These guys rock. What we have here is a highly competent company, that has the skills and…read morededication to compare favorably with other, much larger companies, but that still retains its "small business" attitude. This review is going to sound gushy, and it is, but AltRider is just that good.
Their products are outstanding. They don't necessarily have everything but the kitchen sink (they still have plenty, though), but what they do have is done right, in detail, and with great care. It is obvious when you use their products that they are anal retentive and particular, and aren't going to rush to be the first to market with a product. No, they will take their time, and do it right, and it shows. If you want an idea of the level of anal-retentiveness these guys have, there's a video on YouTube where a motorcycle review site visits AltRider HQ to get some crash bars, and talk to the head honcho (Jeremy) about what went into designing parts for that bike. The man spends about three minutes talking about the lengths he went to design a single bolt that met his standards. Talk about attention to detail and doing what is right vs. what is easy or cheap.
Now, as for the people. This is one of the most approachable group of guys and company in general that I've ever met. Their headquarters is up in Seattle, and I'm not sure I would really call it a "store" (at least when I went up there about a year ago). It's just where the guys work, and they happen to have a catalog on a table by the door and you can talk to a receptionist and buy things from them. But even though they don't operate a store-front, they are totally welcoming to a customer randomly walking through the door looking for things, which is basically what I did. A friend and I decided to go see what was up, and it turns out that since it was during holiday vacation time, Jeremy was the person that greeted us at the door. We kind of did the whole "Oh, I'm sorry man, we thought there was a store, didn't mean to intrude on your operation," dance, but Jeremy wouldn't have any of it, and gave us a tour of the place, talked about what went into designing their products, and basically just shot the bull with us for about a half hour, then told us if/when we bought anything, we were free to come up anytime and they'd give us a hand putting the stuff on our bikes if we needed it.
They also put on group rides throughout the year, and I've attended a few of those, and gotten to know a bunch of the folks that work for Jeremy, and they all have the same super-friendly, laid-back attitude. When you come back for your second ride with them, they remember who you are and welcome you like an old friend. They listen to their customers, and I mean like on a person-to-person one-on-one basis, and if you have an issue, they can always be counted on to do their best to make things right, even if that means making a design change to a product because a single customer had a less-than-stellar experience with that product (I've witnessed it). If they don't make something you'd like to have on your bike, ask them. They're the type to make a new product just because someone asked for it.
There's other companies that make similar products, but none of them have the combination of quality and customer service that you get from AltRider. Seriously, check these guys out.