neighborhood should come here! read more

Friendly and fast service. They installed and adjusted my seat after my tune up even though I had purchased it elsewhere. Thanks, guys!

We stopped by on 5/16/2015 to get an estimate on a bike repair. The employee was very friendly and provided a very honest evaluation of the work that needed to be done. I will definitely come back for any bike repair needs. read more

Josh is courteous, efficient, and friendly, and I would recommend his shop to anyone. My bike needed several repairs--he very quickly gave me an estimate, was not at all pushy about anything, and had the work done within 24 hours, about $10 under the max estimate he gave me. Plus he didn't make me feel embarrassed that I had basically messed up my bike by leaving it outside for several months in winter precipitation. You might notice that there are lots of great reviews for his shop on this page and just a few contrasting very negative reviews. Think about it like this: I work in a customer service position myself. Most of my customers at my current job are great, but there are just a handful of regular customers who are either incredibly mean, dishonest, or downright unhinged, and make my life very stressful when they come in. In every public facing position, you will inevitably encounter some people like that. I don't own the store I work at, so I am unable to tell these people what I think of them, or ban them, although I wish I could. Not so for Josh--he owns his shop and it's just him there. If the occasional person comes in being rude to him, making him uncomfortable, or trying to cheat him, it's his right to tell them to leave and not come back. I say good for him!! If you were in his position you would do the same. You go Josh. So don't let the bad reviews scare you, if you are a normal reasonable person like most people then you'll have a good experience. read more

Can't recommend this bike shop enough. I came in with a flat tire and assumed my bike probably needed a tune-up as well as I hadn't used it in over a year. He looked it over first to see if a tune-up was even warranted, which it wasn't so he saved me $70 when other bike shops probably would have just taken my money without thinking twice. He also repaired my flat extremely quickly even though I wasn't in a rush to get my bike back. Super nice, upfront, and great quality work. read more

This shop did an excellent job on my Trek 3700 tune up. It was hard to find this shop... I guess because they don't advertise. Anyway, at $70 bucks this was the cheapest tune up in town and I am extremely happy with his work. My wheels are trued up, my brake and shifter cables are tight as well. I will be going back to this shop again and I will be recommending them as well. read more

My favorite bike shop in Madison. The owner is incredibly kind and helpful, not arrogant or pushy like some bike mechanics I've encountered. He always fixes small things in five minutes and it's never taken more than a few days for bigger problems. He does a great job and prices are very reasonable. I'm a big fan. read more

I recently ventured into Old Town Cycles looking for nothing in particular. I found a really cool S-Works rigid mountain frameset. I spent 10-15 minutes checking it out, trying to decide if it was big enough for me. That was on a Thursday; I came back on Saturday, looked at it for another 15 minutes or so, then bought it. During this time, I was able to witness Josh--the owner--interacting with a variety of customers with various needs. I was really impressed with his customer service and quick repair/service work that he performed for people while they waited. The store is very small, and you won't find any new bikes for sale here. But if you need a light, lock, or bag...or need a brake adjusted in just a minute or two, this is a great place to come. read more

I had a flat tire as a result of a punctured inner tube, and the repair guy working that afternoon got me fixed up and ready to go in less than ten minutes, for just $18. Another time I went there to get a replacement screw for my bike light, and they gave me one for free. I don't go to bike shops often enough to be able to compare OTC's prices and services to other places in Madison, but so far they've been great for my budget :) read more

I came in the other day (with no appointment) to have my brakes repaired. The guy working at the time was extremely friendly, and the repair was done in about 10-15 minutes. Fair prices, good customer service. I will be back when I need other work done on my bike. read more

I bought a bike from them a few weeks ago. The service was good and I am happy with my purchase. I will buy from them again

The guy knows how to fix bikes but watch what you say around him. After deciding to not get something fixed once, he berated my partner and later threw me out of his store for no reason at all. Since then he has appeared hostile to me. In short, he's a total jerk. read more

Terrific neighborhood bike shop. The owner is always friendly and helpful, and I trust him 100%.

This was the third time I've brought a bike in to Old Town Cycles. The owner is super nice and informative and the service is outstanding! I bought this bike only about two months ago, but it felt like a brand new bike after I left! He was very appreciative of my business - I will continue to go back and recommend it to anyone! read more

Great little neighborhood shop. The shop keeper was very helpful, incredibly friendly, and knowledgeable. I called to see if he had a tube for my bike, and it was on the counter and ready to go when I got there. Surprisingly good selection of bike parts and equipment including racks, baskets, bags/panniers, fenders, etc. Labor prices seem reasonable too. read more

I would stay far away from this place! The customer service is far from stellar. The Owner was very rude and arrogant. I spent above $300 on my bike repairs and eloquently asked questions about the products and services I was receiving. I was only doing what any consumer would do when spending hundreds of dollars. The owner was very short with me but still I returned a week later when the brand new tire I bought went flat. When I returned I told him how I ride my bike alot and asked if perhaps I should spend more on better material and he seemed very annoyed by my inquiry...So at that point I was sincerly put off by his establisment...And still I returned today for a complete winter overhaul on my bike and the Owner asked me to leave because he did not like me. I was willing to do business with this rude individual again and he refused to work on my bike. Instead of adjusting his customer service skills and feeling professional enough to inform his patrons to on product knowledge hedecides to sever a business relationship. Instead of seeing me as someone that wants to insure I am spending my money on the right product he saw me as an expendable item of no value. But I will not be treated in that manner at any business. I have contacted the better business bureau and our local business commisions about this. There are many other great bike shops that will be happy to help you and teach you about your bike if you ask with no problem. read more

About 5 years ago, I had Old Town rebuild my commuter bike. Since then, I've used the shop for all my subsequent tune ups, as well as on the few occasions when I've had a flat. I can't believe how quickly the owner has always had me back on the road. I've been really happy with Old Town Cycles. read more