Bushwick Bike Shop NBKC Moves To Graham Ave, and Is Replaced By Haven Cycles

Bushwick cyclists take note: there’s been a reshuffle in the neighborhood’s bike shop landscape in recent weeks.

North Brooklyn Cycles, or NBKC, which has been on Knickerbocker Ave just off Flushing since it opened in 2012, has relocated to 102 Graham Ave, about a mile further into East Williamsburg.

But if that location works well for, fear not: A new bike shop called Haven Cycles has been opened by a former NBKC employee in the former NBKC shop at 121 Knickerbocker Ave. While the two are separate businesses, they plan on working together to provide the whole neighborhood with all its bicycle needs.

The new NBKC space is much larger, with an entire back section dedicated to repairs and service. It offers more apparel and accessories as well, plus a wider range of different types of bikes. Max Cohen, the owner of NBKC, had run his business out of the old space for almost five years, and is excited about the expansion in the new neighborhood.

Haven Cycles is owned by Jon Gorman, a former mechanic at the NBKC business who was ready to open his own shop. Cohen passed the torch to ensure the space stayed in the family, so to speak. Haven offers vintage and boutique bikes, but will focus most heavily on repairs. “The area needs a very strong repair shop,” explains Gorman. “So many people around here commute by bike and that’s only going to get worse – or better – depending on how you look at it once the L train situation gets a little funkier.” Funky L train situations are something we can all relate to.

Both shops are dedicated to the biking community as a whole, whether you are brand new to it or a hardened bike veteran. Haven offers discounts to local bike messengers (ask about it when you go in!) and in the future, the two shops plan to work together to offer bike building workshops and classes for repairs and maintenance.

It’s summer, so there’s no excuse not to hop on your bike and use it to get ALL over the city, which is all the easier now that there are two new bike shop locations in the neighborhood—so support your local businesses and get riding!

Cover image – courtesy of @nbkc