Bike Shop Review: Full Moon Vista

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport existed until one of its employees was on the cover of Her, a women’s magazine that my wife receives. (On a side note, I contacted Shana, the employee and cyclist featured in the story, and asked her to contribute to RocBike.com. Stay tuned for the results.)

Full Moon Vista is located at 180 St. Paul St. in downtown Rochester. It’s a big, beautiful building with large windows and an inviting facade. And once you walk in? It’s like a cyclists’ paradise.

A lounge in a bike shop? Am I dreaming?

The shop is bright, open and inviting, with enough room to move around and really take a look at things. They sell a lot of high-end bikes, but they’re not snobs about it. As a matter of fact, they seem to be friendly folks who just love bikes. Take this bit from their site, which follows the story of how they came up with the name of the shop:

Our name is born from the magic and beauty that we find on our bikes. We wanted to somehow encapsulate this magic when we named our shop, and Full Moon Vista is what we came up with. Our goal is to share the magic of cycling with you to the greatest possible extent - whether you go for a ride with us or visit our store.

Of course, anyone can write a Hippy Cycling Manifesto on the Web. What’s the actual shopping experience like? Turns out, it’s quite nice. As soon as I walked in the door, Kyle welcomed me with a friendly smile and asked if I needed help. I told him it was my first time in the shop, so he asked me to let him know if I had questions, then let me browse around. The shop has three floors. The main floor has bikes and men’s clothing. There were also some accessories, though not as many as I would have expected.

Not a huge selection, but well chosen and tastefully displayed

Lots of jerseys and bags, including some snazzy apparel with Full Moon Vista’s own logo

The bikes range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, including brands such as Seven, LeMond, Bianchi, Trek and Gary Fisher. There are also kids bikes on the main floor. The first floor also features a fitting area so you can get the right bike for your size and needs.

Upstairs is the Women’s Loft. According to the Web site, Full Moon Vista is “the first bicycle shop in Rochester to feature a department that is dedicated to women’s specific products, including Trek’s Women’s Specific Design lineup.” It’s a nice loft with a decent selection, including one trailer on display and lots of gear.

Downstairs is the repair area:

Get your bike worked on while sampling some Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters java

Full Moon Vista offers several levels of tune-ups, ranging from $49.99 to $150.00.

In addition to the sales and service, Full Moon Vista is the only area bike shop I’ve found that offers classes in using and maintaining your bike. The clinics range from fixing flats and proper shifting technique to getting the most out of your mountain bike. As someone getting into DIY cycling repairs, I’m excited to finally find a shop that cares about more than just selling you a bike. It seems like they’re actually interested in producing cyclists. Crazy.

Full Moon Vista also hosts rides for riders of varying skill and interest levels, from the Monday night “small ring” leisurely rides to the “big ring” training rides on Thursdays.

I bought a new Topeak seat bag for the Nomade today, and I have a feeling I’ll be returning to buy other things in the future. If you’re looking for a little hideaway where you can feel like a cyclist — whatever your level — give Full Moon Vista a try.

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