CORONA — As bike aficionados recover from the annual Tour de Queens 20-mile tour of the borough on July 6, DNAinfo has rounded up a list of the best places for enthusiasts to buy, sell or just tune up their favorite two-wheeled forms of transportation.
The annual celebration of the borough's bike culture, which starts and ends in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, highlights the many options for bikers to use to get around in Queens — including bike paths, lanes and greenways. Still, activists are pushing to add more since the borough has a dearth of bike lanes compared to other boroughs and no Citi Bike stations.
If you’re looking to buy a bike or give one you already own a tune-up, here’s a list of six shops across the borough that can help you get riding — some boasting a track record of more than a century in business:
Bellitte Bikes, 169-20 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica
This century-old bike shop, which owners say is the country’s oldest shop of its kind continuously owned by the same family, sells a variety of bikes and offers repairs. An owner, Sal Bellitte, told DNAinfo New York last fall that he’s seen “more commuters than ever before,” and said the city’s new bike lanes have made it safer for riders to commute on two wheels. A standard tune-up at Bellitte costs around $60 plus tax, and ultra tune-ups, including brake and gear adjustments as well as a detailed cleaning of the entire bike, run $175 plus tax. They sell everything from road bikes to beach cruisers, and can also order specific bicycles on request.
Bellitte's Bicycles is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.
Bill’s Cyclery, 63-24 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside
Open since 1939, this shop under the 7 train sells nearly every kind of bike and offers repairs and tune-ups. “We do anything, really,” said employee Mark Rivera, 38, who’s worked at the shop for 12 years. “Any type of repair, any type of bike.” The shop is stocked with single-speed “fixies,” which have become more popular lately, Rivera said. They also sell mountain bikes, commuter bikes and have a variety of road bikes. “People will ride anything, as long as it rolls,” he said. Repairs range in price, depending on the bike, and tune-ups cost around $20 and up. All the work is done in the large repair section behind the shop, and Rivera said they also assemble bikes, which helps business.
Bill’s is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., although they do stay open later on weeknights if it’s busy, according to Rivera.
Tony’s Bike Shop, 35-01 23rd Ave., Astoria
Tony’s has been selling and fixing bikes in Astoria since the early 1970s, and sells kids’ bikes, fixies, road bikes and more. A standard tune-up costs $40, according to Bill Filittidis, who’s worked at the shop for 12 years. The “super-duper” cleaning and tune-up runs up to $180 and gives everything on the bike, from shocks to bearings, a cleaning and a once-over. Popular brands stocked at the store include Cannondale, Trek and Dahon.
Tony's Bike Shop is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Spokesman Cycles, 49-04 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City & 8000 Cooper Ave., Suite 3111, Glendale
The largest bike shop in New York City has two outposts in Queens — one in the Atlas Park Mall in Glendale along with another in Long Island City. The full-service bike store sells and repairs all kinds of bikes, from mountain to road bikes, and also sell accessories like shoes and even skateboards.
The Atlas Park location is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The Long Island City shop is open daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Grand Bicycle, 70-13 Grand Ave., Maspeth
Grand Bicycle Center has been fixing and selling bikes in Maspeth since 1957, according to Cliff McKay, who’s worked at the shop “on and off” for about 20 years. Back then they fixed flats for 50 cents, and they still strive to offer quality service at affordable prices. They sell a variety of bikes but “the main two are Giants and Specialized, those are the two we sell the most of,” McKay said. Tune-ups range from $39 to $49, but can cost more depending on the bike and the repairs.
The shop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Roberts Bicycle, 33-13 Francis Lewis Blvd., Bayside
Roberts has been open since 1962 and sells popular brands along with pre-used bikes. The shop sells a variety of bikes, but owner Craig Roberts said the most popular is hybrid. “Sales are mostly hybrids now, which are more of a comfort bike,” he said. That kind of bike is ideal for commuting, he said. The shop also offers tune-ups that range from $50 to $60 and they adjust brakes, gears, do a safety check and more to get the bike ready for riding.
Roberts Bicycle is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
