Best bike shop

Ace Wheel Works in Somerville pulled a good share of readers' votes as the place to go for a new set of wheels, whether you're looking to outfit yourself for a role in Breaking Away II or just trying to fix a flat. With hundreds of bikes for sale, and a skilled repair department on hand to handle the boo-boos inflicted on your two-wheeler by careless drivers or city officials who refuse to fill in giant post-freeze potholes, Ace will have you fearlessly bombing city hills in no time. If you're normally a do-it-yourselfer without a clue as to the mechanics of bicycle repair, take one of the many beginner classes offered by the Broadway Bicycle School in Cambridge, another strong finisher in our poll. Once you've learned how to do things like inflate your tires before you go for a ride, you can graduate to more-advanced courses or receive individual instruction.

Deep in the heart of Brighton is the International Bicycle Center, a place where bike enthusiasts who brave the treacherous Allston/Brighton streets turn for succor after a bad spill or to replace a frame rusted by briny New England tempests. Also housing a good selection of mountain bikes, racing bikes, and accessories, International provides a much-needed service in a dangerous no man's land of potholes, defunct trolley tracks, and speeding motorists.

Ace Wheel Works, 145 Elm Street, Somerville, (617) 776-2100; Broadway Bicycle School, 351 Broadway, Cambridge, (617) 868-3392; International Bicycle Center, 89 Brighton Avenue, Brighton, (617) 783-5804.