Conte's Bicycle & Fitness Eqpt

I am extremely new to this hobby, having not ridden a bike since my teen years. When I walked into Conte's, I'd done a minor (man, you really find out how minor once you start truly delving) bit of research and was looking for a hybrid bicycle. They showed me a few, and I decided to try a couple road bikes as well. I walked out with a road bike I couldn't be happier with in my price range. I did not expect to purchase a 300 dollar bike but I'm nowhere near affording a Pinarello Prince either. That being said, the multiple salespeople I dealt with as well as their resident fitter all treated me very well, offering earnest advice and strictly adhered to the pricing guidelines I proffered as soon as I hit the door. I've been back 3 times since and am always welcomed, and have even had a few minor adjustments made on the house, as well as a pedal exchange with no hassle whatsoever. If you want a 200 dollar bike then, yea, you probably shouldn't come here. On the same token, you don't necessarily have to break the bank either. Anyone who accepts that the goods are what they are will be fine. I've had crappy (as well as fantastic) at many stores, ranging from Neiman Marcus to Hermes to J. Crew - I find that the experience, frequently, is what you make of it. Conte's sells a broad range of bikes, ranging from mid-tier to luxury. My bicycle is most certainly mid-tier - aluminum (non-Cervelo) frame with 105/Ultegra parts. Perhaps one day I'll go with SRAM Red or Dura-Ace and when I do, it will definitely be at Conte's. If you walk into the store with a chip on your shoulder, expecting to have their employees grovel at your feet, then I'd wager it's your problem, not theirs. I walked in, bummy as hell, sick for 2-3 days prior, with a holey t-shirt and jeans and you'd have thought I was any other rich North Arlingtonian the way I was treated. Awesome store. more

I'm a big fan of Conte's. I switched from Revolution Cycles (Clarendon) to Conte's as my go-to shop shortly after they opened, and have never regretted it. Greg's mechanical skills are second to none in the area. From quick looks at my issue-of-the-moment to letting me pick up my bike after hours, they've never been less than completely helpful and accessible. And no, I've not (yet) dropped $$$ on a new bike there (one day, a Pinarello . . .), and I'm not a regular club racer. That said, I can't contest the poor experiences described here, as I've certainly heard similar from others in the area. The problem isn't that they choose not to support junker bikes, or that they are selling upmarket equipment. I think it is that they don't do a very good job of 1) communicating those choices, and 2) suggesting useful alternatives to those that don't fit that market. Some might say that #2 isn't their problem, but without that, #1 will usually make them come off like dicks. So, with that very big caveat aside, I can greatly endorse Conte's, if you're their target market. Finally, they get extra credit from me for very actively supporting cyclesport in the area. From club discounts to event sponsorship to racing themselves, they do more than most area shops. more

This bike shop is great if you are into higher end mountain (or road) bikes. They carry Specialized bikes, which is my favorite ""budget gourmet"" mountain bike; the base models are really a value for the price, like the Stumpjumper. They also have other brands. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. The have a pretty nice inventory of parts, clothing and accessories, and can find you what you need. I purchased the newest Specialized saddle, used it one time and it was damaged due to the bolt on top of my Specialized seat post. They graciously accepted it back, and helped my find another saddle option without any pressure. more

I told them what I needed, they said no problem. A few days later I got my bike back - everything was fixed perfectly with several other minor repairs fixed at no charge. The overall bill was far less than what I had expected and in fact was extremely reasonable. The real test though was to get my Merlin out on the road. I was stunned, it road like it was brand new, the levers were repaired perfectly and operated beyond smoothly - it was absolutely the best repair job I have ever seen. I will continue on going here in the future for all my bicycle needs. more

Contes has alot of high end bikes, so I really enjoy looking around in there.  They always greet you when you come in and the employees seem to enjoy their work which is nice.  The do what few other shops in the area do too and have monthly rides with a bbq afterward.  Overall a great shop to have in the neighborhood.  I am new to the area and this shop may just be my new local go to place. more

Conte's is definitely aimed to a higher end clientele, but I don't see why that is enough of a reason to give the bad reviews. I had a couple of experiences with them and both were good. I don't shop there because they don't carry TREK or Shimano parts that I use , but more of the reason why my experiences were more significant. First time, I was riding on wilson and had a flat tire and my back up tube was so old it got cracks all over. I went into Conte's which was a good 15 mins from opening time. They opened the cashier for me sold me a couple of tubes. When they saw me trying to inflate it with my mini pump, one of the employees came out to the parking lot with a full size foot pump and lend it to me. The second time, a friend I was riding with needed a tube and when we got there I left my bike outside, it is not even a minute we were in the store, a guy that works there asks me if the blue TREK is mine, to keep an eye on it, because they had kids trying to steal the bikes in the racks in front before. They sold us a tube and again lend us a full size pump. more

I've been cycling all my life and bought at another shop a titanium Merlin with Campy components.  In all the years I've cycled, I've done my own repair though I have tried various shops at times - only to be disappointed with their workmanship.  So I was a little hesitant to take my bike in but had to since I could not get my Campy Centaur brake/gear levers back together after trying to repair them myself. more

This is a high end bike shop located across from Gold Gym in the old Al's Motors lot in Ballston area of Arlington.   If you are not in the market for a ""Mercedes"" priced bike then don't venture here. This is a shop for hi end bikers and racers.  This is not for your casual rider every few months. They have plenty of gadgets and supplies too. The repair shop is excellent but as noted this is not where you bring your ""huffy"" after it has sat out in the rain for six months.  Some people have noted in their reviews about the attitude of the staff.  I found them to be fine to deal with in my repairs of a mid level priced bike.   I thought their manager was very direct in explaining their market.   Keep in mind the business plan for this place is high end. It's the other end of the spectrum from the Bicycle Shop in Falls Church.  Btw, there is a running store connected to this store too which I have frequented. more

I knew what kind of riding I wanted to do but I really didn't know much about bikes in general. The sales staff at this place was super helpful, patient and informative. I had a lot of questions and they explained everything, let me ride half a dozen bikes and they just had great attitudes. It can be intimidating to go into these speciality stores when you know nothing about bikes but these guys were great. I walked away with an awesome Specialized Tricross sport that I am super excited to ride. Mike helped me buy the bike and Alex (girl) did my fitting and she did a great job. I would recommend them for any first time buyer or seasoned rider. They are also expanding their store and the Potomac Running store will be sharing their space so they will be able to serve all your Tri needs. more

Wow, I can't believe a dope like me can walk in on a whim and find a great road bike for $1500.  It was a Specialized dolce elite.  Maybe it was just luck. I've ridden all the way to the Appalachian trail from Arlington. I've ridden 100s of miles and the bike is completely trouble free. Thanks! more

I know I sound like a total groupie, but I've tried many other bike shops in the area, and I've just ended up with injuries as well as faulty bikes. Conte's gets negative reviews on Yelp from people (it seems to me) who are looking for a different bike shop. This is not the place to go to buy a townie bike. If you're looking to put in some serious miles, race, do a triathlon, etc. go to Conte's. more

I finally stopped shopping around for a new road bike and I ended up at Conte's. I looked in 3 other shops, tested a number of other bikes and was not even considering the one I ultimately purchased in the beginning. Jason took care of me, spent time with me, as did others in the shop. The value for the bike I ended up with is fantastic, the fit was great and the experience was excellent. If you want a cheap road bike, then please stay away. If you want a high quality bike, and a shop full of people who know what they are talking about, then head there. They earned my business and I am looking forward to working with them again. more

I have been to other bike stores in the Northern VA area and to me Contes in Arlington is the best. I needed to get some Q-Rings put on my Madone for my knee and the mechanic at Contes was the only one that knew how to put them on. I went to several other bike stores to try to get the Q-rings put on, but the mechanics wern't that sure of how to do it so they didn't. I also needed a new seat and Contes was the only bike store that would allow me a 30 money back garuntee if it didn't work out. I did go to other bike stores about a new seat. At one bike store in Vienna the salesman was rude because I didn't like the seat he picked out for me. I ended up back at Contes. I highly recommend Contes in Arlington, VA. The sales people in Contes are alway nice to me even when they're super busy! more

People who post these negative reviews all complain about the same thing, which is that they went in there looking for a $300 bike and were pissed to find that a good new bike costs at least $1000 for all you need. Then they take their misunderstanding on new bike prices out on the store. It'd be the same thing if I gave the Capitol Grille 1 star because I went in there looking for a fast food hamburger and all they had on the menu was a $20 kobe beef burger. Conte's is a high end, expensive bike shop. Their clientele is serious cyclists, many who race in tris. So don't be surprised or angry if you want to buy a $500 bike and they have none available. If that's what you're looking for, get online and find a good used bike - there are plenty of them out there and yes, you can buy a solid bike for $300 dollars, just don't go to Conte's for it and resent the store afterwards. I say this mostly because I'm one of these people - I went to Contes looking to spend $600 or so, unaware that it was going to be impossible at a high-end shop like this. However, the salesperson was extremely helpful and actually dug up a used Fuji roadbike and sold it to me for around $900. I came away with a great bike at a great deal, and I've since been back for repairs, and the staff is friendly and does a great job on my bike each time. more

Conte's is a really well run chain, and I've never found a fault in the service at their Ballston location. I'm not a multisport ""athlete"", but where else can you find a bike shop married to a running shoe store. To say Conte's is a one-stop-shop for triathletes is an understatement. And their staff, whether they be sales people, mechanics, or managers, has always been pleasant and agreeable. In fact, the only thing I can fault them on is the popularity of their location. more

Reminded me of Sid's bike shop in NYC and Great Lakes Cycling in Ann Arbor. The people at the shop were all nice, eventhough they were swamped on a weekday evening. The manager, Jason, was great to talk to and gave me a great discount on a new frame. I mainly judge a bike shop by its service and mechanics, and they are A+ IMO. Pros: 1) Great selection of high-end and medium-range bikes. I will definitely buy my next bike here. 2) Seem to have in stock most of the high-end components, if you need upgrades right away. 3) Awesome mechanic (Greg). Have him work on your bikes. My bikes never rode and sounded better. 4) If you are going to go in for a tune up, have your bike parts 'ultrasonic' cleaned. A very good investment; your bike will be like 'new'. P.S. I saw some people with beat-up, old, lower-end bikes coming in for repair, and I didn't see this ""we don't work on those types of bikes"" attitude, as mentioned in previous reviews. Even though this bike shop is far from my home, my bikes will be serviced here from now on more

I know I sound like a total groupie, but I've tried many other bike shops in the area, and I've just ended up with injuries as well as faulty bikes. Conte's gets negative reviews on Yelp from people (it seems to me) who are looking for a different bike shop. This is not the place to go to buy a townie bike. If you're looking to put in some serious miles, race, do a triathlon, etc. go to Conte's. more

Had an amazing and wonderful experience there today. Did not plan to buy bike but their no pressure sales, and throrough and informative advice led me to believe this was the place to buy. Warm greeting upon entering this place, and superb deliverance of a great product. Thanks Jason and Kat fir job well fo more

My fiance and I had a very different experience of Conte's then what I'm reading from some people here. We walked in the first day, in cruddy clothes, no makeup and no attention paid to our looks in general and not looking anything like a cyclist. We came in with an idea of what we thought we should be getting as adults looking to get back into biking for fitness. Stacy helped us the first day, she answered all our questions, had us test ride several kinds of bikes and helmets and spent easily 2 hours with us. Stacy and the staff even noticed our dog in the car and gave her special attention and some water. That left us lots to think about. We came back the next day after doing a lot more research and price checking on the internet and Dana and Jason helped us. Again, a few hours spent, I think I even had traces of the prior nights make up on my face - let's just say we weren't looking great. We test rode some more bikes and went home with more things to think about. We came in the third day and Stacy and Jason helped us again. We came in thinking we'd decided on what bikes to get, however, someone had returned a bike a few days ago that was now available for sale, and Stacy and Jason thought it was a great deal so I test rode it. Long story short, 3 days of excellent service regardless of how we looked or how dumb we sounded. Conte's staff spent some serious time with us. We love our bikes, and after all the research we did, know we got an amazing deal on one and paid the right price for the other bike. The staff stayed late to help us two days in a row and the wonderful man who did our fitting was honest about what to expect and when to bring the bikes in for service again and had us laughing and at ease during the process. Thank you Conte's, you've got loyal customers in us *because* of how wonderfully you and your staff treated us. more

I will start by saying that I didn't actually buy anything on my visit to Conte's. However, if I get a new bike, I most likely will. The store had a huge selection of bikes and accessories for the avid bike rider. They had all types of bikes available and a service shop where you can get work done on your bike. The reason I am giving the place 5 stars is the service. The girl helped me and answered all my silly bike questions and helped my find the type of bike I was looking for. If you are in the mood for a bike, make the journey over to Conte's. more