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Categories: Bikes, Outdoor Gear, Active Life
Neighborhood: MissionMon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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Let's just say I was on my way to a certain 3 letter store and got lost last night... it must have been fate for me to find this place because when I left, I had a smile and a new jacket.
My first time left me with a few impressions that others have already stated:
1) Their staff know exactly what they're talking about and are super helpful and friendly.
2) They've got a whole lot of stuff.
3) I want to spend my paycheck here.
Is this the end of the 3 letter store? Not sure. There'll be a whole lot more Sports Basement in my future though.
Here's a run down of why this place gets my glowing review:
1. Hosts shopping parties where you and your friends can get sweet discounts ranging from 10-20% off. SB provides the food and drinks (beer!) too! I won a free shopping party through work and several friends have linked up with SB to do these parties as part of Team in Training fundraisers.
2. The above is an example of the great and attentive service that you get here. The employees are really down to earth and knowledgeable.
3. Sweet deals!
4. 5 (I think?) floors of awesomeness. If you're looking for anything sports & outdoor related, there's a really high chance you'll find what you're looking for here.
I've often said that I should route my paycheck direct deposit to SB... I'm just kidding...kind of.
**Pro tip: If you live in the area, ask about the Neighborhood Discount--10% off!
I LOVE DEALS! Who doesn't?
All the merchandise is of great quality and they have quite a selection of goods! I love that I can purchase discounted tennis balls, yoga pants, running shoes, socks, healthy snacks, surf/snow gear..I mean the list goes on!
I appreciate that the staff here knows where everything is located - I would be overwhelmed if I didn't receive direction from them.
I love how they have raffles for shopping parties - which I recently won - and 5% of the proceeds go to a non-profit of my choice :)
Great deals. They give back to their customers and the community. I mean, does it get any better for a sporting goods store?
I heart Sports Basement!!
This is a great Sports Basement! What I like about it is that it's community-friendly, offering the locals organized activities and such. I came here for a shopping party that my running buddy, Mimi L. won. 20% discount and food/booze provided by the store. You can't beat that! So I came to check it out and bought some new gear for the Nike Women's Marathon I was about to run in.
The store itself is ahuge for a store in the city! I loved it! From what I remember, there are about 3 or 4 floors of merchandise. Of course, I made my way to the running attire. They also have a great stock of energy snacks and drinks.
The store also has a small parking garage, which I think is great for a store in the city. I came on a Friday night and it wasn't packed at all.
Check it out!
4.5 stars really, but since the employees are so awesome, I'm gonna bump them up rather than down.
I've been to this place a few times to buy running shoes and workout gear and I've always been impressed. I mean, where else can you have a guy wearing nothing but a Jesus wig, apron, and cowboy boots help you find what you're looking for AND actually give you good advice (if you've been here, you know this is NOT a joke).
I finally decided this past weekend to get those biking shoes for spin classes and the guy helping me (I wish I could remember his name) was great. He helped me find the appropriate size shoe, fitted me for my cleat position, and then mounted my cleats on!!! This is the type of thing that makes this store so great. The employees are are all knowledgeable of the layout of the store and the products sold here. I've been to several sporting good stores where it's completely pointless to have the employees help you, because they have no idea about any of there products. That is not the case here though.
This place is huge!!! I have to admit, I'm not a camper, hiker, or skier amongst other things, so basically about 99% of the merchandise in this store doesn't apply to me, but it still great that you can find this sort of stuff all under one roof!!!
So why deduct half a star? Well, the only products in this store that I really have much knowledge about are running shoes and work out clothes (okay, so that second one really requires no knowledge), and quite frankly I don't think there prices on these things are THAT great. There not a rip off by any means, but there not the lowest prices around. I wish this place would carry older models of running shoes and sell them at reduced rates like some other sporting good stores do (from what I can tell this plays only carries newer items), because I really don't need the newest models out there. However, the prices for the products they DO sell are pretty much on par with other places. Like I said, 99% of the stuff here I know nothing about, so for all I know most of the other products sold here are actually good prices compared to other places.
I'll definitely continue shopping here for all my sporting good needs!!! If you're looking for running shoes talk to Jesus wig guy...
Ohhh....I should also mention that this place gives a 10% discount to all Crunch members, which I am!!! Awesome!!!
I have been a fan since they first opened by AT&T Park in the late '90s. Always find something I cannot live without as well as the stuff I went in for originally.
Great staff and a great atmosphere overall. But the deals are the real bonus.
What a great way to bring in some extra business! Award a customer with a Sports Basement Party. Sports Basement provides the beer, some soda and bottled water and some light snacks, and the winning customer can invite her friends and their friends over to have some refreshments and shop with a special twenty percent discount on everything.
I'll shop at the Sports Basement even without the extra discount because most of their prices are already marked down, but when Yelp friend Mimi L alerted me about her Sports Basement party on Friday night I had to make the effort to attend. Mimi brought some fabulous homemade granola bars (delicious and healthy), and I discovered the perfect snack to go with a cold bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - fresh broccoli florets and salted almonds. I can't explain it. The flavor combination of the three just worked out really well.
Along with some other running aids I picked up the latest pair of Saucony Hurricane running shoes which has a suggested retail price of $140 for a measly $100. I couldn't wait to try them out either as I put them on as soon as I got home and went out for a night time five mile jog. The shoes were very comfortable, and now I wished I had bought more than one pair.
Thanks for the invite, Mimi!! It was very nice to meet you. The Sports Basement continues to be one of my favorite sporting goods stores!
Since my previous review was for the old location on 16th Street I think an update is in order.
I…
Read more »
Back in the day Sports Basement use to be a place where one could find some stellar deals on gear and apparel.
When they had the warehouse over where UCSF Mission Bay is now, you had to dig and scour but could really find some great buys.
Now it is, more or less, your standard sporting goods store. No more deals. Especially if you are going to comparison shop online.
Good customer service and they certainly have A LOT of stuff. But not really that cheap any more.
I'm sort of a bicycle-store-a-phobe. Those bike guys in their bike stores scare and intimidate me. I seem to know more about my car than my 12-speed used bicycle, and it shows. The bike guys can smell the fear on me, and I have definitely been taken advantage of monetarily in the past.
I asked around with friends before taking my bike into a shop this time. I had to get my tire fixed and possibly buy some new ones. One friend suggested Sports Basement, a place I already dearly love for their cool, cheap clothes (yes, I'm there in my life. I buy my clothes from a sporting goods store).
Even though I love Sports Basement, I nearly had a panic attack walking my bike through the store to the bike shop. I sure wasted a lot of anxiety because I was treated with respect, even though it was clear that I am semi-retarded when it comes to bikes. The guy was really helpful, fixed my tire, and gave me great recommendations which saved me a lot of money. He understood that I can't invest in my bike because stuff gets ripped off from it all the time, so he didn't try the old hard sell on me. Best of all - after he fixed my tire, he greased up my bike for free. I spent zero on the whole tire fixing process.
AND I found a wicker basket, a REAL wicker basket for the front of my bike that requires ZERO installation. I think I'll be doing all my bike maintenance here from now on. Things are coming up Milhouse!
Still love this place. They have a great assortment of energy bars and energy candy. The jelly belly sports beans are the same price here as they are at the Jelly Belly Factory store. Everyone is so friendly and it's hard for me not to want to stop by after climbing at Mission Cliffs just a few blocks away. My membership at Mission Cliffs also gets me a 10% discount here.
Only downside is their lack of climbing gear. Very very small section of 5-6 ropes, some slings and biners in a display case. (No harnesses or shoes). The slings were a great price though and the cheapest I've seen so I will be back again to pick up a few more.
I've been driving past this place for months now ... always thinking I'll stop in and take a peek.… Read more »
I love you guys.
Let's make amazingly built bicycle babies together.
Great prices, awesome selection, plenty of parking and unbeatable views [if you go to their Presidio location]. Helpful staff, maybe understaffed but helpful nevertheless and for the great value, I'm happy to take a bit less of "creature comforts". Great place in the Bay Area!
This store is great! I get all my running gear here.... the prices are just right! I recently picked up snow boarding and now i have another great reason to shop here. Also when you show your gym card at check out they give you 10% off your purchase! :)
Great products, prices, staff and selection--can't ask for much more. They also offer free classes which is awesome. Went to a free bike class at the Crissy Field locatin last night, and not only was it educational, they also provided beer and snacks! Such a great place...
Bought my bike through them with a Zipcar 10% discount - they give discounts on everything, from AAA to Zipcar :p
The great thing about buying through them is you get free check-ups and tune-ups for 2 years on a new bike! Totally worth it, I love their service and support. I'd give them a 6th star if I could.
These guys where at the Waves to Wine event helping us riders with our bikes way to early in the morning.
Thank you.
The people here rock. I shopped a bunch of other stores and nobody comes close to their prices.… Read more »
I heart sports basement! They have so much cool stuff and it's not all butch girl sort of things that most sports places have to offer girls (enough with the dark blue fleece already!) but instead they have really flattering, cute and stylish clothes with name brands like volcom! That really surpised/impressed me. Also they have so many levels of fun exercise equipment and sports that i never new existed. DId you know they have female versions of sleeping bags? and some come in purple! Also the prices are really reasonable chances are you can get a discount too from your gym membership or what have you.
Marry me sports basement!
I love Sports Basement. I have no idea how they get their staff to be so helpful (and usually pretty attractive). They have just about everything you could need for your camping trip or biking adventure or yoga or whatever and everyone is knowledgeable and helpful without being annoying.
Ask if you can get a discount because they have super-secret discounts for all sorts of things like doing the AIDS LifeCycle or working at Google and what not.
The non-athletic me really, really, really likes this place.
Three of the stars come from the fact that every single time I've been, everyone has been unmatchably helpful -- yet will leave you alone if you make it clear you think you know what you're doing. Oh, and their camping floor employee knew exactly what he was talking about and was able to offer comparisons between three different stoves ... in addition to showing us how the floor models collapsed, non-pretentiously at that.
The fourth star comes from the fact that there is pretty much always some way to get a discount off their already good prices, be it the in-store events, coupons or merely mentioning that you're a member of some organisation or another. It's way too easy for me to walk out with too many things I neither need nor have room for.
Phenomenal store, phenomenal service, and great people. I cannot recommend this enough. Best sporting goods store in the city. Going to review the Presidio store next because it's just as great.
Sometimes when I go shopping I put my surly face on simply because I do not want to be subjected to the disingenuous overtures of the retail staff at certain establishments. This is not the case at Sports Basement. The employees here have consistently been helpful and concise in their interactions with me and I truly appreciate this approach to customer service.
I spent far too long in here today looking for replacement swim goggles and cap. What a selection! 30 minutes later I walk out with what I need sans the feeling of having just "peed in the pool" (get it, swim humor!) for asking for assistance navigating the huge inventory.
Love this store, and the myriad of free classes are just the icing on the cake. I took a class from the SF Bike Coalition a couple months back that has helped me immensely in not killing myself when biking in the city.
[Green Zebra Coupon: 15% off total purchase]
I'd give 'em five but they were WAY better about 6 years ago. I still go here for 80% of my sports gear. I wish they didn't move so much into apparel and so far away from serious gear -- I guess I understand, though, they're making bank off those North Face jackets.
Oh, and everyone who works there is awesome; they're good at knowing when they don't know enough to give you the best advice and they know who to ask who will know.
I've gone to Sports Basement for years and bought my bicycle at the Presidio Sports Basement about 3 years ago.
Long story as short as I can try to make it...I went in for a bike tune up and it turned out I had the wrong part on my bicycle to allow for me to downshift further than the shifting options available with the bike I bought as it was off the rack. In theory the switched out part they used at the Presidio might have worked but in practice, not so much, derailing chain on every ride, many times....I noticed it getting worse over time.
It took several calls back and forth and about 2 weeks but in the end they were able to fix up my bike better than new and really went out of their way to make sure I had it back as soon as possible (had to run around to get special parts, etc.)
They do not charge labor if you have bought your bike there and many local organizations provide discounts to use at SB to make a great deal even better.
Love this place for tri, (swim, bike, run) snowboarding - all sports needs! Huge fan! Thank you Sports Basement, I enjoyed a GREAT long bike ride this weekend and made it up even the steepest climbs with my newly outfitted bike. Sweet!
The bike department rocks! These guys are the most friendly bike mechanics I've ever met. They helped me fix my rear dropout spacing for free! (Unlike a certain Phony Maloney....)
The store is pretty far away from me, but it is totally worth it. The service is really quite fantastic and much better than my LBS! Eric, you the man!
Their bike techs provided a great service at the last Sunday Streets event in the Mission, offering free tune-ups and minor fixes. The guys were all very helpful and friendly, absolutely non-pretentious despite being around folks whose technical bicycle knowledge is low or nonexistent, and explained everything along the way in an understandable manner. I was so thrilled by how smooth my ride felt after their graceful work that I cycled home smiling.
I understand that their presence at events like these is primarily for advertisement, but they didn't make me feel pressured at all or as if they were trying to sell me anything. The effect of that = one happy girl with a positive image of this business, who looks forward to visiting the actual location itself to give my bike the further lovin.
I really like Sports Basement. They're pretty centrally located in the city and they have a parking garage, so right away getting there is easy. Plus they stay open until 9pm during the week which means I can almost always make it there after work if I need something. Most small places in town close by 6 or 7, so that's a huge plus.
Their staff is always very friendly and helpful- if I stand around gawking at stuff I'm almost always asked if I need help without having to wait too long.
The prices there are also some of the lowest I've seen.
My only problem with them is that they don't stock fishing gear at all. I like to go fishing when I go camping, and Sports Basement would probably make several hundred more dollars off me a year if they had a fishing section. As of now I have to go to Sports Authority to get that stuff.
So, upfront, let me say that I work for one of the charity fundraisers that Sports Basement is crazy generous with - and there are a lot of us they're generous with! These folks really do good work. I'd give 'em five stars based on that alone. (And it made it really hard to choose between Potrero and Presidio to review, cuz they're both terrific.)
But I'm also a customer - and they're just as good at that too. Back when I was running marathons, the staff helped me find just the right shoe for my first training, then a more suitable shoe as I got more experienced. All at prices I didn't grumble about paying.
This evening was a new experience, shopping for my husband's first endurance cycling event (shameless plug, he's doing the Seismic Challenge). He'd checked out a few bikes a week or so ago, but tonight we were serious - his first training ride is Saturday. I wanna give a special shout-out to Pete who guided us well not just thru the choice of bike itself, but the fit, the clip pedals, the helmet.... ok, the hubby picked out the shorts all on his own.
Thanks, SB, wish every company did business like you.
10% discount if you are a AAA member!!!
I thought my AAA membership was just good for a tow, but it seems like the Sports Basement has given it another purpose.
This is the first (and usually only) place I visit when shopping for gear and apparel.
Sports Basement saved my day, and saddled me with massive karmic debt. I popped my bike tube trying to ride downtown and they were the only guys open in the AM who could sell me a tube. I called and they said I could fix my bike there, so I trekked several blocks with my bike on my shoulder, hoping just to get back on the road.
Well, they not only hooked me up with a new tube, they also lent a hand to help replace it. Fixing my flat would have been more than enough, but then they noticed rotting tape instead the rim (likely the cause of the pinch flat) and installed a fresh strip, right there and then.
Of course I'm thrilled that my wheel's restored, but I'm also tallying in my head the number of old ladies I need to walk across the street to karmically repay Sports Basement's generosity.
And as if this entire nursing home's worth of future street crossings wasn't enough, Sports Basement centered my wheel in the rear fork afterward and adjusted my derailleur in an instant.
When I walked out the bike was better than ever. There was no charge for their labor, only the parts, which cost four bucks!
I'm so grateful, yet so karmically impoverished. So, be careful going into Sports Basement, you may cash out all your karma.
Like Sports Basement. LOVE this location at the Presidio. HUGE parking lot. Good selection of stuff - winter sportswear, equipment, bicycles, shoes, etc.
I bought quite a few pairs of comfy cute shoes from here and a bunch of gear too.
Did I mention their huge parking lot? I know ... it's important to me and a very rare thing in San Francisco. Good place to go test ride bicycles without having to worry about getting run over by crazy drivers.
People are all friendly. Prices are good ... even better that they give 10% off for all kinds of memberships (AAA, 24Hr. Fitness, etc.)
I've shopped at Sports Basement for years, and I've always, always, always found what I needed at a decent price. Every location can be a little overwhelming due to its sheer size but that's just because they literally have EVERYTHING. I love it here.
That said, I went into the Bryant store for the first time today to buy a swimsuit. I loved the efficient but kitschy handwritten signs, and the community feel. Good thing they had those signs though, because other wise I would have been straight lost. There were maybe 3 customers on all three floors, and probably about 15 employees...but for some reason NO ONE tried to help me. I even tried to catch two of them with a pretty standard "um, excuse me?" and they ducked into the back. I swear I'm not a leper, and don't have the plague either, so what gives? The thing that kept me coming back for years in the first place was a super helpful running department employee....
I got what I needed at a great price, and the cashier was pretty friendly. I'm not gonna fault them for one ghost town-esque experience, but I definitely would've bought a pedometer and maybe some other stuff if I could've gotten someone to help me.
Useless store
Spent 20 minutes looking for a jacket for our son, the employees were all too busy talking to eachother to help us. The store was empty, no customers.
I have shopped at s-b since they opened way back in soma, they've gone from passionate fools to retail tools.
You provided the apparel that helped me fly.
You provided the energy fuel that helped me soar.
Sports Basement, you provided exactly what I needed to set a new personal Bay To Breakers best time. Let's top this next year.
Simply amazing service. They were out of my size in the Asics 1100 series, and within a day (on a… Read more »
I have been doing a lot of research on heart rate monitors, and it so happens that SB had the one I was looking in to purchasing.
I called to see if they had it in stock and they couldn't find it.
Autumn took my phone number and said she would search for it and call me back. Guess what? She DID call me back; although they didn't have the one I was looking for, she offered up an alternative.
When I came in to look at it she had it resting comfortably behind the counter for me and was really friendly and helpful in person too.
I will have you know that I did call REI and really dreaded giving them my business. They had such a rude reaction to my asking about the monitors over the phone; whereas Autumn was more than happy to help and went the extra mile.
Thanks Sports Basement- you have surely won me over!
If my company laid me off right now, I'd probably have to move back in with my parents. I would set up a kiddie pool on their Noe Valley porch with a cooler of beer for all the neighbors to see. I'd bask in the spring sun and build an aluminum pyramid out of my fallen soldiers. When my dad gets home from work, I would pull myself out of the kiddie pool, stumble towards him and slur, "HERE DAD, HAVE A BEER..." Then I would fall backwards into the pyramid of beer cans.
Then I would apply for a job at Sports Basement. Seriously, that's how much I love the place.
When I'm not fantasizing about being an unemployed heathen, I'm actually a really active person: running, camping, hiking, yoga, kickball you name it, I'm there. And I look fabulous while doing it thanks to Sports Basement. Everyone who works here is mad cool; I wouldn't mind being one of them. In addition to reasonably-priced sports gear, they carry a massive selection of sporty-chic apparrel. I buy all my active wear here (right down to my last raincoat) and wouldn't go anywhere else. And the place has tons of character with hand-made signs gracing the walls, pointing you in the right direction.
Added bonuses: free parking, close proximity to the SPCA to make kissy faces at the dogs and cats after you shop.
Let me begin with saying that I am neither a huge sports fanatic, nor a fitness nut. That's an understatement to the n-th degree. However, when I decided I wanted to attempt to run a marathon (yeah, you heard me right...run. a. marathon.), this place saved my life. Not literally, but if they wanted to come along and follow me with a stretcher, I would have gladly accepted. They didn't just have the common sizes and the most popular colors of running gear. No, sir. This place has five massive floors filled with stuff for all of your sweating needs. Five floors! It's a treasure trove for fitness lovers and fitness fashion lovers alike.
Yeah, I was able to buy my fanny pack water bottle thing here and replenish my Gu supply, but that wasn't the best part. The best part came when I recently discovered the free Sunday yoga classes. Free? Hallelujah! I've only been to two classes thus far, but both were absolutely amazing and offered modifications for yoga noobs, as well as those that are more advanced. The instructors (is that what they're called in yoga?) were funny, easy-going, walked the room to make sure we were positioned properly, and talked us through the moves with precision. Tony also teaches yoga at the James Howell Studio, and Ron also teaches yoga at Square One in the East Bay.
Bonus Points for offering random discounts at the registers for almost everything. They offer (usually 10% off) discounts to people running for SF AIDS Foundation, Club One Members, and various other memberships.
great customer service, loads of camping gear, workout/hiking attire, weights, tennis and racquetball equipment, and more. it may not be as extensive as the likes of a bigger place like sports authority, but it covers all the basics, and more.
10% because i'm a member of 24hour fitness across the road!
Why haven't I ever been here before?!
Explained to sales person my dilemma - laid off so quitting gym to save money, after a few attempts at running realized my shoes which were fine for the 'ol gym were just not gonna cut it out in the real world. Need to be extremely budget conscious so as not to negate saving money by quitting gym. He helped me find a great pair of shoes at a great price! Was patient, helpful and did not try to push me into buying a more expensive pair.
Tip: Do not think you can get in and out of here quickly and be tempted the street parking out front. You will get sidetracked by all of the treasures inside, you will lose track of time and even if you put an hour in the meter, you will end up with a $53 parking ticket. Park in the lot.
Luckily I got such a great deal on the shoes, even with the parking ticket they still weren't THAT expensive. But yeah, I could have kept the gym membership for a few more months...
Wow. What a collection of sports gear. The prices seem fairly reasonable. They have just about every sport you have ever heard of covered. The only reason I can't give them 5 stars is that the store is a bit hard to navigate and if there is a guide or map somewhere I have never found it. So you always have to find an employee and ask when you are looking for something specific. But if you just want to browse - go for it. Just pick one of the many, many floors.
The Sports Basement I fondly remember is back. It's good to know they really care about their customers and I'm happy to return this week to pick up some last minute things for my SE Asia trip. Received the following after posting:
Dear Jennifer,
Thanks for the posting and I'm sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing experience at Sports Basement. I'm the General Manager here and I want to assure you that we are committed to providing much better customer service that you received. We will take your feed back and learn from it.
Thanks again and I hope you can give us a chance to earn back your respect.
Sincerely,
Joey Chandler
Sports Basement
415-575-3014
P.S. Would you mine telling me the day and time that happened? Thanks.
-------
Hope you don't mind, but I'd rather not have the bag guy get in trouble at his job (especially in this economy). I'm chalking up the experience as an anomaly and look forward to more great experiences at Sports Basement.
Basically lived in this store when we were preparing for Machu Picchu. My Girls on the Run coach… Read more »
Holiday Introductory series!
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