When Fish Ride Bicycles was met with generally favorable reviews from
music critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average score of 75 based on twenty-one reviews. The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 6.4 out of 10, based on nine reviews.
AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the album, stating: "the kinetic, mini-funk monster "Swimsuits" with Mayer Hawthorne puts it over the top, making the long wait forgivable and the album highly recommendable". Cole Zercoe of
Beats Per Minute resumed: "overall,
When Fish Ride Bicycles won't convert any naysayers, but for both fans and those new to the group, this is a tightly-crafted showcase for the unique sound and style of The Cool Kids". Harley Brown of
Consequence wrote: "some could argue that the Cool Kids abandoned their original minimalism on
When Fish Ride Bicycles. However, they've contemporized their old-school influences for a wider audience. By incorporating both well-known names and lesser-known artists, the Cool Kids are finally in a position to get major exposure". David Amidon of
PopMatters claimed: "the surprises of
When Fish Ride Bicycles are more subtle than a title like that may suggest, and the influence of Pharrell on the final production even moreso". Mosi Reeves of
Spin wrote: "
When Fish Ride Bicycles may pay homage to Chicago summers, but this duo rarely break a sweat, rhyming in dulcet tones about designer sneaks and tricked-out GMCs". Simon Vozick-Levinson of
Rolling Stone claimed: "if the Cool Kids aren't quite as buzzy as they once were, their skills are tighter than ever". Tom Breihan of
Pitchfork stated: "the Cool Kids have now proven that they can make an album, but they haven't proven that they ever needed to make an album".
Greg Kot of
Chicago Tribune concluded: "it makes for a solid if unremarkable follow-up, the kind of release that buys a little more time for the Cool Kids to live up to their original promise". Dan Weiss of
The Boston Phoenix wrote: "
When Fish Ride Bicycles doesn't have the same old-school shine to it. Instead it feels caught between a few different directions, as personified by its guest list: Travis Barker, Asher Roth, Bun B, and the irreducible Ghostface Killah. But even with the help, none of the tracks stretch particularly far from the Cool Kids' limited palette". In her mixed review for
The A.V. Club, Genevieve Koski determined "
Fish feels a little warmed-over". ==Track listing==