Yorkville & Manhattan's Best Bicycle Shop

Leaving the Central Park Mall today, my front bike brake ceased. No clue why and with no talent to find out, I sought out a bike person for assistance near Bethesda Fountain. I asked a tall lady with a lot of bike accessories for help. She turned her Crayola 64 crayon French bike cap around and tugged and played with my brake parts, then turned the screws at the brake handle on the handlebar, and said, "I'm stumped."

.

Thanking the lady, I rode to Larry & Jeff's Bicycle Shop at Third Avenue between 79th & 80th Street ~ the absolute best bike shop in Manhattan.

Abraham met my frown and bike with a grin, "How can I help you?"

"My front brake is froze."

He looked at the bike and said, "Oh, my God," then twisted the handlebars and the neck of the bike around two times like Regan's head in The Exorcist.

.

As he did this, I knew without him telling me, that I had turned the front of the bike the wrong way, two times, after I locked and unlocked the bike causing the brake wire strangulation.

Abraham did this at the front of the store, the whole thing took ten seconds. This is typical of the service at Papa Jeff's Bicycle Shop. Flats are fixed quick and cheap, chains are tightened, not unnecessarily replaced, service is friendly, they tell you what they are doing, and do it right in front of you, charging you fairly. They are the best bike store in Yorkville & Manhattan. Here is their link: http://bicyclesnyc.com/

Riding home I thought about dad's tool pouch on the back of his 26 inch Raleigh touring bike seat. That olive green satchel contained a flat head screw driver, a Philips head, two wrenches and a hex wrench. I couldn't wait for Dad to pass me that bike with the tools, along with the knowledge on how to use them. His bike was stolen before my inheritance came due, but that was all right because my mechanical skills never developed.

Where was your favorite bike store when you were young?