I had a really lovely experience buying a new bike here. I came in with very little knowledge about road bikes. (Basically, some Googling and a friend who used to work at a bike shop giving me some advice.) When I got in, I was helped by Jackson. He walked me through the different options they have while listening to what I wanted out of a road bike. He helped me find the bike I wanted that they had at one of their local locations, and let me know they could have it transferred to their location for me. Thanks so much to Jackson. I am the brand new owner of a Specialized Allez. I appreciated his competency and assistance. I also love that I now know a place where I can bring my bike for a tune up. I would definitely recommend this spot if you are starting to look for a new bike and feel like you don't have enough knowledge to tackle Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. read more

Unfriendly staff. I called to ask if they carried cycling shoes and if they had a good selection. The guy on the phone gave a matter-of-fact yes to both questions. Their selection is limited to 5 options, at most. The worst part of visiting this store is being ignored by the staff. No assistance offered. But they were quick to greet and help the next three guys who walk in the store (that looked like a cyclists). I'm slightly overweight and trying to get in to riding my peloton. So far successful enough to need new shoes. Nothing like being fat shamed in a cycling store. Shame on this place for being so unaccommodating. There are better options in the area. Not even a casual acknowledgement of being in their store. read more

I didn't buy a bike at this store but I went inside to look around. I'm writing this review because of my customer service experience at this location. Jonah helped me and I asked him if they had any used bikes, does he have any recommendations, etc. He was so full of knowledge and he told me what to look for in a bike, right size for me, etc. I learned a lot by talking to him. Even though I told him I'm not buying a bike, he spent time with me giving me some valuable info on bikes. He was very professional and friendly. Great customer service! read more

Went there ready to seriously talk about a bike. Pointedly IGNORED by every single employee. Presence wasn't even acknowledged. Arrogant. Uncaring. Maybe next time I'll tape 100 dollar bills to my shirt. Oh, wait there won't be a next time. read more

I liked the staff and the knowledgeable floks the have there. They were able to answer all my questions and get me in and put in a short period of time read more

The customer service was great! I learned good information to make a decision about some bike shorts.

I've visited the store twice for repairs to an old bike not purchased there. From the service area to the front counter, the young men were friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I'll return to Bicycle Chain for its customer service experience. read more

With my limited experience here, it's difficult to judge the store yet. Based on the purchase, the experience was okay. The next step is going to be service and teaching a 'tween who already knows everything how to properly care for her new bicycle. I'll expect my review to go up or down based on follow up visits. read more

Great Service Dept with Christian in the back, other young new guy is awesome as well. Great attitudes. Very trustworthy and will give you an estimate to repair if you bring it in, call 1st to find out what time. Four experiences here for me and all have been great. read more

The staff was friendly enough but seemed like they were friendly to sell more services. I went in to get my boyfriend's bicycle tire fixed and they continued to tell me what is wrong with his bike and that he needed more than $100 of a tune-up to get his bike running smoothly again. They said this without realizing that it is a new bike that is worth around $400. There is no need to spend 1/4 of the price on tuning a brand new bike. The tire fix was efficient but the atmosphere is not desirable. read more

I purchased a Specialized Rock Hopper from these guys about a year and a half ago. I was just getting back into mountain biking and they were great about showing the newer technologies that had arrived since I last rode. They got me on the right size bike and helped me out with all the accessories. I rode that bike for a year and brought it back for tune-ups and repairs during that time; I have always been sent away happy. Since I outgrew the ability of the Specialized and kept breaking things on it, I purchased a new BMC online this past spring. After a few months of riding I started getting a creaking noise out of the BMC and I took it in to The Chain to have them try to track it down. They were great - the tech did everything he could to find the creak, I'm pretty sure they disassembled the entire bike trying to find the cause. They were able to quiet it down but never really found the cause. Considering the work they put in and the fact that I didn't buy the bike from them, I was amazed when they didn't charge me much at all for the work. They always greet you when you walk in the door and are quick with repairs even in peak times. read more

Long Story Short: at the end of the day after purchasing two new bicycles + accessories from the Bicycle Chain I felt like they wanted to take my money and never help me again. If anything goes wrong with your items be prepared to be nickel and dimed for customer service. Be prepared to have employees engage in arguments with you and be treated as a burden. Things were quoted for turnaround in 1-2 days, but actually took weeks. The explanations of services and fees were misleading, and overall I am left out hundreds of dollars with a bicycle I do not feel is reliable to ride. Through my experiences, the sales team was not helpful in picking out a bicycle for my application. I had multiple failures in the same component; after my first, second, and third ride. After explaining this to the mechanics they acted like it was not their problem. They told me failures after every ride were a normal occurrence. They were confrontational and quick to pass the blame from person to person in the shop. They blamed my poor choice in bicycle, which is strange because they helped me pick out the model in the first place! The kicker was this: after arguing with me face to face, the manager coming in, and the OEM company sending a warranty replacement item for a bicycle part which had ~15 miles on it, the Bicycle Chain decided to nickel and dime me for an extra $10 on replacing these parts. $10 for a simple replacement of a WARRANTIED ITEM on a new bicycle. I hope the final $10 of the hundreds I lost at this store was worth it to them. They have lost my business forever and hopefully others are prevented from making the same mistake I did shopping at this location read more

I went out yesterday with the intent of buying a new full suspension mountain bike. The chain had two different bikes I was interested in, on in Durham and the other in Raleigh. I test rode both and found all the employees knowledgeable about the bikes. Ultimately I ended up getting the bike from the Raleigh store. Every employee showed so much enthusiasm for my purchase. This experience is not my only time dealing with them. Of all the bike shops in the Triangle, I have found that I enjoy The Bicycle Chain stores the best. I will keep coming here. read more

We went shopping on Monday afternoon. It took 2.5 hrs and one very patient sales associate, but we walked out with two bikes and a bike rack. This was the 4th bike shop I'd visited on my odyssey to find a new bike. I didn't know exactly what I wanted (yes, I'm sure I was the annoying Goldilocks of bikes), so a lot of test-riding was involved. Our sales associate, Glen, dutifully adjusted every single bike I wanted to try to fit my frame (7 bikes??). This was the first place we went to that had a wide enough selection of bikes available in my size for me to test everything side by side.They had the Trek I wanted to test and the Specialized I wanted to test, so that was a big plus. I was able to pick up a 2011 model on clearance, so that was even happier. I'm giving this 4 stars and not 5 only because I haven't taken my bike in for service yet, but I anticipate no problems. read more

I am impressed with the staff's knowledge and willingness to answer the customer's questions. They stand behind their products and service. I wish they had a shop in Indianapolis. read more

I called the store ahead of time to ask if they would be willing to perform maintenance work on my e-bike. The person on the phone assured me that they would. When I arrived at the store, the employee working there informed me that instead of the normal $120 fee, the store would charge the e-bike maintenance fee which could be over $300. I agreed to this condition and left my bike at the store. 20 minutes later, I received a call from the store letting me know that they would not be willing to work on my bike. This was a very frustrating experience and wasted hours of my time. read more

Expensive but you can hit plenty of sales. Staff were knowledgeable but did not seem to be overly motivated to truly help the customers. I bought a Mountain bike at the spring tent sale, rode it maybe 3 times around neighborhood on paved roads. Went back stating tire has a leak. they wanted to charge me $10 bucks just to look at it and another $6 to replace the tube. I mentioned that I had their 5X Extended Warranty which it states on their web site as "covers ALL LABOR CHARGES". Even showed the mechanic the 5X sticker on the bike. Nope that made no difference he said. I tried to get him to explain why a tire would be leaking after maybe 12 miles of riding and NOT be a manufacture issue. This went nowhere so I left. They should have dealt with tire for free! Also a staff member pointed out that the bike is too big for me. REALLY! For the price they should have pointed that out at purchase time instead of pushing the bike out the door with no customer service. My co-worker just bought from Performance Bikes and all that is included plus she could return her bike anytime for refund or exchange. I would still recommend them, but use caution and ask lots of questions so you get what you need. read more

Great place to buy a bike you can get the best deals in Raleigh on a name brand bike with name brand components I am comparing to performance bikes, here when they do a close out you are going to save $, and I have bought bikes from glen who is very nice to deal with,definitely check out this location on glenwood if you are the market for a new ride read more

I contacted the store looking for an older derailleur that was proving impossible to find. I didn't catch the guys name that was helping me, but he was super helpful and tried everything he could to find me the part. I ended up buying it through Ebay after trying multiple local bike shops to no avail. 5 stars for great customer service! I will def be going to this store in the future. read more

Big shop, lots of bikes -- spent most of a Saturday here finding a new bike for Blithe through a series of test-rides. They were VERY accommodating, adjusting setup, over and over (and over) with many different bikes. There is a nice loop road through the low-traffic neighborhood behind the shop to compare the road bikes, while mountain bikers could cross the street and head into Umstead Park for some gravel paths. They did a very thorough final fitting once she made up her mind, and she is ecstatic with her new bike (I'm happy with the price too). They carry Cannondale and Specialized. Small clothing section. No tandems or recumbents, sad face. read more

We have found our new place to buy our 5 children bikes. I took my 7 year old's bike in to fix a tire and the young men working there were as helpful as anyone could be. Whoever is running this shop expects and gets excellent customer service. Huge selection of bikes. We will be back!!! read more

Great store with great staff. They always go the extra mile to help! They are good at what they do, and they have fun doing it.

Went in for 100$ upgrade on my shifters, before I saw the mechanic the fat old man that sits in the front desk said it could not be done and I may as well buy a new bike, went to all star bike in Raleigh instead and had no problems. read more

Last Saturday, I took our bikes there for tune-ups, and realized afterward that they don't charge for basic tune-ups if you bought the bikes there (we did a couple years ago and got a great deal!) They did the work really quickly while I waited. While I waited, I was looking at the bike racks and worrying about carrying the bikes in the back of my truck. Got 20% off on a nice Thule hitch receiver rack -- the manager actually assembled and installed it for me and gave me a little tutorial on how to use it. Great overall experience and thanks Chris from Terre Haute! read more

These guys were great!! They went over and above to find me the bike I wanted! I had to wait, but it was worth it. Scott and Chris were professional and I am thrilled to get my bike! I highly suggest buying a bike from them! Thank you again!!! read more

Took my E bike in there today made by RAD. Needed an adjustment on the derailer they didn't hesitate to bring me in and get me service within 10 minutes. This bike is only bought on the Internet I did not buy it here. However that did not stop them from helping me to get up and running and get it in peak condition in less than 30 minutes. Only charged me $30. Technician John very friendly talkative and helpful. Chris upfront was also very nice and helpful. Will be back again often. read more

I grew up racing BMX, freestyle riding and later got heavily in to mountain biking in the early nineties, however I stopped riding in 2000, I visited all the stores in the Raleigh, Cary and Apex areas shopping for bicycles for my wife, myself and our five children. Out of all the shops that I visited, the Bicicyle Chain on Glenwood Ave. was by far the most knowledgable, friendly and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone regardless of skill level or knowledge. We love all of our bikes and are now enjoying them on a daily basis. Thank you for all your help and kindness! read more

My wife and I went to the Bicycle Chain on black Friday because she wanted a bike - and mine needed servicing bad. Now for the shopping experience this would have been a 1-2 star review. But after 5 days I was able to pick up my bike and it is running beautifully. Now if I hadn't paid attention I would not have gotten my airpump back - I saw that lying on the bench. And as it turns out I had to go back to have a little bag that's attached to my saddle returned to me. So three stars - I wouldn't go there to buy a bike - but for bike service this place is perfectly OK - if you make sure you get all parts of your bike back... read more

My son and I flew with BMX bikes in golf bags from California to Raleigh, NC for the first time recently for a race out East. My husband is the bike guy in our family and although I could probably put the bikes together I wanted them safe for our upcoming race. I called The Bicycle Chain in Cary and they were too busy to fit us in on short notice, but they told me to call the shop in Raleigh. I spoke with a guy named Eddie and he told me to bring the bikes by and they'd fit us in. We rolled in at 6:30 PM and they built both bikes and got them totally dialed for our race in less than 30 minutes. You guys RULE!!! read more

Drew was very pleasant and super helpful with replacing bolts for my unicycle, filled the tire, installed the pedals and greased the seat shaft all for free and gave me a great deal on my helmet. He also gave me a ton of spare bike chains and gears I can use for crafting. I highly recommend this store. It was an excellent experience. read more

I ended up going back to The Bicycle Chain on Glenwood to have my daughter's bike serviced. Gerald is the bike technician i worked with. They were a little backed up as with other local bike shops in the area since the pandemic, but this shop was very close to my home so I decided on this location for service. Gerald spent time with me explaining what the tune up consists of etc. I had many questions for him. He was very friendly and professional and was patient with me asking him all kinds of bike questions. I called a few times too because I had more questions. Gerald was available to take my call each time I called to answer my additional questions. Fast forward to yesterday, my daughter's bike was finished. I took the bike for a test ride when I got home and I gotta say that I am so so very happy that the bike is working much better now, gears adjusted, brakes, etc. The bike is like night and day from when I first dropped it off. I am impressed! I also want to mention that the other employees at this shop were all so welcoming and friendly, Marcus at the front, Jonah whom I mentioned in my previous review here, can't remember everyone else's names but every single person I had interactions with displayed top notch customer service and made me feel welcomed. I am definitely keeping this place as my go to bike shop from now on. I have 3 other bikes that need servicing and I'm glad my search for a good LBS is over! This is the place to go to. Highly recommended! read more

Terrific first experience today. Needed a specialty part that no other stores had. They were willing to install it within minutes and I was out riding on schedule. Super friendly all around and easy to talk to (and was not talked down on for my lack of knowledge.) I'm a fan. Love this bike shop vibe. I'll be back. read more

I recently purchased a used bike rack and it was really rocking back and forth so I thought I needed a hitch modifier. I went to the Raleigh store and there was a young guy working the counter and after I told him I had no idea what I was doing....he offered to walk out in the 99 degree weather to take a look. Everything was fine, I just needed to tighten the screw (I did say I was clueless). I re-visited the store a few days ago to look at different seat options. Although it was a different employee, he too offered to go outside and take a look at what I currently was using. Usually as a female in situations such as these, I'm basically ignored. The customer service I received was wonderful and obviously will be remembered! read more

Brought 2 bikes in for a repair and tune up. Once bike was quoted at $100 and other quoted at $250. Expected time for repairs was a week, but mechanic told me that he would text me when the bikes were done. Didn't hear anything for over 2 weeks so I decided to give the shop a call. The shop said that the bikes have been done for over a week now. I was confused to why I was never contacted. When I picked up the bikes my one bike was $100 and the other was $350. I told the shop that the second bike was quoted at a lower price and that I did not authorize any further repairs other than what was quoted. I think this shop has an issue with lack of communication with customers. read more

I have always been more than pleased with the friendly service. Once they changed out some cleats that were too tight for me to loosen and simply gave me some toe clips that they had hanging around; they put those on for my kid who doesn't have bike shoes. Charged me $5. They have a large selection of really sweet bikes, too, and all the gear you need for the sport. Can you get a deal? I didn't research that. read more

Was visiting town and last minute decided to do a long bike ride. Rented a road bike. Super accommodating re: pick-up/drop-off. Bike was great, they offered to adjust the fit a bit for me, made sure I had a helmet, etc. The whole process was quality, simple, fast. read more

I wish there was a -1 star review. They would get it from me. Took my Cannondale for repair to the bike chain shop in Durham. I did this because they claim to only deal with Cannondale bikes. I went back a week later, and they had not even touched my bike or called me. They said they would call Cannondale for parts. So another week later, no call from them again. The first time i went back they said they would call back after talking with Cannondale. When i returned the in two weeks - nothing. My appearance is what made them call Cannondale while i was in the store. I was told they would send the part out and i would be called with the information. Week 3, i arrive and it's the same story. They keep blaming everything on Cannondale, which is odd since all the bikes in that shop are Cannondale bikes. So, finally after another week, i took my bike to another place, the clean machine in Carrboro. I drop off the same day i picked it away from the useless Bike chain. A day later, the Clean Machine calls to tell me they can fix the bike, and how much it would cost. A day later...versus more than three weeks!! I won't go back to the bike chain EVER and won't refer anyone there EVER. I'd rather drive a long distance to a place that will provide the right service and that's what matters at the end of the day. Service and bike machine never called back their client....even once. NEVER after the bike was in their shop for more than 3 weeks. Pathetic! read more

Great customer service. They hooked me up with a rental, swapped out the pedals and had me on my way in 15 min. Very accommodating.

Yes, I am a thirty-something mom and not a 20 year old mountain biker. However, the rude, not friendly, can't be bothered attitude cost this place a nice amount of business. Both the 10 year old and 8 year old are moving up to their first "nice" bikes and my husband will be replacing his bike soon as well. They were rude, wouldn't explain their inventory, and really acted like I was a bother being in their store. We bought bikes today, but from another bike shop in Raleigh, and had a significantly better experience. There are other stores in Raleigh - don't bother with this one. read more

So my husband and I bought a fixed wheel pro jogger 2nd hand (baby stroller for running fast with heavy duty bike tubes/tires/suspension/hand brake). I actually rollerblade behind it and our baby boy has LOVED it since he was old enough to sit up. We got it cheap so the slightly "wobbly" right rear wheel was no big deal. We assumed it would be an easy fix. My husband tried first to adjust/tighten the spokes and troubleshoot it himself. No luck. We thought we would try a bike shop before contacting the manufacturer. I called the bicycle chain first to see if they even dealt with jogger stroller wheels. The gentleman on the phone was very nice "sure, bring it in, we're open till 7". I had to work that night so I sent my husband and baby in with the wheel to show them. The employees were very rude to my husband....even embarrassed him by saying sarcastic things like "stroller wheel problem" "what do you want us to do about it?" "I mean I can charge you $100/hr to take a look at it". Wasted trip ZERO help :-( I feel bad for sending my poor husband here to waste his time with these "we're too cool for school hardcore bikers....get your stupid stroller out of here" FELLAS .....sorry hubs.....search for help continues....thanks for trying! read more