My son wanted to go bike riding the next day with his friends and needed a bicycle. His cousin gave him a bike that had not been used in about 10 years so it was rusty and needed new tires and a checkup. We searched and found Cognition Cyclery in San Mateo. This place is not as advertised. Apparently their "New level" of customer service sucks and is very unfavorable to kids. "Cognition Cyclery is a.... bicycle store, carrying only the best quality brands and merchandise! We bring with us years of experience in the bicycle industry, including the highest quality bicycle service/repair. We strive to offer a new level of customer service, not found at any other bike shop. We invite you to come in and see how we do this, browse our excellent inventory, or just bring your bike in for service." We did not know it is only for "elite" people with "elite" bikes. We were judged and looked down upon because of the "poor" condition of the bicycle. The look they gave us basically told us that we and the bike were not wanted (not of their caliber)and to take our business elsewhere. They told us to go to Walmart. My son was so upset by the rude treatment (he asked me why they looked at us that way and said they were mean), which is prompting me to review this place. I told him that it was the shop's "new level of service" and they are trying to achieve a quality image and this bike does not fit their standard. Kind of like racism. We were bike shamed and needless to say we will never go there or endorse this bike shop. My son said he should have video'd them, created a meme and posted to TikTOk. ALL BIKES MATTER. read more

*change from Yelp sort to "newest first" if you want to read the truth. I always look for every opportunity to give a good review, I am in the service business and I believe there are way to many 1 stars that are over embellished. So I'll make it short and sweet. 1: Buy a 24" Specialized Hot Rock for my 9 year old from this company 2: Immediately notice the brakes are out of adjustment. The derailer won't stay in gear, and the cable for the rear brake is frayed (actually cut my son) 3: Bring bike back approximately 2 months later (around 30-40miles of gentle riding) 4: They fix the derailer (thank you), but somehow the brakes being out of adjustment were my sons fault (they said the wheel was bent) and charged me to straighten it ($25) I can assure you if it was bent that's the way I bought it 5: Never fixed the frayed cable What I learned is Cognition really isn't interested in your business unless you are spending the $$$$$, do yourself a favor, drive just a few miles down the road to Mike's Bikes in Palo Alto, great experience no attitude read more

I called Cognition to ask if they could repair (fix a flat tire and replace 3 spokes) plus do a tune-up for my electric bike. They said yes bring it in. I bought the bike in on Oct 14th and was told it would be ready on Oct 22. I called on Oct 24th and was informed that I would need to order the spokes and have them shipped to the store. I asked why they could not purchase them. I was told they could not order items. I thought they were a bike store?? Anyway, I ordered the spokes and a few days later, I again I called them I was told they had the spokes. Again I waited for a call. I called Cognition Cyclery on Nov 4 and was told my bike was repaired and was charged $ 116.22 for service. My son went to pick up the bike, and there it was, still with a flat tire, no spokes repaired, and I am sure they did not check the brakes. I did get my money back and found out the spokes were never shipped to the store. I would never use this store again. I find it interesting that each time I called them I was not told the truth. Not a very good way to run a store. read more

Store was very helpful in finding a new bike for me. Service staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

My husband and I took our bikes here to get our chains fixed. The mechanic was taking a really long time with his chain so when my husband asked what's wrong he said he was having trouble. In the end he broke the gears so you can't access the lower gear. He said "it must have been broken before." Of course we've been riding this bike weekly so we would know if the lowest gear has been broken... it hasn't. It became a he said, she said game. In the end we didn't have patience and didn't want to be arguing in close contact for a long time during COVID, so we paid and left with a broken bike. We're taking it to another shop to get it fixed. (Not a professional biker by any means so I might not be using the right terminology) read more

Bike inventory is super compressed all over the country due to Covid, and Cognition was the only shop in the Bay Area that had the bike I've been pining for. I'm super glad I made the trip from Alameda down to San Mateo though, these folks are super friendly and knowledgeable -- total bike geeks without all the snobbery. Kudos to Taylor (I think?) who patiently swapped a few stems for me to dial-in the proper fit for my new bike, which I think I love more than my parents. I also appreciate that they're limiting the number of people into the shop and asking everyone to wear masks and sanitize their hands. Should be standard practice everywhere, but I've been surprised by lax standards in some of the... _bigger_ bike shops that sell Specialized. Thanks Cognition! Will definitely be back soon. read more

Purchased my bike last week after finding the only store that had the roubaix comp I was looking. I called in and let them know I was not the way for the bike. When I arrived Taylor greeted me at the front with a very warm welcome. Helped me with my bike and fitting of my shoes. He was very attentive when he was helping me even though he was helping other customers, but I understand it's covid and how busy it is! Came back today for my fitting and it was great! Really great experience with Torr. He has over 10 years of experience! Great guy! Overall great experience with Taylor and Torr for fitting! Highly recommend asking for Taylor when you come in! read more

Just bought my first road bike in many years, visited a couple times before purchasing. Came back a few time for some minor adjustments, and came back a few more times to purchase accessories and look around. Each and every time it's a great experience! Excellent service!! Thank you read more

5 stars to Ben! Such a pleasure to deal with and excellent customer service. Very knowledgeable as well with his products. Spoke to him this morning and he delivered my new bike this afternoon. Top notch! Highly recommended and will definitely see him again for future needs. Kudos! read more

This is just a fabulous bike shop, especially if you own or desire Specialized bicycles. Their mechanics are A+ and the team will give you practical advice for no charge. They are also great if you need replacement components for your Specialized bikes. They are owned by Specialized so for me it's the best of both worlds of having an LBS and having direct access to the manufacturer. read more

Went in for a simple tube replacement. Staff was pleasant. Repair took about 30 minutes and was very reasonably priced. They even made some additional complimentary adjustments. I will be calling them if I have future bike repair/maintenance needs. UPDATE: I can't add another review, but want to tell you I have in fact gone back to Cognition Cyclery. I needed a couple adjustments on a relatively inexpensive bike. They made the adjustments while I waited and never tried to up sell me to more expensive services. To the contrary, the technician recommended against one service, should it have been the solution, due to its cost compared to the value of the bike. Really happy with the service, honesty and value. read more

I came here and bought a Specialized Sirrus 2.0 and took it out for a test ride. I made a bad turn, slipped, and scraped up my arm and leg. I returned back bleeding and the associate helping me wasn't sure what to do, so she turned to another associate (who seemed like a manager). Not only did he ignore how I was, the first thing he told me was that I needed to pay for the bike becsuse it had been damaged. I understand I made a mistake and that I need to pay for damages, but do you really want to do business with a place that doesn't care about their customers? While I bought my bike here, I wouldn't come back and wouldn't recommend this shop to anyone despite the good reviews. read more

Cognition cyclery is one of the best bike shops I've ever been to. I've traveled all over the country working for months at a time at different locations and never have I found a shop that has so much to offer. Between the sales staff and the maintenance crew the knowledge and willing to help is remarkable. I upgraded to the new 2020 specialized Roubaix Pro here a couple months ago and I felt well taken care of throughout the entire process from the sales side to the maintenance side of my new bike. Torr did an excellent job professionally fitting the bike perfectly for my goals as well as my limitations, you can really tell he takes pride in his job. He even has a dedicated room that he does all his fittings which I loved. If you're in the market for a Specialized road bike, off road and ebike this is your go to location. read more

Just picked up my Specialized Aethos! The service and build was amazing and spot on. I highly recommend getting a bike fit by Torr Hage. I've been cycling for over 20 years and thought I had a good fit. His expertise and knowledge greatly improved my comfort and increased my power. Gotta love the power meter! read more

Cognition Cyclery - Thank you Torr! - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - San Mateo, California

I took two bikes to Cognition for tune up. They looked at the bikes and said it'd be $120 tune up each plus one chain, and they could cut a seat post if too high for my wife. I picked up the bikes 3 weeks later, and was told that all were as was good as new. Problems: · Estimate was way off: was billed for $400. · They couldn't cut the seat post as promised, and told me to go buy one at Amazon and fix it myself. · They returned a bike without checking tire pressure: back half flat and rim touched floor when I sat down. · back brakes didn't grip despite full squeeze. · Mechanic pushed bike the bike inside store and said breaks were fine!. I suggested he ride outside. Oops - he confirmed breaks needed work. So I waited another 20 min as they sanded and wiped. I got home with tire pressure ok, but back brakes still don't work, and front tire tapped against the front brake. Took bikes to another shop. Mechanic said brakes were screwed up, dirty and not gripped well. I was surprised when told him I'd just spent $400 tune up for the bikes. Bottom line - It would be cognizant to go elsewhere to get your bike fixed and to Amazon for parts. PS - whomever engineer created this site, s/he presumed that every review is great. The line below popped up when I was half way done. "This review is looking pretty epic. Nice! " Either Yelp or Cognition Cyclery is not worth trusting. If this isn't posted, then we'll know its not a mistake. BB read more

After a few years of triathlon, strain and wear has been accumulating on my body and I was starting to feel uncomfortable on my bike. I scheduled a bike fitting online at Cognition Cyclery with Torr. Immediately upon arriving, I was struck at how nice the shop was. Specifically, they have a room dedicated to bike fitting (that is also COVID compliant!). The room is full of tools and instructional materials meant to help find your fit. It's obvious this place takes bike fitting seriously. Torr had me ride on my bike and determined a lot of harsh realities I was dealing with: imbalanced shoulders, unstable ankles, excessive knee strain, and a bad back angle. Yikes - I had no idea. He methodically went step by step through every adjustment we could possibly make on the bike. We ended up adjusting my cleats, added insoles to my shoes, raised my seat, moved my saddle back, changed the yaw of my shifters, moved my saddle back, made my brakes more accessible, changed the angle of my aero bars, and changed the pitch of my handlebars. Everything that could possibly be adjusted on my bike, was methodically adjusted to fit me. All of these changes were made using tooling and measuring aspects of my body. We measured my various hip and knee angles. We measured the separation of my sit bones. We measured my arch height. Nothing about this is a guessing game - there is a method and a process to this. And there's a transparency to the whole thing. Every change was made only after explaining the why and to me. I left the shop a more knowledgeable cyclist. When I inquired about buying a new saddle, Torr talked me OUT of it. I appreciate that earnestness so much. At no point will you be pressured to spend money you don't have to. All recommendations are brutally honest and done with the goal of making you a better cyclist. If you are a cyclist of any variety and have never been fit - don't hesitate, schedule a fitting now. For me, it was worth every penny. Thanks Torr! read more

Cognition Cyclery - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Very friendly and pleasant to interact with. Great service & store. Bought a Specialized Vado 5.0 SL EQ and they assembled it, let us test ride no problem, and even cut the seat down for my wife. A real joy compared with some other local bike shops I reached out to. Their Mountain View location was equally pleasant. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Was told by the techs they could wire my di2 in a cleaner way. Told me it was no big deal. Just make an appointment and the turn around would be quick, about a day. After a couple days I called asking about the status of my bike, kept getting empty promises that my bike was next in line. 4 days later I get a call from one of the techs saying it'll take a week to order the parts. The tech was very short on the phone. No apologies just very matter of fact. I told them to stop once he told me he had no idea how to wire my bars differently and he would have to figure it out. At least they didn't charge me a storage fee... sounds like their ace mechanic left them for sports basement. Probably not a good idea to bring your bike here if you want anything important done. read more

Nice showroom with a good selection of bikes. Nice selection of bike accessories as well. Downstairs is apparel and shoes, but it's a disaster of merchandise that nobody seems to care about. No selection of sizes and no prices on items. Since the employees are upstairs there is no way to get assistance downstairs. Don't bother going downstairs and you will be happy with the shop. read more

The sales staff is perfectly fine. My review is for the bike fitter (Torr). You pay an arm and leg for this fitting but the follow up from him is flat out awful. Literally took 4 emails to him in order for him to respond and even when he did he didnt even answer all the questions. The fitting itself was ok. I felt he half assed a couple things during the fitting that could have had other implications. Was suppose to have a follow up to finish up my fitting but found out he left his job. Now im basically 80% done with my fitting and will probably have to pay for another one if i want my fitting finished up. read more

I stopped by here after the Fourth of July holiday weekend to upgrade the wheel set on my road bike. I didn't make an appointment but Edgar and Mark at the service department squeezed me into their schedule. These days, with bike shops so overwhelmed with demand, Edgar and Mark really went above and beyond to accommodate my time frame. Thank you both! read more

I came in after crashing my full carbon fiber Pinarello. I had scuffed my frame and bent the derailleur. I was worried that it would cost a lot to fix the issue. Thad greeted me and quickly assesed the issue. He was very knowledgeable about the components of my bike and how to fix it. The turnaround time was extremely quick (a couple of hours for a Sunday walk-in), even though the store had many customers requiring maintenance. It was surprisingly affordable (under $30)! I applaud Thad for his thoughtful and masterful servicing of my bike. Cognition Cyclery is the bike store that I trust. They never upsell, and the and staff are kind, humble, and very capable. I'm very happy with my experience. Cognition Cyclery of San Mateo has certainly won my loyalty. Also, they're never condescending, even if you have a cheaper bike. read more

**This review is specifically for the bike fit performed about 3 weeks ago by Torr Hage. I bought a bike at the Mountain View location, which came with a basic fit.** I'm a fairly active younger male but have a ton of knee and back injuries from doing stupid things (PTFS from overuse, scar tissue in lumbar spine, torn lateral meniscus, cuboid syndrome). I picked up road biking about a year ago and recently bought a new Specialized bike at the Mountain View location, which came with a free basic bike fit. I've never had a bike fit before and decided to schedule one with Torr on the weekend (Torr seems to work some weekends at the shop in San Mateo). Over the course of about 35 minutes, Torr helped resolve the following issues I was having: * Painful bottom and loss of blood flow to the jewels: Measured me using ass-ometer and replaced Power 155mm saddle with 143mm saddle (free swap since it was the same saddle in a different size) and moved it back and lower * Tension in neck, shoulders and upper arms: Counterintuitively actually removed a spacer in the headtube which seemed to completely eliminate tension * Medial knee pain in both knees (overuse PTFS): Suggested Specialized insoles that stabilize the ankle (Body Geometry SL Footbed - blue) - ($30) and moved the cleats on both of my pairs of shoes around after measuring me with my shoes on I took the bike out the day afterwards and the bike felt completely different and way better suited for long rides. I strongly strongly strongly recommend that everyone with discomfort (or even if you don't) go see Torr for a bike fit. In hindsight, I would have paid to see Torr even if the basic free fit was not offered. The shop itself is also nicely decorated and large, with plenty of superbikes to drool over. I will definitely be coming to this store for all my cycling needs in the future. read more

Great bike shop. Knowledgeable and helpful. Big shout out to Max in repair who saved my weekend ride with a quick fix. Outstanding.

Came in for a tubeless flat had no idea what was happening or y was going flat on me. The people in from were very nice and told me the technicians in back would be more then happy to assist me and my needs. I told them what my issues were. And they explained that I had to refresh my sealant every few months. And explained that could be the tape as well. They were so so helpful and took care of me rote on the spot. Did both tires to make sure I would have no issues again. An bout some sealant as well to refresh my self. Place was grate and people were so helpful Just had to leave a comment as I really not the person to do so. But I juts felt like I was so taken care of I jus had to. Big thanks to the tech guys and there grate knowledge. Thanks cognition cyclery read more

I bought a turbo Levo bike from them a year ago during COVID. The sale department was excellent and fast to make a bike sale. After a year my Levo's front spoke broke with no warnings I was shocked in all my 30 years of riding I never broke a spoke. I call cognition cycle up to let them know my front spoke broke. I ask is it under warranty, In the begin they said NO then I was transferred to another person on the phone and he said just bring it in we will take care of it. I brought it in they repaired it but then they said I have to pay for labor. I was confused and wish they could have told me that in the beginning when I dropped off the bike. I was under the impression that it was covered in the warranty and I wouldn't have to pay anything. They told me they would check every thing on the bike Since it's been a year, chain was still dirty and I guess they forgot to tighten my valve stem and reinstall the nut to tube that connect to the rim when they changed my broken spoke on the front wheel. Not impressed with the service specially when I spent 7500k on a mountain bikes. Not happy with specialized either. read more

Cognition Cyclery - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - San Mateo, California

Was switching out sets of handlebars on my old Bianchi today & the stem bolt snapped when reinstalling. Rode over to Cognition (I've been there twice: once to gawk at the size of the shop & the selection of bikes & goods, & the other time to look at shoes for my daughter's SPDs) @ 6:30 & showed them the sheered bolt & the old Salsa stem it needed to fit in. Jeff stepped up & dug around & gave me a few options to try but kept up the search off & on for 5+ minutes, finally coming back with almost the exact same bolt I broke/needed. Anyway, total success & well worth the cost... except that Jeff refused to charge for the bolt. Now, I know, a dumb little bolt seems like nothing, but when it's on an early 90s Salsa stem & is what holds my bars on, & sometime takes the time & makes the effort & charges nothing, it means the world at that moment. I may not need any more bikes right now & wont be a $$$$ purchaser, but I'll certainly be going & purchase all that I can there. Thanks Jeff & Cognition. read more

Cognition Cyclery - Stem clamp bolt for a 90s Salsa stem on my old Bianchi. - Bike Repair/Maintenance Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came to the mt view store first because it was closer to me but came and a manager told me they don't have any 2021 Stumpjumper at the moment but our sister store in san mateo have 8-10 in stock right now. Left to san mateo and was greeted by Torr and ask what am I looking for and Ben here will help you find the mtb you looking for. Ben search the computer and told me they have couple S3 in 2021 Stumpjumper for the comp alloy. We went downstairs and he pull out the two colors that came for that on that build and open it and let me see which one I like. What was cool was Ben didn't pressure me to pick a color or buy the higher build instead. We just talk about how this is my first full suspension bike and I didn't want to spend 5-10k for the top bike build while I was thinking in my head. Ben told me this is a great first full suspension bike and this build is great for the price and you could upgrade all the components down the road when it wear down. We talk a little more while we get all the paper work done so they could get the bike build. Two days later got a text from Cognition Cyclery bike is done. Pick up this bike and went for a ride at Waterdog Lake and man this bike is a beast and so much fun. But still getting used to with a suspension in the back and dropper post. Overall the staff at mt view and san mateo was great and friendly. So if you need a Specialized or bike accessories one of there store is the spot to go. Also the san mateo is the biggest bike store I have ever been too around in the bay area. read more

This is a bicycle wonderland and the staff are awesome. Just look at how sweet the store looks inside (like a Tesla Store and an Apple Store ... but for bikes). I had Cognition custom build a bike for me in 2017 and they bent over backwards to get it exactly how I wanted. We're talking about the utmost attention to detail and they were awesome. Much thanks to Cody for great product information, Taylor (owner) for putting the whole package together, manager Ben, Mechanics Jeff & Paul, and fitter Tor for making this happen as a team. This bike just looks sick. read more

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I needed help with a rusty chain that I had tangled attempting to get off. Francisco helped me reset it, oiled it checked the gears which were ok, though not perfect. He knew I wasn't planning to ride it much, and he told me it was good enough to leave alone, and that the chain was fine with just some lube. He spent 15 minutes helping me, but wouldn't charge me for the help. Such a nice and competent guy, no upsell despite the upscale look of the store. What a nice surprise. Highly recommended! read more

The mechanics here did a GREAT job with an emergency repair I needed. I've been on a 6-day, 300-mile bike ride all around SF Bay. The cable for my rear derailleur broke, making it impossible to shift on the freewheel. I called the shop and they told me to come in. They did the fix in around 10 mins. even though the shifters are integrated into my brake lever and doesn't strike me as an easy repair. Cognition had me quickly back on the road, and I am happy to highly recommend their services! read more

OK...Need to update my review. I went to Cognition in San Mateo on Saturday. My son Zack volunteers his time to fix bikes at the Silicon Valley Bike Exchange and has been learning a lot...but he was stumped on putting a new duralier on his SE OM Duro. The guys at Cognition not only listened to him, but walked him through the whole issue and showed him where the problem was and how to correct it in the future. They treated him as if he was just another bike dude, not a 13 year old kid...I love this place...and they only charged him a reasonable fee to do the work. Usually I expect to get charged more like at a mechanics shop where the sign reads 100.00 if we do it...200.00 if you help us!!! read more

Bought e bikes here. They helped with proper fit of the bikes , helmets, and bells! Customer service is outstanding!

Lovely place and nice people work there! Definitely I'll come back. Rubens eid cywinski read more

Store itself: I hadn't been in a bicycle store in over 35+ years so this was my re-introduction to the cycling world. I've since visited other shops and end up judging them against Cognition. Hands down, Cognition is one of the nicest stores and makes quite a few others look like Target. Staff: Cody - He was great since I had zero knowledge of bikes (last bike I had was a steel road bike with downtube shifters). Very patient and I'd recommend him to any newbie looking to purchase a bike. One thing I really like about Cody is that it's been over a year and yet he always remembers my name and even recalls that I'm a runner. Torr - If you need a bike fit or in my case advice on what frame size to get, he's the guy to go to. He patiently listens to the type of rider you are, plops you on the Retul bike, and proceeds to walk you through the differences between the various frame sizes. Ben - Very knowledgeable and knows the products inside and out. If he gives advice on a product to buy (or avoid), take his suggestions seriously. Jeff - He's the man when it comes to repairs. The thing I appreciate the most is that he's never condescending when I ask questions or bring my bike in after one of my "creative" DIY repairs. Mike - He gave me the inspiration to try repairs/maintenance on my bike since he once told me "I mean...it's a bike...they're really not that complicated." Plus he told me about shims for disc brake rotors which allows me to swap wheelsets without having to adjust the calipers all the time. Taylor - I appreciate that he works with you if you're on a budget (i.e., you don't have S-Works money). Parking: I tend to be lazy and park in the lot that's behind Cognition. It's very cheap though and I think at most I've paid two bucks to park. I believe on Sundays it's free but tends to fill up quickly. One other thing I got spoiled with at that store is that they usually have stuff in stock, even high end stuff most stores usually have to special order. read more

This is a top notch outfit. Not only during this time of short supply did they have the bicycle I wanted, they responded very quickly with the assembly and the BEST PART was the remarkable assistance, free of charge from their knowledgeable, service oriented, innovative bike fitter Torr Hage. He assessed my needs flawlessly, answered a myriad of questions and was delightful to work with. He knows the business in and out and adjusted my bike to me with total precision. Yes, the bike itself was costly for me but every adjustment that needed to be made was done by Torr and the maintenance crew. I have already sent customers their way with absolutely no reservation and an excitement that these friends will be served just as handsomely as I have been! read more

These guys are the best! I brought in an old mangled bike with a lot of sentimental value with no idea if recovery was out of the question. They gave me a quote, stuck to it and threw in a brown leather seat. I really appreciate all the help I received and all the time they took to explain the process and pieces to me. Bike's running great read more

Thank you Michael and Thad for getting my boys bikes back on the trails again. You were great to work with and super helpful with both bikes. The services at Cognition are comparable to other shops but their knowledge and customer service exceeds other shops I've been to. They have a great selection of bikes as well. All in all, a great bike shop. read more

This place felt snobby and annoying. I have a great job and several really expensive bikes, but I felt like these guys were talking down to me as if I couldn't afford their stuff. I also heard them smirk at some guy they saw out the window. This was a while ago, but I just saw this shop again and had to post. It felt like top notch bike shop snobbery. Also from a technical standpoint bikes are super simple but yet guys that work on them act like they are bridge builders or something. read more

Went in for a bike fitting. Torr was great and spent a lot of time making sure everything was just right. For how much time he spent it was well worth it. I thought I had it dialed in but Torr made a lot of adjustments. He adjusted things I didn't even know could be adjusted. Great service. Thanks read more