My son wanted a bike as an 8th grade graduation gift. Totally in support of that AND find bike prices astronomical, especially for kids who are still growing. Bikes on Solano sells great quality bikes at reasonable prices, pre-loved but in good condition. My son was happy and while I was there also grabbed my older son a bike since he likes to ride. The staff were super helpful, and we were in and out in under thirty minutes. I'm thinking about buying a bike for myself as well to get back into riding. read more

This shop has my eternal loyalty. Let me just say that I don't make a lot of money and my scooter is the way I get to my kids school and work. My brakes malfunctioned and because of how my e scooter is built, when the brakes aren't aligned properly, the motor won't work. Despite the fact that the owner was in the middle of moving shop, he squeezed me in on the one day I had off. I had gotten there early and parked my scooter right outside. When I came to the shop at the right time, it was for the owner to tell me he had already found my scooter and fixed it. And the kicker? He didn't charge me. Just said he wanted me to be safe with my kid on board. Made suggestions about how to improve the scooter with a different brake system and gave me very economic pricing. I cannot describe how very very helpful he was, and all in five minutes. And the brakes worked better than they did before. What impresses me most was his insistence that he cares about my safety and the people in the community. I had forgotten my helmet coming to the shop, because I walked the scooter there, and he offered me a used helmet for free to wear home. This is why small business is so important. I will be back. I will never go to another shop. Easy enough to do, since many other shops won't service vehicles they didn't sell. Something I was told by two other local shops. Seriously, best bike shop experience I've ever had. read more

Everything. Excellent work on repair of my bike. Owner and staff could not have been more helpful. Unfortunately they have moved a bit farther from my home. They are now at 2031 University in Berkeley. I we old personally go anywhere for their service. Sonja Farar read more

Could improve on consistency of hours and services promised with services performed. He offered to fix two tires, which I okayed. When the bike was ready days later, he had done only one. He'd just forgotten I guess. It's one thing if you've got a ton of customers. But if you don't, then it's good to remember your customer and what you've offered or promised. Cool decor. Weird vibe. On the phone while we were talking about my bike, he asked how old. I told him the age of the bike. Then he said no not the bike, the kid. I found that off putting, though I guess it didn't need to be. He didn't seem to remember this when I came to the store with my boys. Overall I don't want to go back. read more

I came in to get a popped wheel replaced and Michael hooked me up. Fixed both of my old (like seriously ancient) tires and did a few other tune ups for a good price. Cool local store ran by cool knowledgeable folks and they were so nice to me and my chihuahua. Definitely check them out! read more

This is a fantastic old school neighborhood bike shop run by folks who know and love their wheels! Owner Mike is so nice and the mechanic, Lendel was super knowledgeabl. The place to go to buy, repair or trade in bike. Excellent service!! read more

This shop is messy, crowded, dusty etc. I can be okay with that if repairs are done well. My experience is similar to what others experienced; lack of follow up calls and repairs needing to be redone. The clincher for me was having a used rim put on without informing me; being told it was for less money but would work fine, only for it to fail a couple months later and have to be replaced with a new part. So more time, more money. Can't speak to a bike built from scratch and apparently some reviewers felt comfortable with the more relaxed customer service/repair quality. If you are looking for a different vibe repair experience then be forewarned. read more

Terrible experience here. It took SIX WEEKS to get a tune-up and new tires. I called to check in after the first week and they had no record of me and had to walk the floor while I described the bike. Maybe because the intake form was a yellow sticky note I wrote my name and number on?? I called almost weekly to check in and kept being told it would be done within the next couple days, only to finally be told, six weeks later, that it was done - but NO ONE EVER CALLED TO TELL ME. On top of that, it's CASH ONLY and the place is dirty, cluttered, and smells like weed. read more

This is a trustworthy place to buy a used bike--they usually have a lot of stock of good quality bikes, and they give each one careful professional attention before selling it. We have gotten a few kids bikes here, and they have each lasted through regular riding through two kids and beyond. Twice we found a bike that wasn't quite ready for re-sale yet, and we were able to get first dibs and return when they were ready. read more

Bikes on Solano has done it again! I just purchased my second bike and what a custom beauty. It was another "adventure " finding just the perfect ride and to his credit, Mike was patient and accommodating. Several months and several test rides and here she is - "Equality ". Why the name dear reader? We speak volumes in this county about freedom and liberty, and not so much about equality. Yet the Declaration of Independence mentions Equality several times. Seems needed more than ever... So, what I love about this shop are the knowledgeable and customer service technicians - particularly- Mike the owner. You couldn't ask for more friendly and neighborly. Whether you are looking for new, used, repairs, or in my case a custom one-of-a-kind, I submit you'll be wholeheartedly satisfied with all your biking needs on Bikes on Solano. Shop local and ride! read more

Bikes on Solano - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - Albany, California

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I wish I could say more good things than provide suggestions for improvement for this shop. For one, it's dim in there and really crowded with stuff. By stuff, I mean bikes. They could organize their shop floor because it's like a warehouse of bikes. A shopper can barely get to the bike accessories they have for sale on the walls or even around the bikes they have for sale. They need more staff considering they're in a busy central part of town. Their customer service suffers due to lack of staff. I watched their 1-2 employees/owner answer the phone, repair bikes AND greet/help customers who come in through the door. I actually heard a couple step into the shop, witness the chaos and quietly say, "I think we'll just come back another time." The person who helped me (I think also shop owner), is genuinely friendly but also a bit of a salesman which doesn't feel great. I would come here if you're in a pinch but frankly there are plenty of other local bike shops in the area to support if you need more professional service. I came here for help but ended up having to spend more money than I needed to because of a mistake made by staff. read more

I bought a cargo bike at Bikes on Solano, a Yuba Boga Boga. Mike, the owner, had built it up himself from a bare frame after having it custom painted. He handpicked all the parts and set it up as his dream cargo bike. It was hanging in the shop looking gorgeous with its sparkly deep blue powder coat and 650B wheels with fat tires and I couldn't pass it up. I wanted to reduce my dependence on my aging gas guzzling van and the maintenance nightmare it was becoming. Those were all the excuses I needed. I took it home and added a large milk crate to the rear. The bike has been perfect for shopping runs to food stores, my main use. People ask me what it is and where I got it. Mike and his crew routinely customize out-of-the-ordinary bikes to create one-of-a-kind works of functional art. Make no mistake, Bikes on Solano is not a boutique shop with only high end offerings. It's a great place to find used bikes from cruisers to utility mountain bikes to single speed city bikes that have been restored to good mechanical order. But interspersed with those are occasional gems built up by one of the community of bike aficionados that are part of Mike's extended family. I would advise caution going there. You may walk out with the dream bike you didn't know you had to have. read more

Friendly service and I love to go there. Reminds me of the shop I bought my first serious road bike from. it was in a basement under a restaurant. Filled with all kinds of bikes and parts and when you asked the owner for something he knew exactly where it was. it takes me back to many years ago in my life. read more

I like their staff a lot who are always very helpful and knowledgeable about bikes, not to mention friendly. I trust them completely with my cycle and parts needs. Sometimes I find the professionalism is lacking a bit though. Yesterday the shop opened 45 minutes late. Someone inside was posting written updates about when the shop would open, 20 minutes late, then 30 - I don't know why they didn't address me directly as I was standing outside, rather than posting notes on the door. read more

The guys at Bikes at Solano are nice, if you manage to get them to answer the phone or return a phone call or email. My experience with the incredibly poor customer service will keep me from ever going there again or recommending the place to anyone. Save yourself a headache and go one of the other bike shops in the area, which at least return phone calls. read more

Bikes on Solano is great. Good mechanics who are not trying to sell you unneeded parts and services. I have been looking for a bike shop I can trust and mechanics who would talk bikes with a novice like me. Bikes on Solano is the place. Mike is both a natural teacher and super affable. Another mechanic, Ian, solved my bottom bracket creak without charging anything. They are about bike culture rather than squeezing money out of their customers. Much better than nearby alternatives. Here is an illustration. I had a persistent noise when pedaling my cyclocross commuter. Another (bluer) bike shop looked at the bike. Their solution: completely replace the crank set, $260. I did not want to spend that much so they put it back together again for $60. I then took it to Bikes on Solano, and Ian fixed the noise in 15 minutes. No charge. He also noted that whoever had put it together previously didn't do normal greasing and tightening. (The other bike shop.) Easy fix, but the other place decided not to do these basic tune-ups for some reason and just tried to sell me parts. If you want knowledgeable mechanics who dig bike culture and don't overcharge, Bikes on Solano is your spot. read more

Where to begin....first off this is not the bike store to go with if you have questions. Nor is this place setup to keep you safe during COVID. The owner will make you feel like an idiot , then try to upsell you on whatever he has in stock. I witnessed first hand a family walk in with the intention to simply fix their bike. One of the staff members was taking a look when the owner (John? - long weird beard with a home made spit shield- no face mask) said they couldn't fix it and would only sell them a new bike. Ridiculous. I overpaid for services including a tune up which was not done properly. I returned several times to have them redo the derailleur tuning. Stay far away from this bike shop and take your bike to real trained mechanics like REI. read more

Honest bike shop that will not hose you with repairs you don't need. Check. Not a giant corporation, franchise, bank or other boring storefront. Check. Accurate information on how long your bike service will take. Check. Nicely tuned bike facilitating you getting off your butt & exercising. Check. read more

What can I say? One sunny morning I needed a bike rental for Berkeley and I was recommended Bikes on Solano. They were very helpful to find me a bike that fit well and got us suited up. We hit the roads and after about 45 minutes I found myself gasping for air as I could barely keep up with my wife. I knew she was in better shape than me but this was ridiculous. Soon I could barely spot her in the horizon. Fortunately my sister-in-law spotted the rear tire was rather flat. I peddled another 30 minutes to find another bike shop that filled my tire for me. When I returned the bike to the shop, they weren't apologetic. Their first reaction was to feel the air pressure in the rear tire. Hmmm.. wasn't that the tire I just said I filled with air? I'm sure it was a harmless oversight to properly check the rear tire, but it sort of shot a good portion of my day. I expected them to be more apologetic. I wasn't necessarily looking for them to offer me a coupon or some sort of discount, but it may have helped. Perhaps if I was a more vocal customer, but I'm not. At least I got one hell of a workout read more

Jordan provided exceptional customer service for me and my dates Schwinn bicycle. The bike rides perfectly, better than I can even remember! All health measures seemed accounted for, and they accommodated my schedule on dropping off and picking up my bike. Thank you! read more

Great service, very fast. Owner is a down to earth guy, not a salesmen. I was going to buy a new bike for my son, but he recommended a bunch of upgrades to his bike, instead of spending a lot of money to buy a new one. Love the honestly. read more

I wish I could give them a good rating. They're local and seem like nice guys (if a little bro-ey). But I've found their work incompetent or careless or both. That's alarming when you're whipping down a hill at 35mph. I came with a broken spoke. When I came to pick up my bike - the tire was flat. "That's funny, I've already had to fix that twice," said the owner. (That probably should have given him a clue.) I had to come back FOUR TIMES. Every time, the new tube burst within a few hours after picking it up. (Not to mention replacing the tube myself many times in between.) Each time, these guys just threw on a new tube or some cheap plastic rim tape and said "it's fixed." They never stopped to figure out the problem. Seems trivial - but if the tire's always bursting, the bike is unusable. (The problem? After I gave up on the shop, I noticed that the puncture was always right above that new spoke they'd installed. I put some electrical tape over that nipple before replacing the rim tape and I haven't had a flat since.) I wasted a dozen tubes and many hours because, after four returns, these guys still couldn'be bothered to STOP and find a problem which they themselves had caused. I'm no bike mechanic, but even I could figure it out myself. Very lame. I won't go back. read more

The chain came off my bike and I walked over to Bikes on Solano. They were helpful and kind. They got my bike ready to go quickly. Awesome!

I was on a trip to the bay area recently and I wanted to climb up Marin ave from Arlington circle to grizzly peak, and the shop owner was very kind and let me borrow a bike and helmet. He even installed a water bottle holder on the bike just for me! The bike was great- one of the best I've ridden (but the shop must have even better ones, as this was one that I got to borrow). Would definitely recommend this place, certainly a great bike shop! (For those curious, the bike ride from the circle up Marin lives up to the hype. I wasn't able to make it up all the way- I made it up to Euclid- but it was really fun and I plan to try and do it again all the way to the top if/when I find myself back here.) read more

Bikes on Solano - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - Albany, California

I am tired of coming here looking for a specific part only to have the sales associate tell me he'd rather have me bring in the bike so he can look at it himself instead of selling me the piece then and there. I think the intention here is to ensure I don't buy the wrong part, but there's definitely a condescending "this girl knows jack sh*t" tone in his voice. I have fixed and built several different bikes over the past years so I just need you to sell me the specific piece I asked for and not automatically assume I know nothing. read more

Really sweet guys work here. Knowledgeable & take time with you. Excellent safety protocols during the quarantine. Thanks y read more

Bikes on Solano - Bikes on Solano, pet chicken! LOL - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - Albany, California

I came for a bike rack and the staff helped me put it on. Unfortunately their credit card reader was broken, so I had to come back with cash. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Broad selection with lots of stuff. The store is full to the brim with bikes! read more

I wanted to say thank you for your time and all your help. I'm actually a wheelchair user and new to the area. So my medical insurance hasn't kicked in , in this country yet and so many wheelchair companies wanted so much money to just fix a flat tire. I finally thought of a bike shop. Bikes On Solano was mores than willing to fix my tire and in a fair price and did it the same day and quickly so I didn't have to be without my wheelchair for too long. I will be coming back for sure to get my hand-cycle fixed up soon !!!! Thank you again!!!! read more

If I could give 0 I would. This shop and its owner is not professional and to be honestly shady. Long story coming. We are a host family of a student work program. It's an au pair program. We have a wonderful au pair who bought a bike on Facebook market place that needed new tires. She is new to this country, on a student income and took the mike to this shop to get the tires fixed. She was quoted between $40-60 for the repairs. They decided to do $140 worth of work without asking her. They said they called her.. but she confirmed she has no missed calls or voicemails. Without confirmation from her they did a bunch of work including a $45 safety inspection fee (not disclosed to her either). She came to me upset and was going to just leave the bike and take the loss. I called the shop and I was not rude! I was clear and firm how it's not good business to preform anything that will cost more money than quoted without permission and she is sweet and kind young girl with limited resources. And you don't know what peoples financial situations are and can't always afford more than quoted. I also stated for what they were charging her she can buy a newer bike for that money. The owner seemed nice and kind and said he understood and that he was not shady or trying to take advantage of her etc. he agreed the person working in the bike, not him, made a bad call doing all the work without confirming. So we agreed to meet in the middle and take off the inspection fee, and she was still paying well over what she was quoted, but we both felt it was fair. She just went to pick up the bike, the owner was rude to her, telling her how her boss yelled at him.. I didn't.. then he pumped air in one of the tired and popped it.. replaced it and then said he was going to charger her again more than what we agreed. He originally quoted up to $60. We agreed on $86 and today he said no $125. She was so upset and uncomfortable she said keep the bike... she took a full loss and now doesn't have a bike. He was rude to her the whole time and made her very uncomfortable. This business is shady, the owner is not kind or ethical. I recommend going elsewhere! read more

Wow. I thought this place was super dope until my previous visit... So I THOUGHT my back tire was flat so I called them last week but never picked up. Called again probably last Wednesday, didn't pick up. Finally they picked up today so I walked in and showed them my bike. And what do you know! It's not flat!!! My tire is a special "Presta" valve and I didn't know that you had to screw the little knob off before pumping the tire! So here I am... pumping my tires thinking I am pumping them... but wasn't actually doing anything cause the valve was locked! I looked incredibly stupid, AND THE GUY MADE SURE I KNEW IT! He pumps the tire straight up, says "nothings wrong with it" with a fat snicker. Then I asked him how to pump the tire and he says "it's a presta". Thanks I know... but I just asked how..... then he says "Youtube it". Bruh. Not everyone is super smart about bicycle tires! That's what you are for! Help me with my bike! I've told him like 4 times now that I am new to bike and he NEVER ONCE tells me how to screw the knob on the tire before pumping it. Now I go back home.... feeling like a complete idiot and he's probably laughing his butt off with his coworker. Man... I REALLY REALLY thought this place was super cool.... I really wanted to like them. read more

TL;DR: Friendly, down-to-earth, competent staff. Cheerfully helped me do a simple repair for free. Fantastic neighborhood bike shop. My crank came off as I was riding. I wasn't injured, but as you can imagine the bike was not rideable. I couldn't find the bolt, so I brought the crank to another great bike shop (Missing Link in Berkeley), where the guy gave me a free bolt. I found that regular mechanic sockets are too thick for tightening crank bolts, so I had to jury-rig the repair by tightening the bolt as well as I could with a pair of needle-nose pliers. This allowed me to ride a mile at a time before I had to re-tighten. Somehow I made it to Bikes on Solano, where the cheerful shop keeper/mechanic promptly pulled out his special bike socket wrench and tightened the crank down for me for free. He then answered a couple of my asinine questions with admirable patience. Bikes on Solano is an excellent neighborhood bike shop! I'd definitely return to purchase parts or do more extensive repairs and maintenance. read more

Mike is the BEST! Super helpful to me when I had an e-bike that I couldn't quite put together. He helped me on two separate occasions (ending in a successfully functioning e-bike) and when I asked to pay, he told me if I felt the urge to leave a tip in his tip jar. Amazing! I will always go to Bikes on Solano from now on. read more

This work at this bike shop can not be trusted. I dropped off my bike for a new tire tube due to a slow leak. Two days later, I arrived to pick bike up to be told to return in an hour it was not ready. An hour later, I returned and got my bike. Two days later, the tire was low on air again. Upon close examination, I could see the old stem from my old tube. I returned, but this time watched as they finally the replaced leaky tube - after four visits. COVOD 19 is no excuse for shabby service. read more

This was truly an exceptional experience. I came in to have two bikes, looked at before riding them with my daughter. I can't express how accommodating Mike was. While he was tuning the bike so I decided to buy a drink holder for ten bucks. When he finished shooting them up, I asked how much the final bill would be, and he said "ten bucks"! He refused to charge me for his work and time, in the end, I insisted that he took some more money, because I don't believe that somebody who is generous should be exploited. He is a very community minded gentleman, and the world needs more people like him. I will be back for sure, and I hope others well read this and be inspired. What a great guy - and super knowledgeable as well. In fact, he told me that if I ever bought a bike, even from craigslist, he would be happy to look it over to make sure that it's a good fit for me. Amazing. read more

I brought a kid's bike here and they made a very minor fix and charged me nothing! So I came back for a tune up on my recently purchased used road bike. The "half tune" resulted in a broken shifter revealed during my first ride thereafter (grrr!), and after that fix my front derailleur was not shifting onto the big cog (grrrr!!). I was white hot and called Mike the owner. I offered one last opportunity to remedy all this before I dragged them with as many sh*tty reviews as I could write. And he made it right! He was calm and apologetic, not defensive at all, and committed to make things right. While it was a real pain to be without the bike while it was in and out of the shop for 2-3 weeks, the owner has integrity and I will reward them with my loyalty. Huzzah! read more

My neighbor & I both have Taga 2s, which are tricycles with 2 wheels in the front & large cargo baskets. We took our bikes to Mike after he helped with a minor tune-up. He was supposed to fit mine with an electric kit that is designed to take 2 hours to install. My neighbor's bike needed some bolts replaced on the axle. Many, many things went wrong with my bike, some the fault of Bikes on Solano & some the fault of the ekit seller. However, the ekit seller bought 2 batteries out of her pocket to ensure my bike would work. Bikes on Solano had my bike for 5 months & did not complete the work, even after the correct battery was supplied. The work was continuously put off & delayed. My neighbor's bike was there for several months also, & they machined parts for her bike that were unnecessary & could be bought in a hardware store. She decided to sell her bike & had a buyer coming from Sacramento. Mike did not have her bike ready on time & was rude to her in person & on the phone, snapping that he didn't have time & hanging up. We decided to not have him do the work anymore on either of our bikes, so we went & took them. We offered to pay $400 as originally agreed upon even though the work was not completed & he refused, saying it wasn't enough & demanding $1800. We left. I took my bike to Pacific E-Bikes & Scott was AMAZING. He had to redo most of the work Bikes on Solano did as everything was installed incorrectly. He charged me $125 & I had the bike back within the week, despite it being close to Burning Man & therefore extremely busy. read more

Bikes on Solano - My Taga 2 completed by Pacific E-Bike - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - Albany, California

Best price. Super friendly. Conveniently located. Gave my kid's bike a tune up. No more rusty chain. New brake cable. Thanks Mike!

These guys are always accommodating and helpful. I was in a pinch with a bike repair because I was heading out of town, and they put it on the rack and 5 minutes later problem solved. No charge! That's a "wow factor" for me. They have been, and will always be, my local bike shop. read more

A great bike shop in a town of great bike shops. These guys make time for everyone who walks through the door and have handled repairs ranging from the simple to the complex on my bikes. All good mechanics but I especially like Art. He is a pro and he tells it like it is which I don't mind especially since, if he didn't lay it out straight I could end up laid out on the road somewhere because I didn't get the advice I needed on necessary repairs. Art has also taught me a lot about what to expect from my bikes and how to diagnose problems. Art is a skilled and unthreatened mechanic who will teach you more than a thing or two if you are willing to listen. The owner, Mike, sets a great tone all around. Just a nice guy. I overheard him working the phone to help a customer find a set of pedals at another local shop because he didn't have exactly what the customer was looking for which sort of says it all. Bottom line: A very solid shop, staffed by nice and knowledgeable people who deliver great service at a fair price. read more

I'm so happy to have such a great bike shop so close to home. After letting my bike sit in my basement unridden for way too long, one gear shifter just couldn't get the chain to move to the other cassette. Mike fixed it for me in a couple of minutes, no charge, and then changed a leaky tire tube in another couple of minutes for a small, reasonable fee. I'd been a long-time customer of Wheels of Justice and wasn't thrilled about having to find a new shop. Mike, a veteran of WofJ, eliminated my concerns immediately! Bikes on Solano rocks!!! read more