This is a great place for reasonably priced bicycles especially for kids. Sometimes their used bikes are an amazing steal too.

The gears on my old bike were totally messed up. I thought it would take forever to get them operating again, but Cardinal did it! The guys that work there are excellent and very friendly. Sorry I don't have any photos to share. They also adjusted my bike helmet. Above & Beyond.... Highly recommended. Thanks Cardinal, Linda read more

These guys are criminals: Here is my story. I am a resident of Palo Alto / Bay Area since 1996. I have a 4 yr old bike I had bought in 2018 for $325 from another store. The same bike today costs perhaps $500. After 4 yrs, it needed a tune up. I took it to this shop at 4 pm on 2/11/2023. The sales guy took the guy and gave me slip showing the cost of tune up to be $140. They promised to get it done before end of day of the next day, 2/12/2023. The mechanic does not call me till 2 pm. So I call the shop to know th status. The mechanic tells me it will need cables and brake pads and may be more. And he says he could not finish on time. So I give him one more day. The mechanic then calls me today, 2/13/2023, and tells me the bike uses "cheap parts," and repairing will not help. I should really buy a new bike. I tell him I would come by after work to check. I go with my son at 5:30 pm. The bike is not ready. The mechanic tells me the sales guy did not know so he accepted the bike for repair. I should buy new bike. I ask him reassemble it and give it back to me. He gives me a bike back with a wobbly back wheel, immovable chain, and back gear wire protruding out. The bike is not operable. It was fine before I took it to the shop. How will anyone handle this situation? It is two of them (so called mechanic and sales person) versus me and my minor son. If there was an easy system to take them to task, it would be nice. Stay away from this shop. read more

Absolutely amazing customer service!!! no other Felt dealer in VA who I had worked with was able to help me source a replacement part for my aero bar set up ahead of a race, but Marty got me the part quickly and even under warranty - will definitely be coming back here for any future tri bike needs read more

After checking out several bike shops, Cardinal had the best selection and the best prices for my particular bike needs. And a big shout out to Rafael for all his knowledge, patience, and no-pressure-to-buy attitude. And after I purchased a bike, he was also very helpful in "accessorizing" it for me! read more

Amazing service and staff. I never feel like I'm being shamed when I am probably asking really dumb questions or tasks and I always trust that I'm not being ripped off or anything like that. All around, no complaints! read more

These guys are criminals. I purchased a used bicycle with assurances from the sales person (over the phone he sounded like he was following orders to lie to me, so I'm not saying his name) that I could return it for full refund if I didn't run it. When I brought it back about two weeks later they treated me rudely and said I was obviously mistaken. I returned with my mom and got the same response. I have reported them to the Palo Alto police department and I urge anyone else they try to swindle to do so also. These guys need to be BEHIND bars not work on handleBARS. Bad joke. Whatever. This place needs to be fined or something. Jose M Pedroza, the 32 year old who works here, sent me a private "compliment" on Yelp accusing me of lying instead of actually responding to my review. So they will also harass unhappy customers on here too. He said since I didn't use some technical terms of service thing that I wasn't eligible for a refund. Big no-no. Do not spend any money at this place EVER. read more

Cardinal Bicycle Shop - Their satisfaction guarantee is a LIE. - Bikes Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I had two tricycles delivered to my house in Sunnyvale the gears did not work properly contacted the owner and he said he would have somebody come out. They would call me and they would send somebody to my house to repair the gears. Then he never followed through. They never called me. They never contacted me again. So I guess I need to find a new bike store to buy my wife and I electric bikes. I want to get some expensive ones, but I can't buy them from this cardinal bike shop because they don't take care of their customers. read more

It was such a surprise that they were open on Easter Sunday! The front tire of my bike was flat last Friday and I didn't get chance to fix it until the Easter Sunday, luckily they were open and got my flat tire fixed in 10min. The price was $18 and it was acceptable. read more

Very bad service as they couldn't fix my son's mountain bike. Claimed that parts were not covered under warranty although the chain broke because they had not been able to adjust the newly installed derailleur correctly. Employee became really rude as he was seeing that he was not right. The bike store one block further South is much better. Immediately found the issue and fixed it. Didn't pay more than I would have been charged at Cardinal although it was supposed to have the warranty as the bike was not even one year old. Will never go back to this unfriendly store. read more

We have bought three bikes here and the service solid. No bells and whistles - just hard working bike guys. They sell used and new and don't break the bank. They offer a tune up after two months and they repair/accessorize bikes on premises. This is not a fancy schmancy store. Just bikes, helmets and other accessories. Will be back for our fourth bike. read more

A bike shop that doesn't except returns on items that haven't been opened definitely never ordering from them again. They also missed labeled a item so doesn't fit what they said it would. Would have been nice to know that I couldn't return this item when I purchased it read more

Cardinal Bicycle Shop - Bikes Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Friendly, efficient, good prices, quick install time - keep up the great work guys! Love my new bike! read more

So their selection of affordably priced used bikes is unbeatable. That doesn't mean some won't be without their problems, but it's still the best place to go if you don't need the highest of high-quality racing bikes. But... I really can't see giving it more than three stars because of the customer service. When I called on the phone, they were SO helpful! They suggested I come in and bring my fiance to try a bunch of bikes to find the best present for his birthday. Then when we came, we didn't get a hello when we came in, the person helping us just led us outside and waved a hand at where the bikes were, then walked away. He came back every once in a while and waited for us to pick out particular bikes to ask to try from the crowded mass of options. We got such minimal guidance, and not knowing very much about bikes, it was really overwhelming! Eventually, he did pull out the perfect bike mysteriously from inside the store. And they put on a kickstand for free. So I'd go back to Cardinal Bicycle Shop for the prices, for the selection, for the feeling of buyer's success after leaving. I'd just hope to find an employee more... forthcoming with their expertise! read more

So super excited that the bike shop technician checked our daughter's bike tires. He replaced the inner tube and pumped both up so quickly! To top it off, he didn't charge us at all. What a great surprise treat as we leave her for college. We'll send her back for any follow up needs! read more

When I had a trouble with my bike seat, the guy there kindly helped me out and fixed it. Actually, before I came here, I went to mike's bikes and i was rejected. then, I went to bike connection and rejected. and only this place was nice! read more

The crank arm on my bike was loose and we didn't have the necessary tools to tighten it enough. We brought it to the shop and Zach (sp?) patiently listened to us, identified the problem and brought the bike to the back immediately. Even though the shop was busy, he quickly fixed the crank arm and realigned the handlebars for free. We were in and out in under 10 minutes. His friendly, efficient service ensured we'll be back if we need any more repairs on our bikes. Thanks! read more

Saw a nice older, you might even say classic bike here. Don't know who he is but he's usually the guy behind the counter--told me they gave their used bikes a tune up before they put them out. I rode it a little bit ---but clearly not enough. At the top and low end turns out the gears were a mess. With work I didn't have enough time to come back with the 3 day return period for used bikes. Said screw it, took it to BICYCLE EXPRESS in downtown San Jose and had V brakes and shifters put on there. So basically THEY ARE LIARS Oh and parking sucks. street only. read more

I rented a bicycle. Someone stole it at Stanford university breaking into the bike lock. Cardinal bicycle charged my credit card over 1000 for he bicycle. They have insurance hat should have covered it. Crooks. read more

Firstly, these days I always noticed when shopkeepers are wearing masks and following other safety rules, which these dudes are. In went in for the first time here, despite having passed it many times, because I wanted some advice on getting a new bike versus fixing to the one in already have, for example what tigers to replace and something funky with my handle bars. Very impressed with their decent and solid advice, support, and highly knowledgeable staff. Their service was on point and they also carry other gear for the more serious riders out there, which I'm not. From what I could see, their prices are comparable to other places, especially in a bicycle friendly city as Palo Alto. By the way, they're located right on El Camino Real which was convenient to get to and also very conveniently parking. read more

This shop caters mainly to the college crowd across El Camino, and so it specializes in new bikes at the low end of the range ($349 - $500). Where other bike shops might try to find the perfect fit for your price range and expertise, this place is ONLY about what you can afford, pure and simple. Whether the bike is the right size, type and weight seems to be of secondary importance. Consequently, it felt more like a flea market than a bike store to me. I guess I've been spoiled by better. I appreciate the fact they also offer a large selection of used bikes, but the staff was less than helpful in finding me a used hybrid with a frame size over 20". It turns out they didn't have one, but instead of telling me that key fact, they just kept pulling out bikes that were either a) too small, or b) not hybrids. When I finally gave up and asked about their new hybrid bikes, I was directed to the general area, told to pick a price range, and the guy walked away. Uh...OK. The Raleigh hybrids they had marked for $469 looked nice, but I knew nothing about them. Did they have steel or aluminum forks? flat resistant tires? How much did they weigh? What frame sizes did they have in stock? Who knows? They also purchase your used bikes, but were less than helpful in that area as well. I asked how much they would take in trade for my older aluminum road bike, and the counter dude replied, "anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on condition and age." So out of curiosity, I pulled my road bike out of the car. He took a look, said "nice!" spun the tires, told me it was in great shape, and followed up with "I'll give you 60 bucks for it." Blatant, self-contradiction at its acme. Needless to say, I'll look elsewhere. Thank God for Craigslist! read more

Recently moved to Palo Alto and took our bikes here for a tune up. After we collected them we went on a ride and a few miles into the ride, my wife's bike's handle turned backwards and she totally lost control of it for a min. She got off and realized that the the handle wasn't properly screwed back in. Good thing we weren't in the middle of the street. She couldn't bike anymore. My bike too had a problem too, the entire time I was biking I heard a squeaking noise. Since my wife's bike couldn't be ridden anymore I had to bike home, get in my car and drive back to pick her up. We took our bikes back to the store and this short Mexican dude with crew cut hair serviced us. When I explained it what happened he just tightened my wife's bike and looked at us like it was our fault. He told one of the other guys in the shop to look over my bike and they tinkered with it. He wasn't apologetic at all over the crappy service. At no point did he say they messed up or that they'd compensate for us having to come back in. On the contrary he got pissed off and told me to talk to the manager. I then spoke to the manager, Jeff and he was very nice saying it shouldn't have happened but that didn't help the situation or change anything. We basically paid for shitty service and bad attitude. We were hoping to make it our regular bike service shop but we're NEVER going back there again. Clearly not everyone in the store is a dick but the main service guy is so I'm not taking a chance again. read more

The service is atrocious!! I came here with a friend who was moving and needed to deal with his bike. He was interested in either selling it back (the bike had been bought here) or getting it packed and shipped. An Asian man with poor posture finally greeted us at the counter after ignoring us for a while. He give very unsure answers without enunciating. He was overall very very unhelpful, often tracking down other employees to ask questions. We basically had to ask multiple questions multiple times to get ANY helpful answers. As far as buying the bike back, he initially said "woah that's a nice $600 bike you got" but after 20 min of searching the receipt and playing with a calculator he offered us about $150. Useless!! We decided to ask them to pack the bike. He waffled over if they ship bikes, he said they don't but they'd do it for an insane amount of money...? We decided to have them pack the bike and we'd ship it at the FedEx a few blocks away. They agreed to pack the bike and said to come back in an hour and a half. Since when does it take an hour and a half to pack a bike? They weren't even busy. We return an hour and a half later and we see the bike, not packed, with only one tire wrapped up. Seriously what have them been doing? There are at least three employees who aren't doing anything! We do see one man go over and work on the bike when he notices we've arrived. They ask us to pay for the bike, even though we're not even sure they're packing it right. Luckily we notice they put the wrong seat in the box!! We go over and complain and they fix it. Eventually the bike is in the box and then the man complains they don't have tape. There are seriously 4 men now just standing around, and they complain that they can't find tape instead of doing anything. 20 minutes later, I kid you not, we have the bike in the box ready to go. They don't even help us carry the bike out of the store. The service is awful, the men are shady and unhelpful. I highly suggest avoiding this store. read more

I went in with a bent fork on a 80s Mirage Motobecane. Its an old bike so all the shops referred me to this place. They decided that instead of replacing the fork (which is the safer option since the fork can more easily bend back now) they were just going to bend it back, so they sent the bike to some guy in Redwood City who could do that. It took about 4 days longer than they told me it would. To be fair, they did offer me a replacement bike while I waited which was very kind, but im not sure if they would have charged since I didnt actually take it. When the bike was done, they charged me for a new fork AND for labor. Even though they did none of the labor and didnt give me a new fork. So they charged me for a new fork, and gave me an inferior, less structurally sound product. I tried to bring the price down to either just the new fork or just the labor, but they refused. Very poor buisiness model. Unless you have a vintage bike where this is the only place to get repairs (like my senario), I would NOT recommend this place. They were hard to work with, expensive, a bit lazy, and overall a poor experience for me. read more

Wow. They sell the shittiest bikes ever constructed. When you're in a bike shop whose high-end road bike retails for $650, you're looking at a bunch of unbuyable chunks of garbage. Raleigh. Diamondback. All the bikes they sell at Walmart. Whee. With a staff that seems generally pissed off to be there, you're better off going somewhere else. read more

There are three bike shops all on El Camino within about 3 blocks: Cardinal, Bike Connection and Mike's Bikes. They appear to address three different market segments. Bike Connection is the mid-range place, Mike's is high-end, and Cardinal is poop-tastic. Cardinal does generally have the least expensive bikes of the three shops, but they have (1) the grumpiest employees by far, (2) the least space, accessories and bike selection/inventory, and (3) the worst service. A note about my issue #3 above, I've taken my bike in 4 times in 2 months to have them get the shifter working right, to no avail. I'd just do it on my own if the bike weren't serviced free and they weren't next door. If you need a cheap bike this place will do, but don't expect to have a good experience or want to go back. read more

This IS a great place to buy a bike, but don't try to get it serviced. We dropped off my bike and they told us it would be ready the next day by 4. Called the next day at noon for a progress check and were told that no one was working on old bikes that day because they had to build new bikes to sell. Went over the next day at lunch to be told that the bike tech got stung by a bee and did we want the bike back without the work done. No, we want the bike fixed, just give us an honest estimate on the time, please! Amazing how the helpful and considerate staff become surly and unhelpful after you have spent your money. read more

Funky, functional, and friendly. It's the kind of bike shop you go to when you need to replace a broken quill stem, a ripped tire, or even a broken pedal cage. In the day and age of carbon frame commuter bikes and high end bike shops catering to team-kit-wearing cycling enthusiasts, it is refreshing to come in a no nonsense bike shop that offers just the essential parts. Parts like spare tubes, comfortable saddles, inexpensive platform pedals, commuter bike lights, and chromoly handlebars. Oh yeah, the staff may seem gruff on first contact but after a few pleasant exchanges, they are warm, down to earth, and helpful. Jeff S, who looks like a derivative of Rubeus Hagrid, asked me what I needed, excused himself for a minute, then came back from the repair shed with exactly what I needed. He even offered a less expensive alternative. How awesome was that? Note: if you are in the market for a pre-aged Brooks saddle, they have it in stock. It's even cheaper than buying it online. read more

Went there once for trying few bikes. I was totally ignored for the first 25 minutes in the store, as the owner tried to appear busy attending to another customer for a women's bicycle. I kept looking at their bike selection, trying to pull out and try ones which made me interested all by myself and nobody bothered to even ask if I needed help. Finally after 25 mins a seemingly mexican guy was polite enough to ask me what I am looking for and provide few options. But overall, they have limited selection, and even the components on bikes looked fidgety - The tiagra levers on a $700+ roadbike were stuck refusing to move when I was trying out the bike. If u're lucky its good, otherwise I would prefer buying from a more helpful and quality shop than here.. read more

I was really happy with the service , i also had great help from Jeff Kistler. This is the best place to get a bike in Palo Alto. Thank you. You have a great selection of bikes also . All the employees were great to me and had a smile and a great attitude. The owner should be very proud of his staff . Thank you and we will be back.!!! read more

My little sister was looking for a "regular bike" at a good price, went to a couple of different bike shops... all the low end bikes were around $400; more than she wanted to spend. We found ourselves at Cardinal the weekend where all their bikes were $299 or less. She found a bike she loved within minutes for less than $250 and hey installed a basket for her. My dad was so impressed by their service that by the time we finished putting the bike in the SUV, he turned around to buy himself a bike. Small bike shop, good prices and helpful staff. If you are looking for an inexpensive bike, this is the place to go. It was worth the drive from Santa Clara. read more

I stopped in here when I was bike shopping. They suggested a really nice Raleigh bike for me to test ride. Even though the shop was pretty busy, they were relatively helpful here. The prices seemed reasonable. They're having a closeout sale - all bikes in the store are $350 and up. I asked about a bike I had test rode before and it's $40 cheaper than most places. I might have to go back and get it once they get it in stock. read more

*THIS* is what shopping in a store should be - good, solid products sold by professional, helpful staff. Attentive, patient service by knowledgable staff - Richard Yamaguchi in particular answered all my questions and informed me about what I needed to know without being a condescending snob (unlike, let's say, a certain popular University Avenue bike shop). I was able to try 2 bikes in the parking lot next door for a hour without Richard rushing me. I walked out of there with a top of the line, 2005 model for a reasonable price - and Richard threw in a few extra accessories to boot. Highly recommended - this store will definitely get repeat business from me. read more

Cardinal Bicycle Shop - Photo courtesy A9.com - Bikes Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Small bike shop that has a fairly large inventory of used bikes. Every bike in the store $349...not bad, not bad...but not good either because I wasn't able to find a bike that was my size. All the bikes I liked seemed to be of a very small size. There were several nice bikes I liked but, nope...too small. Staff was very friendly and as I walked further in to the store I discover the back section of the store that had accessories and what looked like a repair department. Needless to say, I left empty handed. read more

I've had good experiences with these guys. Two weeks ago my son got his first bike, paying for it half with his birthday money and half with his own earnings. It was a good quality Marin and he liked it a lot. There were, however, flaws: the front tire went flat more than once and the gears jammed up twice. Cardinal fixed all these problems with no protestation. After the third incident, though, I wanted a new bike. I braced myself for an argument and said, "we don't want a repair this time but rather a replacement." Jeff, at the back of the store, said, "Jesus, these guys want a new bike. Give them a new bike." Jesus assented, then brought out another Marin of the same model and a couple of high-end used bikes. We hesitated, so he said he'd bring a couple of other alternatives, really good new bikes and that if we preferred one of those he'd make a deal on the price difference from our existing bicycle. My son rode a couple and decided on one of the better new bikes. Jesus offered him a major discount and then added a bit more because it was a kid making the purchase. As we left, Jeff called out, "Let me know if you have any problems. We want you guys to be happy." It is rare, nowadays, to encounter retail shops that care about their product and their customers. To me Cardinal is that sort of place. They repaired our bike fast and without question twice, then they replaced it without complaint. I thought the financial accommodation was also generous and freely offered. I would definitely come back to this bike shop. read more

Prompt, efficient, affordable, and knowledgeable. I rode my semi broken bike into the shop (pack your bike carefully prior to shipping it with Amtrak Express) - and these guys had the right two parts on in less than five minutes. I had previously visited two other bike shops on El Camino that were neither this quick nor able to find the right parts. I also bumped into a couple other people that I had seen in those other two bike shops who told me those shops referred them to Cardinal for their repairs. So, I will be going straight to Cardinal in the future. Yeah Cardinal Bike Shop! read more

Good assortment of used bikes and decent prices. The owner is a large older guy who is colourful. Did not get the bad vibes as other last got, since I am abig Siberian husky. Tried out two bikes but not my size it style. They were good deals though.they seemed to great two teenagers well who were shopping for used Schwinn vintage from the 1970s retrofitted. read more

We have taken my son's 20 inch bike with coaster brakes here twice for repair. One time it was the coaster brake and another bike shop told us they could not help us. Anyway, the guy who helped us was very nice and helpful both times and did not even charge for the help. While we were there, we bought a tool and accessory. I cannot speak to purchasing a new bike there but they were very helpful with the repairs! read more

They helped me true my wheel with reasonable price and informed me by the phone. They are direct, honest, friendly, and did greatly job.

This is a great place to go if you are looking for a commuter or mountain or road bike. The staff is overall very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I did my research ahead of time and looked at the bikes available on stanfordbikes.com which helped me make a final decision, though they do not have all models listed. I bought a Giant Suede which is really a nice bike, nicer than I am used to for commuting! It cost me $349 (on sale) and have a lightweight aluminum frame which I really enjoy. Overall, great place!! Better than most bike shops I've been to that just sell mountain bikes or others that just sell zippy $1,000 road bikes. Excellent bike shop for students or just about anyone!! read more