Palo Alto Bicycles — Local services in Palo Alto

My father taught me how to ride a bike in New Delhi, India. This was in the 1970s when you had to choose between watching the vibrant colors of a cinemascope Bollywood movie in an air-cooled cinema or riding an oversized bike with your Dad under the bright yellow sun. Of course, I enjoyed the movies, but riding my big adult bike at speed was considerably more fun. During that time, my father was finishing his studies as a surgeon at All India Institute of Medical Sciences and I didn’t get to see him that much. He would get me on the bike and hold the seat so the bike and I didn’t fall and then he would launch me forward as I started pedaling. I savored every time I got to ride my oversized bike with him.

Years later, I bought my first bike in my early 20s. It was the heaviest mountain bike money could buy. The cost was $100 new and it was perfect for getting me to the varsity rowing practice early in the morning. The additional weight was ideal for warming up my quads prior to getting in a shell with my hyper fit college rowing teammates. It also provided a good cool down on my way back to my student apartment and then to class.

Years later, I purchased a commuter mountain bike for my job in San Francisco where I was helping Garrett Camp, the co-founder of Uber launch his next company Mix.com. I needed transport to get to Mix HQ in the sexy skyscraper adjacent to the Salesforce tower. I purchased a good Mountain bike from Palo Alto Bicycles to get me there and back on CalTrain. The staff at PA Bicycles were helpful to guide me into making the correct decision for what I was planning to use it for.

Recently, after an amicable divorce, I have rediscovered the joy of cycling with my 9 year old son. We have spent many weekend day adventures in San Francisco with our bikes, playing tourist. Now, I have been urged by my son to get a new bike that’s ultra light and fast. I have gotten the sexiest and lightest bike I have ever owned: BMC Teammachine SLR 01.

Kevin, Jeff and Ron at Palo Alto Bicycles have been a transformative force in helping me choose my bike and get into the race mindset for endurance cycling. They worked with me for many hours to help me fine tune which bike would be ideal. I am thankful to Nick as well for advice for my adjustment requests.

The staff here is the cream of the cream. Some are ace cycling competitors and committed to serving their customers. I have never seen a place this well organized and equipped with such outstanding equipment. If you are serious about your health and well being, then you have come to the right place in choosing your next bike. The team can also give you helpful advice about all aspects of modern cycling. Something I am very thankful for.

Having a new, sleek bike that you love to sweat on is an investment in your health. I still train using my Concept2 ergometer for 17,000 meters a day. This supersonic BMC bike is my second workout that I look forward to each day and for a longer ride on the weekend. I hope you can find a bike at Palo Alto Bicycles that...

I write this with some hesitation, recognizing that bicycle shops are deemed essential businesses, which means that the hard working employees at these establishments are facing higher risks because of their daily interactions with the public. However, after numerous negative experiences at this shop, I feel it is necessary to share my encounters. I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with the sales end of the store, but the service area leaves a lot to be desired. The shop is right around the corner from my office, so, despite the rude and cold guy who often mans the service counter, it's been my go-to place for bike parts and service for the past 2 years.

Each one of my visits for bike service has required a follow-up to correct the issue that was never correctly fixed during the first visit. This was true of my last visits a couple of weeks ago. I made an appointment online and dropped off my bike. The gentleman in the service area told me where to leave my bike and he told me that he would call me later that day. He didn't ask me why my bike needed service and when I tried to tell him the problem I was experiencing, he quickly brushed me off and returned to fixing the bike he was working on. Upon picking up my bike later that day, it was immediately clear that the problem was not fixed, so I returned the bike the following morning and spoke to the same young man who fixed my bike the day before. He was nice and listened to me explain the issue. I returned the next day to pick up my bike and paid (again). I rode the bike and realized that the issue still had not been fully resolved, so I decided to investigate solutions on my own and returned to the shop today to get some materials recommended on a Bianchi forum. The man at the service counter was so incredibly rude and dismissive, never looking at me and continuing a conversation with the man behind him. What's worse is that he didn't even feign interest or attention to my question and simply told me that he has to see my bike, even though I made it clear that I dropped off the bike a couple of times already and I had all the bike specs and info on the wheel - I did not want to spend money or time on another inadequate repair. In a way, it's my fault for returning after so many poor experiences, but one should at least expect a basic level of human decency and courtesy, especially after so many attempts to fix the...

I had the worst shopping experience at this bike shop. I went to buy a bike last Saturday and I told them I can’t take the bike with me because there’s something wrong with my car’s back trunk door. The salesman told me they are able to deliver the bike and I just need to pay and wait for their phone call. Guess what? I waited for 3 days and nobody called… so I called them on Tuesday and the funniest thing is they can’t even find my transaction details… Took them a while to find my order and they still promised me to give a call back and schedule delivery soon. NO CALL BACK AT ALL. I have to call them again to see where is my bike. The guy answered the phone said they don’t have delivery service for San Jose range…HELLO? YOU COULD HAVE JUST TOLD ME THAT AT THE BEGINNING! Why lie to me and keep me waiting? Is that funny to you? Please avoid this bike shop if you want to buy a bike. The condescending attitude the person I talk to in the phone and the toxic service will drive you crazy. He tried to charge me for delivery fee which I wasn’t aware of and taunted me when I asked for a refund. I just want to buy a bike and there is no reason to treat me like this. I feel all the hatred you guys have toward me and honestly I...