Best Bike Shop 2006
The Bike Hut
We're not sure if Victor Veysey, proprietor of the Bike Hut at Pier 40, would go so far as to say that using and exchanging bicycle stems over and over until a customer finds one that's just right — as he allowed us to do once — counts as official store policy. But it's a good example of the no-worries, aim-to-please, keep-fussing-and-helping-and-advising-until-a-customer's-happy attitude that makes this eccentric little place on the west side of the ballpark our first stop for all things bike. Veysey is a former instructor in bicycle maintenance at City College, an institution that has become legendary over the years as the MIT of bike repair. The Hut is also run as a nonprofit, training young people from impoverished neighborhoods in bike mechanics, so shopping here is fabulous karma. Aside from the top-notch fixes, the shop offers bins and racks of used bikes, parts, and clothes, meaning a frequent visitor can outfit a pro-looking kit for about what you'd pay for a front wheel at, say, Lombardi Sports.
