COSTA MESA, Calif. (BRAIN) — The National Bicycle Dealers Association has published its 2016 list of America’s Best Bike Shops. Retailers who made the cut this year not only offer great shopping experiences and expert staff, but are also rated on dedication to their communities and support for bicycle advocacy locally and nationally, the NBDA said.

The America’s Best program is designed to help consumers find great stores in their communities that provide the expertise and professionalism to get the most benefit from cycling.

“The quality of the applicants in 2016 was remarkable,” said Todd Grant, president of the NBDA. “The bicycle shops that applied have clearly been educating themselves on what it takes to be named one of America’s Best and stepping up their game to meet the competition head on. It is quite impressive and we are excited to see such a positive response from IBDs.”

Shops were asked to fill out a detailed application describing what sets them apart from the average retailer. They also had to supply photos of their shop. Mystery shoppers then evaluated the business in more detail by visiting the store, reviewing their website and contacting the shop by phone to assess the performance from a consumer’s perspective.

With so many shops providing such strong, measurable detail in their applications, narrowing the list of shops that met the criteria was challenging, the NBDA said. An invite-only awards reception hosted by the NBDA will take place Wed., September 21, at 6 p.m. at the Bourbon Bar in the Mandalay Bay.

To see the list, click on PDF below. The list shows honorees dating back to 2013.

For more information about America's Best, contact Karen Townsend of the National Bicycle Dealers Association at karen@nbda.com or the NBDA office at info@nbda.com.