I looked online for a way to directly submit my feedback via email and found nothing, so here we are. I've had decent experiences with TCM - them giving me a screw for me my cleats (and selling me on for a dollar another time - loc tite was not working), selling me tires, assembling a bike that was shipped to me, but the last visit left me cold. I have an old beater Giant hybrid with gear issues. Brought it in to have that looked at, and experienced an aggressive upsell, for tuneup, replace all cables, get new tubes and tires. I said no and got push back that the brake cables were "pretty gunked up" and needed to be replaced. Umm .... still a no. Does clean machines pay it's employees commission on repairs? Kind of got that impression. So I agreed to a tuneup since it was explained that the gear issues would be fixed as part of that. (A tube blew out during the tuneup, stuff happens.) Rode home - gear issues so turned around and brought the bike back in, and after a few minutes was told that the gears were too old and worn to be fixed. Not sure about that, but things degraded two rides later - yesterday the bike was popping out of gear, and I broke the chain I am 100% sure for that reason. I would have appreciated them owning up right up front that the repair was not good, and not trying to shunt me into work I did not want or need. read more

Bought a bike here recently. Super happy with my experience. I stopped in during the week and looked at their stock and talked about a few bikes. They encouraged me to test one out too, which was awesome! Then I came back a few days later after they got some more inventory and made a purchase. I am new-ish to biking and found the staff to be very excellent in providing recommendations to suit my interests, budget, and goals. Didn't try to sell me everything in the store, just what i needed and wanted for my new hobby! They adjusted the seat for me and helped me get a pump and some bike accessories. They also have a little repair shop so if I have any issues or need adjustments, I will come to them first! Highly recommend. read more

This is a great bike shop. They have a great team. Bill the mechanic did a great job on a used road bike I bought recently. It's like a new bike. Highly recommended. They are a bit backed up on bike repairs right now be warned. Although they do respond nicely if you have an "urgent" need (ie you're dying to up on your new / used bike again! Which I was and they fast forwarded my bike work. Fair play daoibh go leir. read more

Poor service. Went for a $30 job; came away with $140 bill. And the job was not even complete! If you want a $6,000 bike (yep, that's right), this might a great place to go. If you want prompt, honest service, go elsewhere. My experience was very similar to others who felt they were overcharged and the staff lacked competence in repairing bikes. Use bait and switch tactics. read more

I've literally been a customer of TCM for close to two decades. I have bought a bike from them, spent hundreds upon hundreds in repairs, bought gear and have gotten quick little adjustments from them while riding by over the years and for the most part they are informative, transparent, helpful and cordial but have always been overpriced in everything they offer (I have been willing to overlook this because I want to support local businesses). That is, until me, a long time customer, was riding by and I noticed that my threaded headset on my fixed gear needed to be tightened a bit with a 32mm wrench, which I didn't have on me. Literally all it needed was a super quick 1/2 turn adjustment to get rid of the front end wiggle. Upon entering their empty shop close to closing time, I asked if they could let me borrow a 32mm wrench right quick. They wouldn't even let me borrow the tool "cuz covid" and then tried to charge me $20+ for a "headset adjustment" when I asked the lone mechanic there who was doing nothing to help me with an adjustment that involved far less effort than pumping up a tire! What gives. This was piss poor customer service. Nickel and dime scrooge tactics to long time customers who have spent thousands there already!? Upon getting home, I tightened it myself in under 10 seconds. Needless to say, I remain miffed. The TCM business model revolves entirely around overcharging people with their exorbitant price gouging while they deliver lackluster service--the mechanics there just a couple years ago were way more competent and wouldn't have blinked an eye at my request for such a superquick, minimal adjustment. So much for the whole "friendly neighboorhood bike shop" vibe, that has worn all the way off for me as of today. read more

Cannot recommend highly enough. I purchased three bikes from The Bicycle Chain in the last 15 years and my next purchase will be from TBC. The staff and owner have always be friendly, helpful, and clearly knowledgeable. They know and like bicycling, sell high quality products, help you find the right bike for you (your physical characteristics, skill level, intended use), will sell you a less expensive rather than more expensive bike if it is better for you than the more expensive bike. Their service department is a full notch above top-notch. Earlier this week I took a bike in that had a simple problem and Nate performed a little Nate magic and got me on the road straight away. What more do you need to know? Like Share Satellite read more

Clean Machine is the Carrboro location of the area's Bicycle Chain stores. Lot of really good people who love bikes work here. They sell Orbea, Cannondale and other brands in the shop, but have access to all the major brands. I called up the Clean Machine to see if they had touring bikes like Surly's Long Haul Trucker. They didn't have any in the shop, but the guy was way into promoting touring bikes and called up a friend of his who had the bike I was looking for and got him to lend it to me for a ride. I ended up not taking the offer, but seriously that was cool. These guys also do fittings. I had them size me for an Orbea, but didn't end up getting one. My buddy had a full fitting done there and although it cost some money for the fitting time and the parts, he says they did a really great job and his bike is SOOO comfortable now. I kinda resent that they did that because now my bud is a lot faster than me. But it's my bad for not letting them know who to blacklist from fittings. All in all, this is a great local bike shop. I haven't had any service work there, but most of the good bike mechanics in the area have spent some time wrenching there. They also have some rides organized throughout the year on the road and trail. They're also located close to some nice riding routes up North Greensboro and out on Dairyland. They're not terribly far from Carolina North to try a bike on the dirt if you want. read more

I was excited to find the Electra Ticino in their online catalog, and when we popped in the store -- sure enough, there she was in all her wintermint and hammered fender glory. My first question was how it compares to the Electra Verse (a model I'd looked at elsewhere, and was also interested in)... where did the specs vary, and what would I be sacrificing with each. The staff responded that Electra bikes are more style-forward than function-forward, and pointed out things on the Ticino that are designed for a more comfortable ride (ie, didn't really answer the question, or seem to know anything about the Verse. To be fair, it's not in their inventory). They got me set up for a spin in the parking lot, and I liked the bike. I brought it back in and questioned the price; it had been marked with a sale price on their online catalog, but was not in the store. Our associate said the catalog bike might have been an older model, and that what was in the store was all they had, suggesting the bike I'd seen online had sold. To appease my husband (who is certain I won't be able to "keep up" with him on my lovely upright bicycle), I rode a couple of other more aggressive styled bikes. But I kept coming back to the Ticino. While looking at bikes for Him, we crossed to a separate side of the store where the men's bikes & road bikes were. And what should I see gleaming in the window but a shiny Ticino?! It was priced about $250 cheaper (even less than the one I'd seen in their online catalog). We wheeled it around, and the guy told us that it was an older model; he pointed out some differences in the gear shifters and coverings. After riding it, I decided I liked the newer model better. When we checked out, lo & behold, the price on the newer model came up as the sale price I had seen online -- it had just never been marked down on the bike itself. This is without a doubt my favorite of all the bike stores we visited. I loved the feel of it -- hip, community-loving bike store with really cool associates -- and I loved the guy we worked with. He was new, but so nice, helpful, and patient. He fitted me for two helmets, because I couldn't decide, helped us install our bike rack (even though we bought it from their other location), and helped research inventory elsewhere on the bike my husband was hoping to order. The store also has a great tune-up-anytime policy, valid for any of their locations. I'm really glad I was able to support this particular store with my bike purchase! read more

I stopped in here today with two objectives - one - see if they have any road bikes in "Moni Size" (XS - my current roadie is 43cm), and to see if they have anything available for me to try out. You see - I've tested out a few bikes in the last few months, and its come to my attention that I really need a better road bike. My current bike is a GREAT starter bike, but now that I have 4 triathlons and 2 rides under my belt, I feel its time for an upgrade. The hardest part is finding what I want in my size. I went in and asked about it, and was immediately taken to two different bikes that are in my size, price, and material list of needs. Score! I asked about the fit and ride process, and got the skinny on that. I was pleased to hear that they will put you on a trainer to test out your fit with the bike's geometry, and then let you take the bike out for a spin. I will definitely be making an appointment to do this soon! My second objective was the icing on the cake! I explained that I'm pretty new to the area, and I was told that there are two women's rides in the area during the week. That made me REALLY happy since the other ones I've found are out in Cary. Close to home, AND from a place that is one of the few Orbea dealers in the area. read more

WE had a great experience here with purchasing a bicycle and getting a tune up for an existing bike. We wanted to buy a bicycle for my daughter to ride to school and being the thoughtful person she is, she needed time to figure out what model, color and accessories she would want. We ended up going in twice to look at the different models, try them out, look at colors etc. She ended up getting a really kick-@ss Townie by Electra in purple with front basket. They had options for decals and streamers too but she didn't go for that. They had her bike in stock and by the afternoon she was out touring the neighborhood. Hubs had his bicycled tuned up since he rides to work and had different tires put on and they were able to finish it up within hours and not the next day that we were told. He was really psyched that he got such a quick turnaround service since he loves his bike so much he is threatening to buy a back-up. I don't bike much (at all) but a store like that just might be able to talk me into it. read more

There are two primary bike shops that I know of in this area. The problem I have with this one is: - the attitudes - the pricings - the quality of service Briefly to the first point, in the few times I've been in TCM, I've never been greeted until I've stood around awkwardly for a spell. Usually this is due to whoever's present being on the phone, gabbing with a co-worker, or staring at a computer/register monitor, otherwise oblivious to the world around them. Forget about being warmly greeted, I just want someone to respond to my throat clearing without an annoyed expression. Is your annoyance due to whatever you were working on, or that you have to talk with someone? To the latter point, quality of service, I brought my two quality road bikes in more than once and was always disappointed with the results. For example, I was informed that I should replace my bald tires with new ones. If I were an ignoramus, I would have bought that suggestion. I knew better, though, since I had those tires replaced less than a year before. Their "baldness" was by design. How familiar are these mechanics with common tire/tread types? Another time, I brought a bike in for a standard tune-up. A few weeks later, a creaking was coming from my crankset. I never had that problem before. I brought it back in, and at first they weren't going to honor the work they did previously, but eventually they submitted. Much appreciated. However, a solution was not found. It was suggested, in fact, that a "piece was missing," from the set. How could that happen, except for during their servicing? They did not have the suspected missing piece in the shop, so I was told I could wait on an order. In the meantime, I brought the bike to a competitor. One glance and he spotted the problem. A little tightening, and assurance that there were no missing pieces, and it was as good as new. Not a creak since. Though my experiences were all lackluster, TCM is a decent shop for all the reasons you'll find in other reviews. Just be wary of their suggestions and negotiate for better prices when feasible. read more

Place has a decent selection of road and mountain bikes. Very informed staff gave me the run down of getting into mtb. Ended up looking at Cannondale and Specialized hard tales, but quickly moved toward Santa Cruz. They're a bit expensive, as all full-suspensions are, but eh, long term investment I suppose, for my health and leisure. Prices are a bit expensive here and they won't budge on price. May be able to find 5-10% lower online, but you'll have to wait, won't know what you're getting until you have it, and can't see the actual product. Ask about price matching, but don't think they'll honor. Overall, really good neighborhood selection for Cannonale line up. Specialized selection is right up the road at their sister site on Franklin St. read more

Usually places like this if your not a real biker they aren't helpful or take the time to help you. This place was the opposite, staff was friendly, awesome, and super helpful. Fixed a brake issue on my daughters bike today. Thanks again!! read more

Don't use these folks to ship bikes! They are sloppy when it comes to ensuring that all parts (e.g. derailer screw and seat post bolts) are included after disassembly. Not much you can do when the bike comes either. Be prepared to take your bike to another shop for additional parts/repairs. read more

Great service. They always get me back on the road. For example, today I finished a road ride and realized that I lost screws securing my cleats. They found a replacement and had me good to go in minutes. read more

We brought in an '08 tandem that had been giving us issues since we bought it new. We'd brought it into two bike shops prior to Clean Machine but none had solved the problems. Evan was our awesome tech. He unearthed a missing spacer and incompatibilities between 2 sets of components. Then he worked with the component manufacturers to resolve the issues. End result: bike runs better than ever. I'm used to having to call shops a couple days after they said the bike would be done, only to find out the repair would take another week. Evan did a great job keeping us apprised of the impact of his findings on cost, schedule, and long-term rideability. We received e-mails with photos at critical junctures. Thanks Evan. And congrats to Clean Machine for putting together a great team. read more

Tried to rent a bike here. The rate quoted was $50/day for a road bike. This seems steep to me, though maybe that's because it's apparently the only bike rental shop in the area. But the dealbreaker was that they don't provide locks along with rental bikes, or rent locks. The cheapest cable lock for sale was $30 and really, that wouldn't save me any money because I'd be paying $500 to replace the bike when it got stolen. I don't carry my Kryptonite Manhattan lock when I travel. read more

All the experiences I've had with staff have been quite disappointing. Basic knowledge of accessories is lacking. And every time I've gone in I've been ignored by the staff while they chat with each other. I've gone in to ask if they carry specific accessories (e.g., specific type of bike rack, back lights that are also reflectors, etc) I know exist because I want to replace them and they've had no knowledge of the item existing or if they carry such things. But the icing on the cake was when a friend got a bike box from them and specifically asked if it would fit his large road bike since it was a women mountain bike box. They assured him it would and that all bike boxes are the same size. Clearly not true. It didn't fit. read more

My husband and I went in last night to look at bikes and these folks could not have been any more helpful. They explained the various brands, styles, features, prices and benefits of each bike we considered. We ended up buying two bikes that will be ready for us to pick up today! Great customer service!! read more

Took great care of me and walked me through renovating a classic bike to a more practical everyday ride.

Whenever I walk into this bike shop I feel at home. The staff are extremely friendly and go the extra mile to share their bike knowledge with their customers. I can't get enough of this bike shop! Shop local read more

Hired a road bike on a visit from the UK. Great service from Dan-will be back next time I'm in Chapel Hill.

Awesome services. Had terrible experience with the pple at the bike chain in durham on 15/501. Took bike to the Clean Machine and in two days, bike was ready!! It stayed in storage in durham for over 3 weeks! I will recommend them for the best service and honesty. read more

My 10 year old son's bike needed a new tire and inner tube, and we went to Carrboro store of Clean Machine. We arrived a couple of hours before closing - there were about 6 people working behind the counter - over the next 2 minutes all of them saw us, but none greeted us or offered to help us in any way. We walked around, made the usual loud noises to get attention - none of the 6 responded to our presence. I finally looked straight at them and waved to get attention (due to covid we could not directly approach the counter). It was obvious that they were straining to avoid making eye contact. After 10 minutes of this treatment, I could have raised my voice and asked for help. Instead, I decided that such a place that does not value customers nor have the decency to alteast acknowledge our presence needs no more time from me and we walked out. This was one of the worst experience I have had. I always try to support local shops but this one will never see me as a patron. read more

My college-aged son with autism needed a very specific bike: no gears, coaster brakes, upright seating, etc. He's very tall, at 6'4", so he also needed an extra tall bike. The only bike that fit his size and criteria was the Electra Cruiser 1 in the tall size. We ordered it from The Clean Machine in June...and it arrived in October. Yes, 4 months later. Maybe they could have hurried that process, maybe not. When we brought the bike home, the tires were low on air. My son rode it once, and the front tire was flat. We called the bike shop and were told, basically, too bad. Not their fault. Seriously?!? We waited 4 months, the tire went flat in one day, and...too bad?! To even consider "giving" him a spare inner tube, they required that the bike be brought in for examination. Hello, he's away at college! That wasn't worth our time. I've been impressed in the past with the knowledge and advice at The Clean Machine. No longer a fan. read more