This bicycle store is "breath of fresh air" compared to most other bicycle stores that I have patronized over the years in this area and Southern California.
Yesterday was my second time in this shop, my first time buying something, and both times they made me feel welcome. You don't have that elitist condescending attitude here that permeates other shops. In fact, I enjoyed chatting with the employees yesterday and both Kris and Bob were very helpful in getting me what I needed.
I have been in the cycling world with lot's of bikes for over 30 years and if you go around, it's not always that way: A few years ago I saved up and purchased a new $3500 bicycle. When I brought it to one shop in West LA for a derailleur adjustment, the owner looked at it and exclaimed, "junk, junk!" He yelled out, "Look at this, they put plastic in the fork--junk!" I left and took it to another shop in South Bay and the owner there, looked at the Shimano Dura Ace derailleur and put his arm around me and said, "If you would have spent a little more, you could have had a campy (Campagnolo) derailleur, now you are stuck with Shimano. He goes on, "We only believe in Campy here, I ride a Campy."
You won't find that attitude here. The owner of this shop is well known and active in the cycling industry and has been in the bike business for longer than most people reading this review have been alive.
This shop is small but beautiful and parking is easy and plentiful. They are in a very newish comfortable building. It's also a good location to try out a bike for purchase or check the repair after service as the parking lot in the back is flat and there are also hills in the area. They have city bikes under 1K and also very expensive road bikes from Specialized. They are a contracted Specialized dealer. They also have some cool looking electric bikes that I think were reasonably priced for what you get. The service manager has also been in the bike service business for many years. I perused the store last time and they carry some some high quality accessory lines. Because the store is small, it seems like they try to carry the best of each item category.
Their retail accessory prices are reasonable. My purchase yesterday was 15% less than the same exact item at REI and less than you would pay for the same item at Amazon. Even better, they did not charge me to install the accessory on the spot!
They do have a longer wait for general bike service I inquired about on the phone last week due to the crush of people cycling during the COVID closures. I had to bring my bike to another place I know in the Valley that had a 24-hour turn around for a chain install I really needed ASAP.
All the employees I saw here were wearing face coverings but none are going to give you a handshake, hug or kiss as you enter the store right now due to local COVID regulations.
Big thank you to everyone in the shop that helped direct me to my new cool YELLOW! pedals I picked up yesterday. (See pics.) Had Kris not been proactive in suggesting them while on the phone looking for something else I would have never known about them or that they even sell that brand. Now I can see where to put my feet to make the bike go....
When Bob told me he can install the pedals right away--I said, "You have the tools for that?" and he immediately pulled out a pedal wrench and hex driver out of his pocket and went to work. That is what I call "Service!"
Check out this shop before you purchase a bike anywhere else or if you need an accessory. read more