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Announced 38 hours ago
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Hands down the bike shop in the South Bay.
Calmar always provides dynamite service. Their staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging of all riders. There've been bike shops I have gone to in the past that completely condescend if you don't know your own bike inside and out, or if you rode less than 50 miles to get there. At Calmar there's no tude. Just fast, friendly service.
There have been many cases where the staff has gone above and beyond for me. If it's a small repair or a missing small piece I often won't be charged. Also there was a time where I came into the store 30 minutes before close and although they were busy and flabbergasted, they saw to my bike and took care of it before close.
Again super-nice staff, quality mechanics, and the price isn't too bad either.
If you have a bike that needs to be serviced; go here.
after over 1,000 miles of mountain biking, there comes a time that a simple mechanic like myself needs help.
recently, took my bike in for my blown fork and some very small play on my stem. fork has a lifetime warranty, so, the rebuild was free. the play on my stem was fixed along with a complete tune-up on my rig.
i really like this shop and i highly recommend it too. they are really a good bunch of guys here who are not pushy, friendly, open and knowledgable.
speaking of mountain biking, need to load up the rig and hit the dirt.
my first experience with this shop was when i was shopping for a full suspension specialized bike.… Read more »
Calmar has got to be the best in town. Their staff is very friendly and the service is great. Each time I brought my bike in, whether it be a minor or major problem, they got to it and got me back on the road in no time. Their labor fee is $5, half the price of The Off Ramp which is down the street and I also noticed a lot of their equipment is cheaper than Off Ramp as well. The extra mile down the street is definitely worth the energy expended to get there!
It's pretty hard these days to beat prices that you find online for bikes, accessories and components, but the service here more than makes up for the price differential in my opinion.
The guys in the shop are friendly, extremely knowledgeable and are an invaluable resource if you're trying to repair/restore a bike yourself.
If you're thinking of going to the Off Ramp, which is just down the street, stop by here instead.
Great place to get your bike serviced! People are friendly and overdeliver. If you ask a question, they will answer and you can even watch them handle your bike while you wait. Prices are reasonable too, and the wait time is very manageable. HIGHLY LOVE AND recommend.
Even though I ride my bike at least once a week, I'm definitely not a serious cyclist. I live on El Camino though, and thought of stopping by Calmar to see what it was about.
Didn't know they specialized in road bikes... although I want one. So I felt a little silly getting off my Columbia comfort hybrid :p
Oh well, they were amazingly nice and helpful. I bought some chain lube (he even demonstrated how to put it on... yes, I'm cool) and I'll probably be back for a basket or a bell...
Woot for bicycle shops!
Excellent bike buying experience here. I had visited several bike shops around the south bay, as well as much reading online forums and reviews.
I narrowed my choice down to Specialized Allez series or Trek 2.1. I test rode both at various bike shops, and had some shops tell me I should go with a 52cm (I'm short alright?). However, on my first trip to Calmar, Ben gave me a fitting and we decided that a 49cm would fit the best and feel the most comfortable. They did not have any 49's in the model I wanted, 09 Spec Allez Sport, but gave me a good price (under MSRP) if I wanted to order through them.
I decided to sleep on it, and came back the next day, Sunday, to make my order. Jo and James were really cool, helping me place the order for 2010 Allez Elite for the same price.
I got a call from them a week later, saying my bike was here and assembled. I went in on Sunday afternoon dressed in my Sunday best, but they worked with me in picking out accessories and putting them on bike. Sure, I could have bought some things cheaper online, but I wanted to support this great local shop. James put my bike on the trainer and worked with me on my riding form and doing fit adjustments. Jo even got me a Slurpee on her 7-11 run. The people here are awesome, like Donny in the back as well.
Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better bike shopping experience, 5 stars, highly recommended!
As promised, I visited Calmar twice since the first review, and I have to bump it up to four stars. Here's why:
This time there was much better service. I brought my bike in (I bought one used on craigslist). I was approached right away as I started to look around and the guy (didn't catch his name) asked me if I needed any help. I asked if he could check if my bike needed a tune up, so he told me to bring it in.
His opinions seemed to be spot on. The front tire needed truing but the shifters he said were shifting fine. He said the brakers were fine, but pointed out I had a dent on the back wheel which would affect braking. He also recommended that I change the cassette as it was a 9-gear, while I have a 10 speed shifter, which right as well (the guy that sold me the bike got his wheels stolen so when he replaced them, he bought a 9 gear cassette. Very knowledgeable. He even prioritize what he thought needed to get done.
I spent another hour or so looking at the accessories and carefully making my selections. During that time I asked questions to another employee who was equally friendly and helpful. Never once did I feel the pressure to buy anything.
I came in to look at: bike computer, lights, water bottle cage, pack,/wedge, flat pack, pump. I bought: pump, bike tool, basic patch kit & bike levers. Initially I thought they had a really good selection, but after looking around in depth, I couldn't find what I wanted in terms of color (I have a red bike so blue doesn't really work for a pack).
So here's the break down:
Knowledgeable Staff = +1
Customer Service = +1 (up from -1)
Selection = +1 (down from 2)
Pricing = +1
--------------------------
Total = 4 Stars
I like this shop and I would definitely come back. I'm pretty sure that in time as I take my bike back and get serviced, this place will grow on e even more. I trust the guys here and I don't believe that you can go wrong with Calmar.
I have to admit that I am sorely disappointed. I really wanted to give this store five stars. I love… Read more »
Calmar is a great, local bike shop. The folks inside are friendly and knowledgeable, and while the selection isn't the biggest in the world, they had the bike I'd been looking for in-stock AND in my size. For that reason, I've bought 2 bikes from them in the past. I always go here first for whatever needs I have, and they continue to shine.
4.5 stars
Finally paid the big bucks for a road bike. Did my homework and I narrowed the decision to a few particular brands/types of bikes and decided on buying from Calmar simply because they were well-informed. Some other bike shops carry Specialized bikes (even at a lower price) but I am more interested in maintaining a relationship with a bike shop for the long haul. I was impressed how customer oriented the staff was - especially Donny and Ben. Huge shout outs to them. These guys are pretty cool.
When choosing which bike shop to buy from the decision was quite easy. Calmar's staff (1) doesn't push or pressure you, (2) are knowledgeable, (3) are unpretentious, (4) avid mountain and road bikers themselves...which always helps. It's funny because in the end they gave me a brake and charged the lowest price I found of my search from other local bike shops selling Specialized bikes. Doubly cool.
Calmar will even put on your bike accessories free of charge. I didn't feel as if I was asking too much for them to add: 2 lights, a cyclocomputer, a wedge pack, 2 bottle cages, and a bell! In fact, that was Calmar's suggestion and they welcomed me to bring in anything I wanted added to my bike.
Besides all this, Calmar's policy is a one-year free fit guarantee. Correct fit is crucial. That bit of news is reassuring.
Came here to look at road bikes and service.
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. No pressure to buy and willing to share their experiences.
Not a lot of gear selection, but sufficient
I've purchased misc. parts and minor services. I would rate them a 5 but have no experience with the bike sales area. From what was on the floor I couldn't tell which was for sale, used / demo bikes. The staff is great tho.
I've been to almost EVERY reputable bike shop in the south bay. Let me repeat that.. EVERY reputable bike shop in the south bay. Calmar and Trail head cyclery are in the top 2 of i would say top 25, but Calmar takes that top spot.
Reasons:
1. Trail head is focused on mountain bikes, while Calmar is focused both on road bikes and mountain bikes.
2. You ask them a detailed question, you will get a detailed answer.
3. Prices are 100 dollars below msrp ( I asked about 3 bikes and looked them up on line and all 3 are 100 below msrp)
4. You get a pro-build (you get a bike that took time to build, not a bike that was rushed in an assembly line)
5. Ben is a great salesman but he doesn't talk to you like one. He talks to you as a cyclist.
6. I bought a new 2010 specialized allez comp from them. The carbon seat stays came with a scratch/paint/whateveritis underneath the clear coat. I brought this to James' attention and immediately informed me that i can get some money back for it or get a new frame. As any avid cyclist will do, of course i chose to get a new frame. Money has no value if you're riding a bike you're not proud of and uncomfortable with. I have yet to get that new frame. But James dealt with this issue in the most professional manner. He understands what customer service is.
You can't just buy a bike then go. You have to find a dependable bike shop that you can go to for installation, repairs, tips, and other services.
If you're on the hunt for the best bike shop in the south bay, save yourself some time and go to Calmar.
Situation Mended. I was happy to have been offered and successfully rectified my previous experience. The new diagnosis from James proved to be the cam inside the front shifter which was not pulling the cable enough.
I also felt I got a full prognosis from him as well. Being an outdated 8 speed Bianchi, it was recommended I either replace the shifter with the same model or could go with the R500. Though the R500's are very difficult to acquire due to obsolescence. I was also given advice on the life of my chain as it was measured with the gauge he showed me.
And in the end, it looks like Calmar is beginning to alleviate its understaffing for all the business they get. I was happy the new mechanic Odie, who completed the job, had trimmed my excessive shifter cable lines and re-wrapped my handle bar grips. Not to mention the complimentary handle bar caps. I felt his summary on him actually testing the shifters was key to success. The summary regained my confidence that the problem had been fixed as could be. And if there was some tweaking that was needed, I should let him know. This is what will keep a customer. Not just handing a bike and say it's done. Customer service is slippery. There's ok service and then there is great service.
The test run proved well as I was able to shift between the 3 front gears. It was slightly sluggish with the problematic smaller gear. But I believe it is attributed partially to the chain lubrication status after 3 years of Seattle rain. I'll probably clean it myself. But I just might have Calmar do it on my future appointment.
Overall, they did an UN-satisfying job. Lots of talk. No walk.
My Bianchi Brava symptoms had the…
Read more »
I was looking for a smaller rear gear on my 24 inch and my friend told me about Calmar bikes. Two weeks later bookin' down th' El Camino,
I stopped in for a visit on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was hauling ass from Wolf and Reed Safeway and poured in the door looking like a crackhead(altough a very healthy one thank you) I asked them for a smaller gear and they didn't do nothin but get down to the business at hand which was my bike. One cog smaller in place and a new chain in half an hour. I know I probably got lucky that day, but I just put in bottom bracket bearings and a brand new head set and put my baby to sleep for winter. We'll be blowing doors in springtime. Watch Out.
We spent Saturday the most exciting way possible - shopping for cycling shoes. Weeeeeeee! Yeah. super exciting.
Anyway, my review only focuses on the shoe section of Cal Mar.
The guy who came by to help us in the shoe section held a burrito the whole time, and ate it while he answered questions. I think he even pointed with it. It was rather bizarre. But at least there was customer service unlike Performance Bikes.
The shoe section is tiny and the only chair is a slightly weird barber chair. There is a Hypercolor like sheet on the floor where you stand in your socks to see if you have flat feet, a normal arch, or a high arch. After the husband stood there for almost a minute, we noticed that the color of the sheet didn't change at all so it was pointless.
After going to three stores, the husband found his favorite shoes here. It was good he was positive he wanted them because as soon as you leave the store they are not returnable.
Rankings compared to Performance Bike in Mountain View and The Off Ramp in Santa Clara with 1 being best and 3 being worst:
Selection - 3
Price - 2, maybe 3
Customer Service - 2
Return Policy - 3
Bought Shoes Here - 1
I bought a bike from these guys about a year ago. They fitted me out and were all friendly and knowledgeable. I eventually ended up getting a Trek 7.5 FX, which I ride to Stanford, up Hwy 9, to Red Rock, etc.
The thing that really impressed me was when my bike seat started hurting my butt-- something that is apparently a common complaint amongst bike riders. They have a pad you can sit on to see where your pelvic bones are, in case the seat doesn't match you. Moreover, they won't sell you something that doesn't work. I stubbornly didn't listen to them and wasted some money at another shop to get a gel seat... which didn't work, just like they said it wouldn't. As it so happens, the new bike's seat takes about a week to break in.
To put it simply as I can, Calmar Cycles is the best example of where to get stuff. Sorry, lame wording, but after this, I wish I could buy everything from businesses of this caliber.
It starts with service, they actually spend their time HELPING customers. Not just answering questions, but also making adjustments, giving advice, dealing with warranties.
Last time I was in the shop a gentleman brought his bike in and described some problems he had with the rims. Immediately they KNEW what the problem was, that it would require dealing with the manufacturer, and then OFFERED to take care of it ALL for the customer. I later overheard him tell his wife that he was so glad he didn't bother trying to get it cheaper online.
I was actually in to buy a floor pump. Doesn't sound too monumental, but the pumps they had ranged from $29.99 to $70+. So I asked, what's the deal? He broke it down, about quality, durability, replacement parts, warranties, and he did it in such a way that an out of shape, hung over and generally thick headed errr, me could understand, without even a warble of upsell in his voice.
Every customer encounter I witnessed or was a part of basically kept repeating a few things over and over again. 1) The know what they are talking about 2) They are service first 3) They sell products that they use and select their inventory based on experience.
I'm wondering why I didn't come to Calmar bikes when I was shopping for a road bike last year. Well, now I'm shopping to upgrade my hardtail mountain bike to a dual suspension one.
We came here on a recommendation of a kind gentleman named Sung that we met at Fremont Older last week. We hope to bump into him again on the trail next week. Anyways, We were in Calmar on Saturday after hitting a few other bike stores in the 408. We greeted pretty quickly and I was impressed with their selection of bikes. One bike caught my eye though, the Specialized Safire Comp sitting in front and a knowledgeable friendly staff person named Jacob helped us out.
He offered me to demo a medium sized bike but I knew that wasn't going to work. He said if I really wanted to, he will see if he can ask Specialized to get small bike for me to demo. I might take him up on that. We'll see about updating this review if that happens and if I end up buying that bike. hmmm.
Fantastic place to buy and service your bikes.
I was looking for a new mountain bike and the guy gave me several choices based on my description of how I ride. I ended up choose a Gary Fisher Tassajara which I love.
If you buy your bikes here, it comes with free service.
The staff is knowledgeable. The service is friend and fast.
I have gone in to Calmar so many times with a broken bike that I am often greeted with 'What'd you break this time?' (Hollister). I've brought in a snapped Stumpjumper frame... an on-the-trail Trek Remedy singlespeed conversion... a piece of isht Rock Shox Lyrik 2-Step... a broken this and a broken that.
The boys at Calmar always get me back on the trail as soon as they are able at reasonable prices and have always done quality work on my bikes. They have worked with Specialized, Trek and SRAM/RockShox on my behalf to take care of major problems using their 'bike shop muscle' that I as the lowly consumer do not have to get things that would have otherwise come out of my pocket fixed for free.
Simply put: they rock! Thanks guys!
I've only been there a couple of times, but they were always nice. They even dug into their spare parts bins (not all shops will go to the trouble!) to find a rare part.
Good selection, and good service. Really nice guys.
The mechanics and staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Many of them are passionate about bikes. I went there many times for small things, questions and weired parts. Every time they were helpful and went out of their way many times. There is also no crazy long waiting list to get your bike fixed/tuned up.
There are many classic mountain bikes from the 80s in their shop, very cool.
I purchased my full suspension mountain bike at another shop in Campbell. My mistake! It is a Specialized and the folks I bought it from didn't even take the time to fit the bike to me. I was having problems, and as I live right around the corner from Calmar, I decided to drop by and see what they could do for me. These guys are first class, even though they did not sell me the bike, they took the time (1 hr.) to fit the bike to me. It made a really big difference in the ride. This is the only bike shop I will do business with from now on. You can't put a price tag on excellent customer service, something that is so rare these days.
Staff is very knowledgeable and willing to take the time to address what you are looking for and what bike will best suit your riding expectations. Jakub spent an hour just talking with my wife and I about brands, components, and bike fitting. He wasn't pushy and certainly wasn't trying to make a quick sale. It felt as if he was sincerely concerned with making us feel comfortable in making a future purchase. Because of his effort and kindness, all I can say is that I will be purchasing from Calmar. Anyone who takes the time he did in dealing with us and all of our silly questions definitely deserves some serious credit and has earned our business.
He will be fitting me on one of two bikes next weekend for a demo and is building a bike for my wife to demo. Apparently "bike fitting" is a lot more important than I would have guessed and I am happy to know that it will be done the right way at this shop.
Prices are very competitive in the area. 50 or 100 dollars off the price of a bike at a shop who doesn't care about your riding experience is not worth it in my opinion. The customer service and attention you get at Calmar is worth many times that. I place a lot of value on customer service and satisfaction, and anyone who appreciates this as much as we do, will understand when they come here.
I've only been here once but they had great customer service. I brought my mtn. bike in for a tune up and they did a great job. They looked it over and told me I didn't need a full tune up and saved me a couple of bucks.
Just bought my first road bike from Calmar. After several years away from biking, I didnt even know where to start in terms of what to look for and was pretty hesitant. The folks at Calmar were more than informative in helping me make my decision on what bike I ultimately chose. They asked all the right questions about my riding style and came up with several bikes they thought would suit me. After a few test rides and after ordering the bike for me (the specific one wasnt there at the time), it took only a week for them to get it and build it up. They then spent a good hour with me fitting me on the bike making sure everything was good. What was great was that when getting fitted, they actually consulted with each other to get everyone's opinion on how to fit me best. It was nice to see such a team effort! I would definately recommend this store to anyone!
I bought my full suspension mountain bike here. They were very helpful and let me test ride a bunch of stuff before making a decision. Later when I realized the stem was to short I came back and they replaced it free of charge.
I ammended my score from 5 stars down to three because I later brought my bike here to get the brakes bleed and reset and after they finished I was unable to lock my brake out anymore. I brought it back once, but the guy in the back told me he had no idea (though he does work on bikes in the back) and I would have to come back later to talk to someone that might know. Also I had a rear shock serviced, they didn't do it correctly, and I had to come back after they said it was done because it wasn't finished yet. :Later I took the bike somewhere else to get the rear shock serviced. I still like the shop and the people in it, but I understand now why some people say bad things about the service in the shop.
Bad helmet selection.
Calmar had a really nice selection of bicycles, mostly mountain, and a knowledgeable staff. It is the only bike shop that I know of that has a bicycle seat clamp thing where you can actually try out all the bicycle saddles. They were really nice to my dog and let him run around the shop off leash.
When I first went in, I wasn't expecting to pick up anything. I've been looking for a beach cruiser for a while but nothing really matched either what I was looking for or it was ridiculously overpriced. However, going to Calmar, I was not only able to find the right kind of cruiser but also in a price I could afford and a color that I loved! (I'm totally not the girly pink/purple type) The guys were really cool and helpful and let me take it on a test drive so I would be truly comfortable with my purchase. I was so excited that I bought it that day!
I'm was in the market to purchase an entry level road bike. I decide to go to Calmar and check the place out since I heard so many glowing reviews of the place. There were no customers as I was there during the week in early August. I ask them what kinds of women's road bikes do they have and they only have 3. I try a Trek and they are really nice and fit me with the bike to get an idea of what size frame I should purchase. They guy who does the fitting was very helpful. So he tells me they are in the process of building a Specialized but a higher end model in the frame size that I need so they can call me later that afternoon so I can try it out and then order the bike in the model I want since he said the frame geometry was about the same. Great!
So 7pm rolls around and I hear nothing. A week goes by and I hear nothing, so I decide to call and find out what is going on. So I call and get this guy on the phone whom I wish I wrote his name down. He was so rude and such a jerk on the phone that I was completely shocked by the attitude toward a potential customer.
So the conversation goes something like this:
me: "Hi, I'm calling about a Specialized...(and I explain the situation"
him: "Well, we're really busy right now so we don't have bikes assembled for the past week"
me: "oh, well the fit specialist told me that the bike was going to be ready on xyz date"
him: "well, we didn't call you so it's obviously not ready"
me: "oh"
him: "when it's ready, we'll call you that's why we took your number down"
Ok it has been over a month. I just picked up the EXACT bike they told me to get, except I bought it at Mike's Bikes in Palo Alto.
So I gave them three stars for the help in figuring out which bike to get. They lost two for the rude guy on the phone, and they lost a sale.
Best bike selection in the bay area. Looked for a new bike for the last two month, visited about 10 different stores, found the bike I wanted at Calmar. The staffs here are very knowledgeable and friendly. Donnie was very helpful over the phone in helping me selecting the bike I wanted and holding the bike for me after I decided on the bike. James was excellent in customizing my bike. Took my bike in to replace a part and they delivered on the promise date.
After years of uncertainty, I've finally decided to start road biking :) I came to this bike shop after some recommendations and everyone was right, they are definitely one of the best! Very knowledgable, friendly, and ready to get you anything you need. Right now, I am on the waiting list to try a bike that was personally recommended to me by one of the staff. I can't wait and I hope I get to buy my bike from them! I'll keep you posted :)
This place has great service. I have my mountain bike serviced here once a year and have bought many accessories and components. The staff all ride locally and can give good advice on bikes as well as trails.
It should be pointed out that this is a shop for those who are REALLY into cycling and are ready to spend some BIG BUCKS. I'm in my 40's and haven't owned a bike since I was a kid. I was looking for something I could ride 3-5 times a week to get some exercise, mostly on the street, but wanted the option to try some trails on occasion. I thought I would be looking for sort of an "entry level" mountain bike or hybrid. I walked in and my first impression was that most of the bikes were dark, ugly and boring looking. I mean, I understand quality is the most important thing, but come on. What's wrong with a little color and style? Then I noticed most of them had price tags like $2900 or $4200. The guy helping me asked some questions about the type of riding I wanted to do and I told him. Then he asked how much I was thinking of spending. I said around $300, give or take a little. Then he told me the entry level mountain bikes started at around $600 and the only thing they had lower than that were at around $400 and they were just bang around bikes bought mostly for teenagers. He seemed very knowledgeable and was friendly, but I immediately felt out of place here. He suggested I buy one on craigslist in my price range just to see how interested I am, then possibly upgrade to something else. I appreciated the advice, but the reason I wanted to purchase a bike from a shop was for the proper fit and advice. As I was leaving I heard another employee talking to a customer who must have been looking for something below the "entry level" also. The employee was saying "oh, I like to call those 'bike-shaped objects'".
BTW, they strip down and rebuild every bike they get before they sell it. Does that give you an idea how serious they are? Don't go here if you're just an average Joe looking for a decent bike.
I gave them a 4 because they ARE knowledgeable and probably a great store for someone who's really into it.
James and his crew are one of the best in the area!! They helped me with a warranty issue with Santa Cruz and did the final tuning on a frame-up build I did. I still stop in from time to time just to say hi and look around. Great stock with lots of hard to find items for a smaller shop.
I rode my bike to Calmar for them to look over. They said the bike was in really great condition, did a few minor adjustments and it was free of charge (I tipped, of course)! And this is without buying the bike there. The best part of the experience was the service. I would have gladly paid for whatever they charged me. Not only did they acknowledge me right away (unlike so many other places), they took the time to explain things and didn't laugh at my ignorance. If I need service and accessories in the future, I'd definitely go there. It was too bad that they only carried Trek and Specialized helmets or else I would have bought a helmet from them (I had my heart set on Giro or Bell), just to support their business. I highly recommend this place!
Outstanding service--both the mechanics and the staff. In an age where everyone buys crap online, this is one of the few places you can go where you actually understand why it's worth it to pay a little more.
Great service! I was very impressed with the attention and service that I got while shopping for a bike. The staff is very knowledgable, patient and not pushy at all.
Campbell, CA
Category: Bikes
San Jose, CA
Category: Bikes
San Jose, CA
Category: Bikes
San Jose, CA
Category: Bikes
San Jose, CA
Category: Bikes
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