Lakeview Bicycle

(186 reviews)

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Greg gave me really helpful expert advice, and ended up recommending a different another shop. I…read moredefinitely felt bad not giving this dude my business! I usually work on my own bi, but occasionally I ask a real mechanic to tackle stuff. In this case, I had a home tubeless setup that failed twice. I called Greg, and he asked me all sorts of questions to help determine the cause of my problem. I explained that the tire was seated properly, and it was previously holding air just fine. I also improvised a valve by cutting one out of an old tube, and we determined together that was probably the culprit. My rims take tubeless Schrader valves, which is pretty rare, but I tend to take this bike on multi-day trips, and being able to pump up my tires at any gas station is a huge advantage. I also had an overnight bikepacking trip coming up in a few days. Greg didn't have the necessary Schrader valve available to fix my wheel at his shop, but he recommended another shop that might. I called the other shop, and they luckily had the part that I needed, so I was able to go get my wheel sorted out the same day! I will definitely call up Greg again the next time I need someone to work on my bikes.

Greg offers everything you'd want from a local bike repair shop. He is very generous with his…read moreknowledge and is not out to gouge anyone. He talked me through my gearing options and showed me issues with my bike that I didn't know I had.

Tip Top Bike Shop

(326 reviews)

I LOVE this place!! I recently bought a (Marin) bicycle from them after visiting 5-6 shops. In…read moreaddition to buying a new bicycle, I also asked if they could swap some of the really good parts from my old bicyle to put on the new one. Usually a request like this will cost extra cash and it should be expected because of the additional work that needs to be done. I was expecting this would come at a really high cost. To my surprise, it was a lot less than expected. I feel as though I made out like a bandit in this situation. They're really knowledgeable and extremely patient. I was hit by two cars a few years ago. My body has changed because of that and I had a ton of concerns over this big purchase, They were able to address my concerns. They totally went beyond and above what I expected. I was on cloud 9 as I walked my brand new Marin out of the store. I would recommend asking for either Eric or Pat. They are the best at what they do and totally worth checking out. You'd be pretty dumb not to.

Eric was super helpful! First time stopping by- will definitely be coming back for any future needs.read more

Pioneer Bike Shop

(199 reviews)

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edmond is amazing ! i've had several problems with my bike while biking in the neighborhood, and i…read morecalled him and he was able to quickly and affordably fix my bike on multiple different occasions : )

Excellent experience at Pioneer Bike Shop! I text Edmond, the owner, and he responded right away. I…read morewas able to take my newly purchased used bike from FB Marketplace a week later for a tune up with him. Edmond text me the next day saying my bike was all ready for pick up and the total. Great pricing, great experience and great customer service from Edmond. I love supporting small owned business. I will definitely be coming back for future bike maintenance.

King Kog

(83 reviews)

Highly, highly recommend this bike shop, especially if you're an Ava voucher holder!…read more Such a seamless process at King Kog from the order to pick up. Literally took a 1-2 minute phone call to place my new bike order via phone. They verified my voucher number, confirmed my preferred bike choice, and informed me of the price and the anticipated pickup date. The overall process worked SO well and was SO efficient, that I honestly thought it was a scam, but I was pleasantly surprised when it all actually went according to plan! From date, to price, to customer service, it was all top of the line! They had a full bike shop of mainly XP4s waiting for pick up and this is probably why! This place had the best turn around dates, by far! I ordered the Lectric XP4 and everywhere else was claiming 2-3 month turnarounds for delivery and full assembly and King Kog promised a 2-3 week turnaround, and they actually delivered on time! Their process is so efficient. Everywhere else the process was super clunky and wanted 2-3 emails to process the voucher and here I was able to do it efficiently on the phone, all in one go. Can't recommend this shop enough!

King Kog is a great bike shop with good prices & skillful, kind mechanics. Its downtown Oakland…read morelocation is super convenient & the vibe is chill & easy going. They did a super fast & affordable tune-up on my daily commuter bike & repaired an older hard tail mt bike for my kid that now rides like new. I'll definitely go back to King Kog again. Thanks!

Westside Joe's Bikes

3.9

(220 reviews)

Amazing experience…read more I decided to move on from my non-motorized cargo bike to one that could give me a little help. I stopped by the Alameda location and they said 'here ya go" and gave me the Mundo I was interested in for a test ride around the island. I know, no hills, but... I went home to mull it over - it was a big purchase decision - and called back to confirm some stuff with the owner. Specifically I wanted it boxed and not yet assembled, not having the space yet untili I could get rid of my old one. Vivee offered to bring it to my place in Oakland, which was a huge help! She showed up in her classic old pickup truck and helped unload it. I tried to pay her through PayPal but I couldn't get it to go through. She said no problem, I think I may have given her a token deposit, she said swing by in a few days and settle up. They were really good to me with a couple of accessories for the bike, too. This was my first experience with them. I'm happy to have this shop as a local resource.

Pains my heart to give any 1 star review for small businesses…read more But I ordered a Veloric folding bike on 3/17 so I can reduce use of my car. Especially with gas prices. I also live in Walnut Creek and decided to go with a more "local" (used to live in Alameda) shop. Originally I was going to go for an Letric bike, but got convinced to go for the Veloric. So Vivee was nice enough to let me test ride one that was in the shop for service and I decided to buy one, but they didn't have any in stock. She asked if I can use Zelle and I wanted to use card, but she said she would face a 3.5% fee. Ok sure. We also bonded over tennis as well since my brother played and her kids play it and she was a hitting partner, which we found funny. We go over the options on what the bike looks like, what options I wanted and add-ons. I got a date of mid-April, probably more on the early end for me to pick up including assembly and shipping. Veloric would take 3-10 days to ship (from their site for direct to consumer) and then it would take time to assemble. So I presumed, ok, maybe it's quick and coming early. I'll call! I text Vivee on March 20 and she said she would check Monday when she got back. I didn't see a response. So I text back on Monday to check. No response. I call the shop (no response). I text again (no response). It's now 4/7 and yes I called and left a message on the phone and text. So the lack of response + Zelle payment + reviews I didn't read up here = panic. I decided to go and call Veloric to see what's happening. Veloric told me to try to work it out and confirmed there was a fold 1 that was delivered, but they couldn't confirm this was mine. Vivee did eventually answer the phone on 4/9, but said she was waiting on the shipment and said that she ordered a pallet and blamed the tariffs for the delay. So I decide to go in 4/23 when my bike was supposed to be there, but it turns out it wasn't. She told me she was ordering a pallet and she would install my bike first. She also said it was difficult to talk to Veloric's customer service team since there were trade shows. Turns out she lied. I had been in contact with Veloric's customer service team since March because I read some of the reviews and there was a Reddit post on them buying a bike there with a few other horror stories on people getting repairs and either never getting them done and having to pay upfront. Veloric told me they had not gotten an order from Westside Joe's since March 16 and I had come in on March 17 to order my bike. I truly wanted to support a woman owned minority business in my hometown of Alameda. But unfortunately, they are unable to be transparent on ETAs to the point where the manufacturer had to check for me and now I have to dispute with my bank. I've also posted my story to Alameda Peeps, and it looks like there are more horror stories. Moral of the story: It's great to shop local, but please be careful on who you chose to do business with.

Cosmic Cycles

4.4

(63 reviews)

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I highly recommend this shop to anyone looking for honest advice, quality repairs, or a new bike…read more I'll definitely be coming back for all my cycling needs. Thank you for the great service!

I've come here for several quick repairs and a few longer projects and I'm always happy with the…read moreresults. Staff is extremely knowledgeable and are usually able to help with a repair right away. Other shops often ask you to leave the bike and come back anywhere between one-seven days. The prices here are extremely fair for both the parts and labor. I'll be coming in with more projects in the future!

Sports Basement

(438 reviews)

Great rental experience! I recently rented 3 bouldering pads for a week, and the rates were a…read morefantastic value; much less expensive than other rental options I looked at. When we realized all 3 pads wouldn't fit in our car alongside our luggage, we went back in and the employee working was super helpful, easily swapping one out for a smaller size with zero hassle. Both picking up and dropping off the gear was completely seamless. Highly recommend their rental department; I'll definitely be renting and buying from them again!

Rating: 5/5 Stars If you're heading to Sports Basement…read moreBerkeley to gear up for the season, do yourself a favor and ask for BRANDON C. I came in needing a full "head-to-toe" setup for winter sports, and Brandon provided the kind of elite, professional service that is rare to find. His technical knowledge of snowboards, skis, and bindings is extensive; he doesn't just know the specs, he understands how the gear actually performs on the mountain. What really stood out, however, was his approach. He took the time to listen to my specific needs and concerns, making me feel both seen and heard throughout the process. I walked out (after 2.5 hours that flew by) not only with the right equipment but with the confidence I needed to get back out there. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginner, I'd recommend Brandon C. to anyone. He's a true professional who knows his craft inside and out. Thank you again Brandon C and SB and NIN.

Alameda Bicycle

4.5

(397 reviews)

WHAT WENT RIGHT?!? Everything. Not just today, when I came in with grease all over my hands and…read moreholding back my tears. Alameda Bicycle on Park Street is a part of the community, and I feel so honored to spend my money here. Gene, George and Crew are unmatched in the Bay Area. They sell mid-price range bikes, so no $300 bikes or $14,000 bikes. I bought my first new bike here after graduating from Cal, and got my first Wall Street bonus, moons ago. It was my dream bike, a black Cannondale, top of the line. After that, got married and had children and Gene saw me through training wheels through teenage years, then sadly through a divorce. Back in a bike and climbing mountains - loving life! Anyway, today, after trying all night to get my chain back on my new e-bike (not possible on the road) I walked in and George was at the door. He sensed my frustration and said, "Come on in." It wasn't an easy fix. But they worked on it, two guys 25 minutes, and 5 tools. Meanwhile, I walked into the showroom to check out the bikes (tee hee hee). Then I noticed a new coffee and tea station with a couch and chairs, and Madeline cookies. It's just what I needed after a frustrating night and morning trying to fix it myself. Such a mindful and kind touch. People easily complain, so positive heartfelt reviews are gold. Alameda Bicycle is a solid community member and business. Honest. If I don't need something, George will say, "You don't need that." Last time, I picked up some gorgeous Ortlieb panniers (which they installed) and a fix-a-flat for on the road flats. I forgot it on the counter -- it was here waiting for me when I returned a few weeks later. They only had my old digits! BTW, I didn't eat the last Madeline cookie. I saved it for you! Come and get it -- and remember to support these incredible bike angels. Super, super Good Vibes. The absolute best Alameda bicycle shop -- to me.

I came here in 2020 or 2021 to use their outside public bike tool station, but the air pump was…read morebroken or no longer available. One of the employees offered to let me borrow their floor pump. I was struggling to figure out how to use it, and the employee ended up helping me pump my bike tire. It's been years, but I still remember this kind gesture from one of their employees. It's hard to find parking around Park Street; it's convenient that they have four compact parking spots and one handicap accessible parking spot in their parking lot.

Uptown Bike Station

4.6

(43 reviews)

They are the dealer for Specialized. So you can send your Specialized orders to there and they will…read moreassemble it for you. The bikes are all Specialized. But other parts are from all vendors. Very customer friendly and very helpful staff

Quick, seemed to do a good job and were friendly at the store…read more Edit: re the below issue, they got back to me and sent me the inner tube. - Much appreciated. And now I would go there again. [from previous review: But annoying later - they put everything in a bag except an inner tube on the counter without drawing my attention to it. So I left with the bag. When later I asked for a refund or for them to send it to me, they said I had to come back to the store and acted like it was my fault, giving me a boiler plate "sorry you were unhappy with our service" rather than real understanding.]

The Towne Cycles

(113 reviews)

Dave and his crew are amazing…read more I brought my newly painted, steel vintage Atala frame and a box of parts. We talked colors and how I like to ride (commuting, cruising the city) to determine which parts we'd keep and which they'd replace. The bottom bracket cup was lodged in pretty tight. Several bike shops were unable to remove it, but Dave and one of his bike specialists had the tools and the knowledge to remove the Italian parts. They even realigned the back triangle without messing up the fresh paint job. Dave built the wheels with white rims and purple hubs. They replaced the bent bottom bracket and gave me a Rivendell inspired chain guard. Quality work on an 50 year old bike frame. Towne Cycles put Moonlight Legend back on the road where she belongs.

I came in for a custom bike consultation and david took the time to listen to my wishlist of…read morefeatures in a new bike. There weren't any frames that fit me in the shop, so he opened up facebook marketplace and we scrolled on there together until we found a frame that made sense + a color I liked. He went and picked that bike up and completed the rest of the build within about a week! Really appreciate the conversations had, the patience, and the community. They've also got local shows in their backyard Nextdoor one a month. Such a dope space and I've been recommending this shop to everyone :) took this new bike for a 10mi ride and everything's smoooth. thanks so much david and towne cycles friends!!

Oakland Rooter & Plumbing

(1.6k reviews)

These guys are great. Alberto was super knowledgeable and friendly, helped find the right parts to…read morefix the sink, and was fast and fair in his pricing. He also came that day and we talked about classic cars! This is the second time i've used Oakland Rooter and both times have been execllent. I recommend them bigtime! Thanks so much.

Best plumbers in Oakland!…read more I had a low water pressure problem in my kitchen and an issue with my dishwasher. I couldn't tell if the problem was the plumbing or if I needed a new dishwasher. Enter Oakland Rooter & Plumbing. Jose, the plumber that came to service my kitchen plumbing, was kind, professional and very skillful. He explained how he was diagnosing the situation and the process of elimination he was going through to get to the bottom of the issue. I especially appreciated that as a woman that loves learning about how things work. Jose answered all my questions and had some great analogies to explain the plumbing situation. I also appreciated that there was no upselling. Jose was clear about the tiers of support and associated costs and was honest about his recommendations and what would help. In the end, my plumbing issues were resolved at a reasonable price. I felt like I got five star service AND I learned a bit about how my kitchen plumbing works. Great service all around!

Model Shoe Renew

(756 reviews)