DO NOT BUY ONLINE from Ascent Cycles!! Scam operation!!! I bought shoes during the holidays and tried to return them. I got endless AI generated emails with evasive and nonsensical questions and answers but no return label. Even after reaching out directly to customer service no response!! Had to submit a claim with the credit card company to get my money back!!! read more

NO ONE SHOULD BUY ANYTHING FROM these guys!! HORRIBLE. Ordered a watch on line at their web site. They didnt have the watch in stock....1 month later I still haven't received the watch.... they have my money but I have no watch... they may be closing all their stores as many items are discounted...they dont rent bikes anymore, they dont do any repairs anymore.... WTH?? JUST PAY A LITTLE MORE AND BUY ON AMAZON!! This place suks!! read more

This is entirely an online order business now, and possibly a scam operation. I ordered and paid for products they listed, for a confirmation and sales order number, and then....no word for more than a week. When I inquired via email (they have no other form of contact), the answer was an "apology" that they actually did not have the products in available inventory. No refund was offered either. Eventually I had to get the charge disputed and blocked via my credit card company. Don't take any chances with this phony business. read more

I purchased a Giant Revolt Advanced 0 for almost $3900.00 The bicycle arrived in a box not designed for Giant Revolt. Upon assembly of the bike that was in new condition I observed the seat post had been reduced in length by being cut off. I notified Ascent with photo as well and they requested I return the bicycle and sent me a return label. It's been 9 business days since they received the returned bicycle and I still haven't received a credit for the purchase. I had to open a dispute with my credit card company accordingly because Ascent keeps responding thru emails credit will occur but each day it hasn't. It's been a big hassle and only way to communicate with them is thru email. read more

Called ahead on a Saturday inquiring about a bike tune-up. Justin invited me to drop in to have the bike inspected. Brought the bike in mid-day Sunday. Someone looked the bike over for about 10-15 minutes then came back with a straightforward list of things that should probably be taken care of. Sounded great and expected to hear it could be done by mid week. Was told the bike would be ready the next afternoon. The bike was cleaned up and rode like new. Excellent service. I had forgotten what fresh new bike looked and rode like. read more

I brought my front tire in after installing my spare tube since my main one punctured. The person who helped me was very kind and took a look make sure the tube was bad. I ended up needing a new tube, so I talked to the employee on the price. It was $7 for the tube, and $8 to install. (Totally $16 after taxes). Came back to pick it up the next day, and the price was now $25. Recommendation, get a quote in writing before leaving. Staff was nice. Miscommunication possibly?!? But.....$15 labor charge to change a tube that didn't require removing from a bike and that was ready to have a new one installed. I would have been happy if they had agreed to meet me in the middle somewhere, just received a sorry. read more

You want to go to a cool shop, with cool people who will bend over backwards to help you out? This is the place! These guys really helped me out. And it cost half as much as I expected and it took 1/10 the time that all the other shops quoted me. I literally can't say enough good things. read more

The entire store is under new management and probably a new crew, a huge improvement! Justin was very helpful in suggesting and preparing bikes for a test ride. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. I can't wait to go back! Good selection of urban, gravel, and mountain bikes, and accessories. read more

Don't really have what their stock says. They continue to break promises. They are good at replying with a lot of excuses. Would not recommend this business to anyone. read more

I bought a used bike that promptly stopped working after a few weeks. I was pretty sure I'd bought a lemon. I took it to Justin on a Tuesday and he had it fixed by Thursday of the same week and ready for pick up. Knowledgeable, kind, and responsive staff who also take the time to educate bike riders on the mechanical issues. So grateful to have a go-to place and people for all of my bicycle needs. read more

Excellent service! Shipping delayed one day because of Garmin's warehouse issue but Jake follow up with me right away and made sure to keep me updated! I got my watched delivered after 2 days of shipping. I'm stoked with the service and my new watch. A++ service and unbeatable price! Thumbs up for these guys! read more

Needed service on my rear disc brake, they stated they couldn't work on it but would be happy to sell me a complete new brake set for $350. When I picked up my bike to deal with it myself, the front brake was fucked up as well, with no one taking responsibility. Thanks. read more

I've been in here and the previous version inside Second Ascent about ten times. Good products, reasonable prices, but service varies widely. Most of the staff are helpful and polite, although not very forthcoming when answering my questions (for example, when asking some questions about patch kits I couldn't get any information out of them as to what the difference was and was told to just buy one version. I later learning through some Googling that I really needed a different kit for the size of puncture I had in my tube. The guy with the long-ish beard has always been condescending though. For example, I had asked him why my tire and tube kept sliding along the rim and tearing the tube, and he said under-inflated tires were the only reason. I countered that I kept my tires well inflated, but just got back some dismissive attitude. Well lo and behold, I eventually learned a host of other possible causes from more knowledgeable and helpful people, one of which led to a fix for the problem. read more

Still a fan!!! Quick fast and friendly! Thank you for saving the day once again! They fixed my flat AND broken rim on the fly and I am so grateful! Love the new bigger shop! read more

Blew a tire on my way to work and popped into ascent to see if they could fix me up quick. Chad immediately jumped in. He asked how much I knew about bikes and took the time to explain all the things he was doing, showing me how so that I could do it on my own last time. He gave me some great advice about lights and must-have tools on me. Then rang me up and had me on time to work! As a new bicycle commuter, I often feel nervous about the exclusive 'bike culture' I've heard about in Seattle but Chad was friendly, easy to talk to and excited to teach. I will definitely make the trip to Ballard for all my bike needs in the future. Thanks guys! read more

Purchased the new model of Kona Wah Wah 2 flat pedals last year (only composite at the time) and proceeded to crack them within months. Ascent was amazing to warranty them with Kona for me and went above and beyond to remedy the situation, it really surprised me how far they went. It seemed like the used selection decreased initially since Second Ascent transition which was a bummer but I noticed a bit more recently. read more

I really hate to do this but I called them and asked for a fix on a front tire repair tube showed up 10 minutes later and they ended up giving me the runaround saying they cannot fix it till tomorrow I believe it was because I was not spending a lot of money even though this is an a cute part of town and that is sad!! read more

I needed wheel replacement on my commuter bike and I needed it fast. The staff was awesome, the work was excellent! Ballard needs to have a solid LBS, and this is it. Thanks guys! read more

Every time I shop here, I always get great service. I was especially happy today because I brought in my bike an hour before closing time (the day before 4th of July when everyone wanted to shop for bike supplies), and was able to get my rack installed right away. Aaron is always so friendly, patient and a creative problem solver. The store is well supplied and well staffed. Thanks Ascent Cycles! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I went in looking for an inexpensive bike helmet to use while riding limebike (because it's the law to wear a helmet despite the majority of folks who don't). I was greeted immediately and given exceptional customer service by one very knowledgeable (and handsome) gentlemen named Justin. Thank you! read more

Justine, Ben and the team get my vote. Visited the shop yesterday and tested a couple of bikes....I found one I liked but they did not have an assembled one my size but they offered to get it set up. Received a call last night and they had set it up and I went in to test it today. No pressure to buy all kinds of gadgets (although did that on my own). Simply a nice experience. Bravo to the team. Kevin read more

The customer service at this shop is fantastic! The sales staff really knows their bikes, as well as specifics for similar bikes they don't carry. They are very friendly and welcoming, and make the transaction low stress. I had my eye on a bike and Dave, Isaac, and Birghitta helped me find a better bike for me at a better price, through an almost forum-style discussion. They also helped me customize my bike so that it would be just they way I wanted it when I picked it up (it was special ordered). The build Isaac did was fantastic, with great attention to detail, and it has ridden better than I expected with no adjustments from me! I'm definitely coming back! read more

I can't believe how terrible I was treated when I went in to Ascent Cycle to get my bike checked out. I had just purchased a bike from my boss and wanted Ascent to check it out and let me know if it needed a tune up or anything like that. The employee who helped me had long hair and glasses. I told him that I didn't know much about bikes and he cut me off saying "Yeah I figured that"... He then began telling me how poorly assembled my bike was and that he wouldn't even work on it because he takes pride in his work. I took it with a grain of salt and he examined my bike, letting me know that it works fine. I left the bike shop and will NEVER come back. I wanted that bike shop to by my local shoo that I could shop at for years, but sadly I will have to find a new place to take my business. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place all together, you will just be treated like dirt. read more

Just moved to Ballard and was looking for a good bike shop. Spent about $400 here already and was out with my son. A nut needed to be adjusted on the bike and I asked the guy if I could borrow a cresant wrench. This guy recognized me and new that I was a good customer. Said hold on a sec and referred me to a service guy who told me there would be a service charge. I told him that I just needed a wrench to adjust a bolt on my son's bike (pointing to the nut). The service guy said that they don't loan tools. On top of that, I had just spent $50 on things that are easily purchased on Amazon and I can't borrow a wrench for a minute. May just have to find a different bike shop. read more

I really like their store. It has lots of tools, clothing, bikes and accessories at fair prices. Their staff is eager to help you to find out what you need and also has good suggestions for improvements to your bike. I needed a couple replacement bolts for my handlebar stem and they didn't have any in the store, but the salesman had a few at home and called me the next day to come and get them. Fit perfectly. Their knowledge about bikes is way above average. Lars read more

I decided to stop in with my family after coming from the Ballard Sunday Market.  I asked a bearded buy if I can see a road bike. Bearded guy: "Well, what do you call a road bike?  We consider a road bike a bike with wider tires and fenders.  We don't sell road bikes with skinny tires." Me: "I've done long distance rides like the STP, my current bike feels small and I'm looking around to try bikes out.  I'm just looking to see your 54 size bike.  " Bearded guy: "54?" (looking at me in disbelief) Me: "Am I 52?" Bearded guy comes closer to stand next to me: "How tall are you?" Me: "Just shy of 5'9"" Balding guy with glasses chimes in: "I'm 5'10" Bearded guy: (still looking like I'm talking a foreign language) Me: "Am I a 52?" Bearded guy: "Not a 52." Me: "Then what am I? Can I check out a bike?" Bearded guy looking up at the road bikes hanging up as if it is going to be a chore to bring a bike down: "The way we do things here is that you can come down with a helmet or we let you borrow one, and we will let you test ride 5 bikes and that how we let you try on a bike."  (still not moving to take a bike down for me to even touch or feel) Me: "Ok thanks."  Exit with the family Yeah, not happy with the lack of service and the condescending attitude.  I just told my wife as we walked out the door, they just lost a potential sale.  My wife, who never wants to write any review, was so upset with the treatment that she immediately typed up a review on Yelp on her phone while we were driving home.  That's how pissed she was. For me, I remember a friend not having a great experience there himself last year, and when I texted him, he confirmed his negative experience.  At this point, meh, there are other shops out there, not going to lose sleep, but thought I would share my experience. read more

Fantastic shop - Great customer service! Called with a broken chain and they took me in same day, got it fixed, and did what they could to save me money in the process. Highly recommended! read more

I am not a serious cyclist but I am trying to bike to work more often. I have run into condescending bike nerds at other shops and I find it super off-putting. My husband had a good experience at Ascent so I decided to give it a shot when I needed a new helmet. Well, the service was great and the price was reasonable. I will be back!The people were friendly and pleasant. I was helped by the manager and he was very helpful and not a condescending bike nerd at all! Thanks Ascent! read more

I'll start out by saying this. All the people who work here are super friendly, approachable, low stress and very knowledgable. Please support what is really the only bike shop left in Ballard. They carry kona and Santa Cruz mtb. Super cool store and glad to have them on The Ave. same bike place that was second ascent. They split out to have more space. Same cool vibe. read more

Love the crew here. Everyone has always been super helpful and friendly. Contrary to some of the other reviews, I have never gotten any attitude from the staff. But then again, I don't come in pretending to know about bikes because I rode the STP once. read more

I really wanted to like Ascent Cycles. After having a fantastic experience at Ascent Outdoors, I walked into Ascent Cycle to check out some mountain bikes. As other reviewers have said, the guy with the long-ish hair was a condescending jerk. He was extremely arrogant and had an offensive demeanor-- to the point where I left in tears. I sat in my car for a few minutes, debating on whether to make a formal complaint. I then went into Ascent Outdoors and spoke to the manager about how upset I was. They were very receptive to my concerns. That said, I will never, ever return to either store. It's unbelievable that there have been previous complaints about this guy-- and that he is still employed in a customer service position. read more

Hey all, this is my first time ever reviewing a place for a 1 star so I don't do this lightly, but it just seemed my experience fits what some other folks were saying. I just wouldn't want people to seek this store out and be disappointed with the service when there are so many other bike shops that do great jobs in Seattle. I went to Ascent cycles twice since it was the local bike shop for me. The first time was to get some brake pads and the second was to get a new tire (I commute by bike and rack up around 80 miles a week so stuff goes downhill fast for me, especially in the rainy months). Both times I went into the shop it was a Monday when the store was otherwise empty. The second time I came in the bike mechanic (Issac who I assume is the bearded guy in the other reviews) looked at my bike and told me that "the way we do it here" is that I need an appointment and to check in my bike for their long wait list to have it worked on. Then he proceeded to talk to me like I was wasting his time with my bike and my questions (if I knew how to do everything myself I wouldn't see a bike mechanic right?) and ended by listing off all the expensive things I needed to do with my "neglected" bike. I wouldn't have minded but it just didn't seem like he really wanted to help me out but that instead I was bringing in a chore for him and that he was annoyed with me for being there (mind you, on an empty Monday afternoon). I don't remember exactly everything from my first visit but I remember having that same weird sensation that the bike mechanic felt I was wasting his time in the empty store and that he was annoyed that I was there asking for his quite expensive help. Maybe it was just a couple off days for them or something but I would just say its not worth going to this shop when there are so many other good shops in Seattle. Needless to say, I am looking for a new one myself. read more

Just got my bike back from Ben in service - he's got a hearty dark beard . If I could give this shop 6 stars I would. Gorgeous space with wood floors, exposed brick and vintage cycling jerseys on display - right on Ballard Ave. Attentive and knowledgeable staff. And such a rad selection of bikes. I've been rebuilding my bike after it was stolen and recovered, missing a number of parts. I took it in for a final check and tune-up from Ben and since I got my bike back from the shop, it hasn't been smoother. He took the time to walk me through some of the key tune-ups and provided a solid experience. If you are into mountain biking or cross, or just need a tune-up or some accessories CHECK THIS PLACE OUT. You'll read more

A terrible over promise and under deliver experience. Said they had a bike for me at a bike demo and the next day found they sold it to someone else. Extremely disappointed. Maybe next time-check before a literal "handshake" deal? A better business model is to under promise and over deliver or said more simply, don't make promises you are not sure you can keep. read more

Very knowledgable staff. Cool bikes and gear. Very low stress buying experience. As someone who likes riding a bike but isn't in the bike world really, it can be intimidating to go into small bike shops with hard core staff. But these guys were great, patient, helped me figure out the right bike for how I wanted to use it and my budget. read more

I was slowly cruising down my neighborhood street yesterday when my brakes stopped functioning. (Thankful I was doing that when my brakes failed and not, like, hurtling down a hill.) I looked up area bicycle shops on Yelp and decided to take a chance on this place. They had my brakes working again quickly and explained why the brakes blew out and what had been done to fix them. They were polite, professional, and sent me back on my way with a much-improved bike. read more

Nope...shop is pretty lame, totally sterile has no feel for bike soul and Mr McBeardy is a condescending person I will never ever give my money to. read more

I don't know much about this bike shop, since I've been only once in it, but I don't feel like going back and felt compeled to write my first Yelp review. In short, I felt kicked out of the bike shop by one of the mechanics working on the floor because my bike wasn't super expensive, but it still is a nice commuter/city bicycle. This morning I had to get some climbing gear at Ascent Outdoors, and noticed this bike shop nearby, so after my great experience at Ascent Outdoors, decided to check it out. There was a guy at the entrance of the bike shop giving chocolate away. It seemed like he wanted to be a good neighbor. I went inside and there was almost no one. A young woman approached me and asked me what I was looking for. I told her something along the lines I'm just checking the place, and that I was wondering if someone here could give me some advice on bike fitting. I want to make sure my bike fits me properly because I have had issues with my knees. She asked me if I had my bike there, and I was like, not with me, but it's around the corner (I had brought my bike from Wallingford). She said, "why don't you bring it"?. And I was like "right on!", thinking this people are nice. And went out of the store to get my bike. Then I came back with the bike and the young woman wasn't in the room anymore, there were maybe 3 other clients in the shop. The mechanic that was in the middle of the room working on a bike asked me if I was being helped, I told him I was looking for the young woman who was helping me earlier, and went on to explain him that I wanted to know how well my bike fit me.... and that she had offered to help me with that. Then the mechanic, very nicely, but with a not very friendly vibe, says that if I came back on a week day (today was a Sunday), he might be able to help me, because at that moment they didn't have enough people and they had too much traffic. Then he added that he would charge me $20 or $30. It felt more like: why don't you leave the store now, and by the way if you come back, I'll charge you for the advice that the other employee was just offering. I left the store, but then thought: wait a minute, there was a guy offering chocolate outside, and the employee who offered me help first was in the back talking with other employees, therefore, they were not so short-staffed after all. In addition, they had very little clientele at that moment. When I reiterated to the mechanic that the young woman had offered to give me some advice regarding the bike fit, he said that she was new and that she really didn't know how they did things there. That was a bit weird. I really can't point to what's wrong with what he said about "she doesn't really knowing how things are done here", but I feel like there's something wrong with just saying that. I hope this helps the shop managers/owners see how they can be perceived by first time visitors, and I hope this helps others when they visit the shop for the first time or think about stopping by. I don't feel like coming back. Maybe that's what they wanted. read more

Really appreciated the interest, knowledge and good-humour of all of the staff who helped me. I came in with a question about shims for old model shifters and my guy knew what I was talking about, went rummaging through bins looking for them, though no longer had a set. They were very helpful with a couple of other small items I wanted to outfit a borrowed bike for my visit too Ballard. Made my visit to Seattle just that much better. read more

I'm a fan! I'm not going to win any cycling competitions, but I love my bike and I love riding. These guys have kept my bicycle in good riding shape. I've been using this bike shop for quite a few years mostly for maintenance tunes. I have always found this place to be friendly. A few times over the last 10 years I've gone to other shops, only to return here. I consistently have the best tune-ups with these guys. They are always up front about costs which I appreciate. I took my bike in after a crash and they did their full post-crash once over which I was very happy to do. They knew what to look for and I didn't besides the obvious damage. The other thing I appreciate is they usually have everything I need without an overwhelming amount of choices that just complicate your decision. They seem to choose carefully and there are enough of any kind of accessory that I find what I need. Everything I have bought has worked great for me. The new shop is handsome. So nice to have them in Old Ballard. read more