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Mon-Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
"Hands down the bike shop in the South Bay. Calmar always provides dynamite service. Their staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and…" read more »
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This is a family owned and operated business that has thrived by selling, fixing and accessorizing the bipedal instruments we call bicycles for years.
The people who work there ride bikes and are serious about cycling.
You want it, they have it.
S-N-O-B-B-Y you ain't got no alibi! You snobby!
Ugh. I hate going to this shop for this reason. I've been there twice now for bike repairs and have been so appalled by their rudeness. Maybe I'm not the next Lance Armstrong, maybe I don't do century rides but I'm a paying customer dammit!
My first experience went as follows: I walk in for a repair for a flat front tire.
Me: so yeah I have a flat and I don't know if I need a new tire or not.
Rude Service Guy: let me guess. The front tire?
Me: wow! How did you know!?
RSG: it's always the front. (monotone voice). All your weight goes on the front tire.
Me: (making a joke) are you trying to say I'm fat!? Hahahaha
RSG: you said it.
Visit number two, this time for a broken front brake:
Me: so how log do you think it's gonna take to fix?
Different arrogant service guy: I don't know. When I get the part.
Me: so can I leave it over the weekend so you can repair it?
DASG: I would prefer you didn't.
Me: so then I can wait now?
DASG: no. I won't have the part. I'll just call you.
Me: so I can't leave it here. I live in sj so I'd prefer not to drive down here to pick upt bike.
DASG: there's no room. I don't know what to tell you.
So pretty much as a paying customer I've been called fat and been told that I cannot leave my bike for longer than absolutely necessary making me feel that I really had no business having business in Palo Alto Bicycles. Awesome customer service guys! I'll be sure to spread the love. Not so much.
(Note: this is a review for service only.)
I have to give these guys props for their excellent customer service, and over the top helpfulness and friendliness. I drop by here about once a week to have the tires on my road bike filled (which they're always happy to do for free). Not infrequently they'll spot some minor tuning that's needed (e.g., steering head slightly tweaked) and fix that for me, too (also free of charge).
Today I took the super-crappy falling apart bike that I leave at Caltrain here to have a cable replaced (figured I'd give them the business after all of the free air and tuning), thinking I'd have to leave it for the day. Nope, 10 minutes and $18 later the job was done and I was on my way! Added bonus: no judgment for the nasty NASTY condition of my beater-bike.
Thanks, guys!!
After posting my last review, I got a very thoughtful and sincere response from the owner:
My name is Jeff Selzer and I am the General Manager of Palo Alto Bicycles. Wow where to begin? I am appalled and embarrassed that your experience with us was so bad. We are coming up on our 80th year in business and it seems as if we are in the need of an attitude adjustment! Please know that our goal is to be the type of shop that people want to come into not run screaming from in anger!
As I understand it there was not one but three different times we dropped the ball. 1st the initial service after 150 miles, 2nd the brake pad issues and 3rd the tire/tube issues. Again please accept my apology for our lack of professionalism. Know that I will be using your comments to improve our customer service.
I know your time is valuable and we have, with our mistakes, already wasted yours. I would completely understand if you did not want to come into the store again. If you are willing to give us one more shot please give me a call or stop in and ask for me. I would like the opportunity to meet you and apologize personally.
I hope to hear from you in the future.
Two more stars for this kind of attention to customer satisfaction (albeit after the fact).
I bought a Gary Fisher Presidio at PAB a few months ago. I have no complaints about the bike… Read more »
Considering I happily bought my bike from here I'm going to have to up my review to four stars. The only reason this shop isn't a five is the aforementioned occasionally jerky associate and the accessory prices. However, the bikes are priced very competitively, and their attention to proper fitting (assuming you get a good associate) is right up there near the top.
Their inventory will also make all bike lovers drool, from classy commuter Civias to Touring and Cyclocross dreams from Surly to all the high end carbon bikes that make you mutter things like "Cadence" and "Breakaway" in your sleep.
Say hi to Martin (Mar-teen), he's awesome.
One bad seed can give a place a bad reputation and I think that Palo Alto Bicycles is a victim of… Read more »
I'm surprised to find that several reviewers felt like they didn't get enough attention from the folks at PA Bicycles. I got a friendly "hi" when I walked in and have absolutely no trouble getting help immediately when I needed it. Not just a little bit of help - a guy spent about 30 minutes with me as I tried on shoes and picked out a pair of pedals. On top of that, he installed the SPD cleats on my new shoes for me and gave a few pointers on why he positions the cleats where he does. Far from being ignored, I was pretty impressed with how much personal service I got.
Their prices were actually better than REI and Chain Reaction Bicycles up in Redwood City, which was very surprising. I bought entry level pedals for $50 ($5 less than other bike shops) and the shoes were the same price as other shops. On an earlier trip I bought a spare 700c tube and a C02 pump to carry on rides - both of those were about $1 cheaper each than at REI or Sports Basement. So I saved money and got excellent service. Better than I expected from downtown Palo Alto, certainly good enough that I'll be back again.
This is a high-end store, in a high-end place. So set your expectations before going!
The staff are very knowledgeable, and the service department is excellent. Yeah, you can get some attitude with certain employees, but they are the minority (and typically use a lot of hair gel).
If you're looking for a cheap commuter bike, a kid's helmet, or other recreational stuff at bargain basement prices, then you're better off going to Performance or REI.
My bike was in need of some TLC and I went in on Sunday of a 3 day holiday weekend and gave Alan a quick run down, knowing I would have to leave the bike for three days. To my amazement and fright, I got a call at 4:45 pm that my bike was done. This made me nervous, wondering if everything was done and if it was done well.
When I picked up the bike today - I realized that Alan had heard everything I said, did everything I wanted/needed and took the time to explain everything to me - especially since I was nervous about the speed of work (sounds weird - but true).
I learned my lesson about going into any service oriented business on a busy holiday weekend - wait one more day. Even so, everything was done, and tested out well. The price was fair, and I left pleased. Given that the shop is local, knowledgeable and service oriented - prices are the same as other shops - I definitely will continue to use this shop for cycling needs.
I was going to write my revelation that the staff ignored me, but it seems like a trend with many of the reviewers. I guess they hadn't heard that it is important to for sales staff to say hello.
But that's ok, I only own an Enduro SL, VP-Free, Surly 1x1, and two ti Sevens. And I rolled into the shop, once on my Surly and once on my Seven Axiom.
I guess the knowledgeable, high-end customer who owns several bikes is not the kind of customer they cater too. Don't worry, I did buy a blinkie light from your shop. And my last 3 bikes from somewhere else.
SOOOOOOOOOOO nIce!
Get this, I didn't buy anything. I just stopped by because the chain came off my junky bicycle while riding downtown. The nice gentleman put it back on for me. They didn't make any money, but maybe a new customer next time I need something for my bike.
I bought my Bianchi San Jose bike here. I think my husband and I visited here like, 5 times or more before making an actual purchase. Since we are novices, we must have asked a thousand annoying questions, but the guys there were all helpful.
When I finally bought my bike, they made all the adjustments necessary to it, and even changed the seat for me. It's good to have a reliable neighborhood bike place. Their gear is also more high-end than the ones you see at REI.
An honest, high-end bike shop. They helped me with a crash replacement of my Klein frame and spent a lot of time dealing with Klein to get the replacement done right. I've had a few minor jobs completed in the shop, and they were always done in a timely manner.
My only complaint is that their stock of basics, i.e. locks, lights, tubes, tires, are priced higher than most shops around.
These folks know a lot about cycling, but can be quite snobby and unhelpful to customers. They recently replaced a broken chain (for a $15 fee and 5 minutes of work) and did not reattach the derailleur correctly. I only checked it in low gear and the next time out found a problem once I shifter to a higher gear. Upon returning to the store, they charged me another $20 for 5 minutes of work fixing the problem they created. I've spent a lot at the store and had planned to purchase a new road bike there later this year. Not any more.
I bought a beautiful bike here because the price was great, but the service was not. Those guys have a real attitude.
As other people have noted, it was hard to get an employee's attention, even when I made it clear that I was going to buy a bike. Once I had their attention, It was an ordeal to get them to measure me, put the bike on a trainer, and adjust it for me.
I've given these guys a chance - I've had another bike tuned up there, have bought components there, and purchased some gear - and every time it's the same story.
Next time I'll take my business elsewhere, no matter how good the prices.
SOME PEOPLE ARE CRAZY ABOUT BIKE SHOPS.
If you don't get a smile upon entering, zero stars.
If you are pointed towards the most expensive blinkies, two stars.
I go here because it's on my way to/from work, and they've got pumps in the back that you can use to maintain adequate tire pressure (important when you bike over lots of glass)--even if your bike is 30 years old. That's one.
They recently sold me a $6 tube, and got the size right. That's two, and three.
And then they pointed me towards the back of the store, where I could use some space to fix my flat. When I had trouble getting the tire back on the rim, I asked a technician, and he helped. Still just $6. Four!
Moving to the bay area less then two months ago I was prompted to stop into Palo Alto Bicycles when my bike was stolen. I stopped in on my lunch break and spoke to Robbin. He was very sympathetic to my situation and went over a few options with me. I needed something ASAP as my bike is my primary mode of transportation and is ridden about 30 miles at least five days a week.
We decided it would be best if I stopped back after work to see if the Bianchi I had my heart set on would work for me. Robbin spent a lot of time ensuring the bike was fit to me. I was on and off the trainer until everything was perfect. I took the Bianchi for a spin on the Palo Alto streets and it was smooth sailing.
I needed new clips, blinkies, and of course a new lock as well. Nearly two and a half hours later I left the store and I discovered there was a silver lining to my stolen bike... I had a beautiful new zippy Bianchi!
The service at the shop was outstanding!!! Thanks for all your help. I love the new ride!
I went in with a gift card to buy rain pants and was completely ignored. I found a pair for $200 (really???) but I went to the coutner to see what else they might have at a lower price and the guy did not even look up at me I replied, "not sure what you budget is but that is what we have" and then kept flipping through papers. Rude!
This is not the first time I have walked out of there feeling like bike peasant sent along my way. Their prices are sky high and the staff are snobs and not helpful. REI has a great selection and prices ranges and ended up going there.
Palo Alto Bicycles is just one in a number of bike shops in Palo Alto but personally I think it is the best. It has a great selection of bikes and bike accessories. The staff is extremely knowledgable and helpful. They are smart and honest to sell you what you need and not what THEY want.
They won't crowd you as soon as you enter the store. They will just let you look around but if you make eye contact, I think they will ask you if you need anything. Don't go to the kids who work there though, go to one of the older employees, they know more.
But also go around to other stores in the area, there are a bunch down El Camino Real and the Stanford Bike Shop. You will find somewhere that suits you.
I wanted to like this shop so much.. They stock all the brands I like and buy, so it's disappointing that this shop just didn't work out for me.
I brought my bike to them to get tuned up in a pinch because of a newly installed gruppo. The tuneup left much to be desired and I ended up getting another a month later at my usual shop.
Second so-so experience was listening to someone working there ranting in front of a customer that wanted to return something past the given 14 days or whatever their policy is. Rather than flatout rejecting the customer, they chose to do the return, but the employee went on a two minute rant about having to restock and having too much stock and blaming rising prices on people like this guy trying to return the item. I understand thats how business works, but it seems like it would've been easier to either accept the return and be polite, or just not accept the return at all. Most of the guys there are good guys.. but this guy seemed like he just wasn't having it.
Third so-so experience was when I brought my powertap wheel to get updated.. the sales guy on the phone suggested I bring it over since they had a shop updater. I dropped off the wheel and get a call an hour or two later saying the updater was expired. Hey, things happen, understandable. But after insisting I let them update the wheel instead of buying the updater, and dropping the wheel off and leaving.. I was just disappointed with everything I've experienced with them..
i came here to check out the bikes and gear that they had for biking. nowadays, i see more and more people riding their bikes and i wanted to see how much a bike would cost if i decided to buy one. its a really nice store, but i totally agree with Eric G.'s review, we were COMPLETELY IGNORED AS WELL!!!
why is that when you come into a store and you dont get greeted at all??! and the sad thing is, we were in there for a while and i kept hearing the employees greet other people the entire time! i mean was it the way we were dressed? could you not tell we were not from the area? or maybe you created this profile of us t"hat we didnt have any money and they didnt look like they would or could buy anything here"?? they would never know as a matter of fact.
regardless, i feel like everyone should be greeted! im never coming here again. this place is way to stuck up for me. horrible customer service and lack there of.
Had a 2yo gift cert to this place. Tried numerous times before to find something to buy, didn't need anything or they didnt have what I need. The gc so old, it wasnt in their system anymore.
So now that I figured something to buy, I dug out the gc to buy two tires and two tubes, which I then owed them $5.
I was able to put on the front tube/tire on without a problem, -10min job, easy.
The rear wheel was stubborn, the old tire was a pain to remove, getting the new tire was a challenge of over an hour, pulsating thumbs, sweating, and a bloody knuckle. Suffice to say, the tire just didn't want to go on.
Couple days later I try again, still no luck. no mas.
I went for a drive, a drive to PAB, in under 15-sec Mike got it on. I'm standing there like, uh how. He said to pinch the threads to get some slack and then pull it on.
Just say no.
Seriously. I mentioned I was a beginner with a beginner's budget and I was immediately dropped off the face of the earth by these people. Prices are ridiculous and the customer service is non-existent. My sister and I stood there looking at bikes for at least 10 minutes before someone even bothered to make eye contact with us.
I don't like giving 1 star reviews, so I'll give it 2 just because I know that this is located in downtown Palo Alto and it just seems to be their style...
I've always had a good experience with this shop. Today was no different:
The PA Bicycles person took time to listen to me, make some suggestions, look online for model availability, and then spend 20-minutes checking my fit on a road bike.
A few years ago, I purchased a Trek mountain bike from this store. At the time, the manager was really great - he encouraged me to take the bikes out and ride them to find the one I wanted. Eventually, I purchased a bike (that unfortunately was stolen after many years of riding, tumbles and adventures). I didn't buy my replacement bike from Palo Alto, opting instead to purchase a Scott bike from REI (more in tune with what I was looking for). But I missed the full-service bike store treatment that Palo Alto provides.
This store backed up their promise to provide lifetime minor fixes -- I took my Trek mountain bike in there many times, and no matter how muddy it was, they tweaked it to be better.
Price wise, they're similar to Chain Reaction (for bikes). I can not comment on accessories such as clothes, helmets, gloves, tubes, etc. Anyway, the people in this store are knowledgeable, helpful and low-pressure. They ride and know their bikes. And they listen.
This summer I decided to start riding again, and dug my old Bianchi out of the garage. It needed a lot of new parts, and I headed first to Performance (no one would help, not much in stock), then to Palo Alto Bikes. This was a Sunday at noon, and the place was really crowded. Despite the crowd, a very friendly young woman helped me, found all the parts I needed, and when I told her that this would just be for fun rides, she made an effort to find the moderately priced version of everything. I was very happy with the service.
The only downside was that she found me some new brake levers that had been taken off another bike (guess the new owner upgraded), but she didn't notice that the levers were mismatched. So, I had to trek all the way back down there from RWC to get the right ones. Kind of annoying but other than that, the transaction was great. I'll probably go to Chain Reaction next time since it's much closer, but I will certainly use PA Bikes again if I am in the area.
Pan N, Meredith S, and Julie Y are right in their previous reviews of this place! I should have listened but thought I'd give the local store some support. It was a big waste of time. These guys really have an attitude problem. I made a service appointment 2 weeks in advance and brought my brand new $800 bike there for a tune-up. I got the bike brand new as a gift, it just needed some fine tuning. I also wanted to change from mountain tires to road tires, and raise the handle-bar an inch or two. The service guy basically said this bike sucks and not worth the money, and he said you might as well buy a new one. He pushed me to the sales guy who showed me a few bikes. They all cost $500-$800 and they are WORST than the bike that I had in terms of quality of components, features, etc.
By now, it is pretty obvious that they are not interested in servicing my bike, and just want to sell me one of their own. Before I came, I called them and specifically asked them whether they service bikes not bought there. They said AOK. Now I felt like they bait-&-switched.
To add insult to injury, the sales guy is not really interested in answering any questions.
What's wrong with these guys? They think they are in downtown Palo Alto and they deserve to be snobbish?
I took the bike to REI instead. WHAT A DIFFERENCE? The REI tech said my bike is great and showed me how I can raise the handle bar. The tune-up is $20 cheaper. And best-of-all, they took me as a walk-in without making an appointment. The Palo Alto Bicycles guys required the appointment to be booked 2 weeks in advance.
In summary, I'd say... AVOID this place. If you don't mind driving a little, take your bike to REI at San Carlos instead.
I commute and tour on bike, and occasionally do road and mountain bike rides just for fun. I've spent several hundred dollars at Palo Alto bikes on components, accessories, and service. When I have required some special orders (Ortlieb attachments and Nitto stem) they got the orders wrong! They took weeks to put an order in, and I ended up ordering the Ortlieb part myself. The guy in charge of ordering is not organized or knowledgeable enough. They ordered the wrong size stem and I then had to buy a shim.
More recently, I was in the market for a new bike and they refused to match the price I found at another bike shop. Guess who lost a customer?
That said, they stock nice things, at Palo Alto prices, and some (about 50%) of the guys wrenching are decent friendly types.
Let me preface this review by saying that I don't have a fancy bike. The bike that I have taken in for service here is a scuffed up 1970's Peugeot aka my clunky sweetheart.
Even though my bike cost a mere percentage of what most of their bikes cost, I feel that the service I have received from their service and sales department is just as good as the guy who strolls in there with a (droolworthy) Madone. The shop guys patiently explained to me the different types of bottom brackets and always delivered my tuned up bike when promised.
My favorite salesperson is the aforementioned spiky haired lady. I hear she's a semi pro mountain bike racer or something. Anyway, she is really knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, she answered my questions about CO2 cartridges, showed me how to tighten my cables and hooked me up with the right size tubes in under 10 minutes. And she can do it while making you feel comfortable around all the expensive toys.
I know some items are pricer than other shops, but they have come in handy for me so many times that I feel like I should throw a few extra dollars their way.
This may be a high end "road" shop, but it is well equipped with a wide range of two wheeled transportation for all styles of riding enjoyment. Staffed and owned by informed cyclists who regularly use the equipment they promote, PAB is a great shop. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned pro, PAB has plenty of gear and gadgets to meet any budget.
Service department is also top notch, beer is accepted along with all forms of payment.....
I I innocently brought my aged mountain bike here for what I thought would be a simple seat replacement. I ended up spending the first 20 minutes wandering the store's narrow aisles with my bike, while none of the sales people offered to help. The man in the repair shop gave one glace at my bike and coldly pushed me off to a salesperson; the salesperson brusquely waved me over to the display rack when I directly asked for recommendations. Left to my own devices and put off by the arrogant employees, I almost left the store.
The 2nd star in my rating is owed to the lone salesperson who came out of nowhere and provided amazing customer service. He not only found a bike seat for 1/7th of the prices of the other seats on display, but patiently labored to properly install it on my not-so-glamorous bike. He even helped with other small tune-ups I needed. I noticed him being incredibly helpful and friendly to other customers, and if I had caught his name, I would highly recommend him (if you ever dare step in this store).
Before I left, I made the mistake of returning to the repair shop in the back to ask for help on a tire replacement. The service was even worse than before - he was just plain rude. In the end, despite the one redeeming staff member, I echo all the other Yelpers in cautioning anyone who values their customer service from ever coming here.
This borders close to 4.5 stars because I had to readjust the front derailleurs again when I got home. It just wouldn't go from small to big, though it did just fine in the store. But, cyclist knows how a pain in the butt front derailleurs can be, even a brand new one.
So, I'm a former racer but after moving here from Texas I haven't touched my bike in 5 years (after a bad crash), so it was time to fine tune my baby. First, you should know I also started a cycling group that is well over 300 members in Texas, I don't know if there are too many cycling groups that amount, also my friend owned a bicycle store too. So I know the business.
It starts like this when you bring a bike in for maintenance in California:
Did you buy the bike here because we are too busy servicing our customers that bought the bike here?
No, I moved here from Houston, I bought the bike there.
Every cyclist knows that they need to support their bike store and not buy things cheaper on the Internet. This is one of the reason they don't want to service an unknown customer, especially one with a fancy pants bike like mine. Most bike stores are back log on repairs so they look at their calendars and say that they can take your bike in two or three weeks. Another suggestion they give is the ever reputable Bike Doctor, who does mobile repairs, but he doesn't really know if he can see your baby until next week so call back.
Another bike store who has a great guy working their floor has me talk to the repair guy and he's cool too and wants to help but his manager says no, even when I'm willing to slip a $20 for a tip. So they call around for me because I have a ride the next day and a broken derailleur. Totally cool guys.
So, Palo Alto, has walk ins. In fact they have at least 3 repair guys and 3 floor staff who are just great. Matt greets me first with some friendly joke about me carrying my baby in and directs me to the repair department. The repair guys are busy and others trying to get their bikes looked at too. One repair guy greets me and ask me questions, another smacks down the new derailleurs that was waiting for me, when they got the call earlier. I slip the guy $20 and he tells me it will be done in 45 minutes. He looks at my baby and says, wow is that a 21? I knew my baby was in good hands right then so I head to lunch.
In two days at Palo Alto Bicycles I've spent $350.00 and the week before I spent $250.00 at Performance Bicycle. So that is why you prosper if you can get the repair done when the customer needs it. I do spend money at your stores. In fact, I need a trainer which is $300.00 in a few months, leg covers, aero bars, a track bike...
Bike stores like doctors office and hardware stores are places that you need help when you go in. Bikes can be finicky machinery when they go bad and crazy expensive from around $500 to over $5000.00. Mine was almost $4000.00. Sometimes you go to these places, they can be friendlier to the regulars when you have no street cred. I had street cred in a past life :(.
This is one of the nicest looking bike stores I've seen. The staff are so friendly and helpful. With zero attitude. If one person doesn't know the answer they ask another staff member. I was trying to find some rare screws for some older pedals and they let me rummage through the bins and suggested where I should look, when we were not successful. If I owned a bike store, it would be like this. It's a little more expensive but the service is just great. Read the other reviews and compare bike stores.
Update: when I ask for end caps for handle bars at performance, I was told we don't sell those alone, but I have to buy the whole tape vs Palo Alto handing me 6, free of charge. You decide where you shop for a bike.
This store employs some of the best and nicest people I've ever met in retail -- here's my story:
I was out on a long ride on my fixed gear bike, and my front tire went flat about a 1.5 miles away from the shop, on the other side of Stanford's campus. Being as I had nothing on me besides my keys, and my bike (and I've just recently moved out to California and consequently didn't have anyone's phone number memorized), I was forced to walk my bike to the store. After arriving to the store, I wheeled my sad bike into the back, and explained my story to one of the workers. He asked me if I was capable of changing the flat myself, and I said "sure." He handed me a new inner-tube, a tire lever and a floor pump. The only stipulation was that I had to go out in the back to change the tire, so that I wouldn't be a liability if anything went wrong.
After 5 minutes of me changing the flat, I went back in, used the pump and thanked the man. I asked him when he would want the money, he said any day within the week was cool. Of course I chose to come back a day he wasn't working, but I explained the situation to another worker. He was delighted that I came back, and thanked me many times for my honesty.
All I could do was thank him back (and the entire store) for being really cool, and putting that trust in me. Thank you guys! You've won over a customer for life.
This is the store for you if you like horrible customer service and sky-high prices. On my first trip into the store, I was recommended a bike by a sales person, but they didn't have my particular size/model in stock, so they were going to do what they call a 'test build' for me. They say they'll call me back in two-three days when it's finished. Fine.
More than a week passes.
I go back in, and after haggling several people, they say the bike was probably sold to someone else already. That's right, a bike I was having built especially for me was sold to someone else without my approval or notification. The rep promises me that a similar one will be built either that day or the next and he assures me that he'll personally make sure it gets built and will make the call informing me if its completion.
It's been a few days now, and I'm sure that call isn't going to come. Luckily for me, I got a bike elsewhere for less than half of the price.
Long time cyclist and have been to many of bike shops throughout the years. This shop is the worst I have ever been in bar none. The staff always makes or brakes a place and at Palo Alto Bicycles the customer service is horrible. The employees are extremely pretentious and unless your buying a $7000 dollar bike they can care less about your needs. Many of my ridding buddies have had the same experience here. The mechanics also have a huge chip on their shoulder and try to make you feel stupid when you ask them questions.
Pros: great place to go to buy an overpriced bike and get treated like crap.
Cons: too many to mention....
This is one of the top bike shops in the country and with good reason. Their staff is friendly and very knowledgeable, the service department is incredible and fast at working on your bike, and you can always go in and just talk shop.
I picked up my current road bike from here several years ago. They didn't actually have the bike size that I wanted, so they had to order it. About a week later, it had arrived, was assembled there, and I got fitted onto it. It was a fantastic setup and I've since done several centuries and made an attempt at a double on it. I can always bring my bike in for a free adjustment and they take care of it pretty quickly.
This place is HORRIBLE. I won't even give them a second star for their previous exceptional service. My normal shop is Montano Velo in Oakland which is one of the best in the Bay Area. I should have just gone there. Though this place is a bit closer to home so sometimes I go here. I've been here before to buy small things like chain rings, bar tape etc. The sales staff was pretty friendly and the mechanic was pretty nice when putting on my cranks for free. Mind you that was a year ago. Fast forward to August 2009. I walk in with my girlfriend holding my 1985 Fuso Fr-1 built by Dave Moulton, one of the greatest frame builders to walk this earth. So I know a thing or two about parts/cycling in general. I also happen to be horrible at putting on bar tape (dont ask I just am some people are like this too.) So if the mechanic is free I wonder if he can do it for me. Anyways, after 20 minutes of waiting for the salesman to notice, a younger guy who was acting like he was high, directs me towards the bar tape. I ask if they can install it for me, he looks up none of the mechanics are too busy and says 'no, just do it yourself'. I thought that was odd that he wouldn't try to make more money off of a teenager so I asked for where the seats were. I get over there and he hands me a 400$ brooks swallow and tells me to buy it. I was insulted. I'm OBVIOUSLY not about to spend 400 dollars. This guy must have really been high. I looked through a few of the seats and decided not to get any due to their outrageous prices. I decided to just go with the bar tape (whoops shouldn't have done that). Another salesman then checked me out, the one that had been helping me before decided to make fun of other customers with him about their appearance. I was disgusted. They are both extremely immature. I'm never coming back to this shop again. I should have just gone to Montano Velo, they would have done everything I needed and would have gave me a good deal on a seat.
The guys across the hall from my apartment work here so i've never really had to deal with the whole bad service thing that everyone complains about. I've always had great service here and had the mechanics do something for me without having to sign up for a service appointment weeks in advance. I know that the whole 'roadie elitism' thing is common at bike shops, but i've never run into it here with the staff (although sometimes with other customers).
Im not sure what everyone is complaining about with sky high prices. For new bikes, prices are going to be mostly the same from shop to shop because the mark ups on bikes are so small. Sure you may see a $25 difference, but when you're buying a $1500 bike, its not that huge. For a new bike, same make and model, go look at a bunch of different shops and you'll see that prices are mostly identical (unless the bike is from the previous years and of a particularly small or large size and they are trying to get rid of it).
Now being that it is on University, and smack dab in the middle of Palo Alto, things can get a little bit crazy on weekend and hordes of people with more money than sense pour in here try to show everyone what a hardcore cyclist they are. I'll never forget the guy i saw in here last summer with a $5000 carbon fiber Trek madone equipped with a spring loaded beach cruiser seat. I almost peed in my pants, oh the joys of living in Palo Alto.
My only complaint is that they don't carry specialized bikes, which is based like 30 minutes away down in morgan hill. Other than that they have two of the big three: LeMond and Trek. Along with some harder to find 'boutique' brands like Bianchi (okay, not so hard to find), look, surly, independent fab, ritchey, look, BMC, and seven.
We were helped by a girl with short, spikey black hair and she was SUPER nice and helpful. We picked out a hybrid bicycle for my sister to ride to the Caltrain station for work, and she was nothing but very knowledgeable and helpful.
When you spend $500 on a bicycle for the first time, you really appreciate this kind of service and knowledge! I'd highly recommend this place -- we went to 3 other bike shops that weekend and all of them were nightmares. We really walked away from the store with our purchase with a feeling of assurance that we could come back and get help with the newly purchased bike anytime.
This is a shop for cyclists, not people who just ride bikes. They can help you with every day bike needs, but for real insight on performance products, these are the guys to talk to.
The service is top notch. I had a complete build there done, and I have always felt like you can tell a mechanic by the way they do they wrap their bar tape. Let me tell you, mine was crisp and clean, and wrapped to just the right tightness.
The sales knows more about the products than the people who actually manufacture the products, no joke. I have spoken with three guys at the shop, Martine, Rudy, and Adam. I was set on buying a pair of R-sys wheels and came in to buy them. When I asked to take a look at a pair, they right away said "You don't want to buy those. They are having issues with the spokes and there might be a recall." They instead sold me on a pair of similar Mavic wheels that were cheaper, but better in performance. It was a true testament to their honesty.
There is a reason there are so many awards in the back of the shop. They are top notch, passionate about cycling, and won't sell you on something like a used care salesmen.
People may complain about the prices, however you are paying for service. You can always buy stuff somewhere else cheaper, but you will never get an honest opinion, help, or advice you will here.
I have been to other great shops in the bay area, mid west, and east coast. This is by far the best shop on the west coast.
My only complaint is that it gets so busy that you sometimes have to wait. What can they do? 3 cash registers, around 7 employees at all times, and they try to accommodate everyone.
meh.
i walked in - in hopes of dropping some serious cash - but ONE prevented me from doing so ...
the dickhead-know-it-all-can't-be-bothered sales dude helped me straight to the exit - thanks for that by the way - i didn't mind spending my money elsewhere ....
id love to support palo alto bikes - but you guys seriously need to reconsider who you have representing your shop - all it takes is ONE guy to screw it up
ive been in retail ALL my life - trust me, i know how the game works
my christmas spendings will be done at Montano Velo and Box Dog - thank you again!!!!!!
happy christmas to everyone else who works at Palo Alto bikes.
I am not a bicycle enthusiast but in an area like Palo Alto there is no shortage of helmet clad riders strolling and rolling around. Thus, a full service upscale bike store is a necessity.
Palo Alto bikes is a nice store with a good layout and large inventory. Adam is helpful and I got the Garmin watch of my dreams that will no doubt give me hours of running pleasure while I watch my pace fluctuate on the screen. The wonders of GPS never cease to amaze me.
If you are in the market for a bike or even a Garmin Forerunner 205 this is the place to come.
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Bikes
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Bikes
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Category: Bikes
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