I had a fantastic experience at Sweet Pete's!
I should stop here to tell you that I don't speak bike. I ride to and from work every day and I spend a lot of time on my bike, but that doesn't mean I understand how all the different gears and bits come together. So bike shops intimidate me.
What a relief it was to be greeted by a friendly, approachable woman who seemed to know absolutely everything about bikes, locks, and lights and who was able to share all of the knowledge with me without once sounding condescending or making me feel foolish. Seriously. She was amazing. From helping me find the correct size frame (I'm just wee) to discussing the relative merits of various locks, she was a wealth of knowledge.
Once I'd fallen for the bike and chose my lights and bells, she installed everything for me like it ain't no thang. Paying was equally painless. When my fella pointed out that the bike was listed at $20 less on the website than in store, super woman quickly checked the website to confirm and then gave us the lower price. No attitude.
I'm almost looking forward to returning for the first of my four free tune ups.