TL;DR: This is a huge bummer for me, because I really want to support a small, local business. However, they've repeatedly tried to blame me for a recurring issue, couldn't keep track of what was requested and what they had done, ordered a part without checking in with me on the price AFTER I had specifically asked them to call with a quote, and charged me more than their initial quote without authorizing the price change. The long version: I've had a recurring issue with a bike where the rear tire would pop out of the blue. Just sitting in the garage, it would occasionally loudly POP and I'd have a loud hissing flat tire. I took it into Westside Joe's at least three times to replace the tube. The last two times I took it in, I was told it was probably my fault for overinflating the tire. This was after I explained that the tires had not been inflated since the last time I had the tube replaced at their shop. The second to the last time I brought it in, I had to call two weeks later to see what was going on and was told they had the wrong phone number for me, even though I'd been there a few times before. At that point, they didn't know what they were supposed to do with the bike, thinking it was a tune-up when I had requested a new tube and that they tape the inside of the wheel to see if that would fix the issue. That time around, I picked up the bike, put it in the garage, and it sat there for a few weeks. Then on June 29th, I once again heard the loud bang and subsequent hissing, so I took the bike back the next day, asked them to see if it needed a new wheel, and to call me with a quote. They told me they'd call back with a quote by July 2nd. I waited and called back on July 3rd and was initially told my bike was ready. When I questioned that, they realized that they were looking at the work they'd done the month before. I once asked them to find out how much a new wheel would cost and call me back with a quote. This time I was told me they'd call me back a day or two after the 4th. The afternoon of the 6th of July rolled around with no call so I went over to get the bike back. At that point, I was told they'd already ordered the wheel even though they hadn't bothered to approve this with me. Here is where I made my biggest mistake - I gave them another chance. I left the bike there after being told that they'd give me a discount on the wheel and that the total cost for parts and labor would be $123 and some additional cents. Another mistake on my part, I accepted a verbal quote. Today I got the call that the bike was ready. Woohoo. I went by and picked it up and was charged $163.99. Knowing that I wouldn't ever come back and being too hot and tired to deal with it, I just smiled and paid. However, to add insult to injury, as the mechanic went around to get the bike, the lady at the counter told me that they wanted to talk to me about how I wasn't properly inflating the tire. AGAIN. After I have had at least two separate conversations with her letting her know that the tire hadn't been inflated since it left their shop. I told her, AGAIN AGAIN, that the last time it was inflated was by them and that I had mentioned this to them already. I did follow up when I got home with a call to find out why the number 123 mysteriously changed to nearly 164. I was told that I did get the discounted wheel but that there were other part fees that brought it up to the new total. This was again never discussed or approved, and was wildly different than what was quoted in person. I was also told I'd get an itemized receipt sent to me instead of the "Labor, Accessories $163.99" I currently have from them. No surprise, I'm still waiting on that breakdown of costs. So, I will be taking all future bike related business to Another Bike shop on Park Street and doing my best to let anyone I know who has a bike or needs a new one to steer clear of Westside Joe's. read more

Amazing service! My bike is a 1982 Schwinn mountaineer and VIVI and her crew brought it back to life and made it better than ever! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

Came here to ask about pricing to get a wheel replaced on a bike- person at the counter was initially kind but when I asked more detailed questions about the pricing (wheel cost, labor cost, and when it will be ready for pick up) I realized the price was above what I could afford. She pressed on me to pay because they are a small business- which I completely understand- but when a customer simply says they can't afford it at that price and is ready to leave, the employee should not argue and guilt trip the customer who is stepping out of their store. I got my wheel replaced on the spot for a vastly more affordable cost without any issues that very same hour elsewhere. read more

Fixed a broken valve for $40. Noticed they also have a good selection of bikes if you want to supplement. Seem super local and attentive, will use again. read more

There is no way that my family and I would ever go to this bike shop again. If you are a person of color, just expect to be treated poorly here. The owner didn't want to provide service to my husband, we we're both standing in line after one customer, and we we're next in line, as soon as it was our turn, the owner got up, and came from behind the counter, she approached me, said "Hello", and never even looked at my husband. It wasn't until I turned and looked up at my husband, being 6'0",compared to my 5'0" stature, that was when she decided to notice him. My husband had explained to the owner, that he had brought our son's bike in and never received an estimate, and he was told that it would be ready that Saturday, before he left it on a Tuesday. Then we both tried calling them though the week, and no answer, but on this particular day, the phones were ringing and I noticed with caller ID she answered. The owner started to explain how she was short on staff, and that she didn't have enough people to complete the job, then she told the only other person that appeared to be working there with her, to go get the bicycle. This was the moment that we noticed that our son's bike had not even been looked at til right then, although my husband recognized me man he handed the bike to, this was the first time it was looked at because it was pulled from the back of the shop, as if they said "We'll get to it", and shoved it in the back, so the owner, gave an estimate and told us that we needed to pay over $200 for repairs, and that this money had to be paid upfront before starting the work. My husband and I thought that the repairs were kind of expensive, and was interested in taking it somewhere else, because we would have waited another weekend before getting it back. We told the owner that we would be interested in taking it somewhere else, but she has mentioned that the other bike shops would be three weeks behind, and that we would have to pay the whole amount first. This is when we really felt like we were being taken advantage of and discredited, needles to say treated unfairly, being parents in Alameda, and having a son that attends one of the local high school in the city. Not to mention the fact that I am a teacher in AUSD district,my son needed his bike to get back and forth to school, and this shop totally ignored our calls, we weren't given an estimate until we came back to pick it up, and they were trying to make us pay upfront before they had serviced the bike. Just overall a horrible experience. read more

came to get my wheels fixed on a bike I bought from them for $200, got quoted at $160 total for the set+labor , said I couldn't afford it at the moment, got told the other set would be $95. understandable, I said I would consider it and come back. I asked if I could get my tires pumped at the moment since they were almost flat, the lady said that they couldn't do it since my tires were too much in disrepair and rudely started talking to another customer as if she wanted me to leave her shop since I wasn't spending money. Showed absolutely no sympathy towards my situation. note that I came just a month before and one of the other workers fixed my tires no problem, while they were in the same condition. It seems like the lady wanted me to just buy new tires, and didn't want to pump my tire for that reason. That wasn't my only bad experience. I came into the shop about a year and a half ago to buy my bike, a vintage Schwinn. The lady originally quoted me at $350, and said there wasn't any wiggle room for negotiation at all. I was disappointed, as it was out of my price range. I came back about a week later, to see if they got any new bikes in around my price range. It was a different person working, and they said I could have the same schwinn for $200 out the door, the same one the lady said there was no wiggle room on. Overall, it seems like the owner only cares about making as much money as possible, with little care towards people who are on a budget; which is backed up by many other reviews on here. I got very rude service every time I've interacted with her since I'm not rich. Disappointing as I want to support small business' here in alameda , but I will not be doing business here anymore. If she would've just pumped up my tires and shown some grace towards my situation towards my situation instead of shooing me out of the store, I definitely would've been willing to do business with them. Take your business elsewhere . read more

Went in for a repair on my Bike a man by the name of Jon helped me out. He was very knowledgeable about bikes and what the issue was. I honestly thought my frame was done for. Jon was not only able to fix the issue but he did it in one day ! He also let me know the parts needed to fix what I was trying to do. They also have a nice selection of high end bikes. I'm a new fan of this shop and will be back. read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

I bought an electric bike in January 2020. Who would have known what kind of year we were about to experience! The one thing that has made me so happy and sane this year is the bike. The electric bike has been my main transportation. I turned in my car for the electric bike and it was the best decision. The people who work at the shop were so helpful and encouraging on my new adventure. They hooked me up with all I needed to make it my main transportation. They even matched the deal I found online. I had an overall great experience! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

We are very disappointed in the service we received at Westside Joe's Bikes in Alameda. Our 2 bikes went in for a basic service and we were handed a bill, 3 weeks later for $1,519.03. Never were we told what the service was going to cost even though the owner had asked for my my email address and she had my cell number. Never were we texted as to when the bikes would be ready. After having our bikes for 3 weeks we demanded our bikes. after finally getting our bikes back, while on a bike ride, my handle bars were so loose that on a turn they moved 90 degrees and I fell catching myself before landing in the middle of street. Our bikes only cost us brand new $499 each so this service was definitely not warranted without final approval as to what we would be charged. We are extremely unhappy when we received the receipts and with the over all service and feeling very ripped off. We have put in a dispute with our credit card to have all charges reversed at this time And they have agreed. I wish I could post the photo of my bike with the handle bars twisted 90 degrees. read more

I'm sorry I took so long to write this update. The manager of Westside Joe's bikes called me and was very cordial apologetic and offered to help me immediately I had already bought a bike by that time. With the pandemic they were having trouble with getting employees to serve people because they were so many people coming in at once wanting to buy bikes and some of the newer people were not as experienced. read more

This place is legit. They're open for sales and have marked the line into the shop for social distancing. The folks here are hella nice and helpful. I called ahead to ask if they had any bikes in a certain price range and frame size and they confirmed even tho they were super busy (I learned as I showed up). We ended up getting the bike they mentioned and they were nice about asking if anything needed to be switched out, etc. Very to the point yet informative here, so def recommending this place if you're looking for a bike. Thanks y'all! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bike we ended up buying - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

I asked them for a quote to install a Swytch e-bike conversion kit and was told it would cost $1200, because it would take 3 days. When I expressed disbelief, she told me that installing the kits costs more than buying an e-bike. Two ther bike shops in Alameda quoted about $120. ONE TENTH OF WEST SIDE JOE's QUOTE.I even showed her the installation manual. Inexperience, or a total con?? read more

When you go here, be sure to ask for Bill. He's knowledgeable, fair, and humorous. Bill has been repairing bikes for a long-time. He has never tried to "up-sell" me and always been very reasonable on what he charged. He also is very willing to provide free phone advice. Most recently I went in for a flat rear tire. Bill fixed it up for only $12 of labor. It amazes me that they can stay in business only charging $12 for a repair that takes 25 minutes. Bill said that is their standard fee. Their bike shop has a moderate selection of accessories. They do have an excellent selection of electric bikes. Also, they can order anything you need so if there is a certain bike you want, they can get it for you. Being in the center of flat and suburban Alameda, their selection of mountain bikes is quite understandably limited. read more

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Unethical business - buyer beware. They advised to put down a deposit on a bike they would get from the manufacturer and then preforms some upgrades in the shop. I did. They were never able to get the bike and thus were never able to do any upgrades or provide a finished product - but they did say that all sales were final. WTF?! There was no sale of any product or service - what are you talking about? In trying to rectify this situation, the staff at the store said only the owner could issue the refund (not true), in turn, the owner they couldn't issue it through Square (also not true) and were "try to work with the company" to fix the situation - even though the owner forwarded an email thread by accident that said they wanted to dispute the charge... After months of back and forth with the credit card company, Square, and the owner, it was only after a threat of taking them to small claims court (plus filing fees and loss of time fees were added in) did they finally issue a refund. Customer satisfaction takes a distant second place to their bank balance so buyers beware! read more

Had a great experience at Westside Joe's. We purchased an adult tricycle and the service that we received was outstanding. Always like to shop local and support local businesses in Alameda. I received a great bicycle at a competitive price and would definitely recommend this store to others. Blake read more

Fixed my flat tire quickly and the price was reasonable. Staff were friendly and helpful.

We reserved bikes and paid in advance. When we arrived the bikes weren't ready or charged and caused us to miss our scheduled ferry! Very unprofessional! Such a disappointment. It ruined our planned day. read more

Reserved e-bikes, paid in advance and when we arrived the bikes weren't charged or ready.

Stopped by to pick up some inner tubes, used, discarded ones to use in a gardening project. Vivee was most generous and gave me a whole pile. Evidentially, she has other people who come by for the same thing. Oh--and while waiting to be helped, I did notice they got an amazing selection of bits & bobs and bicycles, if that's your thing. read more

Took my bike in for a tuneup, however it turned out it was in need of major repairs. They were really helpful and fixed my bike quicker than I expected. It's running better than ever now. The woman who helped me out was also super knowledgeable about my bike and helped me order the right parts for it. read more

Highly recommend these people do great work. After a couple hundred miles rain and shine, and 2 falls I can confirm not only is Marin a great bike brand but also Joe's Bikes can build them up. Thank you for the great service and my new love. Cheers read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Marin aluminum stallion - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

Last Thursday I called for a quote to assemble my new single speed bike. When confirming the bike type I was quoted at $120. When I dropped off the bike on Friday I was also quoted at $120 and told I'd be called when the bike was ready the next day. I was never called and ended up having to call them on Sunday. When picked up my bike on Sunday I was charged $150. When I shared about what I was quoted at there was no care and the lady shared it's always $150. The price is fine as I was planning on leaving a tip. I communicated this peacefully as well as mentioned that they should be sure their employees know the prices. On Wednesday I was biking in San Francisco and my front brake wasn't working due to a brake pad having fallen off in the street while on a casual ride. Thankfully was able to track down the pad and there were no signs of stripping or a bolt breaking. Just fell off due a lack of care during assembly. Also not ruling out the possibility of this being retaliation as I've never once in my countless bike rides ever seen a brake pad fall off and the lady had a moment alone with my bike before bringing it outside from the back to me. Thankfully this bike had front and rear breaks. My last single speed only had front breaks which would have made this experience much more challenging. Went to a new shop to reinstall my brake pad as I'd never trust going to Westside Joe's ever again. read more

Took my bike in for repair. They were the only place on the island that was free at the moment. Their turn around time was great, but they kind of fleeced me. I had a problem with my gear cable. $70 fix, no big deal. But they decided to replace my brake cables as well. Without telling me. For no reason at all. The repair was $150 at checkout. I was flabbergasted to say the least but paid without complaining because it was late and I wanted my bike back. But I won't be coming back here. read more

I dropped in to I buy tires. I had them installed and had my derailleur adjusted (and some random squeaks addressed). They provided really great service, they were very fast and the prices were good. read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Storefront on Piedmont Ave, across and up from the elementary school. - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

Pre-ordered a limited edition SE bmx bike (got lucky i got 1 of 4) directly with the owner Vivian. Took a while to get the bike in from the manufacturer and despite being short a couple of bike mechanics after it arrived, she made sure i got my bike sooner than what couldve been later. I hella appreciate her efforts considering how busy they were at the shop and i was ready to ride my new bike. Vivian took care of me from start to finish and now I go home with some fresh new wheels along with a heavy duty cover to protect it. Thanks Vivee read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

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Shopping for a bike? Looking for professionals to handle your maintenance needs? Go to Westside Joe's, stat! I went here in July '20, looking for an SE Bike - Maniacc Flyer. Likely due to the pandemic, the bike was sold out everywhere, including Westside Joe's. What struck me as interesting was that the owner, Vivee, was working the front counter. And (as with other shops) she offered to take my name and call me when this particular bike came in. I appreciate her honesty in saying it'd probably be a few months out. So a few months go by. I check in with her periodically, and anxiously await for my stallion to arrive. Finally, October comes around and I get a call from Vivee, who delivered the news that my new ride came in. I go to pickup the bike and quickly see she was able to get the 2021 model! I was like, "Ya boy just came up." Anyway, since this transaction, I've recommended Westside Joe's to several of my friends, most of whom have since shared positive transactions, too. This shop is filled with passion & love for biking. Get to Westside Joe's! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - '21 Maniacc Flyer - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

Vivian and the team at Westside Joe's are the absolute best - it is a warm and wonderful place to shop for bikes in Alameda. We had some issues with the purchase of two new bikes for my kids, and Vivian was as gracious and helpful as a business owner could be. I couldn't have asked for more, and am very appreciative. read more

Messed up our day big time! Our friends reserved and paid in advance for E-bikes, but the bikes were not charged and ready. So, no bikes. Over promised, under delivered. read more

Went in to purchase a bike after viewing several listings they posted on Craigslist ready to buy a bike (cash and credit card in hand!). The main issue we ran into was the bike we wanted to buy was listed in Craigslist at $549, we got all the way to ringing up the bike and I noticed I was being charged $679 for the bike. I asked why the (huge) price difference and they said "Well, the manufacturer makes us pay shipping now and we have a $50 assembly fee...". BS, this is classic bait and switch, don't list your bike for $549 and then charge me $130 more, the "assembly fee" is especially insulting, that wasn't a "surprise" from the manufacturer. Other issues we ran into: * We were in the middle of ringing up the bike (and other accessories) and the guy kept taking phone calls, assisting the guys in the back and even did a full purchase with another customer while I'm standing there waiting with my credit card sitting on the counter. My wife left midway through this fiasco out of exasperation, just take my money man! * One of the bikes they listed and we wanted to try said Medium size, when we arrived they said the only ever had Small in stock. Frustrating and disappointing experience end to end. read more

We had an amazing experience purchasing our bikes from Westside Joe's! Grae was extremely attentive to our needs and was very patient as we tried on several of the bikes that were available for sale. The store itself is stocked with a ton of quality steel-framed bikes with a lot of character (and very nice to look at!). As pretty much a complete bike newbie, I was extremely delighted to have learned so much about these bikes in one day. You get a sense this store is a part of the fabric of the community - Grae, Vivian and everyone inside the shop all made us feel very welcome as newcomers to the island. We'll be coming back for all of our biking needs! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

What is happening with this place. I've purchased two SE bikes from this place, a big flyer and a maniac flyer. Went back to look for a bike for my god daughter but not much available. I noticed they had the newer model maniac flyer. I inquired about the price and was told $1500. WTF! Are you kidding me. They now charge to put the bike together, shipping fee and price gouging. Sorry West Side Joe's but won't be coming back. Response to owner comment....How interesting I'm being told that bike is on consignment. Maybe the owner should school her employees on what they should be telling the customers since nothing like that was said. Only thing I was told was they were trying to get you to sell it cheaper since they know it's a ridiculous price as well. Maybe you should check the SE site since that was a 2021 bike that should be retailing for $769.99. Enough of the non sense now. read more

My mom gave me an old beach cruiser that she had pretty much let go. It was in a sad shape. I took it to Westside Joe's and wow! They worked some amazing magic and my bike looks AMAZING!!! Jonathon and Vivvi are super knowledgeable about bikes, did great work on sprucing up my bike, and helped my husband find a bike that is perfect for him. I cannot thank and recommend them enough for all of their help and care! read more

Vivee was phenomenal from purchase, order and delivery. She went way beyond my expectations and I have a beautiful bike! You don't have to be local to support her business. I am more than 200 miles away! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - BIG RIPPER CLASSIC BLACK - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

This long winded review is about my experience ordering parts for bike repair & pooooOooOor customer service. I'm sure buying a new bike on the spot is probably a better experience. TLDR: ordered a part and never got it even after two months. they are unorganized and do not keep track of their orders. Didn't bother reaching out to try to resolve the issue. Didn't offer solutions. Didn't apologize. Didn't get refund I deserved. My bike's tire and rim got stolen so my friend suggested Westside Joe's. I came here Mid June to get the bike examined and the parts ordered for repair. They wrote down parts/names/phone numbers on an old notepad. It was "ordered" and the purchase was through Square. They said they'd call in about two weeks. I waited a month because I thought, ya know it's COVID, it's no big deal they are probably super backed up and deliveries are delayed. At this point, I need to move to LA within the next month so I called Mid July and asked for an update. That I would either need to know when the parts come in, or will need a refund. Whoever answered the phone said that there was no proof that I ordered any parts through them, but I had that Square email receipt! So she said she would let the owner know and that the owner would contact me "soon". I also contacted the owner through Yelp to explain the situation (either give me a refund or exchange or gift card, I don't care), no response. About a month later, still no calls from the owner and if I missed the call, there was no voicemail left so I decided to message her through Yelp again after calling Mid August again to ask for an update. She finally responded only asking for my number, but again I never got a phone call (or voicemail). Finally, I physically visited the store while visiting from LA and they looked through the old notepad and couldn't find the notes they had for my bike??? Then proceeded to say that they can order the rim to come in within the next two days if I wanted it still. Helllllll no. What, so I can wait ANOTHER two months to get the part?? I decided to just exchange the purchase for a $120 bike pump and went on my way since they didn't seem to want to offer a refund (and there is a sign that says no refunds so I didn't want to even try to waste even more time). The exchange was very informal, the owner just handed it to me and said ok we're done. Even if I hadn't moved away to LA, I still had to wait two whole months to finally get any type of response or exchange. They didn't seem to try too hard to contact me to get the issue resolved. Why did it take ME physically coming into the store to just get my money's worth? I am a generally very understanding and patient person, but the entire experience was a waste of money, time, and energy. Please figure out a better way to keep track of your orders instead of using a notepad. Use Google Docs/Sheets or something to keep track of where you are ordering from, tracking numbers, customer names and numbers. Jesus fucking christ. read more

The gentleman at the shop are very helpful and knowledgeable in helping us decide which bike to get for 5yr old. We are looking forward to riding the pump track as a family - thanks! read more

Went in for a tire slow leak repair. I was told 15-30 min. And quotes $30 for the repair. I came to pick it up to find out they didn't look for the leak, instead they gave me a new tire and wheel $80 including tax. I give them 3 stars because they looked at it right away but wouldn't give them more because they didn't call me to tell me how much more costly it would be. I kind of feel like a bait a switch sucker and if it were for the plans to ride that evening, I would have said, please give me back my slow leak tire. They were nice about it though, maybe smiling that I could be a sucker or knew I wanted to ride that day. Buyer beware and ask for them to call you if they can't meet their quote. read more

I am now officially over Westside Joe's Bike Shop. I have had such bad experiences there. I wanted to believe in them. Locally and family owned business with (what i thought were charmingly) stupid, small town commercials at the local theater. Now it all just seems so small town and very poorly run. It is unorganized, badly coordinated among staff who are salty with their customers who want to be loyal to them. The owner doesn't seem to care about repair, maybe she just wants to sell more expensive bikes. Several times now when I have gone to get my bike (that I bought there) worked on I got aggressive mechanics who seem angry at me for bringing business to them. Once or twice I have had some decent experiences, but I won't go back any more. Now I have to figure out a new bike place to get commuter bike worked on. read more

I got a beautiful, comfortable, new bike today! Their staff was incredibly helpful and nice, and installed everything for me. You also get 10% off accessories and free repair/maintenance for a year. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

Westside Joe's is the best bike shop in alameda, every single person who works there is very very passionate about making sure as a customer we are happy when we leave. Recently I bought my first bike and I brought it in to day to get a new seat and air in my tire. I got the pleasure to be helped by Two Wheel Tony who is very passionate about putting a smile on every customer face, especially mine. He keeps it real, and could probably write a book on bikes. I'm so happy, because of him I feel very confident every time I'm othe road. With this epidemic everyone is becoming new bike parents, so you have to be patient and let them do there thing. P.S to the angry lady that left due to being impatient, while your bike was being fixed, Shame on you! I will definitely be back to get some wheels for my mom. read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California

We brought our son's bike because it wasn't braking well. The staff thoroughly diagnosed the issue. Replaced brake pads. While fixing it they also found other issues that were going on. They patiently explained their diagnosis the corrected measures they took. In a matter of only a few hours our bike was ready. Pricing was very reasonable and fair considering their great professionalism and strong service. We also saw some cool bikes there. If you need service or a bike we highly recommend going to Westside Joe's in Alameda. read more

Westside Joe's Bikes - He's happy to have a fixed bike. - Bikes Near Me - Alameda, California