Yelp *****           9/9/2009    -    Colin F., Brooklyn, NY

This is a great shop. Imbert, the owner and proprietor, is a very honest guy, and he has absolutely no attitude or pretension. I bought a bike (fuji track '09) from him and he was always very helpful in changing/modifying things after I bought it. I really doubt you'd get this kind of personalized service at most shops.

The only drawback for me is the location, since I don't live in the area.

 

Yelp *****          8/22/2009   -   Meggy H., New York, NY

Imbert definitely knows what he is doing, and couldn't be friendlier. I brought him a bike I'd bought off Craigslist that needed some work, and he fixed it up in just a few hours and for a very reasonable price. The whole time I was there the shop was very busy with people coming in and out, and almost all of them knew Imbert and were regular customers. In addition to fixing and renting bikes, he also sells all sorts of accessories, including helmets, locks, baskets, etc.

 

Yelp *****          7/30/2009    -  J en B., San Francisco, CA

I am in NY for the summer, and wanted to go for a long bike ride and picnic with three locals. So I needed a bike.

I called three places in the UWS and these guys were by far the cheapest - and the bikes are high quality, super smooth ride, etc. They were really quick and efficient, friendly and nice guys too.

$20 for four hours; $30 for up to 24 hours, and $5 for a helmet, if you want one. Not bad for a day's fun in Manhattan.

Yelp *****       7/18/2009   -   Ronald M., New York, NY

I wouldn't go to another bike shop in NYC. I called Imbert Jimenez at Master Bike Shop to see if he sold helmet pads; no other bike shop seems to sell them, or more likely they want you to buy a new helmet.

Imbert told me to come down to the store, and he would just give them to me for free!  Enough said!

 

Yelp *****        7/17/2009   -   Brian S. , New York, NY

Here is my story. I brought my two folding bikes to another bike store that shall remain nameless and he basically told me that my bikes were not worth anything and that they could not be fixed.

I brought them both to Imbert Rodriguez and he fixed both of them! One of them he didn't charge me and the other one needed a minor repair. I had mentioned to him already that I would probably buy a bike if he couldn't repair them. He is a very, very honest professional and this is where my bike purchases will be made from now on!

My advice if you need to buy a bike or get repairs, run, don't walk to this shop!

 

Yelp *****       5/19/2009   -   Michael H., Washington, DC

Let's start with the details:

- well maintained bicycles to rent.
- very reasonably priced parts
- Full selection of Fuji and Dahon bicycles for sale
- one-man shop with decades of experience
- a price list on the website

Now, the story:

When visiting a friend in Brooklyn, I borrowed his bike to go for a long ride. It was a beautiful Monday. I made it up into Riverside Park at about 75th street and was planning on going all the way up. Then my front tire was flat. The culprit: a 1/16 inch piece of metal that lodged itself into the tire.

Google maps on my phone came through for me and the closest bike shop was Master Bike Shop. I figured out how to get across the highway and walked the bike over there. I found a tiny room, 40 bicycles, and a very nice man by the name of Imbert Jimenez.

I asked him for a tube. He took one look at the bike and said he didn't have the right size. I sighed. What was I to do? I asked him where the nearest bike shop was that might have the tube.

"There's one at 81st and Columbia. Bicycle Renaissance. It's a pretty far walk though."

What choice do I have, I think. And although I don't know Manhattan like the back of my hand, it doesn't seem that this is too far away. "Well, what else can I do," I ask, rhetorically.

"Why don't you leave your bike here and take this one? You can go buy a tube and come back." I look at him, stunned. "Huh?"

"Here, take this one," he says, motioning to a bike nearby. So I take him up on his offer and head over to the other shop. I find a large, sterile store with competent service but way too few employees for the volume of customers. So it takes me ten minutes to get my tube.

I make it back to Master Bike and start to change my tube. But I'm a little rusty. So Imbert takes over, shows me how to change it quickly, and goes back to his work. I stand there, waiting for him to finish putting new pedals on a customer's bike (which was completed in less than five minutes).

Then I pulled out my wallet and gave him a twenty. "Here, thanks for helping me out, can I get ten back?"

He shook his head. "That's too much." He takes my twenty, gives me fifteen back, and puts the remaining five in a tip jar. "That's for my lunch," he says.

"Are you sure?" I say. He nods. I thank him profusely, pledge to come back, and leave.

But sadly, I'll probably never live in NYC, and I'll probably never return to this shop. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go there.