friendly staff, always eager to help and this assures me the people here really enjoy their jobs! I came in looking for a road bike - street bike to be more specific. Didnt catch the name of the guy, but he helped me find some bikes i wanted to check out and let me test ride them as well. read more

Alameda bicycle charged me for things i did not order and left my bike unridable and dangerous. The price to begin with was high and it was gonna take quite a few days, but worth it to me if they did a proper job. Don't come here for repairs. read more

Excellent service. I went here 3 times and left with a bike that I love! Thank you! They give you a free test drive, and make sure you are satisfied with your purchase! read more

At this point everyone in my extended family has purchased a bike from Alameda Bicycle and we're all thrilled! Alameda Bicycle is definitely one of the best bike shops I've ever been to, staff are friendly, supportive and helpful, very focused on helping the customer find the right bike for them not on any specific upsell. They were just as patient with my three-year old trying out her first pedal bikes (and her own nervousness) as me coming in with a very specific plan for a new commuter bike build. George and the team always appear to be doing their best to make everyone feel welcome in their shop and everyone I've interacted with is always knowledgeable, professional, and very enthusiastic about bikes. They recently helped me with a warranty claim for a bike I bought years ago in a different state and they made sure it went as quickly and smoothly as possible. Thanks for everything Alameda Bicycle! read more

Exceptional bike expertise at all levels! Everyone working here is a hard core bike enthusiast and knows so much about all types of bikes from kids to family to hard core. bought an electric Faraday + kids bikes and the staff taught us a lot during the entire process. I wouldn't buy or service my bike anywhere else and we happily drive 30 min to get here. 6 stars if we could give it! read more

I've only ever had two transactions with them, one via email and another in-store. The first time was back in January 2021 when I needed help choosing between a few different bikes. Scott, the General Manager, fielded my request and was SUPER helpful over email. He answered all my questions to help me make an informed decision, but turns out they didn't have the bike that I had my heart set on. Nonetheless, he did everything he could to try to get it for me, and mind you this was the time when the pandemic was at its peak and demand for bikes skyrocketed because errybody and they mamas was getting a bike to beat the quarantine blues (ngl, I was one of them). I ended up finding the bike I wanted at another LBS, but I appreciated Scott's prompt and courteous responses to my emails. 5/5 for customer service and Scott! The second time, I needed some new cleats. Didn't feel like driving out all the way to REI in Berkeley and wanted to support a LBS. Walked right in and they instantly took care of me. It costed $15 for the labor to install the cleats. I wish I asked them to help me fit and adjust the cleats because the original position I had them in is probably all out of whack, but they did their job and installed them as they were initially set. Anyhow, I look forward to coming back for all my bike needs. And they have a parking lot right in front!!! read more

By the time my son turned 4, he was a seasoned pro on his balance bike, and I thought he'd transition to a bike with pedals easily. I bought a $100 bike from Amazon and unfortunately that was a huge mistake. The bike looked really cool, like a kid's version of an 80's freestyle bike, but it was super heavy. He struggled with the bike, which didn't fit him so great. Eventually after months, he got the hang of it, but he was pretty discouraged, and it set him back. Anyways, after that experience, I vowed to not cheap out on crappy bikes for my kids, and Alameda Bicycle has been great outfitting my kids with bikes ever since. With their trade-in program, where you get 50% of your value towards a new bike, it is totally worth it for the quality of a real "bike store bike". When my daughter was ready, we got her a nice bike that actually fit her, and she had a much better first bike experience. Since then, I've upgraded the kids bikes several times and they're both excellent riders. read more

This review is for Scott - I texted the number online to ask questions about potential upgrades for my road bike. Scott has been chatting with me all day about upgrade options as well as considerations for my next purchase. I appreciate the attentive support. read more

Very unprofessional. Did not honor a "lifetime warranty" and employee was very argumentative. Will never go back and would recommend you take your business elsewhere. read more

I had to stop by due to a flat i got, and i had to come back immediately due to the fact that the old man writing this review forgot that he needed to keep his tires at a solid 50-60psi since my bike is a full suspension, as such the new tube blew on me again soon after. They reminded me of what i should have remembered from years ago, nobodies fault but mine. They didnt charge for the replacement tube or the subsequent replacement done for me. As always, these guys are 5 star all the way. Thanks again to george, larry...and the other guys whos names i dont know lol read more

Love this bike shop. All of the employees are always super helpful and able to troubleshoot any problems. I bought my son's bike at this location. I bought my road bike from another shop and they still service it for me here. All of my future bikes will definitely come from Alameda Bicycle. read more

I love this shop and the trade-in program they have for kids bikes. My niece just traded up for her third bike and I was grateful to have a bike come in at all, given the significant supply chain challenges facing bicycle manufacturers. The built bike was ready much sooner than expected. And I miss the monthly family rides... read more

I bought my bicycle here like 7 years ago. Last year I took a bad fall on my bike and it wouldn't ride right. I brought it in last week to see if they could fix it. Turns out the damage wasn't bad at all - the bike was really good quality and withstood the impact really well. They told me they would just fix it up as part of my free annual maintenance. I didn't have to pay anything and now it's running great again. So happy I bought a high quality bike here, with free annual tune ups!! Everyone is super nice and helpful. Love this place. read more

This is an amazing shop staffed by people who care about their customers and their community. Alameda is lucky to have this shop. Among the many wonderful things this shop does are: offer a free class for kids to learn how to ride bikes; offer organized family rides that end with free ice cream; and allows trade-ins of kids bikes that become donations. read more

I have a vintage Trek 8700 mountain bike that I use as a daily commuter, and it was one to trade in the knobby tires for some slicks, and have the bike went over well. I wanted Thickslicks, so they ordered them in, and when they arrived, I went in to talk about what all was going to be worked on. Chris was the mechanic that I worked with, and he is amazing! He has a love for vintage bikes, and we had a great chat about what needed done. I gave him a budget (which he stayed under), and left the rest to the experts. The bike needed a lot, so by the time it was done, they had replaced the rear cassette, chain, tires, tubes, tune up, brake pads, and a bunch more. I really can't say enough about how awesome everyone there is! Thank you for being sick a great crew that I can trust my bike with! read more

Was just helped by Nick, did a quick fix on my bike took him 10 min even tho they had a huge line, don't mind driving 40 min for this kind of service read more

I've come in a few times to get my old hybrid bike fixed up and have always had a good experience, but this review will focus on my recent bike purchase. I've recently become interested in getting into road biking and came in with a pretty good idea of what I wanted. Scott and Hannah both helped me test ride a few different bikes multiple times on multiple different days, answering my questions and making sure I had a good experience. When I asked about models outside the Specialized Roubaix and Giant Defy-like the Trek Domane-I was told they don't carry them but Hannah recommended I do a test ride of similar bikes like the Domane to make sure I found the right bike for me. Recommending I try out a bike they wouldn't even sell me is practically the definition of low pressure salesmanship. After testing the Domane at another location-Cycle City, where Josh was very helpful as well-I ended up going with the Roubaix both because of the bike but also the fantastic service I received here. I'm looking forward to my first tune up. read more

They're awesome I went there to buy a baby trailer which was in stock and ready to go. They had to do a little work to make it fit my bmx but they did it rt there didn't make me wait until the end of day and we were able to go for a ride that day. Great people great service!! read more

Great bikes, service, and people. My family and I have been going to this bike shop for years. They are super helpful and knowledgeable. They answer questions happily if you work on your own bike. They also offer lifetimes free basic maintenance for any bike you buy through them. read more

If you want an expensive bike, a shoddy rigged repair or money to be stolen from your bike transport bag, go to this shop. They only carry the most expensive bikes around instead of offering a variety of bikes at different price points. We also experienced a really shoddy flat repair on our fixie bike where the tech rigged the tube (he didn't have the right parts). And charged us $17 bucks for it. It took 3 days too and we use our bikes for our main transportation so my bf was stuck driving (yuk). So when the tube failed, as we feared it would, they would neither offer a refund or repair it free of charge. We certainly were not going to pay another $17 for another bad repair! It certainly would have been a more honest response to simply tell us they could not fix it. And perhaps recommended a shop that could. I respect that in business. There is enough business to go around....ya know? Their techs also stole $10 emergency fund out of my seat bike bag. What business do the techs have going through my transport bag? Oh yeah...looking for money that people forget! When we appealed to the owner about it he did nothing. No offer of a discount or reimbursement. It's only $10 bucks I know but it's as if he believed we were liars. Very disappointing. Wouldn't you appreciate a customer who reported that a tech was stealing? There are better bike shops out there that charge reasonable fees for flats, are more knowledgeable and are truly honest. Boo on Alameda Bicycle. read more

There are a lot of bike stores in the East Bay. This is definitely one of the good ones. I am really just getting my biking legs back (haven't had them since I was about 8) and this is one of the few stores I don't feel intimidated by my lack of bicycle-savvy in. The staff is super helpful and knowledgeable and doesn't work on commission so they actually can steer you toward more affordable products. They helped me pick out a very economical pump/patch/repair kit and tool and steered me away from the shiny expensive stuff that was out my budget. My boyfriend got me my current bicycle here. My old one really sucked and I wasn't ready for a super slick road bike yet, so the staff helped him select the perfect model - a road/commuter bike that is really approachable and easy to ride. And I even got a basket for the front too! There's a great repair shop here too, and the guys in the shop know their stuff - I got a mini tour of the bikes they were working on when I last stopped in. You can test ride some nice bikes here and feel confident in taking home a great ride when you're done. I'll be coming here often to stock up on tubes (they have good ones that won't explode on you!), bike pump refills, patches and nifty new bike accessories (if I'm not a rockstar cyclist I may as well pose as one!). A great neighborhood bike shop. read more

Best attitude and so helpful. I love these guys....because they love my bike. Update: HOWEVER! We wrote the above while at the cafe across the street waiting for them to finish our work. When we came to retrieve them (after having to come back twice since it wasn't finished yet) we were shocked to be given a bill that was four times what we were quoted. My partner is not the kind of make a scene so I didn't even know what happened until we had left. Had he told me that we were charged over $80 rather than the original $16 we were quoted, I would have spoken up. I am quite confused because these guys seem to friendly and ethical. Alameda Bicycle: You must ASK and get permission before performing costly repairs. It is wrong to just assume and then ask for payment. We didn't have the extra cash to be spending on this and would have put off the repair if it were actually that necessary until we had it in the budget. However, my partner was only in for a flat tire repair, not a complete tune up. Having had worked in a bike shop for years, he was aware there was unnecessary work that had been done. Sadly, I doubt we will return. The personalities were great but the work was not something I will trust to go back. EDIT: After clarifying with my partner he said it was more like 2.5x quote since he approved a further fix while checking in the first time. But the unauthorized "fixed" brake worked fine before & is squeaky now. Not cool. read more

I took up cycling about 2.5 years ago and I have to say I wouldn't have flourished in it were it not for Gene and Alameda Bicycle. The staff is very knowledgeable and willing to answer your questions. You can tell how great the place is by the return customers as well as people who come by just to say hello. I've gotten to know some of the mechanics there pretty well, and the owner, Gene, loves telling other customers how I came in 2 years before totally out of shape and not owning a bike and now have ridden from SF to LA twice. They're a mom-and-pop shop, but they're expanding; a clear sign of growth. They specialize in Giant, Specialized, Redline, and a few other brands. They have an incredible policy that if you buy a bike from there, you get free basic maintenance on it for the life of the bike. Just taking advantae of this, I've probably saved a good $250 of maintenance on my $700 bike. When you ride a bike 7000 miles in 2+ years, it needs a lot of basic maintenance. I liked them so much, I bought a second bike from them a year after the first. It was the end of the year and since I was a regular with them, they were able to cut me a fantastic deal on a bike that was originally $1700. read more

I moved to Oakland near the Estuary and decided that I need to get off my fat ass before it fuses to the sofa and we become one. I've always thought about riding a bike to the farmers market at Jack London Sq. so maybe a bike is in order. A little bird referred me to Alameda Bicycle. Its not your typical grungy bike shop. Its all pretty inside. hahaha But that doesn't take away from the staff. They are super knowledgeable about the products they sell and about what type of bicycle would be a good fit for you. I hadn't looked at a bike since i started school in Davis so EVERYTHING was foreign to me. Gene found out what I want to do with the bike, pulled a few out to test ride. And I made my choice. I forgot how much those little seats hurt your ass the next day. Nonetheless I love my Stumpjumper! THANKS GENE!!! read more

Growing up off the crest of a steep hill with lots of car traffic and no shoulder meant that I did more tree-climbing than bike-riding. Fast forward many, many years and I'm living in flat Alameda with reasonably bike-friendly streets and a dearth of parking near the twice weekly Farmers' Market on the West End. A travel-related incentive finally got me to ask my bike-savvy sweetie to resurrect my bike. It's retro - I've had it since I was a teen. After a few trips to Alameda Bicycle for tubes, tires, and miscellaneous parts I was ready for my first trip to the Farmers' Market. At the Market, another cyclist checked out my helmet and said that I might as well be wearing a $2 styrofoam cooler on my head. Thanks to my backpack load of apples, cider, cabbage, and other produce making me top-heavy, I teetered my way home. Alameda Bicycle helped me select a nifty pair of panniers, a seat, and a helmet - including adjusting the helmet and showing me how to properly wear it. Thanks to the panniers my next several return trips from the Market went well... but then the chain slipped off the front gear. My sweetie made a few attempts to keep the chain from slipping off, but gave up after the chain slipped off twice last Saturday. At about 4:30pm I called the Service Dept at Alameda Bicycle. Guy was very helpful and open - he said that he'd need to see the bike before he could estimate the time and expense to fix the problem, but that yes, he could take a look at it that afternoon. Around 5:30pm (closing was at 6:30pm) Guy had my bike on the rack. After hearing my explanation of the problem, Guy cranked the pedals and let go. He then noted that the pedals were still turning even though the bike was in coast mode and diagnosed the stickiness in the rear gears as the source of the slippage. (I had noted pedal movement while walking the bike through the Market, but hadn't realized that it was a problem.) Guy offered to try to fix the problem before closing time (and asked if I needed my bike by Monday for commuting), but I assured him that Monday pm would be fine and asked him to check a couple of other items while he was at it. The quoted price was $25. Monday around 4:30pm I got a call saying that my bike was ready and that they'd only charge me $10 since the fix was simple - the interior of the rear gears needed lubricating. I tested the bike with a trip to the library - problem fixed! No more hitching or slackening of the chain! A smooth ride and a happy customer. read more

Best bike shop around! Quick and dirty: - Gene the owner is fun, friendly, and so helpful. - The rest of the staff is so knowledgeable AND friendly (those don't always go hand in hand), they totally made me (a bike noob) feel comfortable - They have great brands: Bianchi, Specialized, and Giant - Relaxed, comfortable atmosphere where I didn't feel pressured at all - Good pricing for great bikes (my bike was priced lower than the MSRP on Giant's website) - Turn around for ordering a bike and when it could have been ready for me was less than a week - They offer free tune-ups for any bike you purchase there! More in depth: I went first about two years ago to buy a hybrid bike. - The customer service was amazing - All the employees were friendly - I walked out of the shop with a great bike for less than I anticipated having to pay Earlier this year, I took my girlfriend's cruiser in because it had a flat. - They took care of it right there as i waited, no appointment, in and out in about 10 mins - Again, the customer service was awesome Last weekend, I decided I finally wanted to move up to a road bike - Gene worked with me and answered ALL of my many questions and helped me try out bikes, sometimes more than once as I tried to make up my mind - Ended picking with a Giant Defy Composite 1, which Gene added on my accessories right there so I got to ride out of the shop with my new beauty that day! - In the end, I had a great bike, which I chose (he asked and answered questions so I could make an informed choice) and I knew it (I didn't feel like he made the choice for me) read more

Ive been coming into this shop since moving to the Island. Over all I would have given it a 3-4 star review... despite being a bit overpriced, the staff has always been on point and friendly. In general, I do mind spending a bit extra to support a local business. Until this past Friday. My bike started acting up, so I took it in to have it looked at... as I've done several times in the past. The guy takes a quick look and informs me he'd need to take the crack shaft apart in order to find the source of the problem. During the next several minutes, the guy started tacking on the up-sales (chain, brake pads, etc). The quote comes out to $170... which seemed a bit high. But, whatever... I remind myself that I'm supporting a local business and let it go. So I got my quote, scheduled an appointment for the following Tuesday to have the work done, bought a bike light, and headed on out the door to ride home. Everything would have been peachy... had the mechanic NOT LEFT MY FREAKING BREAKS DISCONNECTED!!!!! I jumped on the bike and rode down Webb Avenue. As I came to the intersection of Everett street, I pulled the brake levels only to to find a heart-dropping lack of resistance. I blazed through the stop sign, swerving in time to avoid hitting a car that was traveling through the intersection. I'm counting my blessings that I was not injured... but I will not let this shop touch my bike every again. Seriously dangerous mistake on their part. Poor form, gents, poor form. EDIT: 8/9/2013 "Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them." -Bruce Lee An update is due here, as Alameda Bicycle did bend over backwards to make things right... The owner called me up a couple of days following the "incident" and was very apologetic. He was absolutely mortified by the mistake that had occurred. He ended up offering me an olive branch in the form of a complimentary tune-up, which I accepted. When I took my bike back in, everyone was very friendly and apologetic. They did a pretty nifty job on my bike and made it right. Everyone makes mistakes and Alameda Bicycle stepped up to correct theirs in this case. Original review = 1 Star Follow up review = 5 Star I'll spilt the difference and give a solid 3 Stars read more

This is the best bike shop I have ever been to. They are extremely helpful, without pressuring you to buy anything, which is so rare these days. As much as I hate to say, think, or write it ... as a woman, it can be really intimidating to go to places like bike shops. Not so at Alameda Bicycle! Not only do they have several women that work there, some of them also do racing (and blog about it) and consult with Giant bicycles about how to make bikes better for women. They have a program called Women on Wheels that is exclusively for women. Yeah, I'd say they get--and are attempting to conquer--the gender divide in the bike world, wouldn't you? So, when I was in the market for a new bike I went in at least three times, tried out several bikes, and dealt with a few different salespeople before buying a bike. Everyone was kind and helpful, no matter how close to closing time it was (and it was embarrassingly close to closing time on one of the non-buying days ... sorry nice salesfolks) or how indecisive and undereducated about bikes I may have seemed. Basically, they are amazing and kind and knowledgeable. They also give you lifetime adjustments and discounts if you are a public servant! . read more

A year ago, I was looking to rent a road bike for an upcoming charity ride. I had never been on a road bike (purely a spinner) and wasn't sure what I would be able to find as far as rentals in the area. I emailed Alameda Bicycle through their website and got a response back a day later from the owner, Gene: "Hey laura, we don't rent road, but I can lend you mine if you like. Do you ride 54?" Unfortunately I don't fit a 54 (curse my long legs), but wait a second... Are you kidding me?! THE OWNER JUST OFFERED TO LEND A COMPLETE STRANGER HIS OWN BIKE. 5 stars and I've never even been inside the store. read more

The owner of the shop followed-up with my review. He offered a thorough explanation to why I was recommended a new chain. It makes sense. If anything, I appreciate that the owner uses these reviews as a QA measure. In all honesty, I probably will be back. I get it, there's overhead and the location is convenient, so I'm probably getting what I pay for. But it's kinda like going to Chevron as opposed to AmPm for gas. Yeah, you perceive value in the product and thus will pay for it - and continue to pay for it - but when's the last time you rolled out of Chevron thinking it was a 5 star experience? read more

Great service. Very knowledgeable staff and friendly. They replaced my tube and tire even though I came in 30 minutes before closing time.

This father's day sale I purchased a specialized hotrock 16" for my son and the best part is you can trade-up to receive full purchase price towards the next size up. Then they will donate the bike to Cycles of Change. Will save up for next time I will buy a bike for me, for my hubby and a Burley Encore 2015 for my disable daughter so we can have a family ride... Hope they have a sale again... read more

Alameda Bicycle - He loves his new bike! - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

I've never met the owner of this shop and I don't need to because your employees are great. Hire smart people with passion and give them the power to make customers happy. done. story... I had a problem with a new bike and received a BCC email about the repair conversation between Alameda bikes and the manufacturer. At first, I thought it was just their way of keeping me informed of the progress of the repair. I later discovered they didn't know I was able to see all their conversations. How do people act when don't know someone is watching? In the case of Alameda Bicycle after 26 emails... exactly the same as in person. Professional, inquisitive and total advocates for their customers. Scott and Chris so far bought 3 bikes, they built another one for me and fix everything I'm too lazy or incompetent to do myself. read more

Amazing customer service! I needed my cruiser serviced and called to see if they could get me in. Yes. So, I rode over and had the *best* customer experience ever. I am not exaggerating. The 3 guys that worked there were very nice, attentive, and best of all - my bike was fixed in about 5 minutes - without a charge. What an impressive shop! read more

I took my bike in for some end-of-the-season maintenance. Alameda Bikes went over with almost microscopic precision. One of the techs identified what might have been a tiny, tiny crack, although we later determined it was just an artifact from the manufacturing process that didn't affect the bike at all. Only someone looking very carefully at the entire bike could have found this tiny manufacturing flaw. They did a fantastic job to get the bike ready, at a very reasonable price, and treated me wonderfully during the entire process. I always prefer working with people who enjoy their jobs, and seek to do the best possible job. I found such skilled artisans at Alameda Bikes. read more

Pretty cool dudes here! They let me in even though the were technically closing, because I just needed to quickly grab a new inner tube. When he asked me what kind of valve I needed, I realized I didn't know, and the guy working wasn't even remotely douchy (like A LOT of bike shop people are) about it, and we figured it out really quick. Oh, and the tube was cheaper than anywhere else I've seen. read more

This update is way long over-due, but much needed. I like to give true and accurate depictions in all my reviews. I did get a message from the store owner Gene, who asked that I call him in an attempted to make things right. I did contact him, to which he diplomatically apologized for Stephanie and I's interaction. He asked what he could do to make things right and he offered to help me find a bike at another shop as well. I really appreciated him touching basis with me, to smooth over the situation. However, the damage had been done, and I wasn't exactly interested in doing business with them. None the less, he did reach out and I think that it speaks to his character as a business owner. So for that, thank you Gene. In addition, Stephanie did call me the same day, prior to me speaking with Gene, to deliver the update regarding the Milano like she had promised. She also awkwardly confronted me regarding my Yelp review- which was uncomfortable and probably shouldn't have been done- but oh well. She said she had felt our interaction was much different than what I had depicted. I expressed to her that I relayed exactly what our conversation was, and that I felt she was inappropriate. I also told her that I would not be back due to the uncomfortableness I now feel. She apologized, and I told her I appreciated her reaching out in that regard. All and all, I was sad and shocked I had the experience I did at Alameda Bicycle, but I appreciate Gene taking the time to contact me, as well as an apology from Stephanie. I did buy my bike soon after, at Freewheel Bike Shop on Valencia St in SF, to which I had amazing service so I guess everything happens for a reason. read more

I brought a used Trike in and Josh (mech) was very courteous and helpful. He did a great job doing the tune up and even finished earlier than requested!! Jim was the cashier and he was very patient as I chased my toddler around the shop. Jim even loaded the trike into my truck for me while I watched (I just asked for a hand and he went above and beyond!) Thanks guys for all your help and wonderful service! Our family will be back for any future bike needs! read more

I bought some specialized armadillo tires here two years ago. Unfortunately they had a defect where the tread separated. I brought them back to Alameda bicycle and walked out with brand new replacements 5 minutes later. No fuss, paperwork, or charge. They didn't even need to see my receipt. It's nice that I didn't have to jump trough hoops to get replacements, and the staff are always very pleasant, if a little rushed. I'll keep coming here for bike parts. read more

Bottom line up front: Small selection of women specfic design bikes, worker bees that care about the customer but management that cares more about the sale then the cusomer relationship and overall not the place to go if you want a bike store that values the client. Their posted values state: "Clients can always expect honesty, knowledge, and consistency in our performance." There was terrific disconnect between the values as expressed by performance in the direct service staff and the management. Details: Helpful, informed staff who do not work on commission, and at least the one I worked with, fully want to identify the bike that will work best for the consummer. Kari, the staff person I worked with, took a lot of time to identify what I wanted and pulled a guy from the back to do the math so that the best fit would be determined. I made two visits, first to identify a bike, and then after internet comparison of the recommended bikes, returned the next day to order the bike. I ordered a 2006 Giant OCR1 WSD (women's specfic design - geometry of the frame specfic to women's smaller bodies, reach and torso). It was a xxxs bike size, so I had to pay in full, with an applied 5% discount (a public service discount for school teachers, police and fire, military and veterans.) Two weeks later, I got a phone message from the store stating "pretty sure someone already called you about your bike (no one had) but just wanted to remind you we'll be closed next week." I wondered how long my bike had been there. I went the next day, and found that my 2006 Giant OCR1WSD was not what arrived, but a 2007 Giant OCR1WSD. No big difference in the technology of the bike, just instead of silver and lavender, the 2007 was silver and white. When asked at my first visit what color did I want, I stated color didn't matter as long as not white. I did not like the bike. Sorry, may seem too girly, may seem petty, but white was not a color I wanted on a bike I was spending $1100 on. That's alot of money for something you don't like to look at. Here is where the previous impression of a great bike store began to degrade. Keep in mind, you don't just buy a bike, you gain a bike store where you return again and again for stuff and repair and tune ups for your investment of the bike. First, I wondered why I had not been called as soon as the bike arrived. Kari, (who remains a rock star of a customer service rep dispite my overall disappointment with the store) assured that the bike had only been there a few days. Second, common sense of customer service would indicate when there is a major difference between what is ordered and what arrives, telling the customer ahead of time would make sense rather than waiting till they come to pick up the product and then surprising them. I said I really did not like the color. I asked what incentive would the management offer for me to keep the bike? Kari went to talk with the manager. Here is where I expected the manager to step in with a personal interest in the sale. She did not. I overheard the response - basically, I already had the 5% discount, about $55 off the $1100 pricetag, and that was it. No incentive to take the bike that was not what I bought. I was surprised, because they were not just selling a bike, they were investing in a future customer relationship. They offered to call around and see if they could find a 2006, what I had originally ordered. Fine. (why not already done this?) They'd let me know Monday. Here is the thing, the wholesale cost of the bike is about $550 which they sell for $1100. If there had been an offer for 15 - 20% ($150 - $200) off what I had paid, I would have kept the bike, they would still break even on the sale. Even as a store credit, I would have considered that positivily. The store would have made it back in a heartbeat as I still needed gloves, helmet, and cycling shorts. They would have sold the bike instead of now having inventory in a size that may or may not be easy to offload. Most importantly, they would have kept a customer, and had more than a 3 star review. (And really, that third star is because of the employee, Kari, who was professional and forthright.) Oh, and something overhead while there - the employees don't work on commission, but are expected to sell 5 bikes an hour. Kari spent 40 minutes with me to initially determine the right bike fit and best type of bike for what I wanted -great customer service. You can't do that and sell 5 bikes in a hour. But doing that, usually, gets you a long term customer relationship of someone that will come back again and again. In the end, I went home, did more internet research, identified a different bike (trek pilot 1.2) and returned on Sunday to get a refund, which was cheerfully done without quibble nor withholding of any type of restocking fee. (Another reason for the third star - easy refund). I did buy a bike, just not there. read more