Rip City Skates

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8 months ago

This spot is such a cool homage to skating. When I came here, I was able to pick up a cool SMA deck from Bennett Harada. Chris and Freddy were really welcoming and helpful. The deck options seemed a bit smaller but they had a lot more of the local and hard to find decks. This place has a special place in my world of skating. Definitely worth checking out, even for all the skate history pieces they have hanging up. read more

Rip City Skates - Sick deck by Bennett Harada! Happy that I got to secure one of the limited pieces! - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Andrew ..

Elite 25

23

35

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1 year ago

Sick spot! For sure a classic skate shop. Killer selection of boards and shoes and apparel. Pricing is solid for what you get. And friendly service. read more

Rip City Skates - Exterior - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Peter C.

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1

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9 months ago

A great "original" (1978) skate shop, with great selection, prices and "old school" advice. I visit every time I'm in LA.

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Jason S.

138

194

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2 years ago

Best skate shop in the world, got my first board here still coming back. Awesome selection of stuff you won't find anywhere else and amazing vibes. Coolest crew, always fun and uplifting to visit. Where skateboarding all began, check it out! A++ read more

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Steven G.

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11

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1 year ago

This shop is one of a kind in the very best way possible! It was founded in the 1970,s and the shop was instrumental in helping the skateboarding sport become what it is today. The people behind the counter are amazingly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable! They carry a lot of the best brands and have very fair prices. Going into this shack style store is like stepping back in time and an experience not to be missed! I just purchased two skateboards for my six year old twin grandsons. I wouldn't even think of going anywhere else! Steven G. read more

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Jason R.

114

273

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4 years ago

What a spot! Love this place that's been around since the 80's with these 2 older surf/skate dudes running the joint that bicker like an old married couple, truely comical, but this place is straight out of the late 70's early 80'a what looks like a Wes Bulldog Humpston museum, truely a treasure and when your in Santa Monica you should stop in and support this establishment as it's a part of skate history. read more

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Virginia D.

235

983

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3 years ago

Friendly & fast service. Bought my protective gear when I was getting started. Did a little free tune up my board when I came in for new bushings. I'm a newbie & they are patient & explain everything clearly, which I appreciate read more

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Lisa M.

Elite 25

1

210

8

2 years ago

Just had a GREAT experience at Rip City. Been the market to build a board for a while but am not an expert. I've checked out several other places but got the feeling I was being upsold. I've always heard that Rip City is THE place to go from legit skateboarders & now I know why! They helpful, immediately understood exactly what I was looking for and had everything I needed. No bulls#*t here. Prices were also better than quotes from other shops. I highly recommend Rip City. It's the only place I'll go to from now on for all of my skateboarding needs! read more

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Laurie B.

0

6

5

4 years ago

This place is close to my gynecologist office, so I decided to stop in after an appointment. When I was younger, I used to hang out with skaters and punk rockers, so entering this place was nostalgic for me. I felt like a teenager again and wanted to light up a smoke and listen to some "Bad Brains" lol. I wasn't here to take a walk down memory lane after my gynecology appointment though- I was here to buy a gift for my nephew's 13th birthday. He has ADHD and his dad, my brother, thinks skateboarding would be good for him. If you ask me, the kid has A-Hole-HD. But even though my nephew is a fat a-hole, I still have to buy him a birthday present because he's still just a kid. The employee at the shop was nice and showed me a lot of cool skateboards. I told him that I was on my way home from the gynecologist, but he didn't seem interested. I told him that my car was still parked at the gynecologist office, so I might just ride a skateboard back to my car lol. I was just trying to make small talk, but the guy didn't seem to care. Even though it's 2022, men are still squeamish about stuff like the gynecologist and periods and stuff I guess. While I was trying to make up my mind on what to buy, a couple of teenage skateboarders who were about the same age as my nephew came into the shop, so I thought I'd pick their brains about what skateboarding brands they liked. They were definitely "too cool for school" but I managed to make some small talk with them. One of them was named Brian, and I told him that my gynecologist is also named Brian. The other boy was named Luke and I asked him if he was related to Luke Skywalker lol. They were trying to play it cool so I asked Brian if I could bum a smoke. They thought that was cool so we all went outside and shared a cigarette. I made a joke about how I always like to have a smoke after going to the gynecologist. They didn't seem to get it though. After picking their brains about skateboards, they asked me if I would buy them some beer. I told them I would think about it and went back inside to buy a skateboard. At this point I was light-headed from the cigarette and just wanted to get a skateboard and get out of there. Also, I didn't want my car to get a ticket in the gynecologist parking lot. That would suck. My health insurance doesn't cover gynecologist visits, so I didn't want to get a parking ticket on top of the $100 it costs to see Brian the gynecologist. Long story short, I bought a skateboard for my fat nephew and the guy was really helpful even though he didn't seem interested in the fact that my car was still parked at the gynecologist's office. On the way back to my car, I told the kids I would buy them beer for $10 on top of the cost of the beer. They agreed and gave me $30. I told them to wait for me by the McDonald's while I went and bought them beer, but I wound up just stealing their money. They're too young to be drinking and the $30 helped offset the cost of my gynecologist visit and the skateboard I just bought. Overall, this place is great if you need a skateboard! read more

Rip City Skates - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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David A.

0

1

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1 year ago

Really helpful with getting me a setup for what I needed. Also, good advice on wheels for my longboard. Would definitely recommend hitting them up and get some knowledgeable experience versus ordering online randomly. Support local shops! read more

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Jorge M.

4

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5 years ago

First time buyer at this location. Customer service was great! Although the shop is very small, they have nothing but the best selling brands. I ended up finding a Girl Deck-Blooming Designs. Best purchase ever! They even gave me a box so I can wrap the Deck- (Christmas present) I'll be coming back to this place for more goodies! read more

Rip City Skates - Girl Decks. - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Ej W.

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4

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2 years ago

Old school cool, nice to know that places like this still exist! Helpful laid back environment

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Sean T.

29

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4 years ago

These guys have great prices, and you can tell that this place has some deep skater soul. When you walk into this place, you can really tell that shops like this have kept the industry up and to come here to buy stuff is to also pay homage and support the skating industry as it began in the 70s. and as a matter of fact, the shop was built in 1978 and is still up and running today. Many businesses do not make it this far and it's an honor to buy and purchase stuff from the shop like this that's been around for so long.. Support these small shops that have been around so long because it's good karma . read more

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Danny H.

77

12

7

3 years ago

Ignore all the bad reviews. Most of them are all five stars. Anyway this place has been around longer than I've been born. Got my first board here in 2000 came back and got a pretty sweet board and the same Great experience I got when I got my first board. read more

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Robert C.

0

4

1

3 years ago

The staff at RipCity Skateboard shop are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. There is an array of outstanding apparel and skateboard related merchandise. The walls are adorned with priceless skateboarding memorabilia. A must vist sk8 shop for the hard-core skateboard enthusiasts!! read more

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T. N.

2

41

9

3 years ago

This place is a museum for skate legends. Today is my wedding anniversary and also the 45th year of this shop's opening. I bought my completes via mail order probably 35-40 years ago. What a nostalgic day buying skate gear for my daughter. Long live Billy and RC crew. read more

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Melissa Q.

159

40

6

3 years ago

Great customer service and friendly staff. My son got his first board here and they care all the safety gear we needed for him.

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Jana R.

9

164

205

7 years ago

what a store! what a place! like most college students, i utilized the leg-based art of walking to class, but i wanted a faster mode of transportation that didn't involve me being winded once i got to my lectures (i.e skateboard) (also, i don't care enough to actually run to class or wake up early lmao) we came in late on a saturday, about an hour before closing. the time spent there went beyond shop hours, but the staff was endlessly patient and answered all of our questions some highlights: - a fun, spry man with a backwards snapback informed me on the history of skating and cruiser boards. furthermore, he looked panicked when i said i didn't know who tony alva was - another employee gave me a little demo on foot placement in the parking lot next to the store! he didn't have to give me advice but he did. also he gave me a sticker :) tldr: got a board that matched my hair, almost ate $#!t in front of a woman driving a nissan at the carl's jr. drive thru out of respect to the folks in this photo i blurred out their faces :-) hopefully you get the same sense of excitement and confusion i felt at the time read more

Rip City Skates - me n the crew, next to the alva board selfie taken at the eager behest of the fun, spry, snapback man - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Bryan E.

71

127

45

5 years ago

Been going, shopping and spending yard work money here since I was a hanger on Grom. I've gotten to meet and hang out with all the Z-Boys and all the other pioneering greats at the shop. Thanks for taking my money (giving me stuff for free) and making the best memories one could ever have. The best misspent youth ever! read more

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C. A.

0

43

0

6 years ago

Legendary status. A land mark. What else needs to be said? I mean Rip City served all the best skaters. They carried Stüssy before it was the world known brand! Knowledgeable staff, the real deal, they don't try to do anything but sell you exactly what you're looking for. Proud to be a customer! read more

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Jen H.

110

139

224

11 years ago

Great place to take the kids for their first board and gear! Or for the older "kids" who still skate! It has been around since the 70's and continues to rip! If you want to get a real board created and designed by real skaters and support team members then look no further! Staff is knowledgeable and will help you find exactly what you need then put it together for you! You can also get pads and helmets that are officially and cool enough for the parks! read more

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Willard K.

Elite 17

125

187

189

9 years ago

Blown away... Most incredible skate shop I've ever seen. Seeking Authentic culture? Skate no further. read more

Rip City Skates - Dopest skate shop in the world! - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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John C.

3

19

2

4 years ago

Legendary spot. Cool people. Good products. Definitely the spot for skate stuff on the West Side.

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Will L.

62

324

630

9 years ago

The original skateboard shop in Santa Monica! Dogtown-Santa Monica, The motherland of Skateboarding!! Got my first board here as a kid. A lot of the old-school legends and founders of skateboarding still come into the shop from time to time. Huge selection of skateboards. Why go anywhere else when looking for board or an authentic Santa Monica t-shirt definitely a must-stop visit in SM!! read more

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Bryan S.

14

115

815

13 years ago

Original and still relevant! Been a fan and a customer for a long time now. Took a break from skating and have the bug again! Rip City deserves my dollar. They know what's up and we gotta support the locals. Keep the OG together in Santa Monica! Thanks, Rip City!!! Bought a dope Alva board today. So so happy! read more

Rip City Skates - Me and my beard and my Alva - Sporting Goods Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Roel C.

Elite 7

50

103

23

19 years ago

Since 1978, Rip City Skates has been selling skateboards, skateboard gear, and other shit you'll need to properly skate around Santa Monica. Rip City Skates, though it's on Santa Monica Blvd., is easy to pass by since you wouldn't expect a skate shop in this part of town. In fact, it neighbors a flower shop, a bed store that sells wall beds, and of course, a Carl's Jr. I bought a complete skateboard here, not knowing anything about the latest equipment (haven't skated for 15 years). The guys are really laid back and helpful, and sold me a quality set. Apparently, they're the home of the $99.95 complete skateboard. To me, they're the home to some Nike SB Dunks that you might not find at Undefeated and the like. Overall, I think it's better than ZJ on Main St. read more

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Laurent B.

12

23

3

8 years ago

Best skate shop in LA. Probably oldest skate shop too. If you grew up in the Westside you know this place. Great selection of Skate decks, trucks and wheels, and skate clothes. All the old school boards on the walls and ceilings are beyond impressive. This place is a Mecca and should be a museum! read more

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T B.

2

41

2

8 years ago

Feeling almost like a relic leftover from early days of skateboarding, this place is the real deal. The place is covered in skateboard history, from floor to ceiling. The guys who work there are super friendly and will answer any of your questions, no matter how dumb. They clearly love their jobs and only want to help you pick out a rad skateboard. After chatting it up for an hour and trying out some different board shapes, I walked out with an old school pastel '84 Santa Monica Airlines reissue that looks and rides like a dream. Places like this are why we need to get off our butts and stop buying everything on the internet. Support your local skate shop and be sure to check out Rip City Skates! read more

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James R.

0

65

20

6 years ago

If you call yourself a skateboarder and never been to RIP CITY, you're just a straight POSER KOOK!

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Sebastian P.

18

2

5 years ago

Old man Jenkins here charged me 180$ for a 60$ deck and 50$ trucks and mini logo hardware and bearings and grip, which are the cheapest parts ever made. He even said that the bearings were "Powell". He was super patronizing and treated me like I didn't know what i was talking about. What a SCAM! i will never come back here. He seemed angry that I was shopping there and said the components that I liked sucked. All the workers there would glare at me as if I were to steal something, take your business somewhere else. read more

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R W.

0

27

2

9 years ago

These guys are there OGs of the skate world. If they can't fix it, it can't be done. If they don't know the history of it, it hasn't been known or it has been forgotten and will never be recovered. Additionally, they are selling new gear that is fresh to death. Need new wheels? This is the spot. Want a new long board to cruise the board walk? Drop in, you won't be disappointed. Plus, they just solid dudes. Check, check, check... Check it out. read more

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Mad O.

Elite 23

796

452

1436

8 years ago

OG skate shop in Santa Monica that's full of the latest and greatest skateboards and stuff that NOT over priced...super helpful staff with the attitude to help out the novice customers. They did good for my kiddos and didn't try to over sell me to break the bank...thank you and keep up the great job and plz continue to be here for the new and old skateboarders....AWESOMENESS;))) read more

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Mervin P.

14

9

4

6 years ago

Legendary skateboard shop.Verny helpful and knowledgeable staff. They had good recommendations on local skatepark to check out.

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Karen J.

0

16

0

5 years ago

Bought Roller Skates for my baby's 21st. Awesome store, awesome people.

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Sandy J.

113

29

9

10 years ago

Rip City Rocks! This is where my brother got all his skate gear growing up. Jim is funny and down to earth guy. I also got my roller skates here 25 years ago and Jim helps me keeping thing looking great. Now i take my son here for his gear too. Santa Monica locals keep supporting this original skate store because we dont have many around with customer service. read more

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Marissa M.

0

14

0

7 years ago

Friendly staff, cute dresses for the ladies, coloring books on surfing for the kids and then some cool boards. Cheaper prices than the competition which is a few min away but whom I won't mention . Would definitely come back. read more

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Loren C.

91

42

5

6 years ago

Excellent crew and well advised on grip tape for my board. No sales pressure, just straight to the point. Old school vibe with current recommendations. Thanks for the grip and done in 10 minutes. I'll be back soon for any skateboarding accessories. Thanks again! Great service! read more

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Fifi T.

71

47

3

8 years ago

Best skateboards, they know their business well At first they were not sure I could ride a board ( due to my old age...45..)after insisting a bit I got a great board. They are fabulous with kids and the prices are honest . Definitely da place to go buy and re-buy skateboards and all what goes with it! read more

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chris M.

22

32

0

7 years ago

Old School skate shop. I bought Wheels and bearings for an old board I had laying around for years. I will not let Amazon kill local places like this. read more

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Bridget B.

Elite 15

331

602

4

16 years ago

Disclaimer - I am totally new to skating. I mean yeah I messed around when I was younger, but that was a loooong time ago. My husband and I decided that, at 32, living in a new city, obviously one of the things we should start doing was learn to skateboard. We live near Rip City and today we went in to talk to them about gear and tips. I was expecting to be looked down on as the newbie jerks that we were, but instead they were incredibly cool to us and wicked helpful. Never once did it feel like a situation of having them giving us the hard sell on the most expensive boards in the store or the most expensive protective gear. it was great. read more

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More info about Rip City Skates

2709 Santa Monica Blvd
Ste A
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Directions
(310) 828-0388
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.ripcity-skates.com

Hours

What time does Rip City Skates open?

Rip City Skates opens at 10:30 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.Rip City Skates opens at 11:00 AM on Sunday.

What time does Rip City Skates close?

Rip City Skates closes at 5:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.Rip City Skates closes at 4:00 PM on Sunday.

Mon-Sat 10:30 AM - 5:00 PMSun 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Payment methods

Does Rip City Skates take credit cards?

Yes, Rip City Skates takes credit cards.

Outdoor Amenities

Does Rip City Skates have bike parking?

Yes, Rip City Skates has bike parking.

Does Rip City Skates have parking?

Yes, Rip City Skates has parking options. Private Lot Parking, Street Parking

From the Business

Specialties

Quality Skateboards........Street......Skate Park.......Longboards..........Cruzers.........Vintage Also traditional Rollerskates (Quad Style Only) No Rollerblades!

History

Established in 1978.

Same location since day 1.........Next to Carl's Jr. Across the street from McDonalds

Rip City Skates Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Rip City Skates

“At this point I was light-headed from the cigarette and just wanted to get a skateboard and get out of there.”

Mentioned in 18 reviews

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Big 5 Sporting Goods

If you want to go to a place where people ignore you the entire time you're in there and then treat…read moreyou like shit when you go to ring up. This is the place for you! In dealing with the assistant manager who argues with you, rolls his eyes, tells the customer that they are wrong (despite his inability to do a simple exchange and a return with two separate receipts) & then still get charged incorrectly. We left with discontent for a place that once was a childhood staple. As he spent 20 minutes trying to do so while slamming the scanner, refusing to listen or admit fault, & making a lady wait behind when he could have called someone else... I began to wonder how this place stays open. In going on a separate occasion I watched another teller ignore an elderly man making a purchase, & consistently give him attitude as he inquired about his purchases. Additionally there's no common customer service or hello or thank you & in turn you're ignored. I rarely say this but I would have interacted with a robot instead of a human.

this is not the place to go for customer service. the employees there are not very happy working…read morethere, nor do they look like they have ran one lap around a track. POOR SERVICE. NO SMILES, NO THANK YOU. they do say welcome, but the volume when they say it lacks energy.

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Westwood Sporting Goods

Tennis shop ..different rackets ..ski shop ..Westwood…read more I would like to get a tennis racket from this shop. It said "Laurel Canyon" tennis. There was a case with autographed tennis balls...visit the UCLA tennis center.

Rick is an honest and helpful guy. I string my racquet with him regularly and his work is…read moreconsistently good. His racquet demo program is also solid. He only takes cash or Zelle and is more expensive than other stores but is worth it in my opinion.

Purchased in 1994!

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Agron

4.0

(1 review)

2.3 mi

If you have a warranty claim with your Adidas bag, backpack, hat, socks or underwear, you'll wind…read moreup here. I left one unreturned message at extension 3 for a Return Authorization, but I got a live person on my second attempt. She sent me detailed return instructions. I packed up my broken duffel bag and mailed it here at a cost of almost $8. I sent it on a Monday and got a brand new duffel in the following Monday. No communication, but fast processing.

One week later: new bag = satisfaction!

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Niky's Sports

5 star service, and amazing selection of jerseys, gear, and cleats. Good pricing and cool store…read moredesign

Ordered my sons uniform May 23. Called July 28th to see if we had any update with the uniform since…read moreseason was going to start and was told my kids uniform was there but not pressed because I had an open balance. My invoice states to call the client when the order comes in so I can pay for it and pick up and that wasn't done. I asked them if it was okay to pick up on the weekend August 1st the young man I was talking to said yes. I called August 2nd to confirm if order was ready for pick up since I don't live near, I get told that the 1 guy that is able to press the shirts has been out sick. To call back Monday to see if he is able to do it. I called Monday tied to talk to Joel he wasn't available, I got told they would work on it this week and I should be able to pick up after Friday August 7th. I called August 9th and the young man I spoke with said it's not ready should be ready in the following week! Like I'm not sure if you guys communicate with each other but it's so frustrating that we pay so much for a uniform and already have to wait a long time as well to get the uniform that we have to get at this store since this is where our club sends us and all this is happening and I know we aren't the only ones this happens too.

Hypervenom 3 Strike Night ...LAFC bag ...Nike Mercurial ShinGaurds

The guys @ the shop did a great job customizing my Blancos jersey, it's beautiful (-:

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Big 5 Sporting Goods

Big 5 Sporting Goods (4.5 stars) Nehemiah helped me on my…read morelast visit, and he was patient and helpful the whole way through. I've been in this store many times, and no matter what I'm looking for, they somehow have it tucked away somewhere. You just have to know whether to check upstairs or downstairs. They make the most of their space and keep a wide variety of items in stock. It's a clean, organized store with good staff and good deals. I always end up finding what I need, and the service keeps me coming bacK.

Came in looking for an assortment of shoes that were of the slip-on variety. Coloring and style are…read moreimportant, but so is comfort and price right? Was greeted instantly by a gentleman in the shoe section who was quick to recommend a few choices and didn't hesitate to go back and forth a few times. Big 5 has a decent selection of shoes and some big names. However, there prices are still too close to what you would pay in a named shoe store itself, like nike, adidas, new balance, etc. And while I didn't end up buying anything the customer service and staff as a whole were super helpful and pleasant. Lastly, now that it is summer they most certainly have everything one would need with regards to swimwear, pop up chairs, towels you name it. This Big 5 location has been a fixture in Culver City for a long time. Let's hope it stays that way.

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Offside Sports

Juan is absolutely amazing. Created my varsity jacket in 1991 and now my sons in 2026. Put…read moreamazing touches. I made lots of requests and it was fantastic. No stress no fuss just experience and a great guy. If you want the best varsity jacket, this is the spot. Juan ill bring my grandson in 2050, is it too early to pre order the jacket;).

Super quick, good quality embroidery on my graduation sash. The people who work there are very kind…read moreand thorough. A bit expensive for more complicated embroidery designs but I also don't have anything to compare it to.

Thanks Juan! Beautiful jackets, one for me in 1991 and the other for my son in 2026. Same customer service, quality work.

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We are at the Tour of Long Beach 2015!

Fanaticos

I went to buy 2 jerseys for the World Cup, but now I want to buy more soccer Jerseys. I love the…read moreprice and the quality. The owner was helpful and attentive.

Very friendly owner, large selection of items ranging from jerseys, shorts, balls and other…read moreequipment for good prices. Would recommend buying from here.

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Frontrunners

I had a great experience here buying new running shoes…read more Staff are very knowledgeable, starting with the professional-grade foot scan. I felt well taken care of, and was surprised that prices were lower than I expected would be in Brentwood. Free valet parking.

I went to this store to buy running shoes. I'm a seasoned runner with 2 finished marathons. The…read moresalesperson sold me asics super blast shoes. I dig them at first but developed swelling in my knee after a routine run. I thought it might've been a one off and need to break the shoes in some more however, the knee pain persisted. I wanted to support local businesses but was very disappointed by my experience. I'll go back to my usual store moving forward

Fussy picky gramps was finally happy.

Women's shoes

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Target

Well, I am not a huge shopper at Target like my girlfriend, but I have Yelped about a few…read morelocations. I was here the other day, and I like the size of it. Yeah, curbside parking may not be the best idea. I purchased just a few items. Service was good here, and I was happy.

I know they think the validate-your-parking signage is large and clear. It's not. About one of…read moreevery five people forgets to validate. But then when the automated system tries to charge them $12 at the gate, they get out of their car and walk inside. During that time, more cars get in line...except one in five of THOSE people has ALSO forgotten to validate. So the line moves forward...and then stops again. It took me 18 minutes to get out of the lot last week. It took me 12 minutes to get out of the lot yesterday -- eight of which were spent behind one person sitting in his car at the gate, refusing to get out, move, or pay. I'm not shopping here in person anymore. The parking gate completely ruins it. Trader Joe's across the street doesn't have this problem because they pay a human to be able to look at a receipt and not be a freakin robot.

My should I buy this top text

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Zone 3 Multisport

Good experience here. I needed two bikes boxed + packed for international air travel. Zone 3 was…read moreable to do it and the bikes made it safely. Only hiccup was that I was quoted a price of $60 and ended up being charged closer to $85 per bike. Reason was because our bikes aren't road bikes. I can understand the change, just wish it would've been called out when we dropped off the bikes or picked them up. Only saw a different price at the register when paying.

Hours are wrong have showed up and called multiple times. No one's there I guess they don't want my…read moremoney. Part of good service is being available when you say your going to be available

Riding in Palma de Mallorca

Thursday night group ride

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Cervelo P series

The Flower Lab

Una completely saved our wedding and elevated it in a way we could only dream of…read more We're not exaggerating: Una did all of this with TWO WEEKS' NOTICE. A family member gifted us the funds to be able to afford a florist just a couple of weeks before our wedding. We only had time for one meeting with her. She instantly got what we were going for, worked with us on getting the most for our budget, and made it all happen. We had seen how great her work was, but even still, she far exceeded our expectations. She made our wedding truly magical. We cannot recommend her & The Flower Lab enough!

Una and her staff are wonderful communicators. They handled all the flowers for our wedding. The…read morearrangements turned out gorgeous. Their attention to detail was outstanding. We were extremely happy with their service and attention from beginning to end.

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Leis Premium

Absolutely recommend this place! Beautiful fresh flowers... A shipment just came in last night so…read moreit was perfect timing and thank you for letting my daughter shine on her college graduation day... See you next time!

This is my first time ordering a lei at Lei's Premium and I'm a fan! I ordered an orchid lei for my…read moredaughter's graduation and I had a really good experience. Ordering was easy, their online shop is user friendly. You can set up when to pick up. At your pick up date, you arrive at their store and the person goes to the back and gets your order. Easy peasy! I also appreciate that they have sales which are awesome value and the leis are absolutely beautiful! Such great deals! They also package the leis really well, they're fresh and perfect for my daughter's graduation. Mahalo!

Lei

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Orchid lei

Traveling Tikes

I ordered the Joolz Aer Plus last minute right before a trip because they had a great discount, but…read morewhen I got to the store, I saw another customer buying the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 and suddenly I wasn't so sure about my choice. The owners, a husband and wife team, were incredibly helpful. They showed me both strollers side by side, gave me honest and thoughtful feedback on the pros and cons, and helped me make the best decision for my needs. I ended up going with the Bugaboo and I am so glad I came in to see them both in person. This is a great little mom and pop shop where the owners genuinely care about their customers and take the time to make sure you leave with what is right for you. It is refreshing to get that kind of service these days. I would highly recommend Traveling Tikes and I am happy to support a store like this.

My husband, parents, and myself went to this store to pick out a stroller before baby was born. The…read moreowner here was so incredibly patient with us as we took hours to decide. They answered all our questions and were so knowledgeable. The stroller we got is the best baby purchase we made!!! It makes life easier. Thank you to this store for making getting a stroller such a fun and personal experience. I can't wait to come back!

Come see our amazing selection of Peg Perego, Cybex, Nuna, Clek, Maxi Cosi Infant, Convertible & Booster car seats beautifully displayed.

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Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle

Super cute branch of this store! This is a cute little shop selling a lot of trinkets and…read moreinteresting stuff related to Japanese culture in Sawtelle. While waiting for a restaurant to seat you, you can walk around in here and look around. There were several things that were pretty unique to me, and I found the shop very well-managed and clean. Even though it was a small store, there was still several workers present which was pretty interesting to me. But yeah, I think if someone wants to buy anything related to anime, have any unique chopsticks, Pokemon, pencils, Sanrio, Studio Ghibli, or some squishy toys, they will enjoy coming here. Prices pretty reasonable. You will be tempted to buy something for sure! Lots of very cute plushies also and I found it funny/cool they even sold backpacks for Labubus! - no bathrooms inside - lots of blind boxes - cute eye-catching displays at the windows

I live down the street and come here often with my daughter. They are unfriendly to kids and they…read morethink this is a store for adults. Refused to give me a bag after buying $100 of stuff - dumb hill to die on. Overall just unfriendly vibe at this place when I visit.

Inside, front and center!

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Venice Plants

My partner had a very rude encounter with the owner. After we purchased one of their plants and…read moreproceeded to strap it to the roof of our car, the owner started yelling at us thinking we were breaking the tip of the plant (we were not) and called my partner a "fucker." Absolutely unacceptable behavior especially towards a customer that just purchased a plant. Candidly I had strange encounters from the other younger men from the store asking me for my ethnicity right after I was inquiring about a plant (which they didn't seem to know). Perhaps curiosity at best but certainly not relevant. Besides the rudeness of the owner, the selection of plants are pretty good, there are lots of trendy plants for cheaper prices than you would get from other stores. However they're all cramped together so it's hard to really identify or see them individually.

very friendly owner who was willing to give me good prices on plants! I bought this small guy for…read more15, but two weeks later I realized it's infested with spider mites. Now i have a weekend project ahead of me for the next couple weeks battling these guys, because despite the mites, the plant is beautiful. I guess to an extent, sellers cannot control pests when plants are in this close proximity to each other, but still very sad to see that this plant I paid 15 dollars for from here has now become a project plant...

6 year old fig tree!

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Gacha & Catch

4.3

(4 reviews)

1.9 mi

Gacha & Catch is a SEGA × TOMY pop-up retail / gashapon / claw machine store located on the Third…read moreStreet Promenade in Santa Monica. The shop recently reopened in March 2026. [Parking]: Easy public parking structure just a block away - the first 90 minutes = $1. [What to expect]: The shop offers North American exclusive Sonic & Friends merchandise like plushies, face cushions, accessories, etc. While the storefront mainly displays Sonic & Friends items, the shop also has gashapon from other anime series such as Dan Da Dan, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, etc. They also sell other miscellaneous IPs like Hatsune Miku, Sanrio characters, Nintendo, etc. Other items sold here include gacha backpacks, Licca-chan dolls (aka Japanese Barbie), etc. [Price]: $13 for 6 tokens - gashapon machines = 3 or 4 tokens & mini claw machines = 1 token for 2 plays. [Conclusion]: A great pop-up shop for anyone who's looking for specific exclusive items like Sonic & Friends merchandise or just wants to check out the cute anime merch they sell here.

Cool idea but rather overpriced. Got lured in thanks to…read moreInstagram advertisements. I'm a sucker for claw games. The problem here is that not to sound cheap the games are expensive for the value of tokens. 6 tokens are $13 that's like 2 tokens for $1 Some claw games give you two tries for 1 token but the Gacha mystery drops are typically like 4-5 tokens. I came for the hello kitty Sanrio and sonic the hedgehog collab and the small ones were $40 and the large ones $50. I got two free tokens one for the $30 purchase one for doing a survey. Was cool to check out wouldn't come back due to pricing. Literally just came for the sonic merch and considering it was $40 for a small plus I feel would be in a claw game that alone almost had me straight turn around and leave. The one dude working was kinda following us around a bit too much that was kinda off putting to the experience of checking out the place, lowkey felt like he was expecting us to steal and was shadowing us for that which felt awkward....

Inside

Anime merch (Jun 2026)

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

15 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Kelsi P.

7

3

0

14 years ago

Picture if you can, a rather conservative 53 year old great aunt, inquiring about a Sex Pistols deck... Both the sales "kid" and I thought it was pretty funny too. The board is for my great nephew, and from what I understand, "your deck" is a form of self-expression. If that is true, then you have to shop Rip City. I'd been to some chain stores (doesn't matter who), and the "feel" of their inventory was very "cookie cutter". I'm sure Nathan (my nephew), could take a stock board and customize it, but the one I chose was "cool" to begin with. Thanks Rip City Skates staff, for helping an "old lady" (tongue in cheek) be cool. read more

Mike G.

0

3

0

13 years ago

Rip City is the original Santa Monica skate shop. Jim has been there as long as I can remember... This shop is the only place I buy my gear, maybe out of some misguided nostalgia, but more than likely because there is not a better shop on the planet. Whether I was living in the valley, Venice, Hollywood, or even South Orange County... I always take the trek back to SM to hit up Rip City to get my decks, hardware, hell even just a new Rip City shirt... read more

Joel E.

0

1

5

4 years ago

og skateshop on the westside of los angeles. the oldest skateshop in los angeles and almost the whole world at this point. rip city skates will be here forever. locals only. tourists are welcome to come and learn about our culture and see it face to face. peace, blessings & madd respect to bill at rip city skates. - joel @ghettofresh_clothing read more

Nathan C.

10

3

14

7 years ago

www.nrc78.com Best skateboard shop in Los Angeles been around since 1978 historical landmark a museum of modern day venture through the history of skateboarding and might run into the kernel when you're down there you never know what side boo yeah it doesn't your login read more

Lizabeth A.

0

7

0

14 years ago

My husband LOVES this establishment. They have been around forever and are SO personable and helpful and have the best old school stuff. These guys know their stuff! Whenever it is gift giving time, I go here..he is NEVER disappointed. read more

Nathan C.

37

6

50

9 months ago

Amazing nothing really compares to rip city skates!!!! Established in 1978 for the chosen view " get your skateboard on "

Dylan P.

0

6

0

12 years ago

I have been going here since I was in middle school. Love the shop and the people.

Chuck R.

235

130

7

15 years ago

Awesome skate shop. Been around for along time. These guys have seen it all

Renato B.

0

6

0

14 years ago

coolest sk8te shop in town,owned and operated by the originals!!!

Brett S.

11

6

0

14 years ago

got my longboard there and i love it. It was a very mellow store.

Steve E.

0

3

16

16 years ago

sick skateshop with good prices! these guys are cool! thanks

Nestor F.

0

1

4

15 years ago

Was good time very helpful highly recommend.

Corrado G.

3

47

2

6 years ago

The one and only, must visit at least once.

Bruno P.

0

4

0

15 years ago

If you skate, you must go to Rip City!

Darren D.

0

2

0

19 years ago

landmark skateshop!!! nuff said...

Rip City Skates - sportgoods - Updated August 2026

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Bay Street Boards

(85 reviews)

TL:DR - Friendly customer service, bad surfboard repair job…read more This is going to be a long review, but if you want the short of it. -Took my longboard in, to repair a scrape, and get it color matched. -Got back a repair job that isn't color matched at all. The repair isn't even flush with the board. -Got more dings on my board than when I took it to them. -Check the photos. If you surf in California, it's not a matter of IF you'll get a ding on your board, it's a matter of WHEN. All the surf spots are lined with rocky shores that will ding your board. I am no exception to this rule and have dinged my longboards many more times than I can count. The one upside to this, is that I've become really good at repairing dings of all kinds. Whether it be on the bottom, the rail, the tail, the nose, anything I can do. What I can't do though, is color match. That is a magic unto itself. I was looking to sell an orange longboard of mine, but it had a scrape on the bottom side of it. It's not deep and it didn't crack through to the foam. If I wasn't planning on selling the board, I'd sand it down, fill it up with a little bit of Q-fill if it needed it, then fiberglass over it. Done and Done! BUT, I want to sell it, so it needs to look good, it needs to be color matched, and it needs to work. I heard a lot of great things about the repair jobs from Bay Street Boards, and decided to take it to them to color match and fix it. BIG MISTAKE. I should've known better when I pulled up to the shop and saw someone balancing a 9ft' longboard over their knees while scraping off wax. No stand, the board just wobbling about, almost hitting the concrete ground. Yeesh. I relayed all the info above to the repair guy and he said it was doable. He said color matching is tricky, but that'd he get it close enough. I was charged a $120 and left my board with them. I wasn't in any rush to get my board back, and it was about 5 weeks before I could pick it up. Is this fast or slow? I'm not sure, like I said, I do my own repairs and can fully repair a ding in a day. PRO-TIP: if you are going to get your board repaired by a surf shop, remove all the wax off of your board. There are 2 reasons for this: 1. If there is any wax near the damaged spot it will fuck up the repair. Wax will gum up the sanding pads, it will interact poorly with the resin, and it gets everywhere. Take it off. The repair guys will love you for it. 2. Removing the wax, will give you a very intimate look at your board. You will see any dings or damages that you hadn't noticed before. This is also important because it gives you a reference point and will let you know if the surf shop messed up your board even more. (Foreshadowing) I pick up my board and in the dim light of the surf shop, I can tell the color match isn't even close. It looks like they sanded over it with a too high of a grit sanding pad, and then glassed over it. They didn't sand it down at all to smooth out the fiberglass texture, and they certainly didn't add any dye to the resin to try and color match it. What the fuck?! In the dim light of the shop, I didn't notice that the sanding job was shitty too, it wasn't even flush with the board at all. There's a couple small depressions where the ding is and it's wavy. If you're going to do a shit job, at least make it flush. Every surfer knows to make the board flush on the bottom, you want that water to glide over it without any friction. At home, I had more time to study the board and found even more issues. I noticed that there were small gravel sized dings on the bottom of my board. Each dug into the board about an 1/8 inch. I know these were not there before because of having de-waxed my board and because these are literally impossible for me to get while surfing. These could only occur if you put a surfboard down on concrete/gravel ground to work it. (Remember that guy outside the shop.) Just to hammer home the case, the ding by the finbox can ONLY occur when there is no fin in. Nothing could hit the finbox at all with a fin in. And how do I know I didn't have these dings beforehand, refer to pro-tip #2. Another thing I noticed were resin drips on the bottom of the board that had hardened. This isn't that bad of an issue to correct, just a little sanding, but the fact that they did that, let's me know that they're sloppy and don't pay attention to details. Overall, this was a terrible experience. I paid a $120, for a bad repair job that I'll have to undo AND I have new smaller dings on the board that I'll also have to fix. Yeeew!

This place is a small gem. Always really welcoming, helpful, and nice staff, cool selection of…read morelocally made apparel, zines, and true surf fanatic gear and equipment. Great selection of used boards. Hope it stays around forever, even though there are so many changes taking place on the surrounding blocks.

Intuition Skate Shop-Santa Monica

4.3

(27 reviews)

Great and Knowledgeable people, especially Aaron and Justin! I went in because one of my back…read morewheels on my skates had fallen off. They were so helpful with the repair and even gave me advice on if I were to need more efficient skates that they had a variety of selections to choose from. I will be back once I get better at skating, I love to support local businesses.

Eric the social media guy helped us out and was so nice! There aren't really any skate shops like…read morethis in the valley so we came out here with my MIL. They helped her find exactly what she needed and answered all of our questions. You guys rock!

Maui & Sons Retail #2

4.6

(10 reviews)

•$$$

Many thanks to Cheryl and Josh for the VIP service on a rain day. Unreal selection of items for M&S…read morefans old and new.

Looked around but the two girls behind the counter didn't say two words. Found a few stickers to…read morepick up for my daughter but after standing at the counter listening how one needed the others mom to pretend to be hers so they could go get something done somewhere...and not once asking if I needed anything....I left. I'll take my business...and my money...somewhere else.

Innercity Skateshop

(11 reviews)

Came in looking for some hats and a deck for the holidays. First time here and I couldn't believe…read morewhat they had in stock. Gonna come and stop by more! Gonna Take the kids and see what they like for sure.

The inside of this shop is set up really cool. Huge selection, perfect place to buy your first…read moreskateboard or your 100th skateboard. Skater owned!

Frontrunners

4.1

(274 reviews)

I had a great experience here buying new running shoes…read more Staff are very knowledgeable, starting with the professional-grade foot scan. I felt well taken care of, and was surprised that prices were lower than I expected would be in Brentwood. Free valet parking.

I went to this store to buy running shoes. I'm a seasoned runner with 2 finished marathons. The…read moresalesperson sold me asics super blast shoes. I dig them at first but developed swelling in my knee after a routine run. I thought it might've been a one off and need to break the shoes in some more however, the knee pain persisted. I wanted to support local businesses but was very disappointed by my experience. I'll go back to my usual store moving forward

RYU Apparel

(4 reviews)

LOVE this latest addition to Abbot Kinney!…read more Went to the grand opening yesterday and instantly fell in love with the clean lines and cuts. All the shirts I tried on felt like some kind of technical cashmere, and more importantly, made me look sexy, like when Shrek's donkey drank that magical elixir and became a sexy stallion. Never thought athletic streetwear could look so sleek. Nike could learn a few things from this place. I believe this brand is from Australia, and what ever they're doing down under is on the up and up. Love the brand theme of #respectyouruniverse. Oh, can't forget a shout out to their super sleek backpacks. They're almost futuristic, but all kinds of practical. You have to check out their one-strap small backpack.... something even Boba Fett would sport in an instant (even has room for 2 lightsabers and a blaster too!). Prices are extremely reasonable, and you'll love the haute couture vibe. Super friendly staff too! Ask for Xavier (he has connects with the boss).

Amazing athletic wear with a very personalized and upscale experience. The staff caters to your…read moreneeds is warm and friendly and ensures you are educated about the brand and each crafted piece you are purchasing. I love it's very comfortable to shop here and does not feel pretentious and uninviting. I was offered iced tea while I shopped, and got a few pieces that were great quality and fit. I love how they have a comfy couch and aromatherapy for others to relax while you shop, this is the only store right now in the US other then the NYC store. It's a Canadian brand which you know means fair labor wages and high quality!!

America's Best Choice

(3 reviews)

If you are a true skater, America's Best Choice, SKB Inc. is your best choice for upgrading your…read moredeck, getting wheels and barring for your skates, or just putting together your brand new professional quality skateboard. One grandmother wanted to buy her grandson a skateboard for Christmas. Grandma went to Walmart, so proud of her purchase. Son's father tells Grandma to get her money back because Grandson is not a beginner. Grandson is glad, but the challenge is how to get the most for Grandma's low budget. We thought to support the local skate shop, but America's Best Choice SKB price for a brand new set up deck and all was 20-30% less cost than the local shop. Plus, they put together the new board on the spot at no extra cost. So why would you go to any other shop when you can go to a one-stop-shop like America'a Best Choice SKB Inc? It's a no brainer!

Best skate shop in LA - good prices good people. Don't buy your board on Amazon go to these truly…read moresolid people !

Champs Sports

3.8

(5 reviews)

Good customer service and dope Staff. Love coming here. 1 of the ladies put me on to their…read moreoversized heavy t's and I'm In love with the quality . Excellent pricing as well.

Customer service is horrible the workers just stand around and talk to each other I wouldn't buy a…read morepair of socks from this place

E-Glide

3.7

(23 reviews)

COVID LOCKDOWN UPDATE…read more I've had the bike for a few years and now have over 1,500 miles on it. I still get 20-21 mile range using just the throttle @ 20mph, brakes are still there, and the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires still look almost brand new. I've ridden over some pretty crazy shit in LA and I've yet to get a flat. Also, I've done 40+ miles using pedal-assist on medium the whole way and still had charge left when I got back home. Just recently the two plastic hooks that secure the controller to the frame cracked, but I gave Dave a call and offered to mail them to me free of charge. But, i'm in NOHO so I decided to make the 15min-no-traffic-CoronaVirus-drive. And when I arrived, Dave just handed me the replacement pieces no questions asked. I know the tech is out dated and there are faster, lighter, better looking E-Bikes out there now in 2020 - but I LOVE THIS THING! Dave, when you start producing an updated 28mph ebike with hidden battery and gates carbon drive I'll make my second purchase! :)

I have an electric bike made by E-Glide, which is the SS model. I need to replace the battery and…read morethe lock. I am trying to contact "Dave and Mike" to no avail. Mike's phone greeting message: "Our preferred contact is by email... we respond in 24 hours" is not true! I am not impressed with their bike. And their customer service is lacking decency.

Hot Rod

4.1

(60 reviews)