Short version:
If you are in the market for a new bicycle just go to Fastrack and you'll be happy you did.
The long story:
A friend of mine recently got a road bike and after a couple months of thinking about it, I decided I needed one for myself. Now, I am the kind of person who spends maybe an excessive amount of time researching and deliberating over any sort of big purchase like a bicycle. I researched every brand and style of road bike. I visited many shops, rode bike after bike, I read every bicycle website and blog, watched a bunch of youtube reviews, etc... This is all to say that given how much time I spent learning about the bikes and knowing that I had so many bike shops in Goleta/Santa Barbara to choose from, I had high expectations.
Fastrack was actually the last shop I visited in my bicycle search and I have to admit that, at first, I was kind of apprehensive about the place. It was smaller than any other shop I had visited and seemed to be stocked with very expensive bikes out of my price range. That being said, in addition to the more exotic makes, I knew they also sold Trek which was the brand I was leaning towards after my research process. Once I began talking with Dave Lettieri (the proprietor of the shop) I realized I was in the right place.
[Side note: you know when you meet someone and somehow in the first 60 seconds you get the impression that that person is really good at what they do? Well that person's name is Dave Lettieri.]
Right off the bat, Dave resolved a concern I had about which frame size was right for me. He picked out a bike, fixed it to this trainer contraption thing and adjusted it and right away determined the right fit for me. No other shop I had visited went to the trouble to do that for me.
After discussing my budget and letting me know about a stellar deal available to Santa Barbara Axxess Card members, Dave gave me some quotes and soon afterwards I ordered a Trek Madone.
Less than a week later, I came in to get the bike and buy my accessories. My friend had warned me that accessory purchases can easily add up to more than one might expect. So before going back, I made a list of things to get thinking I wouldn't go "off list" and buy anything that wasn't crucial to getting me on the road. When I got to the shop, I was greeted by Luke, Dave's right hand man / cohort. [Side note: Luke is very helpful / professional but also very funny... he dispenses bicycle wisdom and insight with a lambent wit.] Luke advised me against some of the accessories on my list and, in doing so, saved me time and money.
The best part of the "Fastrack experience" is the service. With this shop, you don't feel like livestock being herded through a system designed to extract money from your bank account. Rather, every question or concern and every little mechanical issue I've had was dealt with swiftly, courteously and professionally. They even got my bicycle back in working order after I, ahem... "gently crashed it" after having it for less than a week. No charge, no fee... just a simple request that I not crash it again. :)
If this review isn't an indication then let me explicitly convey to you that: I am a huge fan of Fastrack/Dave/Luke. After my experiences at Fastrack, I would self-identify as a "pathologically loyal customer" and ALL of my future bicycle purchases will be made there. I don't even live in Santa Barbara and there are at least 5 other bike shops between where I live in Goleta and Fastrack. What does that tell you?
In fact, the only negative thing that comes to mind regarding this business is that parking can be a real "female dog" at this location (canon perdido between de la vina and chapala). Of course, this is a very small thing that shouldn't dissuade you from letting the folks at Fastrack help you find the perfect bike! What are you waiting for?! read more
