On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Loading...
wow. i was really impressed and pleased with the service i got from Carlos today. i live on potrero hill and i have never felt secure with the braking on one of my bikes. the back tire locks up, the front tire thumps, the whole thing shimmies, and i don't feel like i'm gonna stop. i don't know how to explain it. i've been so frustrated because the bike shop employees i've mentioned it to just give me these looks as if i'm a crazy lady. (i've been biking for literally 30 years and i've never had this problem.)
well, Carlos offered to leave the shop on a busy Saturday afternoon and take it for a spin so he could see for himself what i was talking about. imagine that! he came back and suggested i get a new wheel/s, and his explanation made a lot of sense. he also tightened up the brakes and went above and beyond by adjusting random other things he noticed while he was talking to me. the guy clearly loves bikes and is detail-oriented and precise. i'll for sure go back.
i will add that the above adjustments were not free, and that he took the liberty of writing up a complete estimate that took a while (and i was in a bit of a rush), and that he was pretty aggressive about asking me when i'd be back to complete the work, but i'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Okay, bear in mind that the experience I am about to write about occurred in 2003, but it's stuck in my craw all these years so I'm here to try to let it go.
I received a gift certificate for this place, so I was there to buy. Staff was cool to me, took their time with me on my two visits, talked to me friendlyly, all that jazz.
I was measured for my size on a Marin mountain bike, and a 17" frame was found to fit me well. I test rode the bike, the height was right, Good stuff. So I started looking at different 17" frames.
I found a Marin San Rafael bike I liked, and the salesguy said these were better for the city as they had skinnier tires, less rolling resistance, etc. Sounds good to me, looks good to me, plus it was last year's model so it was discounted. I called my friend, he brought his truck, we threw it in the back, and I took it home.
I didn't have a chance to ride it for a few days (big mistake not riding it home, but it was far and I am a weak baby), but when I did, I couldn't dismount without the top tube jamming into my balls. Huh, that's not good. I check the tube length-deal, 17", just like the bike I test rode. I thought maybe I was wearing different shoes and that made the difference in height.
So I rode it with boots on, and still, this bike was pushing my boys into my body every time I put my feet down. What the hell? I thought I was going crazy, I was sure the frame size for me was 17".
About a week later while locking my bike up in a rack I figured it out: the tires. The bike I was sized on was a mountain bike, with 26" tires. The bike I bought was a city bike, with 700mm tires (27.6'). So, the distance from the hub to the bottom of the tire was .75" longer, so the bike was .75" higher up in the air. I was relieved I wasn't crazy, but I was kind of pissed.
I went back to Freewheel to tell them the bike didn't fit me and that I was fitted on the wrong frame. They said I should've test rode the specific bike I bought (very true). I asked if I could exchange it. No dice. But they would buy it back from me as a used bike for $200. I had bought it for $470 a few weeks earlier. I was pissed, and I still am, so I'm writing this.
I'm giving two stars instead of one as I accept some responsibility for not test riding the specific bike I purchased, but since I was told the difference between the wheels on the various models was the width of the rims, not the height, I'm still pissed.
I am a little sad because I walked into this place for a tune up of my old bike and I came out with a $165 bill to pay.
I remember the tune up was something like $135 plus some gadgets.
I feel ripped off and that is not a good feeling.
Plus their attitude: please came back to planet earth...
The folks at Freewheel know their stuff, like their jobs, and really get what good customer service is. And best of all, I trust their advice.
Three times over the last few years I've needed some sort of repair, getting estimates from a few places. Every time, the folks at Freewheel have come in lowest, often half as much. Not by cutting corners, but by really knowing what they were doing, and by caring about what's the best value for me as their customer. The great deals made me worried I'd be back in a few months for more repairs, but not so: what they fix stays fixed.
If you're looking for long-term value, this is the place to go.
I had a really nice experience at Freewheel today. I have been in the market for a new bike for quite some time and was frustrated by finding that everything I liked was either A) way out of my price range or B) most probably stolen (there are some shady ass mofos on Craig's List). I also admit to being slightly put off by a certain class of biker that inhabits the Mission. My big 'ol booty is not going to fit into skinny jeans anytime soon without making me look like a lollipop, and if I rode a fixed gear bike I'd end up skidding my way into an early death (while also looking like a douche).
So yeah I most definitely had shopping fatigue while traipsing along Valencia in my non American Apparel outfit. That is until I saw sitting outside of Freewheel Bike Shop my sparkly new hybrid bike. And guess what? IT WAS ON SALE! I almost tinkled myself with joy. With the help of sales person Eric, I quickly procured my precious and now own the first new bike I've had since I was 10. It does not have streamers or a basket but I think I'll make due.
Here's to a great bike buying experience and not getting doored in the future!
After posting an honest review of this shitty shop that specializes in replacing perfectly good parts I received this message most likely from a disgruntled a freewheel employee.............
pussy
you suck. do you sleep in that van down by the river?
Quite possibly the worst bike shop ever. The only thing worse than incompetence is when it mixed… Read more »
I have always been intimidated by Mission hipster bike shops, so I hesitated for a few months before actually stepping foot inside Freewheel by myself.
I went in because my broken, beater Trek had a flat tire and I couldn't ride it anymore. I shyly approached the (cute!) bike guy and said I had 2 questions for him.
"First, I was wondering if you guys had a tire pump so I might fill my flat tires," I said.
"We sure do. It's right over here," cute biker helper man replied. "What else can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you could show me how to pump my tires."
Needless to say, not only did he show my how to pump my tires, and watch as I pumped one, he also took apart my seat and then put it back together because he said it was wiggly AND he lubed my chain (which isn't nearly as naughty as it sounds). All of this on my big boned, slow moving behemoth bike. For no charge.
Ever since, this has been my first stop for biking things in SF. I surely venture out to other shops, but the customer service and selection at Freewheel keep me returning.
And I just bought the sassiest bike of my life there today and I couldn't be happier!
My front wheel was recently stolen, and i'm on a tight budget. however, i have a pretty nice bike and don't want to put total crap parts on it. So i had this dilemma of needing to save money, and also needing quality. I shopped 3 different bike shops in the area, and feel like i made a great choice with Freewheel.
The guys who helped me understood my dilemma, and were also funny and friendly. I feel like they definitely helped me out, and even made the theft sting a little less. Thanks, guys.
Don't feel intimidated by the hipster vibe Valencia St. has outside the shop. You'll feel comfortable once you step inside. The staff is great. I went here to get a wheel built up(Carlos), and he did a great job!! He reduced the prices of some other parts I purchased. Times are tough so be prepared to drop dough if you plan to buy some hard parts. They have a nice library-like display for their hard parts behind windows. It feels like a museum just starring at the parts you wish you can have. Prepare to drop a lot of dough if you plan to buy a bike there. They have a variety of bikes ranging from tracks, single speeds, roads, hybrids, mountains, and bike frames. Testing out a bike on the chaotic streets may not be enjoyable. I also heard they do a good job on repairs. Walking out of the shop empty handed may convince you to start biking ... =D
I'm a cycling neophyte, and I'm relatively new to San Francisco, and if I had put more thought into it I probably would've avoided Freewheel because of the fairly intimidating image it projects. But I wandered in today after being underwhelmed by the bikes and the staff at Valencia Cyclery--and holy moley! Chris approached me immediately and was totally chill and explained everything that needed explaining (and to reiterate: I'm a cycling neophyte) and didn't try to sell me anything out of my price range. To be honest, although I was ultimately looking for a comfortable entry-level city bike, I was really, really interested in finding something awesome-looking, and Chris found it for me.
I love this place.
I had bad service and service that was downright unsafe.
I went here already knowing which bike I wanted, ready to send at least $1k. I told them I was a fairly experienced rider that wanted an 'urban bike' (MTB w/discs so I can swap wheels.) they walked me through the cheap models, each of which I refused and told them I wanted a *nice bike. they would constantly go off to help other people and leave me standing there for 20 minutes, even when I was ready to check out. I was begging them to take my money and they were just slackers with attitudes (did I see Carlos already mentioned?)
I ended up with a flat from track standing over a piece of glass. they berated me for running the tires pressure too low, but it was exactly the pressure they told me. this as my first bike with 700c wheels, mea culpa, their advice.
a week later the bottom bracket starts to squeak. I took the bike to another shop and the mechanic did nearly a FULL turn on the bottom bracket and proceeded to tighten other bolts all over the frame.
they also got the bars off center by 1/4". recently I tried changed my pedals, they didn't put grease on them, I had to use a breaker bar to get them off.
shame on you guys, you could have killed me.
I knew I was in for a long day ahead of me yesterday when I walked out to retrieve my bike, only to find my front wheel missing. If that wasn't bad enough, I had a smaller, non-standard size wheel and a duathlon the next day; finding a last minute replacement was not going to be easy.
I had called about a dozen shops, several of them, outside of the City, with no luck. I had contemplated on just ditching the race, but I was determined to not let some crooked lil thief ruin my weekend. Despite knowing they didn't have my size wheel in stock, I had run out of options and decided to visit their store anyway, in a desperate attempt to garner some sympathy and hope they'd somehow sell a wheel off a new bike. While that wasn't possible, they did offer to build me one. I'm not thrilled that it cost 1/3 of what I paid for the bike, but they did pull it off and were able to help me out on such short notice. I was worried about racing on a new wheel, but I came back unscathed.
Thanks again, Freewheel.
EDIT 02/27/08: They didn't charge me for having the top mount brakes on my piddly entry-level road… Read more »
There's no better way to travel through the city than on a bike.
Walking is nice, but it's slow. Driving gives you tremendous capacity to pick up things and other people, and allows you to remain in your comfort zone, but then you have to find parking...and, you're actively polluting when you drive. Going by bus and train will get you close to your destinations with relatively little effort, but can be trying, to say the least...you may have to smell someone's stinky pits, put up with drivers who toss the passengers around like they're made of foam, or even avoid completely aggressive sons-a-bitches who are riding with you.
No, the superior mode is definitely riding a bike. You will always arrive before the bus. You may stop at lights, but once the coast is clear, you can run the red lights. If necessary, you can ride on the sidewalk, across a lawn, in the bike lane, or in the traffic lane. You can, essentially, do what you want. You should, of course, always yield to pedestrians, and ride in a way that is considerate of all who seek to use public roads. And parking is a non-existant problem.
When you're on your bicycle, the city is yours.
These guys understand that. They got down to business fixing up my old mid-80's Specialized, had it ready on time, and at a very fair price. Great service. Thanks Freewheel!
These are bike guys who love riding bikes...and that's exactly who I want working on my bike.
Do NOT take your bike to Freewheel for repairs. These guys are rip-off artists.
3 incidents:
I) I brought my old bike there and asked if they could replace the freewheel (you'd think they could do that!). They told me that no one makes or carries freewheels for my old kind of hubs any more, and that I would have to replace the wheel. I went to Valencia Cycle across the street and they sold me a new freewheel for $15 and put it in for free.
II) A friend brought her bike there because she wanted the seat tilted forward. She picked it up and they said "we installed a new seat post for you". Her old one was fine. What did they do with it? Oh, they threw it away. And they still didn't tilt it forward.
III) Another friend brought in her crappy bike with a disk brake that rubbed against the calipers. She asked if they could fix it. "No, it can't be fixed. You need all new brakes." She brought it across the street to Valencia cycle and they bent it back for free. It still isn't perfect, but it works, and putting money into a crappy bike wouldn't have been worth it.
Moral of the story? If you want to spend a lot of money and get fancy parts, maybe you should shop there. But if you want repairs and don't want to be ripped off, go elsewhere.
Me, I'd boycott them on principal.
Great shop. Great help (though C. is very pushy).
Wide variety of bikes, gear, etc.
Here is where I met my first love. She was shiney and purple, tall and elegant. Her name was Bianchi and someone stole her from me. I will never forget, we had bonded, shared some sweat filled moments up Dolores street on our test date, but alas, I hesitated and she was stolen.
I found her twin elsewhere and we've had a very successful relationship. I still give credit to mike at freewheel for introducing us.
Despite the fact that my bike wears the stickers of another bike shop, this is where I come for all my bike needs in San Francisco (of course I mostly live in Santa Cruz, so I have to deal with their mediocre bike shops instead)
[UPDATE 03/01/09]:
This place still sucks. Soooo hard.
[EDIT 10/26/07]:
Just felt like adding...this shop still sucks ed grimley's shrivelled penis, and CARLOS STILL IS ED GRIMLEY'S SHRIVELLED PENIS. That's all.
[ORIGINAL REVIEW 11/25/06]:
Oh GOD this place sucks! I spent a total of over 1500 dollars here on a bike, and was treated horribly! It took months for my bike to be put together and ready to pick up, despite repeated promises by the jackass owner, carlos, of "next week" and "oh, right, just a few days." See, I had paid for a frame I wanted and then picked out the parts for them to order and build the bike with. To make a long story short, several months and a heap of disgust and aggravation later, I found MY FRAME, that I'd PAID for, in the back of their shop built up with the wrong parts, about to be sold to someone else!! I should have demanded a refund and walked away from that assfucker, but I was stubborn--it was MY FRAME! I owned it! So I paid for the bike as is and took it home. Stripped it down myself, sold the stupid parts they had on it, and took it to a GOOD bike shop to have it built right. This place and its owner are just wrong.
[EDIT 10/26/07]:
Just felt like adding...this shop still sucks ed grimley's shrivelled penis, and…
Read more »
Best shop in SF that I've found. I really like roaring mouse too but this freewheel shop is larger so they have more two wheelers to show off which I enjoy.
VERY helpful staff.
VERY approachable staff.
I can't stand the uber hipster fixy cool vibe in other shops. I can go on a 6 page rant on those tweaks but I'll save it for another day. Either way, this shop is free of these types.
So far I've worked mostly with Jeff, he's super cool, super informative, gets the bike industry.
I just wish it were within walking distance to me during my bike build sessions :-)
Ok so I lied. I said I'd never go back, but my bike was stolen and I decided to hit up all the bike shops within walking range that might have a bike that fit me. I included two I had crossed off my list of places to shop.
On this visit, I had a completely different experience than last time. If I had received this kind of service on my first visit they would be getting 5 stars with the caveat that I hadn't tried their bike repair services.
The person at the counter was friendly, and I almost bought a bike there that I really liked. Unfortunately it was just a bit too small, and I finally decided I'd probably end up hanging it in my closet next to those pants that *almost* fit.
I'm glad their service has improved.
I'm in the market for a new bike, my old one finally suffered catastrophic failure after years of… Read more »
This review is way overdue - sorry it took me so long to get to it...
Last winter I locked my bike to a tree in the castro - an hour later, when i returned, all that was left was the frame. I'm a poor student and the prospect of spending $500 to fix or replace my bike wasn't concievable. I took the bike frame to these guys and, God bless them, they scronged and searched the basements and back storage and got my bike backon the road with comperable equipment for under $200. thank you thank you thank you!!
My wife bought a new bike there last year, and every interaction we've had since has been demoralizing and sadly comic. Although this was a reasonably good Marin bike (~$700), the rear wheel had a defect, which needed to be fixed right away. The worker there grudgingly said they'd fix it, after pointing out that this is what you get for buying a 'low end' bike. Several appointments later, the problem was resolved according to their idiosyncratic schedule, and then we were threatened with storage fees if we didn't pick it up immediately. Every interaction we've had has left us feeling uncomfortable and irritated. These are not people who should be interacting with customers.
I'm amazed that they can stay in business. They must have a devoted set of high-end high-profit customers that they treat with some respect. Or maybe the traffic of new people in San Francisco is great enough that they can survive on single purchases with no return customers.
Searching for "Freewheel Valencia" on Google, yields this enlightening page as the first result": http://www.bikeforums....
Sure there's a wee but of attitude, but the service is out of sight! Besides, it's a bike shop in the mission...
And the prices are good, very fair. If you don't look like an addict, they will go outside and let you match stuff up to your bike.
Did I mention that the service department correctly diagnosed and explained a problem with my derailleur that 4 other stores missed FOR 12 bucks??? Best 12 bucks I ever spent! Did I mention 12 bucks? Jesus, these guys are fair.
Great selection of custom accessories for a little store.
And, I mean, can you have a better location?
I loved it. I go back all the time. Thank you Freewheel!
Worst. Bike shop. Ever.
Buy something simple, no problem. Do not ask for anything complex that requires thought, follow-through, or consideration. Everyone who works there is good except for the owner Carlos, who doesn' t know bike fit, is dishonest, is hard on his staff and personally screwed me over big time.
The vast majority of bike shops in the City are good and staffed by enthusiasts. All you have to do is go to one, run into someone who used to work at Freewheel, and the horror stories come out. I'll spare everyone the details, but suffice it to say my experience there was the worst I've had in 30 yrs. of patronizing bike shops.
5/10/07 Update: My veins are no longer popping and my girlfriend no longer feels like she has to call animal control on me...
Last summer I got a custom frame from the boys here and had to deal directly with the makers due to a certain level of, ahem, local incompetence. Since I'd been talking regularly to the president of this very cool outfit I took the opportunity to bend his ear 'bout the service I got @ FW, urging him to drop them. After a few more FUBARs they were summarily canned, tuna-like.
Like a former employee said, "Carlos got old and b*%^$y before his time."
You want scene? Box Dog is the coolest people around. No girls in sundresses with giant tinted lenses that my mother used to wear, but you can't win them all.
I'd like to like these guys for the way they promote some great bike frames, and styles of riding that aren't in the mainstream. But, really, they are all about a certain image.. and if you don't fit that image, then you are not much to them.
I ride a lot of bikes, from road to citybikes to fixed gear to mountain, - hours and hours in the saddle each week - but since I don't have the "look" maybe, I don't get very good or even very friendly help at Freewheel.
And to answer another reviewer's query, yes, there are - and luckily for Freewheel - lot of folks that would like to subscribe to this scene, attitude and all. These guys will be rolling in the cash as long as the current fixed gear fad is all the rage - years and years from now, from what I can tell.
Yes, I can understand putting your nose up to know-it-all customers with loads of cash or something, but I've gone in Freewheel looking for certain parts (albeit, not high end, or even "cool" ones) and have been genuous in my attempts to learn something new about my bike, but attitude - ATTITUUDE - is all I get.. well, that, or I get ignored. Like I said, I don't have the look, I guess.
Yeah, but I've got to give them stars for having some great gear, but as far as service goes, you better like what they're serving.. I don't; it's bitter. Every intereaction I've had with any of the folks working there - these have been folks out on the floor, not in the back shop - has been harried and totally not comfortable. It could just be me, but..
Freewheel is my stop for bike parts, wheelie gear, etc. Carlos is always super nice and the prices are not to bad. I love my bike but hate mantenence on anything so its helpful to have boys at my fingertips to help.
It gets busy in there, so sometimes it takes a minute but rest assured they will find you what you need, put it on in a timely fashion and have you back out the door and mashing away in no time.
I was here two weeks ago and I was here today. The person who helped me out the first time was a guy named Erik. He was welcoming, spoke to me with respect, and was rather helpful. I told him I was a newb at fixed gear bikes and he was cool about it. He gave me advice about what I needed to do to convert my road bike into a fixed gear and the bare minimum parts I needed. During our 15 minute conversation, Erik didn't try to sell me anything nor did he force me to bring my bike in ASAP to take a look at. He answered all my questions without any attitude and I appreciate that. I did not feel intimidated despite my extremely limited knowledge on fixed gear bicycles.
I went back to the shop a second time, this time with my bike frame, Saturday around 2:30. Erik was there but he was busy assisting another customer. There were like 15 people in there, it was kind of crowded.
As soon as I entered the shop, someone came up to me and assisted me. His name was Carlos (the manager?) Despite what I've been reading about him from you guys, I found him to be quite friendly. I also told him I was a complete newb on fixies and he was also cool about it. Together, we calculated the minimum price it took to do the conversion and he even offered to strike 10% off the final price. We talked it through and he showed me all the parts, the wheels, and everything they were going to add to my frame and nothing was hidden from me. Carlos was very helpful and unintimidating at the same time.
My experiences at the shop both times were very positive. I wasn't pressured by any of the employees to buy anything and at the same time they were helpful, friendly, and cooperative. The only reason why I'm not giving them a full 5 stars is because the place is kind of pricey. The total cost to convert my road bike to a fixed gear is about $400. This includes new wheels, hubs, tires, tubes, a front break, a new gear, and a white saddle. $400 is a lot, but it's not over the top. I will definately go back to Free Wheel if I have any questions or if I need to get a bike part. They have a huge selection of almost everything bicycle related ready to go on the shelves.
I have went into this shop three times now and have great experiences everytime that I have walked in. I am the type of customer that welcomes a greeting and the simple "can I help you with anything." After intially telling them that I am just looking, they are ready to help when I call for their help. There is plenty of workers in there to help you look at something in the display case, answer questions about a bike on the floor or help you at the bike repair section.
Everytime I have went in there, they get me what I want, not what they might want to sell me. I like feeling that they are trying to help and offer knowledge at the same time. I'll always come back.
It's always my first stop before heading to that other shop down the street. Make it your first stop too!
Freewheel on Valencia is one of the few shops in The City that seems to stock the kind of retro stuff I like.
This morning I called another shop on Valencia and asked about cloth handlebar tape. "We can order it, but only in black. That stuff is hard to find, good luck finding it."
I called Freewheel, they not only had it, they had lots of it in various different colors.
When I wanted a tin of Proofide for my Brooks saddle, they were the only place that had it.
I call them first now.
Most of the other shops in SF tend to cater to mountain bikers and Lance wannabes, and I am neither.
I brought my bike to Freewheel for a major overhaul -- new fork install, new brakes, etc. I think they must have been annoyed that I didn't buy my parts there because they kept delaying when I'd receive the bike back, and when I did they had "lost" some of the parts like the fork adjuster knobs and the brake mounting kit (which of course they "had in stock" and charged me for). The mechanic actually suggested that the fork never had adjustment knobs at all; I imagined them and had foolishly purchased a fork elsewhere that ships shoddy products.
I ended up bringing my bike over to another shop weeks later to get the brakes working correctly, which was disappointing. I wish Freewheel had more trustworthy because they're just around the corner, but I just can't take another risk bringing my bike to them.
I have received great service everytime I have visited the shop, and they carry a great selection of EVERYTHING. I have spent a ton of money there and will continue to do so..well, until I am too old and can't ride my bike anymore.
this place is pretty cool, but i hear the ones on hayes is better.
i was told that boxdog is even better than free wheel.
i haven't been to the free wheel on hayes or boxdog, but whatever--i got my first bike here and the experience was cool.
some of their stuff is a little pricey though.
It's true, this place is super Valencia-style-retro-trendy. I'm not sure why they're not open on Sunday when everybody is, you know, not working and actually capable of riding their bike, but, oh well, I don't own the place.
They have cute guys that work there so if you're a straight women and that kind of stuff is important to you, you'll love this place. Plus, if you're a girl, they seem a little friendlier and more helpful. Terrible, I know, but, hey, I'm not complaining. Especially since every single one of them have been really helpful to me. Even the girl that works there. Seriously, for all the guys complaining about this place, you should see what it's like when us girls have to take our cars in the shop.
Enough about the San Francisco sex scene, here's the nitty gritty: they have cool stuff so if you're a gearhound, this is your bike shop.
So far my experience here has been as good as it gets. I went in after work, there were a few customers. I was allowed to walk in and give a quick browse before I was asked if I needed help (several people asked). I said I was just looking but when I later had some questions they were really helpful eventhough I know next to nothing about bikes. They not only told me about the pro's and con's of each bike but they showed me the differences. The guy working with me even went to get an employees Surly because they were out of stock. I was never pressured into more expensive bikes and I even stayed under budget even with the Brooks seat I got. My Surly Steamroller should be here next week and I'll update my experience then but so far I couldn't be happier.
So my bike arrived when they said it would. I picked up a few important accessories while they tuned it up and put my new saddle on. I spent as much time as my ass could possibly handle on that bike this weekend and I think I made the right choice thanks to their help.
A little slow on the uptake... but when they decide to notice you, they're friendly enough. I've bought a few things from this shop, and I don't cringe at the thought of going back.
Really good selection of bikes and components. Never used their mechanics, but they'd be my first choice if my current guy ever failed me.
I came in here two weeks ago looking to buy a new freewheel one-speed. I'd never made the investment into a new bike and honestly, I probably had SUCKER written across my forehead; I knew nothing specific about what I wanted/needed. So I brought a bike-fluent friend to moderate, but the Freewheel employee - Chris - helped me to find a few with the right fit, in the right price, and was straightforward with everything. He did not want me buying a bike that night, he wanted me to go home, sleep on it for a couple days, and come back when I put more thought into it. They're cool because they didn't push a sale; they're awesome because they suggested I think it over more.
Well I came in this weekend with a fixed gear bike I purchased off of Scott S., and wanted to turn into a freewheel. It took a while to get everything I needed (and the rear brake hole drilled) but got help from Jeremy, Alex, Dan (?), Carlos, and Chris again. Not a single one of them projected any "I am bike tech, hear me roar" attitude which I found a lot of back East and prevented me from ever undertaking my own bike education or build/conversion projects. In fact, they were helpful, honest, friendly guys, that saw what I wanted to do and spoke to me in layman's terms so I could understand. Prices were better than across the street at Valencia Cyclery, and the customer service was hands-down, 100x better than what I found there.
Ride complete. I'm coming here from now on.
I've usually had good experiences here, but I'm about as savvy a bike shop customer as you'll find. It's near my office so I go there when I need specific little high-end random bike things - like tubular glue or chainring bolts or a 31.8mm seat collar.
I've never bought a bike here or had service done, but I haven't heard good things about the customer service or Carlos, the owner. My experience has been pretty good though.
I walked in the other day, not really in need of anything, just browsing and taking up space so I didn't really need or want attentive staff but I was greeted promptly and the girl working the front was nice. They have a good selection of basic parts and things that might not be so easy to find. Good assortment of fixed oriented goodies which is nice, in my case.
...Went back today for some parts and once again, everyone was really helpful. Not sure where this unfriendly thing is coming from.
I took my bike here to get it looked at after getting a flat tire and although I had fixed the flat at home, my roommate and I discovered that the front bolt to my front brake was completely unthreaded. My chain had also been skipping and I felt like my bike wasn't riding as well as it should have been for a while. I took it in and discovered that my chain was way past due for replacement, and that meant the cassette along with it because they wear together. I've had my bike for three years and never had the chain replaced on it, so it was about time. I got a new front break, a new chain, and a new cassette, which came to $136. Not bad in my book. I really do think it depends on who helps you in the store as to what kind of service you're going to get. The guy that I took my bike to was really nice and helpful, but I can see why people would complain about the service. I guess I got lucky. My bike rides soooo well and feels soo nice now that it's got it's new chain and cassette!!
I've used this shop for various purposes, and my feelings about it have varied accordingly.
Let me say first that I've been in a few times with stupid little problems with one bicycle or another. The shop folks have generally been quite helpful, which is great, since these kinds of things are fairly thankless tasks. E.g., just today they realigned and retightened my rear wheel after it started rubbing the frame (again) out of the blue. I was near the shop when it happened, so I stopped by. They helped me immediately and without monetary recompense, and they were friendly about it.
I have had mixed experiences shopping for road bikes here. In low- to mid-range road bikes, Bianchis and Giants are all that Freewheel offers. I've been in here when I was shopping for a new bicycle, and also when helping two different friends in their quests for road bikes. When I was in recently with one of these friends, the person we talked to was helpful enough, and even willing to discuss sizing etc. with me when I disagreed with the size bikes he was putting my friend on. He didn't seem to be an expert about road bikes, but seems that's pretty common. The important part was that he didn't insist that he knew everything, as so many bike shop folks do.
When I was shopping for my own road bike, I didn't spend much time here, because I wasn't particularly interested in the road bikes they had to offer.
Finally, I was here a couple of years ago with a different friend when he was buying a low-end road bike (Giant OCR 3, ~$600). I wasn't at all impressed with his experience. He got very little attention, which is ridiculous. A $600 bicycle purchase is still a bicycle purchase. They never gave him a bicycle fitting, and they didn't volunteer the information that he'd get a free tuneup after purchase. I think he did receive said tuneup, but only because he knew to request one.
I'm not a hipster and don't even want to be apart of that scene. I don't even come close to even looking like a hipster and my knowledge of bikes is limited. I have a tri-bike (quintana roo), road bike (trek & Novaro) and a mountain bike (old school diamondback). I was hesitant about going into Free Wheel because really no matter what shop you go into (kayak, outfitters, bike, climbing, etc.) can always have their own "scene". Not to mention Valencia Street is a scene :-)
These guys are busy, solid and work hard. The place is small and packed full of stuff. I can see how anyone can get agitated in this place because there really isnt any space to move! You're always having to walk around something or someone. Aside from the small space, their selection on Campagnolo components really impressed me. And other components for that matter.
I know someone who went there for 2 months solid ONCE a week to look at the same 2 bikes. I was tagging along for most of these trips. Carlos, the owner, helped him and was really friendly. Sometimes other staff (Kevin) helped him and they were really friendly. They even let him take those 2 bikes out for a test ride to compare. He test rode those bikes it seemed once a week, but they were cool and answered his same questions, were patient, friendly even tho they knew he was looking at bikes at other shops. He bought his Giant TCR there and has had a great experience including repairs.
During those trips, I saw a cool bike and Carlos, the owner, hooked me up. It was a Swobo Sanchez fixed gear bike. He didn't have anything ready to test ride that was assembled but he assembled one for me to test. He even added a brake because I was very hesitant about riding a fixed gear. After test riding, I was sold. I put a down payment on the bike and eventually was able to bring it home. He even changed out the front ring so the bike would be easier to pedal. I thought I would have to change out the back ring, get a new chain, etc. but his help saved me money.
I am glad I didn't read the reviews before I went in his shop because I would have never stepped foot in the place and if I did...I would have never given the place a chance to prove the reviews wrong. These guys are great and will have my patronage for a very long time.
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bikes
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Bikes
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Bikes
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bikes
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bikes
I started working in bike shops when I was 14 and…
I've gone through two more or less exhaustive…
Tired of watching the X-Games? Wanna be rockin'…
