There was wayyy too much stuff for the space and it ended up feeling very claustrophobic in here and unorganized. I was stepping over stuff on the floor and brushing against hanging clothes. A lot of the clothes were also in bags, and I'm not sure how people would know what they're looking at without fully unwrapping them which seemed impossible in the space. It ended up feeling really junky and I got out of here as soon as possible. It would work for them if they cleaned up a ton, displayed their clothes differently, and put away about half of the stuff out. read more

See all

If I could give this less than 1 star....went in browsing and at first was greeted by owner. My son found a north face zip that he liked and wanted to try on. Owner pointed out it was a women's item (which at first as being helpful) and when we asked if there was a mens version and he said no and then a bizarre interaction ensued. Basically the owner got AGGRESIVE insisting that MEN don't buy WOMENS clothes (um, what) also it's a black zip up so...zip it. His ridicule of my 16 year old escalated and as we decided to leave and not give any $$$ to this man (who started out cranky but legit is mentally unwell and possibly dangerous), he started approaching us to the point that I put myself between him and my daughter. We felt threatened and unsafe and needless to say wouldn't return if our lives depended on it. How this biz is still open is an utter shock. Clearly Ithaca isn't the community I thought it was to allow this place to stick around. read more

I was there to pick out shirts for my kids. The owner was having a conversation with a friend in the back of the store, offered to see if I needed any help, and continued chatting with his friend. I never felt rushed, insulted or anything the other reviewers mentioned. Sad to hear some folks had negative experiences but mine was great and I'd certainly come back! read more

They do not take exchanges or returns for any reason even new in package stuff of wrong size. And yes the owner is extremely rude. How this place survives is beyond me. read more

Avoid! No item, even unopened, in original packaging, is accepted for return. However, you will not be told this before purchase. There is a sign, which is not very obvious, on which, "Final Sale" is written. It is easy to interpret this as meaning items on final sale price are not returnable. The owner is rude and insists that nothing purchased is returnable. He refuses to acknowledge that his "Final Sale" sign is not placed in an obvious site for noticing it, and also does not clearly state, "All sales are final. No returns.". His reaction to questioning the lack of transparency is "Buyer beware." read more

They have a nice selection but i h ave to agree with all the one star reviews. The owner was rude. Also tried to exchange unopened smart wool socks for another color. Ridiculous rule in this day and age and if you're going to have it, at least be kind about it and explain. Made to feel like I did something wrong. My husband specifically went here to support a local business. read more

SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES I bought several items here as gifts before the holidays. All of them expensive for what they were, at full retail. I was looking to support local brick and mortar retailers vs. buying everything online. When I sought to return or exchange two expensive pairs of socks (the recipient had received a ton of socks as gifts, and I wanted to at least exchange them for something else) I was told flatly by the apparent owner on the phone "All sales are final. There's a sign by the register." These were completely unopened, unworn items, they were full retail priced (not sale items), they were not marked "final sale," and no, I did not see any sign by the register. Why would I ever shop here again? I'm not at all surprised by the 1-star reviews -- why does this place even exist? read more

Service was horrible. Selection is always great. And as far as Value. The store owner is a real piece of garbage. Rushing me out of his shop because I took too long to make my selection. His exact words were " I've been watching you for 20 minutes I don't want to watch you for a whole hour....i am asking you to leave" now I usually time to buy anything. In this case he was rude as fuck! When I asked him " did you think I was just looking and not going to buy anything?" His response was "I've seen all kinds".... In mind I am a person of color so it made me feel like , he's seen all kinds of what?? As he left his words hanging in the wind because I bought the bag anyway!!! read more

TERRIBLE BUSINESS! Spend your hard earned money elsewhere! This place apparently doesn't want it! The 1 star yelp reviews are exactly what we experienced! UNBELIEVABLE! Shame on them! read more

Very odd policies. Very very unfriendly owner. Half the store is closed off for customers. You cannot browse. Enormous amount of Northface jackets over entire store. Apparently, "please ask for assistance" means that you are not even permitted to gently move a jacket aside to look at its front to see if it would even remotely fit the bill. Apparently, this is to avoid hand-sweat. Now, this interpretation of the rule isn't posted anywhere but if you break it, the owner will get very unfriendly indeed. Also, forget returning anything-only for store credit. Merchandise seems outdated and is unappealingly displayed. read more

My boyfriend and I stopped in today just to check it out and see if they had a few things we needed. We were pleasantly greeted by the cashier (a younger female) and made our way to the back where all the bike equipment was. A man (who I now know owns the store) asked us if we needed help. I said that my boyfriend cycles and we were just looking. Without even acknowledging my comment, he turned to my boyfriend and made a very degrading comment in which her questioned his competence. Taken by surprise we ignored it and walked to the front of the store only to overhear him treating a mother and son the same way. I was appalled at how he treated buying customers. I will never recommend this place to anyone ever. Now all of the other reviews I've read make sense. read more

Poor service. Owner of the store doesn't seem like he cares about his customers. Very lazy and made me feel uncomfortable to ask questions. read more

The cute dogs lured me in. While I was petting the one inside, I noticed the one outside may have wanted to come in. I walked all the way in the back, to ask if they wanted me to let in the one outside... just trying to be courteous. The men inside ignored me at first and then I spoke up again. I got a response, "we've got it under control." The man just let's his dog hang out outside OFF LEASH without supervision. I didn't think it was too crazy but someone with a leashed dog went past the dog outside and it didn't sound like a good interaction. Plus the rude interaction I had with the nasty men inside, now the whole thing seems iffy. read more

Walked into the store immediately got yelled at by the owner told us not to touch anything. I don't think he likes when kids come into the store. Brought my family in looking for hoodies. He was very rude we turned around and left read more

What an absolute jerk!! I'm a relative novice when it comes to bikes. I ride around a lot, but never had someone to ask about bike sizes and riding positions and stuff. I tried to ask some of these questions, and the owner seemed like I was putting him out, like he couldn't understand why I could possibly ask such questions. It felt awful to ask "how big of a bike should I get" and have him look at me like I'm an idiot. I am a fan of supporting local businesses. I walked in today fully expecting to pay $100 extra for a bike in order to support a business in my community. Instead I walked out vowing to never step foot in that store again or spend a penny there. As I was leaving, I told him I felt super turned off, and that I totally expected to leave with a bike. He said he felt totally turned off too, and that I was "asking really weird questions". Really? Is it so weird to ask "how do I know if a bike is the right size for me?" Or " can I get a bike where I'm sitting up more so I don't have to crank my neck?" I just wanted to be educated a little bit so o could make a good choice an improve my bike riding. What a bust! REI online, here I come! Sorry local business! read more

The owner was exactly as another customer described him in a review in June 2019 so there is no pandemic issue here. In fact, you will find strikingly bad customer service reviews going back through 2013 that match our experience exactly. The owner has learned nothing in at least the last seven years. This is not a covid related thing. My wife and I had to walk out of the store because of his attitude. As I described my situation and my need for advice on some climbing equipment he repeatedly shrugged and acted annoyed with me. My wife witnessed this and we both found him intolerant and intolerable. To the owner if you read this: People come to stores instead of buying online in order to tailor their purchases to their needs. The first rule of live interaction sales is to listen to the customer to ascertain what you can sell them. I doubt my explanation was longer than 1 minute and my wife confirms this. You need to develop a lot better listening skills because you blew a 200 to 300 dollar sale today. If I were you, I would hire some college students to work the store. You could sit back and watch your sales increase while you focus on inventory. Otherwise, just close your store and do online sales only- customer interaction is not your strength. read more

The store owner is not welcoming at all. I was hawk eyed the entire time I was in there, enough to make anyone uncomfortable. I also was told I couldn't look at the socks unless I was 100% going to buy a pair... it was a really odd and uncomfortable vibe in there. Hawk eyeing customers and assuming they're all going to steal from you or something is a terrible business practice. read more

They have gear. It's expensive. They don't follow the laws of no dogs on the commons. I'm allergic and won't go back. The dog made me sneeze and wouldn't move from the door when i wanted to pop in. You can't tell it to move, it stops customers from coming in. read more

Ithaca Outdoor Store - The dog came out and rustled with other dogs - Bike Rentals Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Same story as all the one star reviews. Can't touch anything, including the tags to see the product details. Owner is strange and rude. I left feeling uncomfortable and wondering how they're still open. read more

Consistent "1's" and then he must have friend post a 5 to help his ratings. I'd give him a zero for all those reasons other's have mentioned. read more

As everyone else who had rated this store poorly has said, if I could give this a negative rating I would. The store is filled with product and it's likely because the owner is so rude to customers he is never able to sell anything. My boyfriend and I went in to look at the north face bag duffle bag collection. He picked up two bags to compare them and was then rudely criticized by the owner stating they are a "low contact" store. How are you supposed to know if you want to buy the bag if you aren't able to look at the pockets, etc? We left immediately after this as he made us feel very uncomfortable. I'm honestly unsure how this place hasn't gone out of business. Highly recommend taking your business elsewhere. read more

Unfortunately, the low stars reviews you see is true. I went to visit the store since I am a biker. There was a older (white) couple, one of them was not wearing a mask. When me and my partner decided to take a look around. We were at the store for 5 minutes, and he said where you're from, we told him, he said well I don't know the rules there but you (he pointed to my partner) need to put your mask on. Which is fine, he forgot to do that, my partner had his mask around his neck and put it on. But it's funny he never told the older white man to do that 5 minutes ago, while they were talking at the store...even though they were talking face to face. Then later after we left the store, we saw him talking to someone else with out their mask on. We are POC (people of colors) and I have an inkling he only treats POC that way. When I apologize on behalf of my partner, he stated, "no worries, it's not like I have a gun to shoot you with..." That is when it was uncomfortable for me. Not sure why he had to word it in that way? You cannot be selective on who needs to put masks on or not. If you want people to wear a mask, make that a requirement for everyone who comes in the store, it's that simple. Only cute thing was his dog Lulu at the store, even though he tapped her head hard while she was sleeping (not needed)...poor baby was bored to death. I did like the town overall, but visiting that shop was a huge mistake. It left a bad impression on me. read more

The owner is quite rude. The apparel is quite "out dated"for 2021. Any younger person less than 50 should shop online.

I came across the Ithaca Outdoor Store during a stroll around Ithaca Commons. At first glance it was a very cozy mom and pop shop that you would imagine finding in a cute town. I was greeted by two outgoing golden retrievers and the friendly staff let me play with them prior to browsing. Although I didn't have plans to buy anything, I thought it would be nice to have a souvenir from Ithaca and support a local business. I was very pleased with their great collection of winter gear and jackets (namely the socks and gloves), but I was most taken aback by the friendly staff and dogs. I decided to buy an insulated beanie hat with and a Klean Kanteen bottle as a souvenir for myself and a friend. The prices weren't that different from places like Amazon or Walmart, so I felt great supporting a local business and saving the environment! It's a cute shop that it worth visiting and supporting! read more

Lots of Ithaca is Gorges apparel that can be customized. They have a lot of name brand coats and backpacks in a variety of colors. Was greeted by two lovely golden retrievers! Couple pairs of kids skates available, and of course there is a bicycle related corner in the back. read more

They are extremely reckless in bicycle repair service. Charge you a lot for a service that they dont really do, and the owner of this store is awfully rude. By far the worst experience I've had with a repair service. read more

The biker's unsaid creed is to help out a fellow cyclist on the road if one is able to. That said, today I was biking down to get some groceries when my chain came off and became lodged in between the bike frame and the gear. I walked the bike over to the nearest bike shop (this one) and was hoping for a bit of help. This problem had occurred before - all I needed was a wrench or a chisel of some sort to knock the chain out of the rut. The store owner/worker asked me what the problem was so I explained. He then replied it would be $20 to take unscrew the wheel and move the chain. I said that that would take too long (not to mention too much for something so simple) so I kindly asked if he had a chisel or a wrench that I could borrow. He said that he wouldn't be able to so I went outside in the cold (30 degrees F) and worked for 15 minutes to dislodge the chain. In the middle of the process, he even had the nerve to come out and "fix his shopfront", I'm sure enjoying my struggle. Two frozen greasy hands and a few dirty paper towels later, I was cruising away thinking I'd have the last laugh. I would never recommend going here. read more

I can see why this place has terrible ratings. The staff is extremely rude and will even lie to you just to sell you a product. I went in a couple of weeks ago looking for a backpack, but I wasnt sure if I could have the one I bought for a particular program, so I asked the employee if I could swap it out if I later found out that I couldnt have that specific color. They said yes, so when I eventually found out that I couldn't wear that color, I went in to swap it out, but the manager/boss just told me they dont do that. When I tried to explain my situation to him and that it was never used, he cut me off mid sentence and said they're not going to let me exchange it. I told him I understood and accepted the no return policy, but that I was misinformed by the staff. He just said it wasn't true. I told him respectfully that I was told that, and he said again "no, I doubt it." I can assure you I was definitely told I could, but the gentleman just called me a liar despite the fact that I was already leaving the store. I'm never even going in that store again and will caution everyone I know to stay away from this place. read more

Great place! Helped me to figure out what was wrong with my bike and offered to fix it for free. Very friendly and encouraging staff. Also very efficient and quick to help! See you again soon! read more

They wouldn't let you physically touch a shirt! I wanna feel the quality, the material, the sizing, the stretch and comfort. They said I was not allowed to touch any shirts. Outrageous. Do not go here. They were rude and discourteous. Had nothing to do with Covid. Walk right by this store. It's a joke and so is ownership! read more

DO NOT BUY FROM HERE!!! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!! The OWNER (older gentleman) was extremely rude and lacked any respect. I followed my friend in to possibly trade a brand new backpack he bought a week ago for a different color (due to a program requirement) and the guy told him that they have a no return policy and they won't even let him EXCHANGE it. Prior to this, my friend was told by the cashier when he bought the bag that he would be able to come back and exchange it for a different one if needed. Well that was not the case when I followed him back there. The owner essentially told him that no one told him that, referring to him as a liar. My friend tried (very respectfully) to explain his situation to the guy but he continued to cut him off and told him that he won't help him. I've never been to a store with the absolute worst customer service, ever. Save your time and money for a business that actually deserves it. I wouldn't be surprised if this store goes out of business for the way they treat their customers/students in this community. read more

This is the worst store on the commons. The owner and managers are rude. I called to ask about the exchange policy and got attitude which made me cry and then he hung up on me. When my boyfriend woke up and saw me upset he called back to see why there was such an issue and the guy yelled at him and threatened to call the cops on us. Check the google ratings. I feel there are many more accurate stories there. read more

Incredibly rude and the jackets were covered in dog hair. For $300, I would expect to have a jacket free of dog hair and weird white stains. I also would expect to have an owner take my concerns seriously about the stained, hair-covered jacket, not brush me aside and act as if I were crazy to bring up the issues. I will never go back, even if there aren't any other options in Ithaca. read more

I wish I could give this store zero stars. The owner is unimaginably rude and hostile. I will NEVER shop there again and regret ever giving them my business in the past. He is truly unstable. I have had two bad expereiences with him on seperate occasions. The first time he did not want me to try on a jacket because the size I wanted was sealed in plastic. He told me he would not take it out unless I knew I was going to buy it. Since I couldn't tell that without trying it on, I did not have him take it out....for fear he would flip out if it didn't fit and I didn't end up buying it. He was clearly irritated with having to assist me at all, didn't provide any help and lost a sale as I purchased the jacket at another store where they actually let me try it on! I'm not sure why I ever went back to that store after that experience but I did and I will NEVER go back again. I tried on one jacket, which I intended to buy. I was on my phone while my fiance shopped and the owner came out of no where and started yelling at me that I'm not allowed to take pictures, I told him I wasn't but he didn't believe me and continued to harrass me and yell at me about how customers take pictures and then don't buy things from there. He would not stop so we decided to leave and then he yelled at me for not putting the jacket I was going to buy back. For some reason instead of just leaving then, I took it to the back of the store to put it away and he followed me back there continuing to yell at me and then followed me to the door saying things like "thanks for trying on all of our jackets and not buying anything" and "why don't you try on our stuff and then buy it online to save ten dollars" Even though I tried on ONE jacket that I was going to buy from him! It was extremely upsetting and embarrassing and he made a huge scene in front of other customers. I was in complete disbelief. This man clearly hates his customers, has serious issues and should NOT have any interactions with the public. I WILL NEVER GO THERE AGAIN and in reading other reviews it appears I am not alone with my horrible experience with him. I just hope he's nice to the beautiful dogs he has there. read more

The Outdoor Store is a great place to get outdoor clothes and gear...the store seems like it has a pretty good selection and I've always appreciated the staff's relaxed yet helpful vibe. This has been my place to stock up on Smartwool socks and warm gloves when winter rolls around. I also bought my Camelbak water bottle here, which I am *in love* with. read more

I bought my bike here. They were very nice when I was buying my bike....but ...Tried to get them to repair my brakes. The owner was the least helpful merchant in Ithaca. Basically told me he was too busy. Said I had to leave my bike for a week. Stay away!! Go to the shop in Collegetown. read more

I love this place. They have a LOT of top notch gear at reasonable prices. I've frequented this store for over 25 years and they've always provided great service. On the few occasions when they didn't have the items I was looking for, they placed special orders and expedited shipping so I had what I needed for my adventures. As a bonus, there are three super friendly golden retrievers that wander the store and greet guests as they arrive. The outdoor store is awesome! read more

Awful owner who will instantly leave a bad taste in your mouth. As long as you don't happen to run into him or be in the store when he is near you MIGHT have a better experience. The first time I ever went in there I was looking on spending about 2k on a new bike. Being new to the area I didn't know any better about this shop. I only spent about 5 minutes in there total. I walked in, ran into the owner, and asked him what brands of bicycles he carried. His response? "Go look for yourself and stop wasting my time!" I kid you not. The way he said it, the tone of his voice, the instant aggressiveness... I turned a 180 and walked out the door never to return. I ended up going down to Cayuga ski & cycle and have been giving them my business for the past 4 years I have been directing people away from the outdoor store for just as long. I honestly can't believe it's still in business. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise to find in Ithaca. I was shopping for a Terra 65 and planned to make the trip to Syracuse to find out. However, I walked in Ithaca Outdoor Store and was blown away by their selection and expertise. They were super helpful, even going though all similar models to find the right one for me. They spent over an hour assisting me in my purchase. I couldn't ask for more. Great place, great service! read more

Stay very, VERY far away from this miserable business. The employees are lovely, but the owner thwarts their attempts to provide reasonable customer service with his rudeness and unethical business practices. Case in point - today he turned away an 80-year-old trying to return a Christmas coat that was too big. The customer had all her receipts, all the tags, and even the little plastic piece that holds the tags to the zipper. But the owner said "no return" because she had cut that little plastic piece to remove the price tag. Seriously!?! "Yes," said the owner, "the coat is not sellable as new." Way to make $350 off a trusting elderly person. Booooohisss! I love shopping locally, but I'll be boycotting this nasty man's business. read more