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Conte's Bicycle & Fitness
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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19 reviews for Conte's Bicycle & Fitness
Yet another good experience!
Went in for a bike fit...
1. Clovis was absolutely great.
2. I needed a quick two minute repair and it was done free of charge.
3. I was offered a drink/water/beer by two employees!
But there was some bad...
Apparently two folks (one had spent 10k on a tri bike; the other had spent a k on a comfort bike that was never going to get ridden) ahead of me had come in late while I was on time for my appointment. I'm an easy-going guy so I let it slide, but many would have balked at the 20 minute delay. They were apologetic, but 20 minutes is 20 minutes.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/29/2009
I owe them another star. I needed some emergency work on my way in to the office this morning. The… Read more »
Conte's has some bike snobs, yes. However, I do always go back to them...I'll try and make an objective list of positive and negative experiences I've had with this bike shop to give you a balanced review...
Pros:
- I've always been greeted rather warmly and at times asked if I would like a free drink.
- The staff remembers me often (no, I didn't buy an outrageously expensive bike from them.)
- If I have questions I usually receive timely email responses from the owner and other staff members most of the time.
- Offered to loan me a bike for free while my order was taking a while.
- The store provides a great sense of community during the spring and summer with group rides and BBQs.
Cons:
- While the store has a few very good sales associates it has more than a few duds. Some of the sales people are very transparent in their quest to sell you something you don't really need.
- Recently, a sales person was clearly lying to me about the difference in price between two bikes in effort of getting me to consider a more expensive bike... I called him out on it and sure enough the difference was $300 as opposed to $50. Crazy.
- When shopping for smaller than a bike items (trainer, lights, etc) I've been blown off more than once.
------------------------------------------
Overall, I like this place. As you can see my list of pros is longer than my list of cons. However, I'm never fully confident that my experience is going to be a positive one.
Wow, I honestly didn't expect to come to Yelp page where everyone was slamming this operation.
Conte's is a really well run chain, and I've never found a fault in the service at their Ballston location. I'm not a multisport "athlete", but where else can you find a bike shop married to a running shoe store. To say Conte's is a one-stop-shop for triathletes is an understatement.
And their staff, whether they be sales people, mechanics, or managers, has always been pleasant and agreeable.
In fact, the only thing I can fault them on is the popularity of their location. I can schedule for service on my Volkswagen sooner than I can for my bike. The Conte's service department is so backlogged that one often has to schedule service weeks in advance through their car dealership-like service website.
I prefer to do my service at smaller shops, where you can sometimes--sometimes!--wheel your bike in and out for minor fixes in the span of an hour.
A Yelp message to me from the owner:
"...we have made the decision not to support any bikes purchased at toy stores or mass market stores. It is not that we can't service them it is that we don't want to help justify that segment of the market."
Wow. My old bike (which was kept running because of shops that "justify that segment of the market") just got SLAMMED.
I think his quote says it all.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/29/2009
I used to live right down the street from this place. When I lost the quick release for my front… Read more »
I read a bunch of the review for Conte's before starting my own, and I want to address what Conte's really is. It's a bike shop, and a bike store. These people live and breath bikes, training, and races. Their friends are bikers, they met their S.O.'s at a race, and when they got married they rode their bikes off into the sunset. So the people at Conte's are serious about their bike and yours.
A little peek into the biking culture is that these people are going to be know it alls, customer service has never been a strong suit for any good bike shop, they are a different breed of people. But don't be taken aback by the abruptness or what you see as rude, that is just how any bike mechanic rolls (no pun intended). If you take your bike into Conte's know that they are going to bring it back from the dead, they'll know your bike better than you before its all said and done, and they will make it better than before. They know what they are talking about, and it will seem very intimidating going in there, but you put up the tough front, don't be afraid to ask questions, and you will get a solid answer back. A little trick is to not seem like a know it all back, and getting an answer will be nice and easy.
The fact that the prices on their bike are high should not be surprising to anyone who knows bikes, b/c in reality a good bike is VERY expensive. Conte's carries a majority of high end bikes for the weekend warriors. I can't afford a bike there yet, but know that when the time comes and I want a new one this is the first place I'm"m going. Also they specialize in triathlon gear too, which is nice b/c tri shops and gear are few and far between.
So yes Conte's is not the store where you get your first bike, unless your loaded like the Google brothers, but what they do have is more knowledge than you would know what to do with. Take it or leave it, because Conte's will. And that's why I love them.
2.5 stars maybe, generally a mixed bag.
Many reviewers have it right in my book, this shop mainly caters to sushi-loving wine connoisseurs that have several thousand to spend on a bike he/she'll rarely use other than to impress some pals.
It's not a problem that they have expensive bikes. It's a problem (for me) when you treat customers differently based on perceived financial situation. I've shopped for bikes here, 1K and up, and got plenty of attention. But I shop for smaller stuff more often, and clearly get a different level of care. I wouldn't say hostility, but apathy is the feeling I get visiting here.
Let me introduce this notion - experienced cyclist does not mean "high-rolla!". I am the brand of rider on my bike every day, rain/sleet/snow, do commuting, recreation, mountain, road, fix my own stuff, buy gear for quality and longevity (not bling). Over time, I spent a lot on riding and need a local shop to help me out just like a good car mechanic. I'm not a high maintenance customer, I can fare for myself without a lot of hand-holding or complaints, but there are some things only a shop can help you with. If the shop is good to me, I'm loyal and will spend some extra money for the convenience and relationship. This is not that shop.
Save a few exceptions, the hardcore riding crowd will not spend 5k all at once, but over several years, roughly equaling the purchases of a dabbling rider with too much cash to blow that spends it all at once and seldom returns. I rarely need a part or accessory over $50, but I need them constantly, and would like to have a shop nearby to give my money too. I really don't like giving it to Conte's, but it's too close to ignore for simple stuff.
If you're looking for selection, they DO have a wide variety of high-end bikes from rarer brands in the US, and if you're looking to blow some cash, you will get some attention
.
If you're looking for components in person, they have a very well stocked display case with parts on hand to check out (pedals, cranksets, drivetrains, etc...), but if you buy lots of components in a shop, you should probably have your head checked, or just give me money, cause you've got too much.
Mechanics seem to know what they're doing working on bikes, but I've no personal experience to back this up. Some are predictably arrogant - I went in needing a specific size bolt, but he kept saying it wasn't the bolt I needed. I had to BRING THE BIKE IN for him to sell me the bolt (which was the right size, thank you much).
After a number of visits, it hasn't been all bad, but nothing very good. Again, potential bike buying got me plenty of help. Smaller requests (bolts, tools, etc) is not the same experience.
Another example, I went in needing a piece for a bigger part on a bike I needed to fix. It was a brand of bike they carry, purchased about 9 months ago, and only a certified dealer could help me out. 3 staff persons later, all I got was blank stares ending in "we don't carry parts for bikes that far back.", "they don't make parts for bikes that far back." and "why would you want to fix it, just get a brand new part!"
9 months old. Are you kidding? I did more legwork, visiting other shops, contacting the manufacturer, coming back with the part number (why couldn't Conte's do this? because they don't care.) and ordered it, only to find the part was lost immediately upon arrival. 6-10 weeks later, after several visits to check, they finally called and found the part, but sheesh. I wouldn't care so much if they were really into helping me out along the way, but the general attitude was "don't give a sh**" and this just illustrated it perfectly. If it was left alone I would have given them my money and never heard from them again.
No doubt they have some ok sales people, but the general attitude influences even the best of folks. Don't take it personally (though you may).
I could not recommend this shop to the casual rider or anyone that lacks patience, but if you really need something simple, they'll have it same as any shop. And if you have mad cash, here you are.
They're free to cater to desired clientele, and I'm free to rate them on their service to my basic needs as a bike rider.
Caveat: I know the bike store and the bike stores knows me.
My other (new) gripes revolve around the layout of the store. The cash register and repair area are directly in the front of the door. It is difficult to talk to the wrenches and get your bike in and out of the repair area. When the store first opened, the repair area was larger and located where the running store is.
I've shown no love for that running store before and I'm a runner. I've never purchased anything at PRR. Their selection of watches and heart rate monitors HRMs is weak. I've only picked up free race magazines and the like. Also, beware of parking in Conte's lot. They tow! As of 2 weeks ago, there were not enough signs or warnings in Conte's about the tow trucks. Do not park in non-retail spots.
Michelle asked after reading my update -- why do you keep giving them 4 stars?
Because of the quality and selection of their bicycles and components at Conte's BIKE shop. They have great group rides. Clovis is a great bike fitter. Dana is super sweet. They even ordered more cytomax because of my yelp review! I'm critical of the store layout and the inclusion of the shoe store. Feedback works, especially when constructive.
Check out my new blog: http://www.examiner.co...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/20/2009
If I had my druthers, I'd give Conte's Bike Store a 4.5 out of 5.0. Conte's is about the machine,… Read more »
You people are just mean!
I've been to Contes on THREE occasions. First, to buy a helmet. Easy enough. I'm not that Armstrong dude who dated Sheryl Crow, I don't know crap about bikes... help me pick a helmet. NOPE. I just wondered around, looking at helmets then looking behind the counter, hoping someone would help me. I finally asked for help but on his way over, he got side tracked by someone who obviously was a regular and knew cycling like it was his wife (not life, wife).
Second time I needed just a simple combo lock to go to the gym (Gold's is across the parking lot). Christ, even buying a lock I was faced with horrific service. I mean, just ring it up and move on.
LAST STRAW: I bought my bike in Chicago and transported it to Arlington. In Chicago, I thought it would be cool to put a big ole seat on it but after riding it around on all the hills out here (Chicago is F-L-A-T) i felt I needed a more practical seat. I went in just to browse the options to price it out. I asked if they had recommendations and they told me to bring the bike in. At this point I didn't want to do that because I've already experience half assed service when buying something SMALL so I knew they would screw up or be mean about a big item. I didn't want to bring my bike in - I wanted to just PRICE IT OUT which is what I told the sale clerk. He got such a g'damn attitude with me how he couldn't sell me something if he didn't know the bike. WTF. How do you NOT KNOW BIKES. You work at a bike shop. Here's the make/model or whatever it's called - Find me a bike seat. I'm not even going to buy the darn thing, I'm just pricing sh*t out! He literally shrugged me off like I was a moron.
I've live across the street from here and am forced to get on the metro, switch lines and head all the way down to that trail outfitters place in pentagon city to service my bike.
Contes - you might be able to fix things (alleged) but your customer service is horrible. You have lost a good customer because I'm always wrecking my bike so you would have made big bucks.
OH and the 5 star stuffer (with no prior reviews or friends or compliments) who obviously works for contes - you're not fooling anyone with your bogus review. This place is what it is - HORRIBLE
Great bike shop. Reminded me of Sid's bike shop in NYC and Great Lakes Cycling in Ann Arbor.
The people at the shop were all nice, eventhough they were swamped on a weekday evening. The manager, Jason, was great to talk to and gave me a great discount on a new frame. I mainly judge a bike shop by its service and mechanics, and they are A+ imo.
Pros:
1) Great selection of high-end and medium-range bikes. I will definitely buy my next bike here.
2) Seem to have in stock most of the high-end components, if you need upgrades right away.
3) Awesome mechanic (Greg). Have him work on your bikes. My bikes never rode and sounded better.
4) If you are going to go in for a tune up, have your bike parts 'ultrasonic' cleaned. A very good investment; your bike will be like 'new'.
Cons:
1) As for parking, try not to go Tuesday evening (they have an organized bike ride). Hard to find parking that day. If you don't park in the Conte's lot, your car will be towed in nano-seconds. The towing company operating there is a total scam. Cont'e was willing to reimburse the towing cost, though.
2) Selection of cycling clothes and shoes was adequate, but not great.
P.S. I saw some people with beat-up, old, lower-end bikes coming in for repair, and I didn't see this "we don't work on those types of bikes" attitude, as mentioned in previous reviews.
Eventhough this bike shop is far from my home, my bikes will be serviced here from now on.
Conte's is only interested in helping you if you are in to high-end biking. They want nothing to do with you if you're a newbie. I'm a beginner and, upon taking my hand-me-down bike in for a quick service, was told in no uncertain terms that Conte's corporate policy is to turn away customers who are beginners or who aren't wealthy enough for high-end bikes. They will NOT service inexpensive bikes or bikes that come from department stores.
As a beginner my money is apparently unwelcome at Conte's. I certainly will never go there again (a real shame since it's right around the corner from my apartment). Veteran riders should think twice about supporting a store that does such damage to the biking community.
(This is a repost of a review that was up for some time but disappeared.)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/13/2008
Conte's is only interested in helping you if you are in to high-end biking. They want nothing to do… Read more »
I wish that I had read some of the reviews before I shopped at Conte's. I ended up purchasing my bike there last year because I was dazzled by the environment and thought that the "vibe" I was getting was because I was new to bikes and feeling insecure. I hope the bike works out for me; I paid twice as much as I needed to, I know now.
I took my bike back for some air and advice a few days ago. I'm a year wiser and a year more confident. Now I know they don't care about me as a customer. It's not me. Fine. I'll take my little money somewhere else.
They act as if you are bothering them. They basically need Customer Service 101 classes more than I need Biking 101 Classes. I had decided not to go back for service after my last disastrous visit, and just decided to look here to see what Yelpers were saying. Someone said they lack enthusiasm. I'll say. I'll never go back. They are not the least bit interested in developing new clientele or spending time with customers. Questions visibly bore them. Someone likened Conte's to a store for elite runners. Well, I'm a jogger, okay, but I need good shoes like everyone else, and I need information more than others. The best sport stores spend time with people new to their sports because and call that developing business.
Conte's looks down on people new to biking. I wish I had known; I regret I spent my money there. I'm the kind of person who likes to feel good about a purchase. Nothing was good about this purhase, except I hope I have a good bike and an appropriate bike for me. Given that I had to draaaag information out of the person who helped me (all managers or owners), who knows. Hey maybe that's the problem. Conte's owners and managers need to step off and let some eager, nice people run the floor. But not the cocky types doing most of the repairs. (A couple of nice guys, but the others give off the same pompous vibe.) Just so you know, Revolution on Wilson has a nice guy named Jeff in charge of repairs. I gave Conte one star because they have good parking and because I couldn't give zero stars.
The staff is very rude and talks down to you. I know some things about bikes, not THAT much, but I do ride a lot. I felt so uncomfortable when they were talking to me - mainly because of their tone. I like to support local, smaller businesses, but not when they act like you are bothering them by shopping there. I went to REI and got a great Raleigh from their helpful peeps.
My fiance and I had a very different experience of Conte's then what I'm reading from some people here. We walked in the first day, in cruddy clothes, no makeup and no attention paid to our looks in general and not looking anything like a cyclist. We came in with an idea of what we thought we should be getting as adults looking to get back into biking for fitness.
Stacy helped us the first day, she answered all our questions, had us test ride several kinds of bikes and helmets and spent easily 2 hours with us. Stacy and the staff even noticed our dog in the car and gave her special attention and some water. That left us lots to think about.
We came back the next day after doing a lot more research and price checking on the internet and Dana and Jason helped us. Again, a few hours spent, I think I even had traces of the prior nights make up on my face - let's just say we weren't looking great. We test rode some more bikes and went home with more things to think about.
We came in the third day and Stacy and Jason helped us again. We came in thinking we'd decided on what bikes to get, however, someone had returned a bike a few days ago that was now available for sale, and Stacy and Jason thought it was a great deal so I test rode it.
Long story short, 3 days of excellent service regardless of how we looked or how dumb we sounded. Conte's staff spent some serious time with us. We love our bikes, and after all the research we did, know we got an amazing deal on one and paid the right price for the other bike. The staff stayed late to help us two days in a row and the wonderful man who did our fitting was honest about what to expect and when to bring the bikes in for service again and had us laughing and at ease during the process.
Thank you Conte's, you've got loyal customers in us *because* of how wonderfully you and your staff treated us.
I knew what kind of riding I wanted to do but I really didn't know much about bikes in general. The sales staff at this place was super helpful, patient and informative. I had a lot of questions and they explained everything, let me ride half a dozen bikes and they just had great attitudes. It can be intimidating to go into these speciality stores when you know nothing about bikes but these guys were great.
I walked away with an awesome Specialized Tricross sport that I am super excited to ride. Mike helped me buy the bike and Alex (girl) did my fitting and she did a great job. I would recommend them for any first time buyer or seasoned rider. They are also expanding their store and the Potomac Running store will be sharing their space so they will be able to serve all your Tri needs.
As mentioned here before, Conte's is a high-end bike shop operated by an elitist staff. Here's my experience:
I walk in around on a Monday afternoon and see three employees standing around behind the counter who glance in my direction, then go back to their conversation. I wander through the shop and wait for someone to approach me. When no one does, I head back to the front and interrupt the employees' conversations. The gist of their pitch was, "No, we don't have any bikes for around $500. No, we don't really do hybrid bikes. No, we don't have anything for the beginning rider."
Thanks for nothing... so I went to Revolution Cycles in Clarendon and rode home with a new bike that day. Sales commission, bye-bye-o!
I will start by saying that I didn't actually buy anything on my visit to Conte's. However, if I get a new bike, I most likely will.
The store had a huge selection of bikes and accessories for the avid bike rider. They had all types of bikes available and a service shop where you can get work done on your bike.
The reason I am giving the place 5 stars is the service. The girl helped me and answered all my silly bike questions and helped my find the type of bike I was looking for.
If you are in the mood for a bike, make the journey over to Conte's.
I paid a visit to Conte's on a recent bicycle researching expedition, and here's what I found:
Upon entering, I circled the store to get a sense of the merchandise. No one said a word to me - no problem, I was still just looking around. Afterward, I went to the front counter. There were a couple customers paying for their items, and about 2 staffers chatting but not helping customers. I used my best, 'hi, I want to spend money' expression. Still nothing. There were a few glances at me, but no one paid any attention or asked if I needed service. So I stood. For 10 minutes I stood, and maintained my expectant expression. Eventually, one of the staffers asked the woman behind me if she needed help, and she explained that I was in front of her and should be served first. Whoops! Not a good first impression, for me. To be fair, the staff might have just had an 'off day' and might normally be more attentive...who knows.
So the staff member that showed me the bikes was okay, seemed very knowledgeable and answered all my annoying questions. He appeared as though he might have been working on getting over a hangover - no big deal - many of us have been there at sometime in our lives. Overall, he was alright.
I ended up not making my purchase at Conte's. I didn't think that their recommendations (the most expensive for the class of bike I was looking for $1500) were appropriate for someone who hadn't owned a bike in years. That's major cash, and I tried to explain that budget was a concern.
3 stars - knowledgeable staff, good merchandise and a nice location. I subtracted 2 stars for attempting to steer me to higher priced merchandise and the unenthusiastic service. If you're researching a bike purchase, I'd recommend you stop in and take a look around. Just research your prices and check out a few other reputable bike dealers before you make your purchase here.
I knew what type of bike I wanted to purchase based on lengthy discussions with some subject area experts in my office. The question was where to purchase? After searching in vain at a number of bike shops that either didn't carry the bike or didn't have one in my size to try out, I ended up at Conte's. I rode around for a while on the one which was close to the size I needed and had the stem changed after their "expert' watched me ride and decided to make some adjustments. Fast forward, less than one year later and I have had consistent problems with my arms being hyper extended when I ride (something that could have probably been prevented by a better "fit,") and Conte's will not replace the improperly chosen stem. I should have known, but they should have known better as they were the self proclaimed experts and I was a novice consumer. I agree with Chris on the poor customer service received from the staff when visiting the store. I went to drop my bike off for my "free" tune-up and the person behind the counter after taking my name, proceeded to make a phone call to someone else about her bike being available before continuing with my needs.
It had the bike I needed, that is a plus, but their customer service was paltry which has resulted in this low rating.
The story starts a few months ago when my former bike, a Trek FX was stolen in Chinatown. My lock had been cut off and the bike no where to be found. I was so heartbroken by the events that I decided not to buy another bike ever again. Three months and many sunny days later, I realized I missed not having a bike and that I wouldn't let my experience hold me back any longer. I looked up local bike shops and I checked out a few of them. Revolution Cycles and Gtown Pro Shop. I tested a few bikes but wasn't really too impressed to buy anything. Last on my list was Conte's in Ballston. It was really an accident that I ended up there but was I ever glad that I did. Upon entering I was greeted by a friendly and chipper staff member. Given a tour of the store and introduced to a few bikes that would fit my needs. I ended up with the $1300 Cannondale B.B.U. which is really quite more than I expected to spend but I was reassured in my purchase after having tested a few cheaper models which really didn't quite cut it. I was also introduced to various locks that would make theft of my new gem less likely - a necessity with a big expensive bike. The saleswoman, also an owner - I think - was quite chatty and we spoke at great length about my career and my life as well as hers. The mechanic, I think his name was Alex, was quite thorough in prepping the bike for delivery and spent a good 20 or so minutes tuning the bike - something I thought was really great because I have been to stores where you are literally given a bike off the rack. After my purchase and a few handshakes and laughs later, the mechanic helped me load the bike into my car and showed me how to disassemble it if necessary - all very useful pieces of information which would have taken me HOURS to figure out on my own.
Overall I am very impressed with Conte's and I will return there for all my bike needs. The staff is very friendly and attentive and willing to help you out. The place has a great Cheer's vibe and I noticed several bikers just stopping in to say hi or chat with the staff about a recent race or event.
Kudos to Conte's.
