Northern California - Is there ONE bike shop in the immediate Bay Area...

...worth going back to?
Maybe I just have high standards for customer service but I think if you're going to be spending $1000s of dollars at a shop, they might want to treat you like they care. At least pretend.

Maybe they just don't like people who ask questions? Or too many questions, anyway?

Seems once they have one sale, that's good enough... they're really nice before that.
Is there anyone in the San Francisco/Peninsula region that treats you like they want you back?

All I know, is yesterday, San Francisco Cyclery had a repeat customer and an almost guarantied second sale this weekend. After getting off the phone with them a few minutes ago, they lost that sale. I don't really need a new bike, anyway but I've never had "need" dictate to me.

Mike's Bikes lost me when I had to nearly file a small claims suit to get them to return a wheel magnet to me after I had to go and pick up an unfinished repair from them.

Name me one, just one that won't make me feel like a piece of crap for having walked into their shop.

Just venting, I guess... sorry.

http://www.wheelaway.com/ in Campbell, there is also one in Santa Clara on El Camino near San Thomas Expressway. Not the Off ramp, it's further in. If you get "bad" service from those two, then you might have too high of standards.

I like Trail Head Cyclery and Cupertino Bike Shop. Both are in the San Jose area.

http://www.wheelaway.com/ in Campbell, there is also one in Santa Clara on El Camino near San Thomas Expressway. Not the Off ramp, it's further in. If you get "bad" service from those two, then you might have too high of standards.

That one further in is Calmar Cycles. I've never had a bad experience there.. The repair shop can get a little backed up, but I've never seen it so bad I thought about taking my bike somewhere else. If you're in an absolute must have it now type of mood, then I would at least suggest calling ahead.

I've heard good things about Calmar, although I'm not sure they're open Sundays.

If you find yourself in the East Bay, pay Eden Bicycles a visit. They work extra hard to please their customers, and I consider myself a customer for life. :D

http://www.wheelaway.com/ in Campbell.

BIG second to Wheel Away/Campbell. Hamilton Avenue near Central.

My favorite shop is Livermore Cyclery; I go here even though it's a 30-45 minute drive for me.

My favorite shop is Livermore Cyclery; I go here even though it's a 30-45 minute drive for me.

+1 - after trying a few different shops, they're the ones I keep going back to. I use the Dublin location.

JB

...worth going back to?
All I know, is yesterday, San Francisco Cyclery had a repeat customer and an almost guarantied second sale this weekend. After getting off the phone with them a few minutes ago, they lost that sale. I don't really need a new bike, anyway but I've never had "need" dictate to me.


What did they say to lose the sale?

The guys at Cupertino Bike Shop have been cool and helpful the 4-5 times I've visited, and I'm sort of a newb/Fred.

No doubt these are all fine suggestions and I thank you
However not a one is in the SF/Peninsula region. East Bay, South Bay..
For me -and it might just be me- Palo Alto is about the end of things and if a bridge is involved then it's not someplace I'm thrilled about. Maybe if I'm just going there to buy a bike, sure, but for anything o ongoing, nah... too far to drive.

What did they say? It's not so much what they said as how they handled the call. I'm interested in a bike I rode there on Sunday and I had some questions. After grudgingly admitting that I could ask her, the young woman on the phone -who reeked of attitude when I saw her in the store- was obviously being asked things she couldn't answer and was not terribly interested in answering the questions in her scope. After I asked her about coming back to take another test drive, she was getting pretty indignant. She was really being a b*tch about it in a quiet sort of way.

In the East Bay I like Sharp Bicycles in Lafayette and Pegasus Bicycle Works in Danville.
Sharp is a Trek/Litespeed/Lemond dealer with some other fancy bikes like Calfee, Parlee, Moots, and Orbea.
Pegasus has a fantastic selection of European bikes as well as some US brands (Time, Look, Bianchi, Pinarello, Willier, Colnago, Cannondale, Felt, Eddie Merckx, Pegoretti, Scott).
Both have a great service department, they know what they are doing and are friendly.
I visited Wrench Science in Berkeley once, they also have a great selection but I never tested their service department. Their website is very useful though especially their size calculator.

+1 for Calmar Cycles. Very good shop.

Try Shaw's in Santa Clara.
I've always found the service excellent
and Terry's an awesome resource.
http://www.shawscycles.com/
Keep in mind they're more custom with a limited inventory.

Valencia Cyclery in SF is tops in my book.
The mechanics are very friendly and helpful, best I've ever dealt with.
They may not have the brand of bike you're looking for but they may still be able to get it.
As for parts, they have most everything I've needed in stock. What they don't have, they can get it too (usually).

What did they say? It's not so much what they said as how they handled the call. I'm interested in a bike I rode there on Sunday and I had some questions. After grudgingly admitting that I could ask her, the young woman on the phone -who reeked of attitude when I saw her in the store- was obviously being asked things she couldn't answer and was not terribly interested in answering the questions in her scope. After I asked her about coming back to take another test drive, she was getting pretty indignant. She was really being a b*tch about it in a quiet sort of way.

She sounds like the French waiter of LBS staff, except for the efficiency part.

Have you thought about talking to the owner or manager about your experience? Worst case, nothing changes and you spend your money elsewhere. Best case, that woman gets her attitude adjusted or moves on, and you've improved that LBS for everybody.

My favorite shop is Livermore Cyclery; I go here even though it's a 30-45 minute drive for me.

Another big "thumbs up" for Livermore Cyclery. The owner, Steve Howard, is absolutely top drawer, all the way. He knows his stuff, he's a great guy, and he enjoys helping you get it right. He's usually at the Livermore store.

If that is too far for you travel, try Missing Link in Berkeley (Shattuck just north of University). It's walking distance from the Berkeley BART station.

My favorite, and this sholdn't be construed as a sympathy vote in light of recent events, is Roaring Mouse in SF (Irving between 11th and 12th Ave.). Never had a bad customer service experience. They've always gone above and beyond what I've expected and I've always been treated with respect. It's a small shop with few staff available so it's best to be there at non-rush times (weekdays are usally best). I've never made a major purchace there but they can rest assured my next bike will come from their store. I might not get a killer deal that I would find at a larger store but I'm positive they've ended up saving me money in the long run because of their knowledge.

+ Missing Link; I make the effort to stop in every once in a while...

From there, for me it's "personal;" Darcy at Pacific Bike has done me right. The big guy at Walnut Creek Performance, same (there have been some scuds there...), and so on. Almost every shop I frequent there is/are help I avoid, and others I look for.

A few shops I outright boycott, and in those cases I do contact management because I was put out of my way; sometimes that gets a response...

The sales guy and mechanic at Summit Bicycles in San Mateo were nice when I went there to ask about installing a headset. Because of their nice demeanor I brought my bike back and they actually finished it sooner than they estimated. But that's the extent of my experience with them. They are at least on the Peninsula side... I'd go back if the need arose.

I also like the mechanics at Pacific Bicyles in SF. They have always been helpful when i needed small bits and pieces for my bike that I either broke or lost. There is one guy that seems like he has an attitude (older balding/greying guy) but I think that's just the way he looks. Once you talk to him he's very nice. I bought a used wheelset on the net and brought it to them to replace a bent bladed spoke. He said that he'd have to order a new spoke but asked if he could check out the wheel first. So I walk around the store and when he gave it back he had repaired the bent spoke and trued the wheel, saving me a few bucks and time instead of replacing the spoke. I really couldn't tell it was previously bent. If I ever get the $$ to buy a Cervelo, Bianchi or ?? I'll definitely check them out.

EDIT: spiduhman got his name... it's Darcy. Really cool guy!

+1 - after trying a few different shops, they're the ones I keep going back to. I use the Dublin location.

JB

Used them heavily when I lived in Livermore they are a good group and the store in Livermore is now huge, Dublin is a bit smaller. A long drive for SKT though.

+1 for Roaring Mouse. I've bought my last two bikes from them, and will probably buy many more there. They have gone above and beyond too many times to count, e.g., installing a headset (that I did not buy from them) on a frame (that I also had not bought from them), and when I tried to pay, they would not take it.

Yeah, Dublin is a stretch but some of these are good:
Valencia. When I busted my FD (sheer stupidity on my part. There are, uh, things you should not do before working on your bike), they came through in quick, friendly, professional order. I broke a Tiagra, they had a 105. No problem, they said. They were right and really saved the day for me.

Summit, Roaring Mouse and Pacific are pretty convenient (I have zero problem with going to San Mateo.
Heck, I could just about ride my bike there) so I'll keep them in mind, too.

I'm curious if anyone has anything -good or bad- to say about Ocean Cyclery?

Meanwhile, I did contact the owner of the shop in question and the response I got from her was MUCH more in line with the experience I had there on Sunday. Lesson learned? Deal with her and forget the rest. She will talk to the "woman up front" that I dealt with on the phone" I did make it clear that she wasn't necessarily rude, just beyond indifferent... you know, kind of "I don't know and I don't care. Why are you bothering me"... almost a worse crime. Granted, I was asking a LOT of questions but, hey, uh?

So, I guess "game on"

Not a shop, but I really like the mobile bike repair The Wheel Peddler (http://www.wheelpeddler.com/)
Serving Contra Costa County. He's done really good work for me, is a great guy, and supports a lot of racing events.

...
However not a one is in the SF/Peninsula region. ...

How about CyclePath in San Mateo? I called them a few years back about some tech question re: an FSA crank and the fellow on the other end (Gerhard?) was really very good about things and did what he said he would. I notice that seems to be increasingly rare nowadays, and not just in the bike biz...

I'm curious if anyone has anything -good or bad- to say about Ocean Cyclery?

My experience with Ocean Cyclery was good. As you probably know, it's a small shop with a limited number of new bikes. The shop owner was helpful and friendly when I needed to order a new fork, and the work they did on my bike, replacing cables, fixing a bent derailleur hanger, etc. was good. They were also happy to let me test-ride a Redline 925 even though I wasn't that serious about buying one.

EDIT: Also, I haven't been to Mojo Bicycle Cafe (http://www.mojobicyclecafe.com/about.html) yet, but I like what they say on their website: "We always fantasized about a bike shop where you could get your bike worked on, buy some bike gear, a good cup of coffee or just come to hang out. All this without the "bikier-than-thou" attitude that too often seems to permeate shop culture. It's just not that hard to be nice, and have good... mojo."

How about CyclePath in San Mateo? I called them a few years back about some tech question re: an FSA crank and the fellow on the other end (Gerhard?) was really very good about things and did what he said he would. I notice that seems to be increasingly rare nowadays, and not just in the bike biz...

I've been happy with CyclePath San Mateo so far.

EDIT: Also, I haven't been to Mojo Bicycle Cafe (http://www.mojobicyclecafe.com/about.html) yet, but I like what they say on their website: "We always fantasized about a bike shop where you could get your bike worked on, buy some bike gear, a good cup of coffee or just come to hang out. All this without the "bikier-than-thou" attitude that too often seems to permeate shop culture. It's just not that hard to be nice, and have good... mojo."

I like Mojo, the guys are nice and helpful and from my experience they live up to their motto.

Here's another vote for Roaring Mouse. I live a few blocks away, so this was the shop I went to 3 years ago when I decided I wanted to give road cycling a try. I was a toal novice and they had no attitude and were very kind and knowledgeable with helping me select and fit me for a $1500 LeMonde Alpe d'Huez.

Since then I started racing, got a lot more serious and started getting most of my bike stuff through team deals (not at all affiliated with Roaring Mouse), but always go went there when I needed a real pro to do something for me like glue a sew-up tire on a wheel. They've helped me in lots of ways from talking me through a derailleur cable change over the phone when I was in Oregon doing my first stage race to having Zipp warranty and replace a cracked wheel that I didn't even buy from them.

I can handle most repairs now myself, but still trust them to true and glue the tires on my race wheels.

Cyclepath in San Mateo or Roaring Mouse up in the City.

...I have had very good experiences at Chain Reaction in Redwood City. They spend A LOT of time with a customer fitting the bike properly. I guess they blew me away when they took back a bike I bought that wasn't quite right and gave me all my money back; PA Bicycles took a restocking chunk. (Um, the newly divorced don't make very good purchasing decisions.) I wish Trek bikes fit me because that is their main line but sadly, Trek doesn't have long legged 5'10" women in their mechanical modeling because I would love to have CR be my bike shop. In the busy summer they only work on bikes they sold.

+1 for Cyclepath San Mateo. They have been fantastic.

The Pedaler in El Sobrante has been great for me -- low pressure, great service and advice, very helpful. They've done fit adjustments for me on a bike I didn't buy from them free of charge, and steered me away from more expensive stuff I didn't need. I recently bought my new road bike from them and will continue to use their services.

My two favorite shops in the East Bay are Montano Velo on Piedmont in Oakland, and Wrench Science in Emeryville. Super knowledgeable, all about customer service, zero snobbery but total bike-geeks, and unique inventories. Mike's in Berkeley has always been super helpful to me as well, but I know the mileage of others at that chain has varied.

...I have had very good experiences at Chain Reaction in Redwood City. They spend A LOT of time with a customer fitting the bike properly. I guess they blew me away when they took back a bike I bought that wasn't quite right and gave me all my money back; PA Bicycles took a restocking chunk. (Um, the newly divorced don't make very good purchasing decisions.) I wish Trek bikes fit me because that is their main line but sadly, Trek doesn't have long legged 5'10" women in their mechanical modeling because I would love to have CR be my bike shop. In the busy summer they only work on bikes they sold.

Valencia Cyclery in SF is a Raleigh dealer. Talbot's in San Mateo too but I prefer Valencia.

My experience with Ocean Cyclery was good. As you probably know, it's a small shop with a limited number of new bikes. The shop owner was helpful and friendly when I needed to order a new fork, and the work they did on my bike, replacing cables, fixing a bent derailleur hanger, etc. was good. They were also happy to let me test-ride a Redline 925 even though I wasn't that serious about buying one.

Thanks for the kind words.
I'm Don and i'm usually the guy in the back wrenching on bikes.

I had a good buying experience at Eden Cycles in Castro Valley, but I always keep returning to The Bicycle Garage in Fremont for everything. I trust Fred to fix any problems I have, and both Alan and Fred are great for advice.

I just bought a Moots at Wrench Science in Berkeley. They are a nice bunch of guys. The frame I ordered (Psychlo-X) took a little longer to get than they said. Otherwise when I picked up the bike it fit like a glove. Never had that happen with any of the many bikes I have bought.

+1 for Montano Velo in Oakland....

I'd also disagree slightly with Cyclepath in San Mateo. I live a few miles from them, but will drive 20 miles to Oakland because the shop is friendlier, larger, better hours and have inventory more of interest to me (commuter/touring bikes)

+infinity for Montano Velo in Oakland.

Best bike shop I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with! Great bunch of guys that really love and ride bikes every day of the year.

mountain/road/track/tri/whatever.

I live three blocks away, but that's not the real reason. :)

...worth going back to?
Maybe I just have high standards for customer service but I think if you're going to be spending $1000s of dollars at a shop, they might want to treat you like they care. At least pretend.

Maybe they just don't like people who ask questions? Or too many questions, anyway?

Seems once they have one sale, that's good enough... they're really nice before that.
Is there anyone in the San Francisco/Peninsula region that treats you like they want you back?

All I know, is yesterday, San Francisco Cyclery had a repeat customer and an almost guarantied second sale this weekend. After getting off the phone with them a few minutes ago, they lost that sale. I don't really need a new bike, anyway but I've never had "need" dictate to me.

Mike's Bikes lost me when I had to nearly file a small claims suit to get them to return a wheel magnet to me after I had to go and pick up an unfinished repair from them.

Name me one, just one that won't make me feel like a piece of crap for having walked into their shop.

Just venting, I guess... sorry.


http://www.shawscycles.com/mission.html

GREAT guys, VERY KNOWLEDGABLE,....AND NICE (even if your a newb)

just bring your wallet,..they aint cheap (but quality never is)

I've had several old frames "tuned up" by them and you'd swear your riding a new bike.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Livermore Cyclery - Livermore Store

Another +1: It sounds to far but I want to give props when I can to the good LBS when they deserve it.

BikeRX in Mill Valley sets the paradigm. It is definitely skewed to the high end (Independent Fabrication, Ellsworth, etc), but they are unbelievably high-service. I have bought a mountain bike from them and worked with them to rebuild an old steel road bike. In every case, when I had a problem, the answer was always yes.

The reason I bought my first bike there was simple. I went in, described what I wanted and my skill level, and they said they had nothing on the floor that they would recommend. After having been to seven other shops in SF and Marin, I had never heard that. There was always something that the salesperson wanted to clear out. In one shop, they tried to convince me I wanted a single-speed steel no-suspension MTB to climb Mt Tam. That might be great for someone, but I had clearly let them know that I was just getting started.

The guys at BikeRX are just awesome.

(in reading this post, I see that I come across as a shill. I am not associated, and in fact their existence is a huge drain on my liquid assets. But seriously, when an LBS does what you expect them to do and more, you have to help them out)

I have had decent service at several stores in the South bay, but I just plain like the folks at Chain Reaction - both sites, Redwood City & Los Altos (and it's a pleasant ride between them). It's a family business & it shows. I didn't buy my Trek there, but they helped me as a newbie learn about gear & I tend to buy stuff there now.

I'll add one more to the list. I really like the guys at Cupertino Bike Shop. They don't have the big corporate shop feel, and more personal touch to it. I was searching for a replacement helmet, and the guy went out of his way to look for other possible colors ... and although it is pretty minor, they took the box for recycling purposes. I just felt a more personal touch with this shop.

i can't stand stores. i just find what i want through online reviews and buy online.

#1 Chain Reaction

#2 Bicycle Outfitter

#3 PA Bikes (albeit you pay for it)

Special mention - Velotech in PA (you *really* pay for it but worth it)

#1127 City Cycles

#1 Chain Reaction

#2 Bicycle Outfitter

#3 PA Bikes (albeit you pay for it)

Special mention - Velotech in PA (you *really* pay for it but worth it)

#1127 City Cycles

I gotta concur with this list. I actually bought my bike at PA Bikes, and they were really friendly & professional, both with the fitting and some followup visits & purchases. Years ago I felt they were dismissive of casual cyclists, but I think they now have a real appreciation of the recreational (me) & commuter cyclists, as well as the enthusiasts & racers. Same thing for Bike Outfitter. These top 3 stores are also my regular suppliers & I recommend them all. #1127? - never been there ...

+1 For Eden Cycles in Castro Valley.

jw