Jeremy rocks!!! Put the bike in for a major overhaul and they performed! All the folks that work here have good attitudes and good vibes

Brian's response to my review reinforces my experience. Rather than acknowledging how he spoke to me, he became defensive and shifted the focus away from the issue. For clarity, I was quoted over $100 for a flat tire, not $30. I expressed that this seemed high, and in response, Brian explained that the shop primarily works on high-end bikes costing thousands of dollars. He also made comments about Burning Man and my bike that felt insulting and irrelevant. For contrast, I went to The Bike Hut the next day. The staff there were kind, helpful, and had my flat fixed, a new chain installed, and even gifted me a wrench...all for $40 and in under an hour. This confirmed my issue here was never about cost, but about how I was treated. The price wasn't the problem -- professionalism and respect were. read more

Jeremy is a genius and highly skilled technician and here's why! He installed a Swytch ebike conversion kit (a great product btw but in this case it involved much troubleshooting and coordinating with their London based Company.... through email only....often) on my Brompton folding bike. Jeremy studied the installation manual from cover to cover. He has a strong background in bicycle bionics which lent itself to his comprehension of the Swytch system; yet without a diagnostic system to pinpoint the problem issue (as with bionics), Jeremy relied on his acute tenacity, patience and excellent logic to solve the problem. He is the genius who succeeded in converting my manual bike into a zippy, extra thrilling ebike! I strongly recommend Jeremy and Big Swingin' Cycles for both service and sales. If you want an a Swytch ebike kit installation, look no further. I'll return to Big Swingin' Cycles and will continue to deservedly share this massive success story. Thanks Jeremy and Big Swingin' Cycles for my ebike which has justifiably grown into my healthy obsession! read more

Well the awesome Yeti Brian sold me was stolen. After searching decided on a Revel Ranger. Glad Big Swingin' Cycles is a Revel dealer. Excellent customer service throughout. Fortunately the bike rides even better than my SB115 which I was completely satisfied with. I drive from the East Bay because of the amazing service. All his technicians are very skilled. Charlie and Jeremy educate me and allow me to "talk" bike. As an auto repair shop owner have to "talk" car all week long. read more

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We are lucky to have such a great bike shop in the neighborhood. These guys really know their bikes - for repairs they will provide lots of good info regarding what is wrong with the bike and what the options are - they never try to upsell you on stuff you don't need. If your bike needs fixing check them out. read more

I love this bike store, The staff is very acaomdationating, with your best interest at heart, also prices are very fair

I went straight from the place I wrote my last review about to this shop. Night and day. The guy who answered the phone hung out a few minutes after closing to let me get there, which I really appreciate. He didn't have to do that. The whole experience was really professional. I told him what the bike was doing, then he put it on the rack, saw immediately what was causing the issue, and made his suggestions. The estimate was spot on and they got the work done a little quicker than projected. By bike rides like a dream now. I wish I could remember the guy's name. All I can conjure is that he was a tattooed redhead. Accolades to you, mystery man. Honestly though, the vibe I got when I picked it up was pretty decent even talking to the other folks who worked there. I recommend this shop for sure. read more

Brian was so helpful from the initial phone call to helping me out in the shop to find a road bike. I'm a total newbie at this and he was so helpful in helping me find the right fit. Would recommend this place to everyone. An overall great experience. read more

Dude I can not rave more about the team at this place. The owner is hands on and ensures his customers receive top notch service. The shop staff is highly knowledgeable and the mechanics will make magic happen. I have an ancient Cannondale and everytime I get my bike back from the shop it rides like new. Did I say I bought this carbon framed System Six amongst other great bikes from these guys. I own many bikes and they've come from various shops but I always return to Big Swingin' for consistent excellence. read more

We were cursed out of the shop - because we walked in. A friend and I were looking to buy a bike pump, so we walked down the street and went to the expensive 'big swinging cycles' shop. We walked in their main door, which was unlocked and open, and were asked to use the more discreet door on the side of the building. They then locked this front door. SO, we walked around and opened this side door, only to be greeted by the nearest repairman screaming at us, using harsh curse words, because the door apparently had 1 sign on that asked for us to wait outside. There were maybe 8 signs on the front of this door and only one of them had something speaking about waiting outside. It was written on printer paper with chicken scratch marker handwriting. We told them that, but this only emboldened the repairman as he continued cursing at HIS CUSTOMERS. A good way to do business. Look, I understand that this is a challenging time, but that is ABSOLUTELY no way to treat two potential customers, COVID or not. I certainly won't ever consider spending money at this overpriced bike shop again. read more

Incredible staff, amazing service, truly the perfect example of why everyone should support small businesses. I walked in with some issues regarding my gears and they immediately offered to fix it on the spot, no hassle. This is what makes all the difference! I'll buy all of my future bikes here. Thanks team! read more

Overcharging for a safety inspection that we did not need for our burning man bicycles and did not fix the flat tire that we asked for one. Not sure what kind of safety inspection have been done if they did not even replace a missing screw on the hub of the front wheel. We knew what kind of issues our cheap burning man bicycles had and asked to fix these issues (one needed a replacement of the tube of the flat front tire and the other needed to fix the breaks). If you bring your bicycles for a service make sure to explicitly state that you don't need a safety inspection as they apparently do it for all the bikes and add min $50 charge for any device. Be aware and hopefully this review will save you some money if you know exactly what work needs to be done to your bike. Additionally the flat tire was never fixed, they just pumped it and said it's good to go. When we called in a few days to let them know that the tire is flat again the owner of the shop was rude and said that my husband probably ran over a glass or something sharp when he rode it half a block testing that bike. The owner said that I can write a shitty review if I want and he can give me the tube so I can replace it myself. Never using this service again! Bottom line ___ paid $145 for what?! $100 extra for the inspection that we did not ask for of two cheap, beater bikes, no tube replacement that clearly needed to be done and never happen - no rideable bicycle at burning man for me, $45 for fixing the breaks on the other bike(we asked for it, thanks) and on top of that lots of disappoint as well as feeling that they have taken advantage of us. read more

Thanks Brian for holding on to the Yeti LR while I was recovering from a fractured C2. Very satisfied with my purchase, the bike does really rip!!! read more

Big Swingin' Cycles - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is my local bike shop. I live a couple of blocks away and can't stress enough how nice Brian (owner) and his staff are. I love road bikes but recently decided I would try out mountain biking. I stopped by and rented a Marin Nailtrail. I caltrained down to Saratoga gap and about 3 miles into my ride my spoke busted and I couldn't finish my ride. I thought I would head back to to the city and they'd charge me an arm and a leg to fix it. The staff were super nice and credited me half of the $70 I paid to rent the bike. This is why I go here - great customer service. It's a small store but the mechanics are awesome and friendly. read more

Big Swinging Success! The staff couldn't be nicer or more accommodating. Brought in my bike for a tune up and to change the gearing set up. Superb job and a great value. It doesn't hurt that its one of the only bike shops in the Russian/Nob hill area. **Update** I picked up my bike and its faster than it ever was...might just be that I was flying down nob hill and thought I was going to die. Either way, my bike kicks ass now and is super clean. I just have to cross my fingers and hope that I don't eat it and lose any skin. That would be a buzzkill. read more

Called to get a price on a rotor for my bike, guy said he has it and it's 49.99. Told him I see it only for 28.99 and he said, "order it then" and hung up on me. Pretty bad way to treat a potential customer, and a pretty big mark up. read more

I bought my orbea here. The sell price matched the prices online so they don't add extra charges like some shady places I've been to in the area. I continue to come back here for advice and tune ups. These guys know their stuff. I recommend coming here for your bike needs. read more

Big Swingin' Cycles - Tune up area - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Not going back. There is one dude in the store who is super arrogant, standoffish and seems put out if you walk in with a bike that isn't worth more than $4k. Most recently, I walked into the store and was ignored for 10 minutes while this dude sucked up to a coach for a local bike club. Coach guy left and the two folks who were talking to him evaporated without acknowledging my presence or asking if I needed help. Previously, I asked about fitting new handlebars on an old road bike. This same guy wanted to charge me for a full fitting in order to give any opinion on what parts I should buy. Then he gave me attitude about putting a new style handlebar on an old bike because he didn't like it, yet offered no useful reason on why this was a bad idea. It turns out he was exactly wrong for what I was trying to do with the bike. Unpleasant, unnecessary. Get over yourself. If you are looking for a more friendly shop to get work done, go to High Trails on Polk or ask for Thad at Performance in SOMA. read more

Their pit bull ran out of the shop as we were walking in and attacked my dog and I. My dog was tiny so I picked him up and their dog didn't catch him but then attacked me and bit me . I kicked their dog so he stopped biting me and the guy had the audacity to tell me not to do so. They lost us as clients . read more

Big Swingin' Cycles - Bikes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I used to be a customer of High Trails until I walked into Big Swingin' Cycles. Honestly the best bike shop experience I've had so far in SF. They actually give a crap about you and your bike, unlike some of these other shops that won't blink an eye for you. This is hands down my go-to shop now. Charlie is the man! read more

I can not say enough positive things about this shop and all of the people that work there. I've taken my bike here many times, and each and every time they never fail to leave me very satisfied. Timely, honest, cooperative, knowledgeable and informative. What more could one ask for? Thank you Brian and the rest of your professional crew! read more

Great service, super nice staff, and they did a great job on my bike tune! Highly recommended!

My bicycle has been in the garage for a few years now - yikes! It definitely needed air in the tired but I also wanted to let a professional give it a look over and fix anything else that needed fixing. Despite their extra busy schedule (COVID cycling craze + COVID business hours!) they fit me in. Within 48 hours my bike was totally tuned up and ready to be picked up exactly when they told me. Thanks to Alex! I'm not a super committed cyclist (obviously) so I was a little nervous, I've gotten attitude in other local shops before, but everybody here was extremely friendly and helpful, and there was a diverse clientele getting served when I was there. I will definitely continue to use this as my local bike shop of choice. :) PS - As for that negative review below about following COVID precautions, I honestly do not know what that person could have been confused about that would make them think they should go inside. The side door is easy to find and there's a line to stand behind and even circles spray painted on the sidewalk so you know where to stand in line safely. There's a big sign saying to stay behind the line. They'll come out to you! read more

Within thirty minutes of purchasing my bicycle (not from Big Swingin' Cycles, from Public), I almost got hit by an SUV and while simultaneously wobbling into a wall, apologizing to the driver screaming at me, trying to stop, and panicking, managed to slip the chain off its chainring. I walked my crippled bicycle over to Big Swingin' Cycles, waxen-faced, sweating and quivering like a small dog, and almost as soon as I walked in the door, the guy slipped my chain back on and handed me a delicious craft IPA beer to calm me down. They are cool, and this store is cool, and you should buy all your bicycle things there. read more

BSC - thank you for making me realize my riding skills aren't limited to cars, transit, elevators and special riding buddies. I hadn't been on a bike since I was 13, and I was completely Alicia Silverstone Cher-yl Clueless. They recently started rentals here and it was great! You can rent for a period of time or for a whole 24 hours. Dave was super helpful to me. My rental came with a helmet and expert fitting to my size and a lesson on how to remove the tire, adjust the seat. It also came with a lock - which I needed a lesson on too. I got my shiny new rental at night and having no lights, with the most excited look on my face, Dave lent me some $50 lights and again showed me how to use them, and take them off so they dont get stolen. He also told me what streets were bike-friendly and had lanes. They take cash deposit if you're worried about having the funds available immediately after you return the bike. And they have financing options for bikes too. When I purchase a bike, because I had a hell of a time, or need another lovely night and day pedaling SF, I'm coming back to these infomation-full people with no scary high-pressure sales. Maybe I'll make more riding buddies. Bikes are cool. Wheee! read more

Yesterday was the first time I'd been back on a bike in years which meant I'd be crazy to go out w/o a helmet. The staff was friendly and helpful and even explained that I didn't actually need to spend $99 on a helmet and that there were other options that were just as good for only $35. Much appreciated! Their service rates seemed a bit high which was confirmed by a woman who brought her bike in for a tune up and was appalled by the price they quoted her, she seemed way more qualified than I to be balking at prices. My bf needed to rent a bike for the day which ended up being $30 for a helmet, lock, fanny pack on the front of the bike and a map of the city with clearly marked bike trails. $30 for 24 hours seemed expensive at first but I called around to a couple places in North Beach and the cheapest I found was $25 for half a day....so I guess that's the going rate! The place was a decent size for a bike shop and seemed to have a good selection of bikes and other accessories that would fit any bikers needs. read more

I've been going here for years to buy commuter bikes and get them repaired/maintained. Brian, Alex, and Charlie run a tip top operation. Good, honest service at a fair price read more

Run (or in this case bike) for the hills ! Stay away- They took a $1000.00 deposit on a $2700.oo bike and Brian said it would be here in 2 weeks- (he said he had 4 coming in the nest week) 3 months later in October, they had my bike! In the summertime -soooooooooooooo uncool ! 1st ride - the crank arm fell off while pededling up the first hill! When i brought it back - he said I would have to leave it- and blamed it on the "torque" wrench (because there was no way that it was one of his top notch mechanics who assembled the bike-REALLY!? 2nd ride the Fox front shock seal failed- had to walk home 3 miles- When i brought it in he said he needed to send the shock back to FOX for repair -REALLY? He had 3 sitting in his parts display- but nooo.. the policy was to have it reapired. He said it would take 3 weeks- after telling him too keep the bike and i would reverse the credit card charge - he said he would have it done the next day. Then his mechanic was sick, then he was on vacation - 2 weeks later he had my bike I should have bought it from REI- ($200.00 cheaper) So much for giving the little neighborhood mom and pop the opportunity! WHAT A DICK! read more

Went in for some serious, overdue service on my mountain bike, with very specific instructions - basically, I purchased some hybrid rims that I wanted set up with my disc brakes, I needed a new chain ring installed, and I needed the front suspension lockout fixed. I was given a $250 estimate and told that it would be ready in a week. Many delays ensued, mostly because of parts for the fork. Finally got the bike, and the price tag was well over $500. When asked why the price was so big, they claimed that whoever gave me the written estimate before was confused. I check the receipt and saw that I was overcharged for several components, and to top it all off, I was charged for an extra chain ring and 7 sets of disc brake pads for a single bike with two wheels. When confronted with this, I was told that this is just what happens when a bike sits in the shop and different people work on it, as if this were my fault. Eventually we settled the bill and I was satisfied that I was paying for parts and actual work that was done on the bike, but I get the feeling that there are probably plenty of folks in this shop who are overcharged but don't look the bill over as carefully as I did. If you go to this shop, MAKE SURE you get them to spell out exactly what they are doing to your bike, and when you get it back, GO OVER THE BILL WITH A FINE TOOTHED COMB to make sure you're not being charged for 7 sets of brake pads. Or you can just go to BikeNuts down the street for more knowledgeable service. read more

OK, i've got to start finding things to complain about, it seems i have too many 5 star reviews. that being said, i'm hard pressed to find anything i don't like about this store or the guys who work here. they just moved to this nicer, bigger location and it's chock full of shiny bits and nice clothing, and really nice bikes. the staff is knowledgeable and they don't talk down to anyone. i have two yeti mountain bikes that i get serviced here and one day they can't come up with the part i need to get back out and ride. i had friends in from out of town and was going to take them to tahoe to ride. what does the shop do? they haul out a sweet $4,000 full suspension mountain bike and said "here, take this one". after i picked my jaw up from the floor i had to try hard to not drool on the matte finish of the incredibly nice bike they were just **giving** me to ride for the weekend. all i can say is "wow". i've been in several times since then and there is always someone here to help you and if you're waiting on the service department, the sales staff if more than happy to chat you up while you wait. i find myself looking for excuses to go back now. i personally recommend this shop to anyone who has an interest in road or mountain bikes or parts or clothing for biking. if you're a serious MTBr then you'll enjoy the display cases. FULL of really nice and exotic parts. read more

It was part of the plan to rent a bike today and see things from a different point of view, by bike. The sun was out, the weather reasonably warm and the day young. I randomly chose Big Swingin' Cycles because it was close by and I found the rental experience to be pretty reasonable. $30 for a 24-hr rental seemed a bit pricey, but I was told this is a standard for the city. I showed up at the store and asked for their biggest bike and found the equipment to be sturdy and reliable. The guy at the store was really cool and helped me customize the bike for my specs, found a good helmet and recommended some good trails. Before I knew it I was on my way. It'd had been a while since I rode a bike, but I was surprised by how easy it was to race up and down the SF hills on my way to Marin. It was a great day outside and I'd recommend Big Swingin Cycles, but a part of me wonders if there's a better place out there. My expectations were match, but I wasn't too impressed. read more

My wife was experiencing problems on her mountain bike. So I test drove her bike to examine her problems. As I was trekking up one of the steepest Russian Hill's hills, the chain suddenly snapped on me. I think I observed one of the problems. "Matt broke her chain because he is too fat for her bike!" (No, not true) I was able to ride down the hill and stop in to this cornered bike store on Van Ness Ave. (don't you love riding down hills?) The repair shop is located in the back and the retail is located in the front. In addition to the loose chain, the young and experience repair guy estimated the problem and also experienced the cartridge's teething on the rear-wheel that the chain is connected was damaged as well. The replacement cartridge cost $60.00 and the chain cost $25.00 both made by Shimano, the company specializing in bicycle's accessories. While the repairman fixing the bike, I was browsing and checking out the retail shop. The store carry high-end mountain, road and cruiser bikes from Cannondale, Yeti, and Marin, just name a few. Bikes and accessories from here are the average price just like every bike stores. After a fifteen minute wait, the repairman repaired and test rode the bike and my wife's bike is good as new. The shop also charge a $10.00 labor-charge and I also gave him an additional $10.00 spending money for a fast job, despite having a massive fleet of other party's bike to be fixed. read more

Read my original review that puts these guys on blast for doing such horrible tune-up to my bike. As part of the tune-up I had them put on new shift cables. Those cables finally stretched a bit (completely normal) and so when I re-adjusted them on the shifter (at the handle bars) I was almost at max adjustment. So I knew that the cable needed to be adjusted down at the deraileur. Turns out that the cable wasn't in the guide on the deraileur, it was just running off to the side and actually wore a little groove in the plastic!! There is NO possible way for this to have happened by accident. It is 100% negligence of the mechanic that installed the cables! Add it to the list of mistakes these guys made :( read more

I've come in this shop a few times for accessories and to look around since it's just a few blocks away from my apartment. Their selection tends toward the high end and they really do have some awesome wheels in the shop. That said, I have left more than once with a feeling like they weren't going to spend a lot of time with you unless you were dropping a few grand on a bike. I ended up making a purchase online and brought it in to the shop to be assembled since the shop where I regularly do business was backlogged that week. Big Swingin Cycles said they could turnaround the assembly within 24 hours so I thought great, let's do it. THE GOOD: They charged me a hundred bucks for the assembly and did the job in less than a day. THE BAD: They did not ask to check the fit when I returned to pick it up or adjust the seat post or handlebars. THE WORSE: I brought the bike to my regular guys later because it was shifting poorly. They said the derailleur was not properly adjusted. THE WORST: My bike had a strange rattle when riding around. I took off the seat. inverted the bike, and a screwdriver came out of the frame!!!! No hard feelings guys, but I'm keeping the screwdriver. read more

These guys are amazing! Every year my fiance and I sponsor a couple of kids and go and purchase all their Christmas gifts! This year, the 4 year old we picked only wanted a bike. It was an ultimate disaster that started with two attempts at Toys R Us, and a final attempt at Amazon.com. With three days before final drop off for the gifts was required, the bike comes! However, it was mildly damaged in shipping, and the training wheels don't fit... I could go on and bore you with details about how through several other companies, I had become disheartened with humanity... but I won't! Long story short, the owner of Big Swingin' Cycles came to our rescue. He literally spent over an hour grinding down the training wheel base so that it could fit into the bracket. He then examined the whole bike and made minor adjustments to that the bike was perfect! He then threw in an amazing helmet for the little boy too! He not only saved my spirit and faith in humanity, but he helped make the little boy's Christmas awesome. I just wish that we had all been able to see the smile on his face when he saw that 'Santa' had brought him his bike that he had asked for! Thanks a million, Brian! read more

I'll be honest folks I had a rough time at first but Brian cleared the air and sure enough my road bike was ready. Getting special orders was a task itself. I was disappointed in the beginning but later I felt a little better. When you are "itching to ride" after a week of waiting I think everyone will have a bitch-fit. The guy's there are knowledgeable. These guys do hustle when the shop gets packed with people. I give everyone a chance even though sometimes they don't give you the expectations you deserve. Try them out and let me know how your experience is. read more

Brian and his crew are fanatical about riding and taking care of customers, they know cycling better than most. I demoed a Yeti SB4.5 for a long weekend of riding in Marin Co and it was spectacular! It's great finding like-minded bike folks and fanatics when traveling. Jeff Boulder, CO read more

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This is a great neighborhood shop. The staff are all friendly, responsive and helpful no matter the task. I bought my road bike from them and every time I go in (usually for a tune up now), Bryan and Charlie remember me. I recommend this place to all my friends. **Update as of April 2018 (3 years later), still going to this shop from all the way in Bernal Heights because I find the service impeccable, the adjustments and recommendations are spot on (never trying to upsell me) and the shop guys (Alex, Charlie and Emerson) are always helpful. A+ service and shop still in my book. read more

Wow, I don't really know what to say. My fiancé and I came in with a bike we had got off Craigslist. We were first greeted by some little brat costumer who didn't work there. Her absolutely ridiculously pretentious tone made us really uncomfortable. Then, the shop dog that seemed very friendly at first was jumping all of my fiancé and biting him. No one in the shop was saying or doing anything about it and he was progressively becoming more nippy and annoying. When the guy finally came to look at our bike he too had a pretentious tone, almost belittling us for the decision we made. We got the wrong size bike, and it was used, we already felt like idiots. We certainly didnt need to feel worse about our decision when we go into a bike shop. To top off the experience I got bit pretty hard by the shop dog in the leg when I was talking to one of the guys. I should have made a bigger deal about it because it freakin hurt. Long story short is I will never step foot in this snobby shop again. I have always bought used bikes because I love to reuse materials. I shouldn't feel less than because of that mentality. Clearly not in this place. One star was given because the guy did give some honesty about the size, and parts that would need replacing. Other than that, we got the hell out of there as soon as we could. Word to the wise: Don't let you shop dog jump all over people and bite them. Luckily I have worked a lot with dogs so I have a lot of tolerance. Other people may not feel the same way when getting mopped out of the blue. read more

Hands down the most positive experience I've had at a bike shop in the city. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Most importantly, after a tune-up my ride has never felt better. Recently a friend was visiting the city and wanted to rent a road bike for a few rides. They have a good variety and made sure to get him something that fit his needs. Big Swingin' is the place to go! read more