Charleston Bicycle Company

I'm not one to put a lot of faith in on line reviews--one will state that it was the best experience, the next will say it was the worst. I am compelled to post a very positive review of my experience with the Charleston Bicycle Company on Savannah Highway in Charleston, SC. I have a 3 year old Schwinn bicycle that I have done all of the adjustments and such myself. I have replaced the brake pads once and an inner tube on the front tire once. The bike developed a popping sound from the front end recently that I could not identify the source. After doing some on line research, I thought it might be a bearing on the wheel. I didn't think I had the knowledge or the skill to make this repair so I took the bike to CBC with fear that I would be overcharged for this and other repairs that I may not have needed. I was greeted by a very friendly employee, I believe it was Steve, who immediately looked at the bike and identified the problem as the bearings. He told me it would be about $25.00 to do the repair. He further suggested that I needed brake pads and a new front cable. I had already thought that I would need to replace these items myself and so I reluctantly told him to go ahead and make all of the repairs. He stated that it could be a couple of days before he could get to it, and I said that was fine. Well to my surprise, I received voicemail message from Steve that afternoon at 2:19 telling me the bike was ready. I was unable to go the the shop that day, but picked the bike up first thing the next morning. The total charge for all of the service was only $67.30: Repair of bearing; new brake pads front and back; new brake cables front and back; a new brake noodle; tightening of the crank, and other minor adjustments. I was very pleased with the price as I was originally expecting the cost to be around $50.00 for just the repair of the bearings alone. When I picked the bike up, an employee named Lake noticed the front tire was flat. He asked if it had been flat when I brought it in and I replied no. He immediately found that the inner tube had a leak next to the valve stem. He replaced the inner tube and further inspected the wheel. Upon completion of this repair, he refused to take payment, stating that it wasn't flat when I brought it in, so there was no charge. I was amazed as I could not think of any way this could have been caused by them and was willing to pay for the repair. Upon getting the bike home, I could not believe how much better the bike performed--I guess I hadn't been doing as good a job with adjustments as I thought!!! Because of this experience, I will always use the Charleston Bicycle Company for any repairs needed for this bike. I don't expect it will last much longer and will also make CBC my first stop when searching for a replacement. Thanks for a great customer experience. Joe
5 9 years ago (17-02-2018)

Took my grandson bike twice. First time 50.00 to put together okay. The kid fell a lot so he broke the brake housing. I was quoted a price because I asked for one to ensure I had enough to pay for it when I came back. Well I was expecting to pay 15 to 20 dollars according to the quote. One guy the owner said that was only an estimate and went ballistic. He even called my bike trash and said I don't have to pay he can sell it for scrap. Very nasty and rude I just let it go because I am a Christian and I know that God is a just God. He also said he have a short fuse and wasn't going to discuss it anymore. I am older and wiser he needs to know your customers are your business. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I was anticipating buying two bikes from them you lost 500 dollars for a mere 15 to 20 was it worth it. May God bless you and change you.
1 9 years ago (18-10-2017)

Great stock, great staff, great service. Strongly recommended
5 8 years ago (17-04-2018)

I have chosen to remove my initial review of this company. I have decided to give the manager and his staff an opportunity to rectify the situation. I will update my review when my business with this company has concluded. I am currently unsatisfied, but I hope all involved, myself included, are able to resolve these issues. All I will say for now is that I am hoping for action and compromise, instead of excuses. This is an update with the business dealing with Charleston bicycle company. In November my wife and mother in law got me a Jamis Durango mountain bike for my birthday. After the headaches deal with the manager, and failure to educate the consumer about bikes and just wanted to make a over $650.00 sell. I can never tell my friends or the public to use this shop. The owner needs to more proactive before he has no consumers in his business. The bike now sits in the garage on a bike stand, due to I'm afraid to take it out.
1 9 years ago (13-01-2018)

Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable. What else do you need?
4 8 years ago (03-03-2018)