First Place:
Carytown Bicycle Co.
Various locations
carytownbikes.com
Second place: Agee’s Bicycles
Third place: Outpost Richmond
As local brick-and-mortar retail continues to suffer from competition from online retailers and big box stores, it takes a shop with employees who really love what they do, and who do it well, to thrive. The folks at Carytown Bicycle Co. love bikes, which may be the underlying reason why it has become so many Richmonders’ go-to shop for all their bike needs. The knowledgeable staffers can diagnose and repair all makes and models of bikes, not just the ones they sell. So from minor repairs like fixing a flat tire, to a major overhaul, they can do the trick.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a better, customer service-focused, locally owned bike shop in the country,” says an employee named Grant. “For over a decade, Carytown Bicycle Co. has put community first, something you won’t find online.”
Their website is also a sort of all-purpose hub for local bike culture, where you can find details on weekly rides as well as a useful data base of comprehensive 100-mile rides in Virginia. Among the bike brands they sell: Trek, Cannondale, Yeti, Salsa, Linus, Electra and Bontrager. Other than their well-known Carytown shop, they’ve got a Henrico location in the GreenGate Shopping Center and another in Chesterfield at Westchester Commons.