((( Dont park in the street, park on the side in his parking lot ))) I love coming here. His experience always shows, he literally knows it all. His prices are very good. His bike builds are awesome. And i love all the history facts he can talk to you about. What i really like is that he has like every part ever made, and if my bike is broken its not "oh heres an expensive part to replace it and make more money" its "i think i can save this" (and he does and saves me a lo) LONG LIVE BOB!!! read more

Bikesmith The - His Parking Lot - Bikes Near Me - San Diego, California

I did not have a good experience here. Go down the street to "pacific beach bike shop" for a better experience. The shop here was small and we could not be helped. read more

Very helpful spot for bike repair. Quick service with lots of bike knowledge and experience.

I took in my bike for a tune up as it's from the 80's and really been wore down, Bob did an amazing job and I didn't even know the bike had the potential to be this smooth anymore lol. He even took the time out his day to help teach me some of the mechanisms of the older gear shifters, really class is no nonsense bike shop definitely my favorite I've been to in SD yet, couldn't recommend enough!! read more

Bob is a Navy Vet from the 1960s and was on one of the USdestroyers and has the photos to prove it. He served in Vietnam mainly. He has a wealth of knowledge about the San Diego area and alsos knows a ton about bikes and parts. This place is an Americana Slice of Life if you havent visited him! Very reasonable prices and does good work! read more

Fixing flats, tune-ups, repairs, parts, accessories, plenty of used bikes for sale.... it is all there. Open Monday-Saturday from 10 until 6. It's pretty crowded in the shop.... most likely what you need is there. Troubleshooting and repairs - Bob is ready! 1936 Garnet, a bit east of Lamont. 858-274-4220. read more

Looking for a part that LBS seldom carry and was directed here. The place has plethora of bike parts and great used bikes! Bob was very helpful and kind to address my current bike issue. Found the part and it fits! Highly recommended to visit the shop and spend some time. You never know? You might build an inexpensive bike for your family! read more

Bikesmith The - Bikes Near Me - San Diego, California

Bob is awesome. Great place to get your bike tuned up for a reasonable cost. Also a great place to get a new bike. Or an old new bike. :) I took my sons bike in for a tune up and ended up trading my bike in for a 1976 Schwinn. Love it! read more

Bought an 18 inch kids bike from a retail giant, and it was put together badly with bent rims. Took it to the BikeSmith with the new rims from the manufacturer. He Changed the rims for me added a kickstand and tuned up everything the retail store had done wrong. Fast service, great guy. And very reasonably priced. Thanks bikesmith! read more

owner is super rude, i came to purchase a bike (aka give him hundreds of dollars) and he rudely said that nothing is on sale & laughed and said he's working on some now and they'd be outside if he had anything... i said i literally wouldn't know cuz i haven't been here before.. just came to check it out. won't be returning or buying a bike here read more

No communication skills. Ignorant. Overpriced. Called on a part. Told me to bring in frame. I said i already know what I need and wanted to check if he had in stock. He says he is busy with customer. read more

Fast turn around. Killer job and great price. Got a normal tune up and the bike feels great now. Cool old school beach business.

Bob did an excellent job tuning up and cleaning up my old Schwinn. The second I rolled it into the shop he was able to tell me the make, model and history of my bicycle. In addition to the tune up, he also shined up some of my chrome and fixed a place where one of my cables was banging on my fender. If you're looking for someone who knows bikes and who also has great attention to detail, Bob is your guy. read more

Bikesmith The - Bikes Near Me - San Diego, California

This old dude, ex navy, runs a cluttered little store, but has a bunch of cool random stuff. I've gotten used parts and new stuff from him. He's willing to negotiate if you have cash. If you're willing to shoot to sh*t with him, I think it helps the price too read more

We went in to see Bob at the last minute to fix a flat tire and he jumped right on it even though you can tell he was super busy! What a nice guy; he has owned that shop for over 30 years! We actually ended up hanging out talking for a while with him, we even ran across the street well he fixed my bike and got him a coffee. I would definitely go back to him for any bike needs instead of one of the large chain bike stores. Support your local shops! :) Thanks Bob! read more

Can't recommend this place enough! Owner is very professional and friendly, and clearly knows his stuff. Brought my bike in yesterday thinking I needed to have a crank replaced. The owner was able to repair the original crank so that both cranks are still matching, and got the bike back to me by this evening. This place will definitely be my first stop for any future bike repair needs! read more

Owned by a craftsman who enjoys and takes pride in his work. He'll make your good bike a great bike.

The Incredible guy working there returned the bike to me like new. I had him apply new grip and install the paddles for me and repair a part I broke in the bike. I never believed it could be repaired. I'm so thankful. Price was good right from the beginning I knew I left them at the right place- only a biker understands how it's like possessing your bike with someone. Anyways great service great value I highly recommend. Will be back bud! read more

Bikesmith The - My bike ready to go! After being treated by smith! - Bikes Near Me - San Diego, California

After moving to SD, I was surprised by how quickly the salt air deteriorated my bike. Got a recommendation to take it to Bob at Bikesmith and glad I did! Bob does all the work himself, so wait times depend on timing, but I could not be happier with the service and care for my bike! Bob did a great job and charged an extremely reasonable price. I will gladly be back again!! Thanks Bob!! read more

Bobs shop is a tad crowded but his work and prices are excellent . Bob just likes working on bicycles. Across from Better Buzz on Garnet and Lamont. read more

Super strange guy. Didn't want to take my bike to repair, said his ship was too full and turned me away ... it was full of old junk. I went to Pb bike shop and they were happy to take it. read more

The Bikesmith is fantastic! The owner is very kind and knowledgeable. I took my boyfriend's bike here when I first got it--the back wheel had been corroded, severely uneven and cracked from being left outside without moving for a long time from the previous owner. The bikesmith replaced the tire and even did a maintenance check up for reasonable costs. I'm very happy with his service and friendly demeanor. He was able to fix up my boyfriends bike in a matter of a few days and i even came back later on to get my own bike checked on. I would recommend this place to anyone who needs a quick fix for their bike and would enjoy a bit of the local hospitality. read more

This place has horrible customer service. The gentleman was rude from the initial encounter. I explained I needed the cord to be placed in the gear shifter on the bike handle and a tiny screwdriver to look inside the gear shifter. The gentleman quickly brushed off the fix stating it could not be done, the inside of the gear treads "have to be broke" he does not have that gear, and has other work to do. I asked to use the tiny screwdriver to take off the part to check if the gear was in fact broke. He began to get more agitated and stated he had other work to do. I chose this place because of convenience but left. Chose another bike shop for repairs. read more

While others give this place negative reviews because they seem to expect the owner to either do things for them for free or give them special treatment because they think they're cute, I have taken my bike here a few times and always been happy with the service. Bob is good at explaining what the problems are and what my options are. He also has often done extra cleaning or made adjustments/improvements that weren't part of the work I was paying for, which is nice. I also have compared his prices with other nearby shops and found his costs to be very fair. The only downside is that he sometimes has a big backlog of repair work, especially before holiday weekends, and that can mean it takes him a few days to get to my bike. But I guess he wouldn't be so busy if he didn't do good work at a good price. read more

If you read any reviews for this shop or in regard to Bob, please read this review, then read it again. I have been into this shop twice, both times for basic questions and inquiries. I have looked over some of the other "reviews" regarding this shop, and Bob, the man that is there. As for Bob having attitude? That just doesn't make sense to me. I have never had an issue with him. In fact while i was in there today, two young ladies came in and were rude to HIM. He didn't speak a rude word or even sing a rude tone in response. Nothing but patience. This makes me wonder about the other reviews stating he was "rude" or had "attitude". I'm getting the feeling they were from the college aged trust-fund entitled types who think they are deserving of everything and owe the world nothing. If any of you naysayers are reading this now, I'm surprised you made it this far without hurting your brain, but go be useless somewhere else because adults are conducting business. Bob has PASSION about what he does. He is a bike mechanic. He is there to FIX your problems, and he is good at it. Very good. He is not there to make you laugh or kiss your @$$, and he wont. Nor will he try. He can talk bike for days. If you ask him questions, you will get detailed and multifaceted responses. You will be educated. He will NOT try and rip you off. I know this to be true because he said "no" to me purchasing a new chain when it wasn't needed, and instead recommended better and cheaper alternatives. Bob has character and integrity. I'm not surprised that some of the younger more entitled kiddos cant appreciate nor even recognize a quality business owner when they see one. Keep it up Bob, and don't worry about the haters. read more

The man at the shop was very rude. I thought he'd be happy to see two cute girls come over. Not only did he say he couldn't help us until the next day, he even discouraged us to go to other bike shops! Luckily there's another bike shop across the street just a block or so down garnet towards the beach. read more

I hate to diss the indy bike shop, but I must speak the truth. My friend and I rolled in here (barely) this morning at 10-ish, he with a slow leak. The owner immediately got on our case about my friend's leaning of his fairly nice road bike against a beater cruiser. Say what? Let that slide. Then we ask for a tube (to buy) and a floor pump, so we can just add some air and be on our way, possibly allowing my friend to make it home before the tire goes flat. At home he can use his floor pump, not a CO2. Makes sense right? Owner says, "go outside! you can't change it in here! it's a conflict of interest! we change tires in here, for money" WTF?!! We're buying a tube and asking to use his floor pump. NOT changing the tire (and thus robbing him of $7 or whatever, apparently). Probably a misunderstanding and/or he got up on the wrong side of the bed, but man, what a jerk. We bought a friggin' tube, after all. Lame. read more

I agree with Scott C. The guy (Bob) who opened the shop this morning was a complete jerk! First of all, the sign posted on the door says the shop opens at 9:45 but that sometimes Bob has issues opening on time. I'm assuming Bob opens the shop late every day so I don't know why they don't just change the posted hours. He finally opened the front door at 10:15 and proceeded to roll out some racks and tell me to move out of the way, all while asking me what I needed. I could already tell he didn't have any interest in helping me but I told him all I needed was some air in my sister's road bike's flat tires. He told me that there was an Arco down the street where I could get a coupon to use their air pump. Well I can't be certain but the last time I checked, Arco isn't the kind of place to carry an adapter for a Presta valve. I asked him if he could just do me a favor and put some air in the tires and told him that I don't have access to my own pump at the moment. He kept trying to convince me that going to Arco would be a good idea. Finally he said that he could inflate my tires for $2. I have been to several bike shops in the past that have been more than happy to inflate my tires and they usually end up seeing something they don't like and taking care of it free of charge. Those are the kinds of places that I gladly return to and give them my business!! Not this guy! He obviously doesn't care how he treats his customers and couldn't be bothered to help me out. $2.00 is not a big deal, but when it's to put air in tires and the guy treats you like garbage it becomes a HUGE deal. Bottom Line: Do not give him your business!! He won't appreciate it and you'll be treated poorly!! read more

The owner did a great job tuning up our two bikes , prices are very , very reasonable, and was so kind to additionally install a bike bell (harder than it sounds) and adjust my nephews seat for free. Top. read more

This guy has had the shop running since the late 70's. That in itself speaks of the quality of his work. There are some people posting on here that he may be rude but truthfully, I can imagine the quality of person who would write that he should "be happy when a few cute girls come in the shop". Go back to Orange County ladies. So... I bought a bicycle to use on my first triathlon and it had some issues with the tires and gears. I brought the bike in and showed it to him. I told him that I heard he was the best so I wanted to see what he could do. Yes, I stroked his ego but from what some people said of his eccentricity I figured it would be a good way to start the convo. He was very kind to me and he knew exactly what to do and how to save me cash. Really!? Who does that? This guy does. He took my bike, put in a new tire, and tuned it up. He also put on a water bottle holder and identified the make and model of the bike. Some 60's era French make. I bought it for $100 so thats cool. When I came back to pick it up he even made some modifications to the bike for free. This guy is a true mechanic and honest businessman. I recommend him and his shop to anyone. Treat others how you wish to be treated. read more

It seems that some may overly complain about the owner's personality rather than actual work and results. Bob is endlessly knowledgeable, and has a fine attention to detail you couldn't get at fancy chain stores for twice the price. I first came upon the store after getting a flat tire in the neighborhood. He didn't just replace the tube, but discovered the uncanny reason for my popped tire (a catch on the metal frame itself because of worn down tape.) If he didn't kindly tape up my frame, I would have inevitably experienced the same problem. Bikesmith gets extra kudos for being green and resourceful--saving reusable parts, and offering them to customers for lower price than new parts, when they need a replacement. If you're done with fluffy personalities and crude workmanship, give the Bikesmith a try. The years of experience Bob has speaks for itself. read more

Bob is a mechanic. Not necessarily a people person, but he knows his stuff. After going to two bike shops down the street, they sent me and my particularly unique issue down to the Bikesmith, and I can tell why. I had an oddly sized workman's wheel with a snapped axle and missing some components of the hub/coaster brake. (He explained to me that my foray into bicycle mechanis trying to mod the coaster brakes was the killing blow..should have come to the pros first) Bob wasn't sure if he could or when he could, but he managed to reassemble the entire coaster brake with parts he had in his shop; he also replaced a few nuts and added an extra long axle. All in 24 hours, too. Very impressed! Don't be put off by his eccentricity if you have a complex issue, he's the man to solve it! If you just want a ditzy blonde girl to pump up your tires, go elsewhere. read more

I am all about supporting my neighborhood shops, especially those smaller, NON chain type of places. With that being said, I WILL NEVER GIVE THIS MAN MY MONEY!!! I went to him once to get an estimate on replacing the tubes and tires on my cruiser... he quoted me over $80!!!! Also, I asked him if I could get some air in my tire and he told me that HE CHARGES $2 PER TIRE FOR AIR! What a bastard!!!! I mean, seriously. Walked my bike across the street to the gas station and got it for free, then went to Discovery Bicycle, where they charged LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE for repairs. Oh, and they don't charge for air, either. read more

Great place for bike parts and repair. The owner was very friendly and installed handle bars a new seat and kickstand the same day! My go to place for beach cruiser repairs. read more

Bob is a great guy. I'm a young guy and from what I see on here some dumb kids were probably being jerks and then came on here to complain..pretty immature. Great service at low prices. Go here. read more

My cruiser was in a sorry state. A year of mission beach living left my bike rusted so bad it'd looked like it had been thrown in the ocean. My spikes were so brittle you could snap them with ease and don't get me started on my chrome fenders. It was so screwed up I couldn't even ride it. So off to the bikesmith. The owner was amazing. Took real good care of my bike and for a reasonable price. I had never had my bike fixed before so I am unsure as to what other prices charge. Also, it was a little more than what I had hoped, but for a year old bike cruiser that needed new wheels new chain and a serious deep cleaning-- it was so worth it. I also wanted to comment because I did not experience the attitude issues of other tellers. I definitely recommend taking your bike here. Support the local people!! read more

Bob is very nice and fixed my bike in less than a day. He also fixed my bike petal and gave me suggestions on how to get rid of the rust. I will definitely come back if needed and I highly recommend this place. read more

I just moved to PB and was exited to support my new local bike shop across the steet "The Bikesmith". I'm an all around cyclist form bike commuting to racing and have been around many local bike shops in San Diego but I'm sad to say this shop is my least favorite. The owner may be good with beach crussers but DO NOT take any bike with gears, shifters, cabels or any bike made after 1980. He will sound knowlogabel but realy doesnt know what he's doing, I gave him a second chance after being disapointed once but sadly he let me down a second. read more

Bob the owner fixed up my old bike and made it safe to put on s few more miles ;). Really enjoyed his easy to understand explanations . An old school eclectic shop . Thanks Bob ! read more

Wow, I must admit that I am shocked to see the negative reviews for Bob and the Bikesmith. I have been bringing my bikes here for more that 10 years. Bob always goes the extra mile when working with you. He suggests repairs that are needed and tells you which ones are not. He has also on a number of occasions suggested cheaper ways of doing something than I originally suggested. The only downside to the Bikesmith is the size limitation and how busy Bob gets. The neat thing is though that regardless of how busy he is, he has always squeezed me in. Lastly and what is my biggest prop for Bob is I have been bringing my mountain bike here post Burning Man for 4 years. He is able to reverse the trauma of the playa and make the bike ride like new again. read more