Visiting Backcountry was such a refreshing experience. From the moment I walked in, everyone was warm, friendly, and genuinely happy to help. You can immediately feel the good energy in the space. The team was not only knowledgeable, but fun and engaging to be around. They took the time to answer questions, offer guidance, and make sure I felt set up and excited for the adventure ahead. Nothing felt rushed or transactional. It felt like being welcomed by people who truly love what they do and love sharing it with others. They made me feel comfortable, included, and ready to get out there and enjoy everything Tahoe has to offer. In a mountain town, places like this really stand out. Great people, great vibe, and the kind of shop that makes you want to come back. Highly recommend supporting them. read more

Great service! They really worked with us to help solve a problem with one of our bikes.

This is the go-to backcountry gear store in all of California - I kid you not. Almost a relic of the past but a much needed and sought after place that sells all manner of backcountry gear from bikes to free heal ski gear. The staff are deeply knowledgeable and the quality of the gear is outstanding. Also, considering that this kind of gear outfitter is kind of hard to come by anymore, the prices are totally great!! read more

Good guys. No bs, honest folks who notably do not patronize customers like other shops in town.

My husband has purchased gear for winter sports here. Reasonably priced, good selection, staff knowledgeable. I recently purchased a high end bicylce that needed some modifcations for this short person. They were honest, knowledgeable, not pushy. I came back a a couple of times, given a big purchase that needed extras. I had some special order items that did not arrive on time. They kept me updated on the vendor's mishaps and adjusted timeline, expectations. They made right on the deal, considering the delays, and had a quick TAT on the install when the parts did arrive. This bike is rad! I would definitely recommend this shop for your summer or winter sports gear, equipment. read more

Excellent fast quality service One of the best bike shops I've ever been to and fair prices read more

True experts of their field! They take the time to help you find what you need and compare your options. The owner Mike helped me try on ski boots for over an hour at the end of what I'm sure was a long Saturday! These folks are good people who are stoked to get people outside and enjoying the backcountry. I love that they have an integrated texting system, makes it easy to hit them up with any questions and keep track of your account! Definitely will be back read more

Another visitor to Royal Gorge nordic ski area recommended Backcountry as "the best around" - and I am happy to share that opinion. My old XC boots separated from their soles - and the first man who greeted me handed me off to Mike who happily shared his knowledge and recommendations. He took a look at my skis, assured me they could put BC NNN bindings on them -- and I would have bought bindings and boots if they had boots in my size. Sadly, they did not -- but I'll be happy to stop in at Backcountry again in the future when I'm in the area. Excellent Covid measures, limits on the number of people in the shop, hand sanitizer and knowledgable customer service. read more

I had a repair done on my bike that could have been a frustrating challenge for me. Repair was prompt and well executed. Thanks to Daniel for his skilled input. read more

I haven't read other reviews, but every single encounter I've had with this business has been somewhere between positive and truly outstanding. When we are in North Tahoe this is my first stop for anything I need, or for bike or ski service. read more

This is an amazing bike shop. I have not been in a single bike shop that has more inventory (including their onsite warehouse) The service and staff are very helpful. I would say it is worth a 3 hour drive from the Bay Area ...... While your up there, take in a great trail. read more

Super nice and friendly guys and owner Mike. My husband is super particular and spent months researching mountain bikes. He had a million questions for them about nitty gritty details of each bike and they were always pleasant and professional. After buying the bike they were very helpful when my husband panicked that he bought the wrong size (let him come back and try the other size just to put his mind at ease). They also suggested various other adjustments and helped him get dialed in. These guys really know their stuff and want to share their passion for mountain bikes. I don't mountain bike but if I ever wanted to get a mountain bike, I wouldn't hesitate to travel here to get it. read more

I needed a replacement clamp for my Black Diamond hiking stick. They went well beyond expectations in finding and sending it to me at a reasonable price. read more

Brought my bike in with 3 different problems (loud rear brake that has been troubling me for 3 years, spongy brakes, and a loose adjustment collar on the crankset causing the crank to have play in it.) I built the bike myself and wasn't sure if these problems could be solved or if it maybe was the parts I used / age of the bike. Called - person I spoke with said they could look at it and was very helpful on the phone. Visited the shop spent 20 minutes talking about what the issue might be and also whether the repair was worth the money and effort considering part of the issue was the older design of the bike (Disc brakes with QRs vs solid axle hub) . He kept saying "this could be expensive". Regardless of all the fair warning I wanted to proceed. I just have too many things on my plate right now and was totally willing to spend a few hundred bucks to get my bike dialed in as these problems have plagued me for years. Picked up the bike later that day they repaired all three issues and changed the rear brake pads. Total cost was $78. This is less than 1 hour of shop time. I was blown away it was such a low bill I kind of feel bad and need to go back and buy some more big ticket items to support them. 2 phone calls and a consultation in the parking lot plus parts and labor makes the $78 bill seem like they really undercharged me. Love this place for backcountry skiing and cycling gear and will certainly consider them my new preferred bike mechanic in N Tahoe. If I buy a mountain bike in the future I will definitely consider them. read more

If you are looking to rent a couple of bicycles; this is the shop that you should go into. Their customer service was top notch. Their prices were very reasonable. For half of a day we were able to rent a bicycle for $30 each (4 hours) . Full day is $60 each. They have more expensive ones, but for our family there was no need. To rent a helmet it is $5 each. We didn't need a reservation, but we made one anyways for the next day. Great place, highly recommend them. read more

The BackCountry - Outside - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Truckee, California

So much great stuff and gives great advice. Jackets, skis, bikes, helmets ... everything you could need with friendly seevice. Make this your first stop for shopping. read more

The go to shop for backcountry skiing needs. Everybody in the shop just climbed Mount Everest last week. They know the gear they sell, they know the gear they don't sell, and they know how to ski the back country, so they are a wealth of information, I have never been steered wrong over 20 years of going there for my skinny telly skis all the way through my AT gear now. In that summertime they switch it over to mountain biking and hiking. I have their stickers on all of my skis. Occasionally they do some shop-based touring and they are well-connected with the avalanche safety instructors in the region. read more

Super nice staff. Bike service shop is filled with magicians. I've taken my bike in three times elsewhere to try to fix the squeaking without success and suffered for months. They managed to unsqueak my bike. Rides like a dream now. read more

One of the best gear shops in America. Bought killer BC skis from 'em two years ago, got great advice and good price. Wish they'd relocate to South Lake where the skiing is better! Very glad to see strict COVID measures when I visited today; can't come in unless you ring the doorbell. Bring your jacket in case you gotta wait outside -- and be glad they're stopping the spread so we can keep skiing! read more

Friendly and knowledgeable customer service. Good selection of back country skis and mountain bike rentals. Easy process.

Only worked with them for touring boots, so if that's what you are looking for, I would strongly discourage from buying at this place. This is simply a shop that doesn't stand behind its services and products, does not think on behalf of its customers, and apparently think too high of themselves that they think they have reached some kind of monopoly. Many people here gave them good reviews, but if you read the not-so-good ones, even just the first few that pops up, say those from Christina D. and Scott E., you will quickly notice they are complaining about similar things. All of our experiences could be "one man's bad day" as Christina says, but this is solid proof that this shop is consistently bad at those things I just pointed out! Come here, get something, and it works great that you never need to work with it again, then this shop will likely give you a good experience. Otherwise, it will be your "bad day". The rest is my story: I got a pair of touring boots from them last year and it's a pair that simply won't work for me. Touring boots or ski boots in general are the kind of things that you really won't know how they are going to work until you have used them for a few times. Most businesses do survive on their promise that the boots they recommended and fitted to you will ultimately work, i.e. stand behind their service. I have assumed this will be the case given the shop's reputation and good reviews. However, this wasn't the case at all. I have tried very patiently to work with the shop itself, with multiple professional boot fitters (which cost me a fortune), with a pro ski guide, as well as all kinds of small tips such as kinds of socks and tapes, taping technique, use of lace, buckling strategy etc. from internet and friends. The shop in the beginning did exchange me for free for a different size, which I thought was pretty cool. (But seriously? Size is probably the easiest thing to get right on boot fitting! ) However, all of these didn't solve my problem, which is severe heel rubbing, as tested out in my two day trips, one week-long trip, and one overnight trip (which was a trip happened after the exchange and was cut short simply due to the poor fit as well as the wounds on my heels). Even with all of these, I was going to patiently work with them again this year as well. After they helped me trying all the boots they have, and since I have learned so much about BC boots from this experience, I thought (as well as upon consultation with other professionals), none would work for me and it is time to ask for a refund. Then, they become the ones who flipped first. From their perspective: you are giving us back a pair of used boots and we have spent so much hours working with you, so we will take $150+ for it. You have been bothering us for so long and we think you are just completely unworthy of our service anymore (coincidentally I saw at least another one-star review here talking about the same idea haha) so please don't come back anymore. Fair enough. You have worked and you deserve to be compensated. This is why I have worked so patiently with you. You have worked and my business is yours. I have tried to think about you even if it complicates me. To only give me a partial refund in this situation simply meant you don't back up your own service and product. Also, if you think just slightly on your customer's behalf, what have I done wrong? I simply came in trusting your knowledge to get me a pair of boots. When things go wrong, I tried to find help from you as well as by myself extensively. Although I developed doubts about your abilities I have never questioned and I tried my absolute best to solve the problem within your shop, to keep the business yours. Not until I truly ran out of all my options did I ask you for the refund. I ended up losing $350+ for nothing but all of these troubles (another $200 on various thins I have done myself to get the boot working), which I have clearly explained to you, and even after all of these I never lost my manners and you are the ones that got mad and want to punish my "mistakes" by casting me out of your holy shop? I am mad but also at the same time amused by this childish behavior because you would seriously think that I would go back to you after this whole experience??? I guess my only mistake here is to trust your service, your knowledge, and you as people in general. read more

I was just about to delete this review because it's so old. I assumed they'd seen it and addressed the issue and figured it didn't need to linger on their reputation. Then I saw this reply. Wow. It's pretty upsetting to be accused of lying, but I see that the owner told another customer here to "f-off" so that's really all I need to know. For the record: I am an avid mountain biker very active in my trail community and a strong supporter of local businesses. I would *never* arbitrarily bash a bike shop for no reason, nor would I publish any assertion that is untrue. I believe that I was open about the positives of my experience: the shop staff was very friendly and attentive and genuinely tried to fix the issues with the bike. I did have to pay for parts, but they were discounted. It was a brand new Kona Process 153, bought directly from the shop. It had all of the problems listed in my review. I was on vacation in CA and not able to finish the repair process with the shop because I had to return home. I'm saddened to make this decision, but I'm not going to remove this review. read more

Awesome bike shop! The customer service was fantastic, great selection of gear and nice people ... they helped hook us up with a new clamp system for a gear shifter that would have been otherwise hard to find on the fly. Definitely will be back. read more

Helpful, friendly, fast and fairly priced I desperately needed skins to climb up the mountain since all the lifts were closed. I had never purchased skins before. These guys were great. I didn't know all the details of what I needed. They were super helpful and never once talked down to me, which could have been a natural reaction for someone who knew as little as I did about what I was getting into. When they were done cutting down the skins they took the time to help me learn how to put them on and take them off with a few pro tips thrown in that made a huge difference when I got to the top of the mountain. They charge fair prices for the service and the gear. It was worth every penny I paid. I waited while they cut the skins down to size for my skis. They had a long line of work and still managed to get me in and out in a reasonable time (quickly given the nature of the work.) read more

Fantastic local business, that truly looked out for a local teenager trying to move up in the world of mountain biking. Back story: My wife and I were NOT avid mountain bikers (we are now thanks to our son). My son spent the previous summer working full-time to earn himself the money to buy his first REAL mountain bike, a hard tailed Trek. He immediately took to the sport and was riding the mountains of Tahoe anytime he could. Over the winter, the kid worked two jobs and saved his money like a squirrel saving nuts for the winter. As soon as Spring arrived, he joined the local mountain bike team and started looking for a new, more competitive mountain bike to spend his hard earned money on. We stopped into The Backcountry and met Patrick. He spent almost two hours with us, going over the different brands of bikes they carry and helping my son figure out what would best fit his budget and riding style. My son was able to ride any bike he wanted around the shop. He settled on a bike he liked and we learned while the bike wasn't in The Backcountry's rental/demo fleet, we could rent anything from the showroom for the day. The price was double that of a demo fleet bike, but as long as we purchased from the Backcountry, all rental money would be applied to the purchase price. A few days later, during a break from the May rains, we rented two brand new bikes and were off to the trails for testing. My son quickly fell in love with one of the bikes. After a day of riding, we returned the bikes to the store and told Patrick which one we wanted. This is where The Backcountry really took care of a hard working teenager. With out getting into all of the particulars, we found out the bike he wanted wouldn't be available for several months. Behind the scenes and without us knowing, The Backcountry made things happen that we didn't think were possible and the end result was my son got everything he was hoping for. Something that would not have happened if The Backcountry didn't go above and beyond. You guy's made my son's summer one he won't soon forget! From what I saw, Backcountry carries a wide selection of bicycle gear. Several different manufactures are represented, there are dozens of bikes in stocks. Bike accessories, clothing, helmets, books, maps, etc. There was more in the store than I had time to find, so get in and check them out. read more

Purchased a most excellent alpine touring set from here. So glad to have expert staff to help with sizing, type of ski and bindings. I was coming from 30 years of telemark exclusively so informed help was very important. A season later, some yahoo (me) ran over the skis in the resort parking lot, busting up the binding. Brought the ski into THE BACKCOUNTRY at 5pm and they repaired the binding while I waited. Those guys at the workbench are masters of the trade. WOW ! Gonna embezzle some family funds and score a pair of powder skis from them. Just the best shop. read more

Went to this shop to check out some EMTB. I was immediately greeted by Mike who took the time to educate me about mountain bikes and e mountain bikes. I was very impressed with the customer service and quality of their inventory selection. Ended up buying two bikes and will be back to pick up some additional gear for the bikes. They provide free lifetime maintenance on the bikes they sell which is a huge plus. So glad I came into this shop and would highly recommend this shop to everyone. Thank you Mike and Patrick for the amazing customer service. read more

The BackCountry - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Truckee, California

Bought an expensive mountain bike here 2 years ago. Brought it in recently to check out a clunk and the guys at the shop were a good all around bunch. Problem is with the arrogant and rude owner/mgr. I ask him if we can go in to look at some bike gear and he starts questioning what I want and why I want to look around and starts going off on some COVID rant about how hard it is to operate. Why are you letting people come in if your so afraid of it? I'm wearing a mask unlike all of your employees. Make a decision guy!!! Are you open or not!???? Would never buy anything from this jerk off again. I tell everyone not to go to any of his stores. Will take all my purchases elsewhere. There are lots of great bike shops in and around Truckeee read more

I got a new e-bike that was a lemon. The guys did their best to keep it rolling. When it became clear that the bike was defective, the back shop crew and the manager went out of their way to get me a brand new replacement bike from the company. The staff and service are great and they have a huge inventory. I'm so glad I bought my bike from them! read more

Super knowledgeable and helpful staff, best selection in Tahoe! I go here for all my backcountry skiing/mountaineering needs and have always had a good experience. Can't beat the convenience, and their selection is way better than the alternatives (Alpenglow, Tahoe Mountain Sports). I've learned a bunch of helpful tips already in my interactions with staff - they recommended skin wax and base paste that made my uphill and downhill experience much better, plus the right skins for my skis. Thanks again! read more

My fiancée and I bought a complete backcountry ski set up here several months ago, boots, bindings, skins, poles. Day of purchase was excellent as well as the 3 follow up visits to have our boots adjusted and get local backcountry beta. Mike the owner walked us through all of our options for backcountry kits as we transitioned from resort snowboarding and were out of the know. Jonah talked to us about split board options due to our snowboarding background. It wasn't necessary but a testament to the shops desire to make sure we get exactly what we want. After the mounting Caleb was very friendly and re-walked us through the functions of the bindings. Very helpful. Paul... we cannot say enough about how much Paul has helped us out in getting comfortable in our boots. Comfortable! In ski boots!!! Through 2 (or 3) visits for adjustments, stretching, boot board inserts (all free of charge) my fiancée and I, with very strange feet, now have comfortable boots and are stoked about extending the length of our adventures in the sierras and Tahoe area. Thanks Backcounty! Everyone in your staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. We will be back soon! read more

They have a great selection of bikes even with the supply chain constraints during the pandemic. We have been looking for all mountain/enduro bikes for the bike park for awhile and most places did not carry the brands we wanted and if they did, it was out of stock. The staff was super helpful and enthusiastic about mountain biking. They wanted to make sure that I picked out the right bike me. I originally had my mind set on one bike and a frame size in particular but they had my try other ones before making up my mind. I'm glad they did and could have been a costly mistake. We ended walking out with two great bikes. Highly recommend stopping here to look around for your MTB needs. read more

The BackCountry - Norco Range and Pivot Firebird 29. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Truckee, California

I broke a rim on my old (12x150mm hub) downhill bike while I was at northstar. This was the closest shop I could find with 27.5" hoops, spokes and nipples to get me going again. They were super helpful and quick so I was able lace up a new wheel and get back to the park. Thanks for saving my weekend guys! read more

I'm a new mountain biker and I stopped by to get my new tires as they were both punctured. They were super busy and instead of just sending me along my way, Jeremy took the time to not only change my tires, but show me how to do it! He also provided me with the correct lube and cleaner to buy and showed me how to clean my bike to keep it in good condition. I am so grateful because now if anything happens on the trail, I have the skills to change my own tires. Super helpful and knowledgable staff! THANK YOU! read more

This shop came in so clutch for me at 8am right as they opened! I had a must attend event and my skins had gone mia from my garage along with some other gear. Yet they had a pair of rental skins that worked on my split perfectly! The staff was extremely nice, so helpful, and literally saved me! Would highly recommend to any of your gear needs. read more

This place has five star customer service! Patrick will help you find exactly what you're looking for, and they even repaired my bike two days earlier than expected! This is my one stop gear shop in town! read more

Big props to Mike and his team at The Backcountry. Mike has always been willing to go the extra mile to serve his customer base--both locals from the area as well as people who are visiting. I've had experience with them during the ski season, and they are one of the top climbing/ski mountaineering/backcountry ski shops in the area. Very very good. That said, I've recently had some experience on the mountain bike side. Let me tell you--pretty damn good. I don't hesitate to recommend them to my friends, or people (like me) that have to drive almost an hour to get there. FYI, the bad 1 star review from "Laila P" is regarding backcountry.com, NOT this company or store....they are located in Salt Lake City/Park City--The Backcountry (store) is in Truckee, CA. read more

Fantastic service and great advice. I've had my bike tuned up and repaired here 3 or 4 times (not local so less frequent) and they always do an excellent job. Just brought in my 2014 for a full tune and it rides like the day I bought it. The mechanic installed tubeless and took the time to teach me how to do it. Great place. Totally recommend. read more

I never write reviews but these guys deserve a shout out. I Inherited an older mountain bike. It needed two new tubes. Danny helped me with everything. He was awesome! Taught me how to change the tires in the future, fixed a kink in my chain that caused the bike to shift back and forth, checked it out thoroughly--it was a crash course in bike maintenance. Truly nice guys. This wasn't a big payday for them. They didn't try to up charge me or buy things I didn't need. It was just great. I want to support local- will for sure go back. read more

Now, I must disclose that I didn't actually leave with a bike. Their bikes are for mountain riders with experience that want a really nice high end bike for some major riding. I'm giving 5 stars because the service was great. We hung out there for about 30 minutes looking around and tried out an e-bike and another mountain bike. They gave me all the ins and outs, allowed us to test ride explaining everything. They didn't seem rushed to get to the next customer and I felt very taken care of. They definitely knew their stuff and when I can afford an e-bike I'm heading their way! read more