I did some yelping to figure out which bike shop I was going to and this was the one that gained my first visit based on your reviews. Thank you, yelpers. You yelped me whether you wanted to or not.
I walked into the shop not really knowing what to expect but was approached immediately by a young energetic lady who asked if she could help. I had pretty particular needs but as a complete beginner, it was obvious I had no idea what I was doing. That did not deter her, however, and she essentially talked me through what my options were. After about an hour chatting, she zeroed in on what she believes would be the best bike for me based on my needs. She even asked for another opinion by someone who she claimed was very knowledgeable about this particular bike. All in, together they spent about three hours with me before I finally left the shop with a bike purchase. I purchased several other items based on the recommendations and never once felt inadequate or looked down upon for my lack of experience or knowledge even considering I'm a middle-aged guy.
They have some nice policies including discounts for 30 days after a bike purchase, free tuneups for life, free bike fit even for non-customers ( maybe I should not be revealing this secret worth about $250 per person,) and free adjustments when needed. They offer a 30 day tuneup with the purchase of the bike as well again at no additional charge.
There were a couple of mistakes made and they even forgot about another bike I brought in to have repaired. I thought about knocking one star for that but everybody makes mistakes no matter where you go and I don't think five stars means perfection but I think it means the best in my opinion. They work really hard to take care of me as well as the other customers I saw in and out of the shop each time I was there and they are so incredibly friendly that it's difficult to knock anything they do. I would say the only real drawback is the limited stock and small shop but it certainly hasn't stopped me and I'm already thinking about my next bike and without hesitation will visit them.
All in all, it's been a very personal experience and each time I go in to pick up a few other items, my bike, or ordered items, Michael greets me like a friend rather than a customer. I was also greeted by one of the mechanics in an incredibly friendly manner and he answered some questions that I probably should have already known the answers to without making me feel like an idiot. On my second or third visit, I briefly encountered the owner, Paul, who is actually working along side the mechanics on a bike. I was actually impressed by that. He, too, was very friendly. Everybody there seems to be a very active rider in one way or another. There is even good information about the staff on the website including the bikes they own and what type of writing they do.
Some friends who are knowledgeable riders have spoken highly of the shop. If someone wanted to nitpick, one could find things that are not perfect but all in all, they have an incredibly large catalog that is available to us, very friendly service, and it seems they know what they're talking about... At least it feels that way to me. And I absolutely love my Surly!
------UPDATE 07-OCT-2015--------
For the most part, the experience gets better. There have been a few hiccups but they continue to spend incredible amounts of time with me in advise *after* purchase which, for me, is really the differentiator - it makes a good shop great. I could go on and on about Gaby who has really put me at ease with my questions and helping me get started. She regularly invites me back so someone at the shop can help me refine my riding or the fit or....you just can't put a price on this. Paul, the owner, has also spent a bit of time with me offering his very clearly knowledgeable opinion about various products/brands/levels/experiences which has helped steer me. I have since purchased another bike from them (only 2 months later) and they continue to instill confidence that they will tweak it and me and guide me until I'm comfortable. They give me advise on clubs/trails/people, Gaby works to keep me motivated, etc, etc. There have even been an occasion or two where they advised me to purchase something online as it would be better for me (price/value.) As far as I'm concerned, they can't do much more to earn trust which is another huge key for me. Thanks again. read more