I needed some advice and cable housings while I had some down time in San Rafael. Reviews pointed me to Rob who answers the phone right away with really helpful suggestions and just the items I was looking for (grey brake cable housing like Rivendell, though his price was slightly higher than their's but still fair) to use with barend shifters (and he was very familiar with barends and the options for cable routing them). He gave some specific directions to find his shop in a warehouse, but I ended up running out of time and couldn't go into the shop. He was understanding, experienced, and thoughtful which is a lot considering he got nothing out of me from all that. If I'm back in San Rafael I'll definitely stop by and support with LBS. read more

1) Competence. Though Robert told me he knows Sondors bikes, it came out that he never worked on their electrical components. He did not know where the charge plug-in was located or where to order parts. 2) Price Gouging. Robert billed me $130 (and made a big show of troubleshooting) to tell me what I already knew, that the controller was faulty. Then he wanted to charge me $460 to fix the bike. Because there are plenty better, used e-bikes on the market for less, I declined. Robert tried to bamboozle me that his charge was reasonable because the cost for new bikes are higher. 3) Bigot. When I picked up the bike, I asked Robert about putting back the faulty controller. (My plan was to buy a functioning controller for $100 and have a handy friend install it. I thought it would help to see the original wiring.) Robert: I would charge you additional for that. Hadas: Of course you would. Robert: Yells about fair pricing. Hadas: Disagrees Robert: "You shitty Jew Jewshit." Hadas: So this comes out. Robert: "Why are all you Jews like that?" read more

Spearhead Bicycle Excellence - Bikes Near Me - Sausalito, California

Terrific personalized service. Availability for last minute work has been fantastic. Admits when may have done something (rare but no one is perfect) wrong and fixes it without charge, unlike some shops/mechanics. read more

Rob is amazing. I would not consider any other place to get bike repairs or upgrades. Thoughtful, friendly, proactive. Extremely well-equipped shop, and very handy with online sourcing for special parts. Quick service, and well below big shop rates. Besides keeping my Orbea shipshape, Rob took in my gal pal's long-neglected bike and made it her safe, dream ride. Plus you get to meet Indiana the wonder dog! read more

I highly recommend Rob! I broke a spoke on the back tire of my e-bike, which resulted in a flat tire. I called Rob, and was able to bring my bike in right away. He did a fantastic job ~ and got my e- bike back up and running quickly. :) High quality work, very reasonable prices! Super pleasant and easy to work with! I will definitely be back! read more

Rob is a great mechanic, you get personal attention and consistent service vs the bike shops where you are just a number at higher cost. I've been going to him for years to maintain and upgrade my road & MTB bikes, he knows it all. read more

Rob is the man. Pleasant, honest, hardworking and super capable. Been a customer for 5 years and no regrets only accolades!

I have been taking to my bikes to Rob for service, maintenance, builds and repair for over 5 years. Hands down, Rob Spear is THE BEST certified pro bike mechanic in the Bay area!! If you are looking for an amazing, talented and honest bike mechanic, look no further. Rob has been riding and wrenching bikes since the day he took his first step. You will be hard pressed to find anyone more knowledgeable and experienced about road or mountain bikes. Not only can Rob service or repair your bike, but he is an amazing wheel builder and built me an incredible set of light race wheels for my PowerTap. In addition, Rob can do bike builds, glue tubulars, bike fittings and race support (one day and stage races). He is incredibly knowledgeable and can recommend bikes, parts, bolts, accessories and just about anything else you might have a question about that is bike related. He also sells incredibly light titanium parts (pulleys and bolts). I have tried a number of different mechanics in the San Francisco and Marin but hands down Rob is THE BEST! No one can make my bike shift the way Rob can. He has a special talent and anyone looking for a great bike mechanic should call or email Rob today! read more

Have been going to Rob for a few years and he's as good a dude as he is knowledgeable and passionate about bikes. Always fair and transparent and just a pleasure to work with. Feel really lucky to have a great mechanic who I've come to consider a friend. read more

First of all, Rob exemplifies the saying "Above & Beyond"!! I was referred to Rob from a coworker who found him through GroupOn. So, I did my due diligence and checked Rob out on yelp & looked at his website. Everything looked good. I had been riding a hybrid & was in the market for my first road bike. Rob's website said that one of his services was bike consulting - for $200. (don't freak out...keep this fee in the back of your mind. I'll come back to this) Bike consulting? Oh what the heck...I wasn't making any progress by myself & I was going blind from researching bikes & bike reviews online....so I gave Rob a call. Rob was super friendly and patient with me on the phone. He quickly surveyed my needs and within 15 minutes -- came up with a short list of bikes he wanted me to go test ride at any decent bike shop. Keep in mind, this was our first conversation. I was not asked to sign any contracts or commit to anything; it was just a plain old conversation about riding styles and goals. In 15 minutes, he had done what I had spent weeks unproductively trying to do for myself. That was worth $200 to me right there and then....and I didn't even pay or agree to pay Rob one American cent yet. I could've just walked away from that call, reaped the benefits of his expertise, and paid nada. That's how awesome Rob is. Well, I went to test ride the bikes he suggested plus a few from my own research. Three observations from my test rides: 1.) The bike stores all agreed that the bikes Rob chose for me had the best bike geometry to match my needs. (Rob knows his sh*t!!!) 2.) I didn't like the comfort, stability, and ride of the bikes I chose myself. (Rob saved me from myself & saved me from wasting money) 3.) Rob knows bikes way better - WAY WAY WAY better - than anyone else I talked to at any of those shops. To speed up this story, I ended up giving Rob a report of all my rides. He and I both agreed on one bike. Rob does not stock bikes, so I met him at a local bike shop that he often works with. He came up with several options (model year, grouppos, used or new) of the bike I liked. He watched me ride several bikes to get a better sense of what I needed. I ended up ordering a brand new bike from that shop at an awesome price. When the bike arrived, Rob picked it up for me...took it apart, inspected it, and built it up again. Then he spent a generous amount of time custom fitting me to the bike. He was like a tailor for fine Italian suits. I still hadn't paid him a dime yet. Crazy, I know... All part of Rob's 3D service..."Conceive, Build, & Fit." (which is all included in that $200 fee that made you twitch earlier in my review). Oh...and during this entire process, I must have sent Rob a million questions by email at all hours of the day. He replied promptly to everyone of them. I was worried about annoying him because I was definitely annoying myself. He said, "You have questions. I have answers. That's what you pay me for. I'm your consultant." ABOVE AND BEYOND, I tell you!!!! I almost don't want to do a good review for him because I don't want word to get out about how awesome he is. (Hidden gem to be kept within the Spearhead Bicycle Excellence community.) However, Rob truly deserves all of his accolades and your business. I drive 35-40 minutes to see Rob. He's worth it. So give him a call!! Rob is truly the "Bike Whisperer"!!! read more

Rob is the man! Not only did he hook me up with a quick fix and quick turn around on my bike, but he did a complete overhaul on it and would not let me have it till he had it dialed up. He was very knowledgeable and understanding of my budget and gave me several options on things that needed done. I've taken my bike into REI and other "Big Shops" only to get my bike back pretty much as I dropped it off but a little cleaner. Rob has my bike running like new and gave me time lines for my next repairs, upgrades, and possible needs. He's also willing to look for used/ bargain parts if you need them which says a lot to me. Rob has a customer for life in me. read more

Client for life. Rob gives you the pro treatment without the pro attitude. I had Rob fit my mountain bike, tune it up, and swap out some old parts. After all of the work was completed I decided to ride Skeggs Point and see how my bike felt. Nothing but smiles and hoots as I bombed down the single track. Rob's work is hands down, pure excellence. read more

I would totally recommend Rob to anyone who needs a fitting, tune up... I'm not a serious rider and I was doing a 50 mile ride for Tour de Cure. I bought a tune up on Groupon on Wednesday and my ride was on Sunday. I needed a tune up fast and Rob had my bike ready in a day. He also did a free fitting fore me. I thought because it was free, he wouldn't do a good job but he had me ride for over 10 minutes and he made about 5-8 tweets on my set up. I used to get a sore knee after long rides but i did the 50 miles with ease. I think his set up changes really helped. He also adjusted my front derailleur and it works well now. Performance bikes installed it and the chain would constantly fall off. Long story short Rob is legit. Go see if him you need work on your bike. read more

Rob is amazing! He's extremely knowledgeable and professional. His passion is obvious and prices are very fair. I gave him a frame and asked him to build me a bike. Wow!! I could hardly believe the finished product. I highly recommend him for all things bike-related! read more

Rob Spear is one of the most knowledgeable bike mechanics you are going to find. From time trial, road,cylco cross, mountain bikes and anything in between Rob understands how to make them run faster and better. Rob has been living bikes his entire life. He is a rider as well as a mechanic. If you are looking for someone to build up or repair a bike I highly recommend Rob Spear. Rob has wrenched for several racing teams and pros. To be able to talk bikes with him is a valuable as the work he performs on my bikes. George M. read more

Rob is great. I needed a brake cable replaced on my very lightweight handicap scooter and he told me to come in and he'd do it right away. He did. 5 stars w/o a doubt. read more

Just want to say that Rob is very straightforward, honest, does great work, and is a pleasure to do business with. Thumbs up. I will continue to bring bikes to Spearhead. read more

I had dealt with many bike shops and bike mechanics for many years before Rob was recommended to me. He has worked on all my bikes, road and dirt ,and helped me choose a new one and then built it. His knowledge is unsurpassed and he will go so far beyond the service offered at any shop or mechanic that it is a joy to deal with him. If you have a bike that needs service or want a new one built this is the place to do it. Rob does the best work I have ever seen and stands behind it 110%. He will answer all your questions plus some that you haven't thought of yet. He is also one of the coolest people I have met in a while. read more

Well I was impressed with Spearhead last time, and after my last visit had to write and update cause it gets even better. Rob and his team did a tune and clean of my bike before I headed back to Australia. My bike came back looking better that when I first bought it. He also got me some killer new tires (I asked him for a recommendation) and had proactively also got me new brakes...but he says "don't do them now cause you have a bit more on them". How many places do you go to where they recommend you NOT to change something!!! Rob, thanks so much and for anyone in Marin who wants an educated, honest, biking-loving decent team to work on their pride-and-joy, go see them...I just wish they had a branch in Sydney!!!! read more

Rob is great. This was my second time going to Rob for his work and i enjoy doing business with him. First, he is very knowledable and thorough. This goes a long, long way...he just knows what he is doing. Second, this is what he does and it is not a piece of his business. His shop is all about working on bikes. Third, he is friendly and appreciates his customers. Fourth, he stands behind his work. Really no way you will be disappointed with Rob. I have always been skeptical of the work some 'shops' perform... read more

Great job with bikes. He worked with us and was honest about the repairs needed. Thanks!

Spearhead Bicycle Excellence is the secret bike shop, and Rob is the wizard master mechanic. If you want your bike fixed better than it has ever been, probably better than when it was new, it is totally worth it to find Rob. Yes, the shop is a little hard to find, and you need to make an appointment, but a smooth working bike is a joy to ride. That is the quality workmanship Rob provides. read more

Purchased a Groupon tune up after reading several yelp reviews. I called several times trying to make an appointment and never heard back. I understand that they may may busy, but and acknowledgment would have been nice. read more

I purchased a voucher from Amazon Local for a Pro Bike Tune-Up with Drivetrain Cleaning. To use this voucher you are supposed to call the phone number listed and make an appointment. The message on Rob's voice mail said that he does not take messages by phone and to either text him or send an email. So I sent the email that he responded to. I called back the next day and made an appointment for the following Monday. He said I could come in any time between 10 am and 5 pm. I told him I would be there around 2:00 pm. I arrived at 2:00 pm at the stated address. I could not find his business. No Rob, no signs, nothing. I knocked on a couple of doors and only found folks that spoke only Spanish, but no Rob. I called his phone again, but no answer, so I sent a text as he requests in the message. No response. I wait for 1/2 hour an still no body anywhere. I then called Amazon Local and explained my dilemma and they offered me a refund. I took it and then texted Rob to let him know the situation. Later, I get a call on my cell phone with a very condescending rant about needing to get something to eat and that he left without his phone, like it was my fault for him needing to eat, going out without his phone and not leaving any kind of a note anywhere that said that he was out for awhile. I had other appointments that day and did not want to wait indefinitely for someone at a place that had no signage at all that it was a place of business. Not even a note anywhere that he was out. Nothing. Would anyone else have stayed under these circumstances? I don't think so. His phone call was so condescending and he did not give me a chance to say anything about my concerns. So, I thought I would help him by sending a short, straight forward email explaining what I encountered and wishing him well. His response: "i honestly do not care about your opinion about anything related to my shop, hours, location, or signage; It works for me and my model." So, if this is the kind of business you would like to work with, I wish you well too. Good luck. Others that have received his service seem to be pleased, but getting that service may not be as easy as elsewhere. read more

4 Stars. And I'm stingy with stars, so this means I really like the function that Rob Spear provides for the cycling community. I had to write a review when I saw the 1 star complainers on there (Doctor G. you should really think about this--is it 1 star I should give or 3? From your review you got a lot from this place and then it didn't work out. Don't be a bitter ex-girlfriend. Realize the good things you got out of this relationship--then you broke up and moved on.... Trust me. At some point in your future illustrious medical career you are going to screw up/forget something etc. You might even fire a patient one day from your practice. That's the beauty of being a one man show in America. You can do that.) Rob really does a good job on all types of bikes. He's a one man, one dog show. Sure the dog will growl at you, then come over for a head scratch. One guy can't be there all the time. This isn't Nordstrom's or Walmart yelper people, so think about that. You get Rob to fix your bike himself, not some high school kid or new guy who doesn't know what to do. Rob doesn't have an army of people around--deal with it. He doesn't have a high overhead either so his services are either the same price, less or WAY less (like 75% off) of some of the shops in the area. He won't nickle and dime you to death. He doesn't try to sell you stuff you don't need. I don't just go to one shop or one place all the time, but I keep going back to see Rob and sending people to see him because he is a solid good mechanic. Enjoy people. Not everything is perfect every time I walk out of there, but that true of every shop in town. If it were I give Rob the full 5 stars. But like I said--I'm stingy with stars and not some paid gusher-just an honest reviewer. read more

Why have a stranger work on your bike when you could an awesome dude like Rob? Rob is great because you can really get to know the guy who makes sure you're bike doesn't fall apart. Rob can work on any kind of bike and do it right. read more

Worth going to. Read the Docs review and take it as you will. I won't go anywhere else. I have been going to him since I moved up here and recommend him to the guys I know without hesitation. read more

Rob is the bomb. It hard to describe all the details that I have learned from employing him as my bicycle mechanic over the last 4 years. I am a smarter, safer, and better equipped athlete because of his relentless insight and insistence that my marvelously strong and fragile 15lb rolling machine is in proper tune and properly ridden. It is difficult to imagine a better bicycle teacher or coach than Rob Spear. read more

Without a DOUBT... Big Daddy Rob Spear is the best. Rob is a perfectionist. He tunes/fixes ur bike like it is one of his own. He truly takes pride in what he does. I personally like to align myself with somebody who I can work with over and over again and who knows exactly what I need and want - Rob is that guy. Further -- Rob helped me buy my first TRI bike which ended up saving me a ton of money because he steered me into the right bike that fits my needs and experience level. I highly recommend ROB. read more

This is the real deal. I've taken my bikes to various shops. Came by Spearhead through a Groupon ad. Rob resurrected my old Specialized Epic road bike - really took care of the old commuter ride. read more

Rob has been keeping my bikes rolling for almost a year now and I cannot say enough good things. Road, MTB, CX. I ride my bikes hard and have high expectations about attention to detail. His setup gets it done in a manner that a conventional shop just cannot accomplish. He is a pro-level mechanic within reach to us average weekend warriors. His independence allows him to give accurate advice about purchasing the right products that really make sense. And as an added bonus my bikes always come back to me clean and waxed...seriously! read more

Rob, the shop owner, is the best! I've been working with this guy for years and he is terrifically kind and skilled. He built me my dream bike a few years back and has been there every step of the way for maintenance, upgrades, and general questions. I'm not terribly knowledgeable re: bikes, but Rob is great about explaining options to novices like me and going through their pros and cons. I seriously could not ask for a better bike guru. I have trusted everything to Spearhead since I first came to the shop, and Rob has completely exceeded my expectations. Great, great business. Thank you Rob! read more

I must have met Rob on a bad day or maybe he paid some of the other reviewers. My introduction, via a Living Social tune-up coupon, was anything but excellent. It started with his dog growling as I approached the shop and then continued with Rob barking at me right out of the gate. He insisted he couldn't tune of the bike unless I paid for break pads (they had 25-30% of life left) and cables, the back derailer cable (it worked fine, it was the front derailer that was off kilter), and for the front derailer mechanism to be cleaned, etc.. When I asked what was included in the Living Social tune-up coupon, he barked, "It's all right there" as if "tune-up" was an explicitly defined term common to all. Needless to say, after being told the tune-up would cost an incremental $100+ and he wouldn't honor the Living Social tune-up, whatever that was, unless I paid him, I left and took my bike to Class Cycle in Novato. The husband and wife team at Class Cycle greeted me with respect and warmth and then tuned my bike to fine form, even confirming that many of the "necessary" parts that Rob was insisting on were not needed at this point. For real honesty, integrity, and customer service ALL THE TIME, I would head to Class Cycle on S. Novato Blvd in Novato. You may want to call ahead to schedule an appointment since they are often very busy (That's why I tried Rob in the first place). But rest assured the team at Class Cycle won't bark at you like Rob and his dog. read more