I moved to Chapel Hill in 2006 and the hills here took a serious toll on my old commuter bike. I used the excuse to get a new one, which I bought at the Clean Machine in Carrboro (the sister store to the Bicycle Chain on Franklin) a few months after I arrived. The staff was very helpful in filling my needs, and the bike was very reasonable priced. They spent a lot of time with me. The salesman asked me my requirements, told me some other things I might consider based on what my needs, pointed out several bikes that fit those requirements, and then told me to take each out on a test ride before I bought one. I bike to work, so my bike takes a bit of a beating. The one time in the past 4 years I've taken it in for repairs, turnaround was faster than promised and the rates were surprisingly cheap. The first time I took my bike in for routine maintenance, the service staff walked me through how to do things myself, and I've done my own maintenance ever since. I've gone in twice now for little bits of hardware I've lost, and both times the service department just handed me the bolt or spacer that I needed. He even pointed me to a box of tools they have sitting out for customers to use to fix their bikes!
This is a great bike shop. If you need a bike, or gear, or a repair, make the Bicycle Chain and the Clean Machine your first choice.
Pros: Great staff, quality bikes & equipment, reasonable pricing,
Cons: No cons yet encountered
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