Wheels In Motion

After some initial hiccups, Travis, the GM, reached out and we worked to figure out where things had gone wrong. Getting to know some of staff at WIM I would say that things are very well run at the Ann Arbor store. There are some improvements to be made, but it seems those missteps are few and far between. Much appreciation for working to right any issues with my first visit.
I’m usually the last person to ask for my money back or write a bad review or anything like that, but I’m glad I did because it gave some of the more senior staff a chance to step up and work to solve some underlying communication issues and will hopefully make the chances of similar situations happening very small. I think that in talking to Travis, WIM is generally spoken of quite highly, and this obviously leaves room for small issues to fall though the cracks and even grow. The responsiveness was great in the end and I’m glad I’m close by and was able to let these guys win my business back.

We Went to buy our child a helmet. They were not very knowledgeable and unhelpful at sizing. I saw cute helmets on their website but their in store selection was limited and they seemed uninterested in ordering one for us. Just seemed uninterested in us as customers all around. Totally disappointed.

I feel disappointed with my experience at WIM in A2. After having read the glowing reviews I had high hopes of finally coming across a bike shop that treats its customers right. Often times I have seen (in my pursuit of supporting the LBS vs. big box REI or Performance bicycle) that when you go to a LBS (local bike shop) and until you don’t look like a serious, skinny pro biker no one takes you seriously. There is this omniscient sense of arrogance with most bike shop workers. I just don’t get it why that is the case. Until you don’t walk into a store with your $ 6,000 Di2 or a Dura Ace bike, people think you’re a waste of their time. I do not know why that is the case but almost 99% of the LBS from Michigan to Pittsburgh to NJ and NYC that I have been to, suffer from this superiority complex of sorts. Perhaps it is because most of the workers working at a LBS are frustrated that their lives didn’t progress too far along and that they are 50 something years old still working at a bike shop? Anyway I digress. I have seen that sense of superiority prevail again and again amongst bike shop workers.
Fast forward to reading reviews on Unilocal about how great WIM is. And I was finally excited that «OK perhaps this might change my perception of LBS in general». I wanted to go in for some winter bike clothing and to inquire about a bike for my wife and about a fat bike for myself. When I entered the store I was greeted by this gentleman with black hair. Very nice, courteous and attentive so I thought «great.this is off to a good start». He was receptive in what I was looking for even though the bike shop did not essentially carry what I wanted to buy. He was trying his best to answer my questions and assist me. I appreciated that.
Somewhere along this interaction this doosh bag big guy with blond long hair with an attitude the size of the African continent came along and injected himself into our conversation. So I asked him that OK do you know when you guys will be getting some winter clothing? He goes «NO!» and thats it… didn’t say a word after that and looked away. I was like «okkkk». Then trying to change the topic to get over the awkwardness arising out of the short and terse response. I moved onto inquiring about bikes for my wife… and then about fat bikes. So in my excitement I was asking a few questions one after the other. And in the midst of my inquiry he goes «dude! one thing at a time, I can’t handle everything you’re throwing at me». I then started to get a real bad feeling being here because I was genuinely trying to get his expert opinion about a few things. But turned out he was just not in the least bit interested in helping me out. Its like he had already made up his mind that I was not worth his time. I kept asking some questions and he barely answered them coherently enough because it seemed like he was getting annoyed by my presence. Finally I looked toward this expensive bike and was about to ask him if it was available in my size and if I’d have to come back with an appointment to purchase it. I look around and the guy had already walked away. He was so shameless and uncouth that he even heard me speak out my sentence and turned for a second but then kept walking away ignoring me!
At this point my wife felt really bad for me and she told me that maybe they are not interested in my business even though I own $ 15,000 worth of bicycles (road, hybrid) and was looking toward spending another $ 2-​$ 3K on a new fat and bike seat and wife’s bike, etc. I felt disappointed and embarrassed and borderline insulted. Because this one guy single handedly ruined my experience. He should NOT BE employed by this store if the store owner does not want to drive more potential customers like me away. I don’t know what it is about his types that act so high headed and act like they are so pro, etc. treating non-​professional biker like crap. The irony was that assessing by his big size he’s probably a frustrated individual riding an old beat up bike and nowhere close to being «pro». The warped sense of false accomplishment is a delusion he has harbored in his mind for so long that he has started to believe that he is a Hincapie, Armstrong or Andrieu.
I will obviously be never going to the shop again. You get one chance to form a good impression and this one guy ruined it for me.

WiM is such a great bike shop. When I came in, not having ridden a bike in 15 years, and not knowing all the details about what I should look for when making this big purchase, they took their time to explain *everything*. They even explicitly said «Even if you’re not going to buy a bike today, we want you to know these things so you make a good decision.» They gave so much personal attention. When I bought my bike, they helped install all the accessories I bought to go with it, and fitted me to the bike to get the right saddle height for the most efficient ride possible. Go to WiM — you won’t ever regret it!

Started going here after my original bike store started charging me for unnecessary service. I first went here to get my wheels trued and charged me a fair 25 $ for both wheels. The mechanic also didn’t mind me watching him and answered questions along the way. When he was done, he didn’t try to sell me extra things which I greatly appreciated. Overall a nice place to get some minor fixes done for your bike.

This place is wonderful, the knowledge of the employees is wonderous. I consider myself very mechanically inclined and I feel that is matched and even better by some of the associates. Chelsie will fit you and help you find the best bike for what you intend to do. I recommend going here to buy your next Bike for sure; especially if it’s your first. You wont be disappointed and you can bring it in anytime you have questions or need a tune up.

Pleasantly surprised. I had an «issue» with my rear hub just two weeks before the Iceman race. I took it into WIM, expecting that if they had to order one, it would take at least a week, losing valuable training time.
Patrick hooked me up! Right after he finished with another customer, he took my wheel, stripped it down, and discovered that it was beyond repair. He was able to locate a replacement wheel in the back that was like new. He stripped that one down, lubed and adjusted it, and swapped the gear clusters. Sold it to me for a VERY reasonable price, and I was ready to ride again. I would add that I’ve been in the shop a couple of other times, just browsing, and the sales staff have been attentive and helpful.

I’ve been looking for a new bike and happen to stop by here to check out what they had… as soon as I walked in, one of the workers greeted me and asked me if I needed help… told him that I was looking for a new bike… spent about 30 minutes looking through different bikes… I went in looking at a specific bike, but wanted to see what was there…
I decided on the bike I was looking for, however they had to build it for me… so that would take about 2 days… sure enough on the 2^nd day, got a call stating the bike was ready… went in to test ride it and loved it so much that I walked out of there with a new bike. The service person was great and looking forward to long term relationship with the vendor.

The rear tire in my bike wasn’t holding air, and when I realized Wheels in Motion was just around the corner from my house, I walked it over.
They asked if I’d purchased it there, and when I explained I hadn’t, they told me how much it would cost to fix, and how long it would take: 15 minutes!
I had planned on just leaving my bike until they could get to it, based on experiences elsewhere, so I was really happy that it would only take 15 minutes.
On top of fixing my tire, they also fixed:
— The internally geared hub on my bike; apparently I was missing a gear completely!
— My handlebar set and the wires going through it: this was great because it was put together wrong at the last place that worked on the bike, but I couldn’t figure out exactly why, and I thought I was going crazy.
— Oiled the kickstand.
All no extra charge!
I really appreciate this kind of attention to detail.
On top of that, the new showroom is great and features some new lines of bikes, including my Electra, and I was happy to purchase an accessory I hadn’t planned on.
I’ll be going back!

I had stopped into this store on a whim and with no real intention of taking up biking or buying a bike. However, one of the staff started asking me about my biking experiences and they picked out a bike for me to test ride. I was reluctant at first, but finally agreed and was happy that I did — it was awesome!
I ended up returning the next day to buy that bike! Bonus is that I also discovered that Wheel’s provides free tune-​ups for bikes purchased there.
I plan to return to this location for tune-​ups, accessories, and especially the expertise.

I moved to Ypsilanti a bit under a week ago. My fiancé and I own two bikes, which were damaged in the move. (They were run into while on a rear-​end bike rack.) The bikes are our primary mode of transportation, so we were pretty scared the frames were done for. My fiancé’s bike wouldn’t stay in gear, and mine wouldn’t roll at all.
I took both bikes to WiM, and the mechanic said I’d need to make an appointment for a full tune-​up on one of them, but that he could get them both in rideable condition that morning. Within forty minutes, I had two working bikes again. He talked me through everything he had to do to the bikes, then got me a discount on the new front tire I needed.
I appreciated that the folks at WiM understood us needing the bikes ASAP, and that they didn’t talk down to me. Too many times have I had male mechanics assume that I don’t know jack about my bike, but this behavior is not the case at WiM. I felt extremely pleased with the prices & service. I’ll be going back for sure.

I am surprised by all the good reviews. I went here with a friend and there were maybe 2 salespeople for a moderately busy place. We stood around patiently for about 10 minutes for someone to help us. We obviously looked like we were wanting help and one woman about 3 minutes in did assure us that someone would be «right with us.» Finally, when a man was available, he just stood around without asking us for help even though we were clearly standing in one place looking like we were waiting. We made eye contact and finally got him to help us.
When I decided on a bike I wanted, I was told that it was not built but that they had it and it would be built for me to test ride in 2 days. 2 days came and went and I did not receive a call, so on the 4^th day I called them. The man I spoke to told me that he didn’t know when they could build the bike, maybe in a couple days. I called back a couple days later (again, they didn’t take the initiative to call me), and finally was able to figure out that there computer system messed up and that they didn’t have the bike, or an ability to order it. No real apologies.
I won’t be going back.

I bought a Trek 1.5 road bike from this Wheels in Motion location and I was incredibly pleased with how I was treated. The first time I visited, I didn’t have enough money set aside for the bike yet and was simply browsing and inquiring and they still treated me like I was a buying customer. I knew exactly what bike I wanted by the time I left. They even sized me for it and let me test ride the floor model… all before I even put money down! About a week or so later I returned to purchase the equipment and was given several good deals on padded shorts, jerseys, helmets, etc to go along with my new bike. If you ever buy another bicycle or need a piece of equipment, go here. They carry mainly Trek, but also Look. The prices range from lower end mountain bikes/​cruisers ($ 300ish) to top end time trial and triathlon bikes ($ 7,000+) so the gamut is diverse for any rider’s preferences.

Awesome. They helped us out last minute even though they were booking appointments two weeks out; five other bike shops in and around Ann Arbor wouldn’t do the same. Super friendly and knowledgable plus they let us bring the dog inside. That’s what’s up.

I went here one day just to do a little research as I am new to cycling and had a ton of questions and wanted to get a feel for costs and equipment before making the commitment to buy. I told their employee Kevin that I had no intention of buying a bike today just shopping around and he still took the 45 mins to walk me through a basic rundown of bikes and equipment.
Needless to say I went back and bought my first road bike and it was everything I hoped for and more. I was so pleased with how patient they were and would say this business may have the best customer service I have seen in a long time.

Great customer service! My mountain bike wouldn’t switch gears properly so I took in for a look. Two minutes later it was fixed. I’m a happy customer. Highly recommend.

i’ve only been here for purchasing a part, but the staff was super friendly, informative, and i got what i needed for a good price.

Ann Arbor is a tough town for the average cyclist. Two Wheel Tango does a great job of selling high-​end, full-​priced parts, service, and gear, but they never seem to have the cheaper version of anything I’m looking for. And the Student Bike Shop, which exclusively carries cheap, over-​priced equipment, is perhaps the worst establishment I have ever encountered. I’ve never been to Great Lakes or Sic Transit, but both have mixed reviews (although it looks like Sic Transit might be a great place for bicycle purchasing), so I was very excited to see all the great reviews for this place.
Just like a restaurant, you can’t judge a bike shop very well on one experience, since knowledge and customer service often varies dramatically among staff. So, I waited until I’d had two.
First up: The store is empty. The sales clerk asks if he can help me; I ask for a specific chain; he says they probably have it and directs me to the service area in the back to inquire. In the back, three people are talking to the one mechanic. I wait, looking around to see if they have any parts out that I could just grab and take back to the bored guy in the front, but I find only tubes. The mechanic puts the bike on the stand and starts working on it as the three people in front of me watch, in silence. He takes off a crank. I’m impressed that he’s just working on the bike right away and letting the folks watch, but I begin to wonder how long I’m going to have to stand there before I can simply buy a chain. My mom is in the car. I spot a box of chains on the counter across the room and take the opportunity to ask if that was the only brand they carried or if they had the one I was looking for. He quickly answered that they had a couple other (higher end) chains, but not the (cheap) one I wanted.
Next: I need a spoke, but I don’t know what size. I hand one of the two mechanics my filthy wheel, expecting him to look up the length. He looks at the wheel for a minute (maybe two) and then tells me, yeah, they could probably do that, but not right now; I’d have to come back to pick it up. Now, I’ve changed many a rear-​wheel, drive-​train side spoke, and it’s not that fun, but it only takes about five minutes. From what I can tell, A2 bike shops seem to excel in the approach of making you come back in order to make you think they did more than five minutes of work while you were gone, but in most cases, they probably didn’t. It didn’t matter though, because all I wanted was a spoke, which I told him. So, he went and got a spoke ruler and tried to measure what size I needed while the spoke was in the wheel, which is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Eventually, he handed me a spoke, although I had to inquire to get him to tell me the size. It took the guy at the register a good minute to figure out how much to charge me for it. With my MCard, it was $ 0.63 — the cheapest spoke I’d ever bought, which was a good thing, because it was the wrong size. A week later, I took it with me (without the wheel) to Two Wheel on Jackson and exchanged it for one a couple sizes smaller, which they said was more common. The staff had let me into the store just after locking the doors and I’d realized I’d left my wallet in the car, so they just took the odd sized spoke instead of the $ 1 it was supposed to be. Even though I didn’t pay for it, I came out fairly confident that good, knowledgeable service is sometimes worth the extra 37 cents.

I’m not going to name names but I’ll say this: I’ve been to almost every bicycle shop in Ann Arbor and walked away every time with a dumbstruck look on my face.
I love building up bikes and know the basics so when I ask for a simple part, I expect a simple answer. Not only did this not happen at these stores, but one shop actually DEtuned my bike so I had to just do the damn dérailleur myself.
Exhausted and frustrated with all this, I decided to try the last bike shop in town. I needed a steel fork cut and threaded. I went to Wheels in Motion and the mechanic didn’t even blink at my request, asked some good questions, and did the job perfectly. This is the only bike shop worth going to by leaps and bounds.
Their bike mechanics are experienced as all get out (most having at least a decade under their belt with all kinds of bikes). They’re never condescending. I’ve seen them service beaters, racing bikes, classic bikes, and kids’ dirt bikes all with the same respect.
A PSA note for people needing bike service: Summer is an extremely busy time in all bike shops. They are backed up like crazy. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, there are more than likely 10 jobs ahead of you. Even if the work is fairly simple, it takes time, new tools, and stepping away from things that often need precision and correct tension. Be kind to them. They’re working their asses off, they’re not just trying to make your life difficult.
The floor staff is quick on their toes and friendly. Their merch is mostly commuter bikes, high-​end road bikes, and kid and adult mountain bikes. They’ve got tools and lights and all that. Fairly bare-​bones for parts.
Thanks to Wheels in Motion, I have three very healthy iron steeds in the stable. I won’t go anywhere else.

This review is for the shop.
These guys know what they are doing. I took my bike to them after Campus Student Bike Shop totally jacked it up (see my review for them). They trued my rims, adjusted my brakes, replaced a tube, and fixed a weird grinding sound coming from my chainring in less than four hours. Total was $ 65 which, while not cheap, is fair, especially considering the quality and speed of service. The rim truing cost the most at $ 15 per wheel.
Also, the staff are nice as hell and one of the guys rides a Paddywagon like yours truly, so bonus star for that.