So surprised this place doesn't have more reviews! My bike randomly got a flat tire and all the Youtube troubleshooting led to nowhere. I brought in the whole wheel. Smiley & Dan were able to identify the issue, and also noticed my rim tape was seconds away from ripping. Dan got me all set up with a new tube + rim tape, coaching me & my boyfriend along the way. I highly recommend and will be back for future tune-ups! read more

If you're not riding a Rodriguez, you're probably on the wrong bike. I've bought and sold dozens of bikes over the years, trying to find my fit, to no avail. Turns out, I just needed the right people to build it. Last winter, I worked with them to build an all-road / endurance frame. I spent some time building it up, popped in for a fit, made a few tweaks since, and honestly can't imagine a bike fitting better. With Rodriguez, I got to pick every single detail, and they walked me through it all -- patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in what I wanted, not what they thought I should want. They don't sell bikes, they build your bike. The bike and the experience were so good I sold off all my other bikes and am now in the middle of a second build with them for an ATB / adventure frame. read more

Smiley is the best bike fitter in town. Great value for the money. I bought a new road bike and was having numbing in hands and feet. Smiley took the time to really make adjustments after I rode my bike on the trainer, explain what he was doing, plus gave such good riding tips. I now ride with confidence and in comfort and feel I am ready for the RSVP ride. Well, you still have to work but it sure is nicer when not in pain. I had another "bike fit" at a shop that will remain nameless and it was a totally opposite experience. Treat yourself and your body and get this done. read more

Alder is a badass. This shop is amazing, smart, and knows how to give you the best bike, repair, or service. Need a Rohloff serviced? Go here 100% - STOKED on this shop! read more

I recently received a Bandito steel-framed bike from R+E Cycles (Rodriguez Bicycle Company), and, man, I cannot stop smiling! Some background: I've had a custom-fitted titanium frame road bicycle for 25 years, and have absolutely loved that bicycle. But two factors prompted me to buy a new bicycle: I wanted disc brakes (never been a great descender and as I've gotten older, I've become even more cautious) and I wanted a bicycle with couplers that I could travel with that would avoid excess baggage fees. Experience with R&E: Any concern I had with moving over to steel evaporated with the first pedal strokes on the new bicycle. Who knew that a steel bike could ride like that?! It rides just as well as my beloved titanium frame - maybe even better! Regarding fit, Smiley absolutely nailed it! The new bicycle fits perfectly, notable as we did this completely remotely by email and by phone. I had some trepidation about assembly and disassembly, but all of that was remarkably intuitive and straightforward. R&E provides great instructions (video and pdf documents), and both Smiley and Alder were available and on the phone the couple of times I needed some reassurance. The overall guidance Smiley provided was just perfect. I'm an experienced cyclist, but I don't follow equipment and tech trends. I explained to Smiley what type of riding I do, and, again, he nailed it in terms of picking components and frame type and dimensions. I can't recommend R & E highly enough, and particularly so if you are a remote buyer, need guidance on exactly what type of bicycle and components to get, and/or want a bicycle you can easily travel with. I now understand why they say steel is real, and R&E are clearly masters of steel. read more

Advice for anyone thinking of commissioning any bike or frame build from this shop: GET IT ALL IN WRITING. Every time I talked to the customer rep Smiley, he would move the goalposts. First he would promise me the moon, and then he would gaslight me like "What? I thought you wanted X!" despite having been clear from the very first email about what I wanted. Highlights: 1) First they said they could build me the ebike I wanted if I provided the parts. But next time, he hits me with "I thought you just wanted a frame!", had me commit to doing the assembly myself. Then I couldn't even order my frame yet because suddenly we needed special permission from the owner. 2) They said they needed to measure my ebike battery before building the frame, and that I'd better get 4 battery braze-ons for added strength. And then they put the 4th braze-on in the wrong place (see picture), and wouldn't even refund me $30 for what it cost me. 3) I bought the extra-wide handlebar they told me to buy, because they would cut it to size. Next time I asked Smiley about it he said he couldn't cut it because he hadn't installed himself. 4) They called me the day before the build and asked me if I wanted the "extreme journey" upgrade. I couldn't decide in time so they called back and said "we made an executive decision to throw it in for free". I got charged $400+ for it. I was willing to compromise on everything. I got talked down from a bike build to just a frame. I bought my own parts because they didn't have the ones I wanted in stock. I spent weeks trying to seek a resolution over email but they insisted on only talking over the phone or in person. Giving them 2 stars because the builders and painter still did an excellent job with what they had to work with. read more

R & E Cycles - Bikes Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I have been lax at taking my Rodriguez bike in for regular service. Finally got it to the R&E shop for a full tune-up. Wow! What a difference. Thanks guys, for making my bike awesome to ride again! Cheers! read more

Fishy place...A guy in a red hat overcharged me $17.00 for 2 min of tool time? Felt like a rip off. I won't be back, take it somewhere else or watch YouTube videos and learn to do it on my own and save some $, because these guys are suspect. P.S. Thank you for calling my bike "LOW QUALITY"! I guess if you don't have a $10,000 e-bike your not worth their time LOL! So now when I eventually decide to get a new bike I'll know not to get it from this place. Thanks for making that decision for me pal! Later! read more

R & E Cycles - Neighborhood bike shop.? - Bikes Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Kind of a nightmare, my experience at Rodriguez. Just over a year ago I decided to have a professional bike fitting to help me figure out why I was in so much pain on my Trek 520 touring bike. Long story short: it just didn't fit and no amount of tweaking would make it right. After some research, I found Rodriguez, relatively close to home. They sounded magnificent on paper (both the bikes themselves and the philosophy of the company) and after reading practically every article on their website, decided to make the trip up to Seattle (from Portland) to see them in person and get fitted. My sister had been up the week before after I shared with her my enthusiasm for the company and their bikes and had placed an order herself. (Her husband attended the fitting with her. I went by myself.) Smiley greeted me warmly enough and we chatted a little about what I was looking for: the Adventure with travel couplings. He immediately upsold me to a UTB. I was straightforward with him about needing to keep to a very strict budget, so could not afford any bells and whistles. The travel couplings alone added almost $1000. I gave in to the UTB upgrade. There were good reasons for it. I was also adamant about cantilever brakes, compact handle bars and compact brake levers. I felt his demeanor toward me change at this point. Less engaged. When he asked me why I wanted cantis instead of disc brakes I told him about the article I'd read on the store's website listing all the reasons they were the best choice for touring bikes. He told me those articles were out of date. Um...what? I did put a deposit down that day but walked out of the store feeling a little sick to my stomach; like something was off. When my bike arrived (a little earlier than expected) I was thrilled. Beautiful frame! But when I assembled it I found the canti brakes not installed properly and of a very low quality. Like, the cheapest brakes on the market. Um...what? Neither my husband or I are trained bike mechanics but we're not newbies either and have done tons of riding and touring. Neither of us could figure out what was going on with the brakes. I took it up to my local bike shop who took one look at it and said they wouldn't touch it. They strongly suggested I bring it back to Rodriguez to fix, with a much better (though by no means expensive) set of brakes. So I called Rodriguez and told them I was coming up. Smiley was not pleased at all to see me. He wanted to charge me for the correct installation of the new brakes (which I bought myself). I was aghast. I had to sneak/whisper to the cashier about my situation. She pulled a mechanic over to explain what was going on. He assured me they would not charge me. Smiley, when I questioned him about the brakes they originally installed, was running around the shop trying to find another bike with the same brakes. There weren't any. It was bizarre. Once the brakes were installed I took my maiden voyage and proceeded to almost get myself killed because I couldn't stop in time at an intersection. Brake levers were very hard to reach, and very stiff. Front end was very, very twitchy. I told Smiley about my experience; asked if the levers were adjustable. He said no, they weren't and I would get used to the twitchiness. What about the compact levers I asked for? He did nothing to help me. I spent $4500 on this bike. I thought that cost would include some customer service, or at the very least, a gracious response to necessary adjustments. I walked out shaking with nervous frustration. I got back to Portland and immediately wrote an email to Rodriguez, cc-ing Smiley. I ended up ordering the correct levers myself and having them installed at my local shop. Rodriguez reimbursed me those costs. But I've spent a year getting the fit corrected. For some reason they installed an offset seat post and a very short stem. No wonder I couldn't keep my front tire down on steep climbs and why I felt so out of control anytime I tried to stand up and pedal. Smiley's behavior is an absolute mystery to me. I abhor confrontation and am very conscientious about treating people with kindness and respect. Certainly the other staff members I interacted with at Rodriguez were kind and helpful but Smiley made me deeply uncomfortable. By rights they should have worked with me to get the bike fitted properly. But I had no interest in visiting the shop ever again. I've not even really touched on the strange hodgepodge of parts they installed: mismatched skewers, one of which was too long, and the stem and seatpost. The owner of my local bike shop said Rodriguez has a terrific reputation for frame building, but not their mechanics. I'm very pleased with my bike now after a lot of time figuring out how to make it right. I now know what it feels like to ride a bike and not be in constant pain. I can absolutely recommend their frames, but beware the salesman and the build. read more

My vintage Erickson sees regular service at R&E Cycles. The crew there has been thorough, friendly and fair each time. Besides this historic shop being a Seattle landmark, they make time for each guest or cyclist in need, and always stands behind their incredibly precise work. We're really fortunate to have R&E! read more

R & E Cycles - Bikes Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have ridden two different Rodriguez bikes on multi week tours: twice across Europe and twice across the US. Literally zero problems other than flats and worn out brake pads. The brand was popular with other riders on these trips as well. read more

Alright Seattle, what's the deal. Why are so many bike shops randomly closed? Seriously. We came here in need of a pump and some new tubes. Well, all our local shops were closed on a Tuesday afternoon. So we wandered around hoping to find one that might be open. We found this shop. The staff was friendly and helped us pick out a nice pump. The shop definitely was more than just a supply store. They were doing some serious repairs and stuff there. Got our tubes and some new water bottles for free. Nice guys. They even have a nice coffee shop in the store! read more

R & E Cycles - Bikes Near Me - Seattle, Washington

not much of a review since I have not been in R&E for over 40 years. (now in CA). but I always drooled on myself when I had a chance to visit (I lived in Yakima) but I just saw a post for a Mercian in Renton (FB Marketplace) and I asked the seller why he was selling and not taking it to R&E to get re-painted. Someone up there should snap this treasure up! Could not think of a better place to go. read more

I live in So Cal and decided to have a custom tandem made by Rodriguez after talking with many, many tandem builders. We worked with Dan and he was terrific - gave the best answer which is "we will build the frame the way you want it". We have special design requirements with a small captain/pilot/driver and a taller stoker. We ended up with the most beautiful and amazing tandem that is so comfortable for us, lighter than our old (Cannondale aluminum) tandem and has couplers for travel. We love this bike, got great service here given long distance communication. This steel bike is smooth, smooth over rough pavement. And did I mention our pearl white tandem is gorgeous? read more

R & E Cycles - Bikes Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Not sure what to say about R&E - I've had both decent experiences here as well as feeling like I was ripped off. They did end up making good on that but it pretty much convinced me there are other bike shops out there. I have a Rodriguez (they make these bikes there) and brought it in last year for a fitting, they neglected to mention the cost of labor in making all the changes to my bike (granted if I had more knowledge about bikes maybe I should have known) which came to probably $150 (labor only). So my total bill including parts was ~$300 when their advice had been "Don't put more than a couple hundred into this bike - if you're going to spend that much put it towards a new bike". Imagine my surprise when my bill was that much! When I first got my bill they refused to do anything about it, their response was essentially: "What do you want us to do?" and were surprised that I was upset. However, I will say that their manager did later refund the cost of labor after I called about a week later to talk to someone about it. All that being said, I haven't always had great experiences at bike shops but this was probably the worst, and I wouldn't be likely to go back if they didn't carry 650 cc tires which are more difficult to find in most bike shops but R&E stocks them as they puts 650's on some/most of their Rodriguez bikes. read more

Nothing but positive things from my experience. I came in knowing exactly what I needed, and left with more (happily). I spent the last few weeks building up a track bike from the ground up - buying the frame and all of the parts, then doing all of the loving labor myself. There was one thing I was afraid to do, which was the headset and fork installation. They did an awesome job - fast 45 minute turnaround too. It's installed perfectly They even ordered me parts (Chris king headset spacers) for the job - would have had to pay shipping elsewhere. And on top of that - they stock all of the popular Phil Wood bottom bracket sizes - I picked up a 110.5 ISO taper, cups, and tools. At a cost no higher than other places. Best of all - Phil Wood themselves were sold out of the bottom bracket I needed - so this saved me 3 weeks of waiting. Got a tour of the shop while I waited, super smooth welds on their bikes, even checked out their S3 Outlaw they have hanging in the shop. Needless to say - if I ever get around to selling my Giant Carbon road bike, my next one will be a Rod. read more

Just be ready for a hard sell if you go in. All in all the salesman was extremely committed to helping us and I would give the customer service a 5 star rating, minus a star for the excessive hard push which isn't my preferred way to be handled but nonetheless he was very knowledgeable and I'm sure would be some people's dream. Details: We had called interested in what R&E has to offer (house made, 18 sizes of steel frame, custom-fitted bikes ranging ~ $2600-3000.) and since they make Rodriguez bikes on site (steel frames) they are obviously strong believers in them. I spent a very long time getting fitted by Smiley, he was dedicated and very knowledgeable and offered some good tips on technique (handlebar grip, etc) however after at least an hour of fitting/test riding I just didn't feel like the bike was a fit worth the price point (for me), if I were to spend that much the Gunners I rode at Montlake Cycles were much better feeling. Smiley kept saying that he couldn't help customers if they didn't speak up but when I did speak up about what I found to be an issue, he seemed to dismiss the issues (handlebar width, seat comfort) as not as important as the frame. My direct question of - how can I know this is the frame I want if it just doesn't feel "amazing" and other bikes (not fit specifically for me) still feel way better suited in geometry and the handlebars work etc. He didn't seem to really have an answer to that. Also, in regards to the seat issue, he said "no one likes their seat" and it has to break in (he put a terry seat on for me at first). I must say I disagree, and did speak up on this as the first moment I sat on my Terry Liberator it was a dream. I've had plenty of great seats. I just think the Rodriguez was just not the best fit for me. It might work great for others. read more

After reviewing the three major custom tandem builders nowadays- R&E, Santana and Co-Motion we decided to check out our hometown shop- R&E which I am no stranger to. I bought a tandem there in 1979 and have found parts and accessories there in subsequent years. I was impressed with Smiley's depth of knowledge as he explained the process of building a bike at R&E. His skill was amazing when fitting us for the bike. We also met Dan the owner who verified every aspect of our order and completed the transaction. Smiley and Dan are awesome bike guys without the ego- they just want to get you happy on your bike. No up-selling- as a matter of fact they never even asked if we wanted to buy a bike- we had to tell them we wanted to order! Kinda like the old days bike shops which R&E still is! Awesome! read more

Was in Seattle a couple of years ago for the Northwest Tandem Rally and saw that R&E made my dream tandem - a coupled 20" tandem!! So we went and talked to the great guys that run the shop and was so impressed that we had them build us one of their '2014 tandems' (14 couplers with 20" wheels). We have now been riding the bike for almost two years and wow what an amazing ride and what a fun bike. We packed it up and traveled to New Zealand last year and had a blast. We really recommend this bike shop both for the super friendly guys that work there and their amazing custom made bikes. read more

I needed to get my tire fixed ASAP and came across this place in my neighborhood.I walked in and they had me outta there in maybe 10 minutes. Super friendly staff, the guy gave me a few tips on things since I'm a complete novice. Super helpful, I'll be back again for my bike question read more

I took two classes from Beau, one of R + E's bike mechanics, and loved both of them. I worked on my Surly in one class and revived an old Specialized RockHopper in the other. I came away feeling much more confident. Beau is an excellent teacher; he's low-key, organized, knowledgeable, patient, and professional. The other folks who work at R + E are great, too; they're always helpful and friendly and know what they're talking about. read more

Stopped in for a helmet, Smiley was so helpful and nice to be around. Got an affordable one that fit perfectly, got good instructions on how to adjust and wear. This is a five star joint, highly recommended! read more

This place is amazing. I'd never owned a nice bike before and I just moved here and wanted to get one. I was just doing research when I went here and was very clear that I wasn't ready to buy one yet, but Smiley still spent an hour with me showing me bikes, showing me the right riding techniques, asking lots of questions about me and giving advice, and he even showed me where all the bikes are built. At the end of it all, he actually recommended I not get a bike that they built, but get a fixie instead. He answered all my questions about it, explained why he thought it was best, and after a day of thinking about it I went ahead and bought it. A week later the bike was ready for me to pick up. He spent another 45 minutes with me, adjusting the bike size and some of the parts, showing me how to ride a fixie, getting me all the gear I needed, and I left with an awesome-looking bike that's an absolute blast to ride. I had an amazing experience here. Easily one of the friendliest, lowest-pressure places I've ever been to. And Smiley never stopped smiling once the entire time I was with him. I can't recommend this place highly enough. The service I got was awesome! read more

Tucked into a narrow space on the north end of the Ave, R & E cycles is for the true bicycle enthusiast. Staff is friendly but its best to know what you're looking for before you go in. This isn't a place to just wander around dreaming about riding the STP (Seattle to Portland). Decent prices on gear but selection is less than the bigger stores. read more

REVISE- The owner contacted me and was super nice. I should have gone in immediately when I felt bad about the situation and I know he would have helped me out. So I am a over a year late in writing a review I have wanted to write for a LONG time. I went to this shop in preparation for my second half ironman which was Hawaii. I grabbed the deal of a 150 dollar bike fitting with this shop and the well hyped fitters. I went in to the shop with full disclosure, I know jack about bikes and know how to ride them well enough to finish a race. I got on the trainer and the "fitter" basically looked at me ride and the next thing I know I "NEEDED" new handlebar, new seat, new chain, and this was going to make all the difference. uhm, yeah I bought it, all the crap they sold me. Needless to say my Fugi size 54" is an entire to small of a frame for me anyways (I am 5'10"). A new seat and new handle bars was not going to make the bike fit better. The labor was 200 dollars on all the crap they put on and swapped out. I even left the bike shop without my old parts (being a bike seat I bought a year prior and a stem I had). All and all I feel still, a year later, entirely robbed and angry at this shop. There was no real bike fit, just up selling. I guess I am a sucker. What's a girl gotta do for a decent bike fit? They would have been better off if they just sold me a properly fit bike. End of the story, I did the Hawaii half and did fine but my back hurt the last 35 miles of the ride. I was basically sitting upright in arrow position. Bottom line, stick to your guns and price point. Lesson learned. Thanks R and E cycles. read more

Saved my money (a long time) years ago and bought a beautiful Rodriguez bicycle that fit me perfectly - this was amazing given the fact that I am in Texas and never stepped foot in the shop. Every time I ride, I am so happy with my bike - it is a true joy to ride. A shop in Austin tunes it up for me but other than that, I have had no repair issues. Best bike decision ever for me - well worth what I paid many times over. It's "old" now and not new technology but I still love it and it still looks great, too! read more

Wow, this place is cool! They have some really nice bikes here. After driving by it for years, I finally stopped in this summer. I like the setup, with plenty of space so you don't feel cramped, and with everything arranged in a non-cluttered fashion. I can't remember the name of the guy that we talked to, but he was very cool. On his own volition, he started leading us around the shop and showing us some of their creations. I had heard of Rodriguez bicycles before, but was surprised to learn they were made in-house at R+E. They had some really amazing bikes with some very fancy parts. He then proceeded to lead us downstairs into the production area, where he introduced us to their resident builder and showed us all the jigs and machines they use. This is one cool shop. read more

Good service, really quality stuff, but not for the biker on a budget. I payed way too much for a chain and 5 minutes of labor. They are more catered to high class bikes (but seem divey on the outside). Way too pricy for a college budget and average joe Craiglist biker... Don't make the mistake and go here if you are not a serious biker. I'm sure these guys can do anything with bikes. But for simple stuff on old bikes you are better off DIY, Bike Shak, or HUB Bike Store. read more

R + E Cycles "Home of Rodriguez Bicycles and Tandems" is one of my top 5 best bike shops in Seattle. Only been in three or four times but they have always treated me well! They always have recommendations and answered my questions clearly. Another great thing about them is that before they hand you a brand new part they point out their "used" box of goodies which always surprises me with what great finds lay within. If you are in the market for a custom (100% custom to YOUR BODY) high end bicycle this place is for YOU. I, personally, haven't had the money to purchase one of these but basically if you buy one of their bikes I have heard it is the last one you will ever buy.....ever. They have a whole machine/welding shop in the basement along with a room for painting and some damn beautiful bikes come out of there. I have nothing but nice things to say about this shop. read more

Hands down the best full service shop in town. Don't go anywhere else if you need frame repair or complicated wrenching. I don't have a Rodriguez or even a bike with Campagnolo on it, but they are just as awesome and nice when I bring in my puke orange rust bucket of a Univega my friend found in a dumpster. Will they good-naturedly mock your Peugeot? Probably yes. But I can say I learned a lot about french bikes from their taunting! Seriously, great people, awesome shop. read more

You guys are kinda retarded, it's a Rodriguez dealer, you wouldn't take your Honda to a Mercedes dealership for service would you??? If you want cheapo repairs take your Huffy to Performance or Recycled... My experience with guys has been good, I don't own a Rodriguez but I don't ask them to really work on my bikes either,, but they offer great advice and if I were to ever buy a Campy component or some Phil Wood hubs and pay retail I'd much rather spend my money here than the bigger shops.. read more

I got one of the $200 bike fits at R&E and also had some work done on my drive train. The mechanics are really skilled and friendly, but I felt like I could have done better for my money on the fit. They don't seem to hire enough staff for some reason, and the guy fitting me was also the only one on the sales floor. Never felt like I had all of his attention. After the first visit and also after a subsequent follow-up, I rode away with a loose part and had to stop and tighten something up. What's the point of a fit if the guy is too distracted to tighten everything up? I wouldn't go for a fit. Seems more like a sales tool than a real service. I'm going to try Cycle-U next. read more

I am an avid long distance rider and was looking at upgrading my Raleigh to something nicer. A friend kept on recommending Rodriguez and finally I decided to pay them a visit. First impressions: Really nice people - your first interaction will be with Smiley and he definitely lives up to that name. He set me up for an appointment for my measurement/fitting and also gave me a tour of the shop Measurement/Fitting: Smiley spent almost 30 minutes taking different measurements and came up with a profile for me. He then gave me 2 options - I could buy a floor model or custom order one. I decided to buy the floor model since it would be 10% cheaper Follow up: Since I bought the bike I got my previous bike serviced with R+E and took my new bike for the regular maintenace. This is when I met Dana - another fantastic R+E team member. I love visiting this store and I find excuses to visit this store, nice people who care about people who ride bikes. My bike: I love my bicycle!!! I have greatly improved my average speed and I look forward to riding a lot more on this bike DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED! read more

I've been here twice recently, once to just browse and check the place out and another time to buy a seat post. Pleasant interactions both time, and the buying experience itself was pleasant. The seat post had to be specially ordered and they notified me when it arrived and the expert fitter even helped me put it on my bike. I think i'll keep going here...... read more

R&E makes and sells the best bikes on the planet - all in Seattle - best bike shop, best service, best mechanics and best riding advice. I bought my first road bike here 6 years ago and have been coming by the shop ever since - everyone at R&E loves what they do and it shows in their product and service - and best of all - they are lightweight steel bikes - how cool is that? The fit is amazing - the bike feels like an extension of your body. Super cool bikes, super cool people, if you want 5 star service and a 5 star bike, buy a Rodriquez. read more

Awesome consumer experience. This business truly gets 5 stars from me and I would wholeheartedly recommend anyone who is interested in getting a decent bike to this shop. First, where in America offers this type of service? You make an appointment, get one on one attention with a master bicycle fitter for a fitting, they build your bike from scratch in the basement, then you come in to get it and you get the one on one treatment again to make sure everything is perfect. All I can say is wow. The only thing that kind of made me tentative about going for it was the price. I knew that I made the right choice though when I picked up my product. Sure you can go buy a mass produced well known brand but for the price of a quality bike, it is comparable to R and E. After moving to Seattle I was in the market to get a bike to ride the STP. I heard of some custom shops and researched all in the area. R and E got alright responses from the internet, but it I knew it was the best hands down when I personally visited them. See, most bike shops (particularly in the Seattle area) are a bit snobbish. If you are going to plunk down a couple of K on a bike they either expect you to be a bike geek or some rich fool looking for a new toy.If you don't fit into those two categories the shop workers usually turn their noses up and try to steer you towards something that you don't want. It is normally some tatted up young dude who lives and breathes bicycles and loathes anyone who cant speak his or her language (but will gladly take a rich guys dough). This happened to me at the custom shops by Pikes and off of Queen Anne. When I left both shops I was turned off just by the service. This couldn't be farther from the truth at R and E in the University District. The guy who works at the front desk, Smiley, is all about making his customers super stoked about getting a bike. He is genuine and will spend hours talking about how to get the perfect bike. I seriously haven't dealt with a salesman like him for a very long time. He could have sold me trash and I would've bought it. The thing is though he doesn't sell trash, he believes in his company's product and he communicates that passion to his clients in crystal clear fashion. I haven't been as excited about getting something like I was before getting my new Rodriguez in quite a while. When I finally picked it up, I was completely satisfied. The workmanship that went into the bike was flawless. It is a work of art, built here in Seattle that I truly cherish. I don't mean to go on and on about this shop but like I said before there isn't a lot of places that you can go as a consumer to get this type of experience anymore. read more

I dropped in to ask for help with a bolt, I have also been looking around for lights, fenders and safety gear but wanted to find the right place to buy. and was just the right place. From the minute I came in, everyone there was helpful, respectful, thoughtful, knowledgable and efficient. I didn't realize right away that I was in a shop that manufactures specialized bicycles, but clearly i was in an excellent bicycle shop. Will be back, thanks all. read more

I am new to Seattle and tried two bike shops - both had good technicians - but R+E had NICE and FrIENDLY service. Gregge bike shop had arrogant, stuffy people who didn't really care. If u want quality and great service - go to R+E bikes !!!!!!! read more

The R&E team is top notch. We first met their head mechanic, John Lehman, at a free repair class they put on at Peddler Brewery. We were so impressed by John's knowledge and friendly personality that we came and saw him a few days later for some bike maintenance. He fit us in right away, even though bike shops are all slammed this time of year. He also gave us a tour of the shop downstairs, where they make the custom bikes. We just went and saw them again today for new tires. Again, the R&E team was super knowledgeable, friendly and fit us in without much of a wait. John and the rest of the team is great. After trying several bike repair shops, these guys will definitely be our regular mechanics. read more

I went to have a custom bike made (I'm tall) and so on the advice of many friends I went with R + E based mostly on their good reputation. I didn't really know what I was getting into at the time as this was my first bike in many years and was relying on R + E to steer me right. In the end, I'm pretty displeased with what I got. I'll echo a lot of the other sentiments expressed here: they put on the hard sell, while trying very hard to be friendly. If you can deal with the hard sell, the next thing you have to be aware of is that if you want to be happy with your bike, you really need to be an expert and know what you want going in - come to find out that my very expensive custom bike has a hodge podge of mixed components that are low end and I've never really had a smooth drive train from day one. My custom frame is nice in that it fits me well, but not nice in that there's not enough trail for the front tire leading to too unstable steering (tankslappers in the language of motorcycling). I wouldn't go back. If I absolutely had to go back, I'd buy a frame only and either put the bike together myself or pay a different shop to do it. read more