Palo Alto Bicycles

Category:	Bicycle Store
Address:	171 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
Phone:	+1 650-328-7411
Site:	paloaltobicycles.com
Rating:	3.6
Working:	10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–6PM 11AM–5PM

Location

Photos 87

Reviews 8

Kaylyn Frazier

Ive spent about $6K at this place, and recommended it to a few people who bought bikes there as well. I wont be recommending it anymore and am going to check out Menlo Velo. The staff here is rude. I recently bought a $270 bike trainer after getting knee surgery. I asked about the return policy before I purchased it and the guy curtly responded, "Well what are you so concerned about?" Turns out, that brand of trainer actually sucks (hence why I asked about return policies). They sent it back for a new one, but that one also didnt work. I made 3 pointless trips to the shop as a result. They eventually apologized (which was shocking) and I ended up getting my money back. In terms of maintenance, I had my squeaky brakes "fixed" for about $70 (pretty sure he just swapped out the little break pads). When I took it out there was no difference whatsoever. I ended up having a friend figure it out instead. Given the amount they charge, they could at least pretend like they care about your business and politely tell you what the return policies are when you ask.

A Private User

4 or 5 employees were loitering around watching the large DVD, but somehow were unable to help me until I repeatedly asked for assistance. The guy who did assist me kept saying "who said that I would help you". Nice. The less-than-stunning service continued, with me having to argue with him to get my shoes heat-molded. He grudgingly checked on this, and the shoes were indeed moldable. Just like they said when I bought the shoes at PA bikes two weeks prior. Duh. He reinstalled my cleats. Two weeks later after suffering some knee discomfort I went to my fitter who moved the cleats over 1 cm. Great. Adding insult to injury-- the very fine treatment I received when I bought the shoes at PA bikes two weeks prior. The difference? I was with my roadie boyfriend at that time. A solo female this time. I will not return to this shop. With an abundance of nice shops to choose from, I choose not to return to a shop that patronized me and provided poor service.

Travis Beals

I bought a Trek 2.1 here about 2 months ago. I had been to a few other shops, but none had anywhere near the level of service as Palo Alto Bicycles. They actually took the time to do a proper fitting, and made sure I got a bike that was the correct frame size and geometry for me. They also did not try to upsell me on something that was more than what I needed. Today, after noticing some minor derailleur issues plus some creaking noises during a ride, I took it in to Palo Alto Bicycles. Within 1 minute, I was talking to a mechanic, and he immediately took the bike out for a test ride and diagnosed the problems. Less than 30 minutes later, they had tweaked the derailleur, swapped in a new bottom bracket, and my bike was good to go. Cost: $0. The staff are friendly, competent, and efficient, without any attitude. Ive been to four other local shops (either while shopping for a new bike, or getting my old bike serviced), and none are as good as Palo Alto Bicycles.

A Private User

I went there with a bike that had a stuck front derailleur. One of the staff met me at the entrance, tugged on the cable and immediately pronounced the shifter broken and needing replacement. No "lets have the mechanic look at it and see what the problem is"; instead, I had to ask if the mechanics could inspect it before pronouncing it dead. Sure enough, the mechanic looked at it and also pronounced it broken. Then he quoted me $290 to replace it and $60 for labor. Did I mention its a Shimano Ultegra set? I took the bike down to Mikes Bikes off El-Camino. 15 minutes after their mechanics have had a look at it, its working just fine. Not only that, they offered to warranty the shifter through them should any further problems arise with it. It seems like the staff at Palo Alto bicycles are not only incompetent, but are only out to make a quick buck. I wouldnt recommend this place for any bicycle repairs.

Steev Gever

Needed new brake cables and wasnt about to install them on my own! Called 3 places and chose this shop to save both time and money. When I came in Scott told me they were too busy initially. I told him that I had called ahead and he honored that in a friendly manner. He had it ready for me in 45 minutes. It was about 40% less expensive than the quotes I got from the two other stores I had phoned and THOUSANDS of percent faster! (Seriously, both other places estimated a five day turn around). Scott continued with his friendly service until I left and then even AFTER I left. On my way out, I went to inflate my tires with the stores pump. A clerk pointed out that the valve was crooked and suggested I go back and ask the repair crew to take care of it for me. Scott saw me and immediately tended to me. He fixed the skewed stem for free! I left feeling highly respected and appreciative of the excellent service.

A Private User

The store seems entirely staffed by young men with continuous condescending grins and a demeanor that just screams "overgrown fratboy." Their idea of helpful suggestions is to point you to the most expensive product option they have. They do not listen to anything. I talked to one employee for a few minutes and every response seemed like it was from a script and he had not absorbed even the most basic thing I had said (i.e. he kept making references to me being a student, even after I clearly said I was not). The prices are frankly robbery, but I needed the gear asap and can never make it to the campus bike shop because of my working hours. One of my roommates also dislikes the store, saying they insulted his bike to his face when he went in to get some emergency work done, saying it was "too old to even bother." Mind-blowingly unprofessional. I will be seeking out other bike shop options in the future.

Reuben Smith

I ran inside Palo Alto Bicycles with a flat tire on my city bike tonight, a rainy Monday evening. I expected theyd want to sell me an inner tube or patch kit and shoo me out the door, since it was 3 minutes before they closed, but instead the employee sold me the inner tube, shut their door to the public, then helped me quickly install a new replacement tube, making sure that no mistakes were made during the process. And he was friendly and helpful the whole time, even though it was 7:05 and Im sure he just wanted to get home from work. Palo Alto Bicycles is the kind of small business that thrives in its customer-centric approach to doing business. I had visited PA Bikes a number of times to buy small parts, and have always had positive experiences. This is a fantastic small business.

A Private User

I visited the store looking for a Surly XCheck. I was looking for a size 56 but they only had the 54. The salesman was very pushy and tried everything to convince me to get the 54. At 6 foot tall, I would have order an extra long stem and change this and that, but I just wanted a bike that would fit me without modifications. So I asked them to order a 56 for me to try. They wrote down the order and my phone number and NEVER ordered it. Later, I visited another store in San Francisco which had BOTH sizes. The 56 fit me perfectly and the salesman there was surprised they even tried to sell me a 54. I know 2cm is not that big of a deal. But I just feel like they were trying to sell me just whatever was there.