Mike’s Bikes of Berkeley

Quick, Efficient, and reliable. In and out fast, super helpful and didn’t try to upsell my on useless items.

Everyone at Mikes Bikes in Berkeley that I’ve ever interacted with are highly professional and polite. Really a great crew. I’d like to point out Nick in the repairs group– he’s just amazing! He did an fabulous job on servicing the bottom bracket on my Tarmac– it hasn’t ridden better since it was new. Great people, big product diversity and easy to access location (a parking lot in downtown Berkeley– unheard of!; and close to BART station). Highly recommended!

Had a flat. In and out fast. They didn’t try to talk me into unnecessary repairs. Nice guys. Recommend.

I went there twice to fix my daughter’s bike. I can’t rave enough about how nice, professional, and courteous the staff was. And they didn’t charge me!!! Love this place!

Had a seized pedal and went in to see if the shop could fix it – the repairman behind the counter got it unstuck in 30 seconds and helped me look at my brakes, gratis! Will be coming here to get their service done for my bike in a couple of weeks.

Went here to get a quote for building a wheel. I had the rim and the hub (a small electric motor hub). I already had one other quote, but decided to get another one to be sure. The guy in the mechanics area made a huge deal about the fact that it was an electric hub and so would cost more — -$ 250 not including spokes. REALLY? It is a wheel and hub, the techniques and components are the same. Then he wanted even more money for the spokes. For comparison, the other quote was for $ 60 if I provided the spokes – Quality spokes are available on line for about $ 45 including shipping.
To me, such outrageous pricing shows contempt for customers. I won’t be back.

I really wanted to like Mikes. I’d had a couple of good experiences with sales staff while I was looking for a new bike (I ultimately bought a private party used bike), and friends reported that they took their bikes to Mikes for service. When a big ride was coming up, I wanted to make sure my bike was in good shape, both functionally and from a safety standpoint. The tech who checked me in seemed tuned in to what I needed, and promised to look at all I asked for (also, a look at my brake cables, in part due to some incorrect advice I’d gotten from Mikes staff a few days prior).
I was happy when I got a call earlier then next day that my bike was ready. I zipped up to pick it up. The tech I’d spoken to the day before was surprised, and then found that my bike had indeed been serviced. Sort of. The main issue (rear dérailleur adjustment) was addressed, but brakes had not been. It was also apparent that no other checks had been performed. My gut feeling was reinforced when I stopped by another shop a week or so later, and they eyeballed my chain and pronounced it in need of replacement (which I confirmed with a chain measurement tool later). This latter issue is so fundamental that I removed another star from my earlier draft review.

I have been riding bikes my whole life, and has my main source of fitness for 25+ years. I have seen bike shops come and go, some have been good, some not so good. Mike is the best I have ever seen/​used. From the staff taking 20 minutes to talk to me about helmets, to the month long process to buy myself a new bike making sure I get everything just right, to finally my daughters first bike they have be 100% awesome.
It does not hurt they have a top level pro cyclist there Nate English (our local Strava KOM stud) who is a great guy and has helped this fat old guy to be become a better cyclist.

Everything you need in a bike shop and more. Francois and the bike shop boys are very knowledgeable about bikes. They are passionate about every kind of bike, from kids bikes to commuters to high end mountain bikes.
I frequently stop in to see what’s new in the store, check out some dream rides and say hello. They always make me feel welcome and prioritized even when I am just window shopping.
Nothing but LOVE for this shop and their awesome staff (and sweet bikes too!).

First time customer, won’t be back. I dropped by bike off for a tune-​up. There were plenty of people working and seemingly not helping anyone, but it still took a while for someone to help me.
They lady who handled my intake told me that it would probably be ready Wednesday (this was a weekend) and that they would call me to tell me it was done. I said «no problem, I’m not in a hurry, just call.»
Weeks went by without a call, so I called and they said it was done, so I immediately went in to pick up my bike which they told me had been ready for weeks… but they still had to go finish up completion items on the ticket and then proceeded to explain to me that I’d be charged up to $ 5 per day for storing my bike for taking so long to pick it up. I explained no one called me, and they said «well the sheet was marked that you got a call» but said they’d give me a «discount» on the storage fee. Whatever, I paid $ 20 extra for this fee even though they never called me. Is this a trick to make more money? Sure felt like it.
Also, while waiting around for my «finished» bike to actually be finished, I saw that most other customers in the store had to work pretty hard to be acknowledged for questions. Just doesn’t seem like customer service is important to this place at all.

I’ve been to a handful bike stores in the Oakland/​Berkeley area. I keep coming back to this one as my favorite. They have a great selection of bikes, gear and service. And the staff strike the perfect balance of being knowledgable, pleasant and utterly without pressure.

Meh:
I went into Mike’s Bikes for a front basket on my bike. When I walked in, the gentleman behind the counter barely acknowledged my existence, and the extent to which he did made me feel like I was waking him from a standing sleep by walking in.
Meh, but OK:
The basket selection was slim pickins. There were some *somewhat* solid/​sturdy ones, of which there were a few, and then one lonely basket that looked pretty sturdy and strong. The size was decent (could easily fit a backpack or shoulder bag, and went pretty deep). I couldn’t find the price listed anywhere on the item or on the shelf where I found it, so I went to ask the front counter guy. He had no idea how much it cost and left the counter for a good five minutes whilst he tried to figure it out. He came back and said it was roughly $ 45. The price felt a little steep, but I acknowledged that the basket was sturdy and would hopefully last me a long time, so I ended up being satisfied with that price.
Meh, but OK, again:
After the (sort of) gentleman behind the counter told me the price, I asked if they could put the basket on my bike for me, and asked how much it would cost. The man told me it would cost $ 15. I thought $ 15 to put on my basket was a little steep, but I also know people are trying to make a living, and the convenience of having it done for me swayed me to accept. He told me I’d have to wait a little bit, and said I could go get my bike.
Uh, really?:
So, I went to go get my bike, and let me preface this by saying that I do not have an $ 800+ Peugeot road bike, or anything close. I have a well-​used, little bit junky, but certainly gets the job done mountain bike, complete with rust and Playa dust. When I brought my bike into the shop, the dude seemed as though he was making an effort not to scoff at me and my bike. I was also informed when I brought in my bike, that the cost to have it installed was not $ 15, that is was actually $ 20, which I was not thrilled to hear, but I was already in the mode to get it done then, and at that point I didn’t want to put everything back and go somewhere else. So, I walked my bike and the basket back to where the shop guys were fixing and installing things, and I left for about a half an hour.
The only happy part of my visit:
When I returned, the shop guys had still not installed the basket, but they were busy so I wasn’t trippin’. When one of the guys finally did, he walked the bike to me and nicely told me that he wanted to let me know my chain was rusty and to be careful and aware. He was very kind and I thanked him and walked my bike back to the counter guy.
How rude! – and, junky bikes need Love, too!:
When I got up to counter to pay, my total with tax and installation for the bike basket came to roughly $ 75. I paid the guy and, as the transaction was occurring, he says to me «That basket is the nicest about your bike», sarcastically. I replied with something like, «Yes, it’s a very nice basket», because I’M NOT GOING TO VALIDATE HIS RUDENESS BY BEING RUDE BACK, but I felt put down, and VERY UN-​CARED FOR AS A CUSTOMER. I tipped the bike shop guy a few bucks, because he totally deserved it (and is the reason this review has two stars and not one), and left.
On a positive note/​final thoughts:
My basket is badass. It is super sturdy and I don’t ever worry about it warping or bending, and it’s a great size, slightly larger than a normal bucket basket size, I’d say. I am very happy with the basket, itself, and I do not regret spending $ 45 on it. Though I still think $ 20 was a little steep, I don’t regret spending it to have it installed, because hopefully it will go into keeping cool guys like the ones who were there, still working there, and I definitely don’t regret tipping the shop guy. He rocked. The one thing, however, I would have done differently, had I known my experience would have been what it was, is I would have not gone in the store at all and would have gone somewhere else where customer/​counter service had a pulse.
I probably will not be going back to Mike’s Bikes, but if I do, I’m going to peek in to make sure counter dude is NOT there. I wouldn’t name his name even if I remembered it, but if you happen to read this and have at all an inclination that I might be talking about you, please try to treat your customers with a little more care, kindness and attentiveness, and TREAT CUSTOMERS, WITH OR WITHOUT NICE BIKES WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESPECT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT A PROFESSIONAL DOES. Talk shit later, after I’ve left, but make me feel like a million bucks whilst I’m in your shop, please. After all, I turned out to be someone who was willing to pay $ 75 for a bike basket.

For the longest time I wasn’t crazy about this place. Largely because I don’t care for Specialized and it basically felt like an outlet store.
I’m glad I never gave up though as the last few times I’ve been in I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the improvements they’ve made. Despite being a semi commission based salary, the sales people are a lot less pushy than I remember and listen to what you want pretty well. The variety on what they carry has also come a long way.
Between those factors and the high level of service, I’m a big fan of the shop now. It is worth noting, like any place, having an idea of what you want going in helps out a lot. I think a good amount of the negative reviews are those same bad customers you see in any business. The easier you make things for them, the better experience everyone will have.

I was trying to decide between buying a new Specialized bike from Mikes or buying one online at a savings of a few hundred bucks. I am so glad I went with Mikes, as the service and professionalism that support the new purchase have been invaluable. Sam, Nate, and the whole team have always been helpful, courteous with my general bike questions, and thorough in getting me a great fit on a great bike.

Been here a few times for parts and random repairs and the staff has always been super helpful. Recently came in after trying to do a few repairs myself and accidentally made my bike unrideable mostly due to me being terrible at repairs. The guy behind the counter (wish I got his name) fixed it up in only a few minutes and didn’t even charge me for it.
Definitely recommending this place in the future.

I’ve been here twice now looking to buy a bike and many other times to window shop. The staff never fail to approach me and ask if I need help (maybe because I’m always feeling up the $$$$$$$ bikes) but I appreciate the attentiveness. They aren’t warm and friendly like other shops I’ve been to. Distant, professional, but knowledgeable. I ask tons of questions and they’re very tolerant and thorough in going through all of the options with me.
They are very considerate here and give help even where I didn’t know to ask for it. When I bent my wheel they did a courtesy truing so that I could at least ride it until I got it replaced. On another occasion, was getting ready to head out to demo a 27.5″ bike. Knowing that I only have a 29er, the associate handed me an inner tube on the way out. That was extremely cool of him, because I actually ended up with air fizzing out of the front wheel from stupid goatheads!
The only warning I’d give is, as others have said, they do have a habit of upselling. The first time I was there, I knew what bike I’d wanted. The associate suggested a more performance-​oriented one that was $ 700 more. I went with it, and after riding it, was very glad that he suggested it. He may have done that based more on my description of the type of riding I wanted to do, so I’ll overlook that one.
The second time I was in, I was looking for a trail/​AM mtb. I gave the associate (a different one from the first time) details about the bike that I wanted but could not find anywhere in stores, and my budget. I ended up demoing something that was a bit more AM/​enduro and a bit more than I wanted to spend. Loved it, but came back and told them it was a no-​go. With every reason I gave them, they found a counter. I don’t need a carbon frame — «the aluminum elite has better components and is even lighter than this carbon comp.» (it’s also $ 400 more than this already-​out-​of-​budget bike). I didn’t need that much travel — «well, the travel is infinitely adjustable». They even called me a couple days later to let me know that another higher-​end build of the bike had arrived in the store if I wanted to test it. Thanks for thinking of me, but I would have appreciated if they’d just pointed out other 5′ travel trail bikes they have that’s similar to the bike I explained I wanted, instead of persisting on steering me towards a bike I didn’t need and would probably regret buying.
BUT, they did end up spending a lot of time running up and down the stairs bringing down bikes for me and helping me locate a store with a bike I wanted (and ended up buying), so I can’t really complain. (See my review for that particular Mike’s Bikes!)
Ok. After all of that babbling, my advice would be:
If you are looking to buy a bike here, make SURE you know exactly what you want and all its alternatives. Hopefully you’ve done some of that type of riding so that you actually know what you need and don’t need. If you get any suggestions on other bikes you haven’t considered, leave and do some thorough research on their suggestion. It might be in your interest, it might not. Just make sure that your reasons for buying are reasons that YOU came up with, and not reasons that THEY came up with. Also, if you’re impulsive (like me), it helps to have a careful, conservative friend around to rein you in as needed.
Other than that, I always have a great time at this store. :)

We went here on a mission to find a specific bike (that we would ship to Chicago if we found it). They said they carried them online, but they didn’t. They were helpful and friendly, but I don’t know that there’s anything outstanding about this place. They had some cool stuff and we may go here if we lived in the area, because it’s okey dokey!

I found that Mike’s Bike’s carries mostly higher end sportier bikes/​brands. I wanted something cheap-​ish, commuter/​noob-​biker friendly, while also giving me the option to go longer distances.
I didn’t like my bike at first (wanted something more athletic) but their 30-​day exchange policy saved the day. The $ 150 unlimited 5-​year maintenance plan, the fact that I was able to get a different size/​color bike from another branch really fast, and the customer service makes this place worth buying a new bike from.
The staff was very helpful, friendly, and accommodating. Especially Nick!
Would definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a bike in Berkeley.

I didn’t wind up purchasing my bike here, but the service we got even so was stellar.
I was looking for an entry-​level road bike around $ 1,000 and Tanner helped us out with four or five. We test rode several around the neighborhood and he made tons of small adjustments to handlebars, saddles, stems, all kinds of stuff.
All in all, he spent an hour with us and we had a blast. Had I found my one true bike there, totally would’ve purchased it.
The good: super awesome service, good selection.
The bad: no water fountain, which was a bummer… after test riding five bikes.

The sales associates are very knowledgable, good communicators, and genuinely nice people. The bike techs are fast, very helpful, and explain things super well. The managers are genuinely interested in cultivating a relationship with you, making you happy, and respond to feedback immediately and very well. The products they carry are top quality and competitively priced. Every single person I interact with on the Mike’s Bikes team will go out of their way to make sure that I am happy and a more confident cyclist before I leave the store.
What else can you ask for? I’ve done $ 4000 in business with them in the last half year, and I couldn’t be happier. I first came to Mike’s Bikes in order to buy a bike for the Ironman Triathlons I was training for. They were very patient with me and guided me through my first baby steps in the world of road cycling. After many free demo rides on several different bikes they suggested based on my needs and feedback, I decided on the Specialized Venge. I made sure to purchase the 5-​year service plan so I could get unlimited free tune ups (best investment I have made on the bike.) Since that time back in December, they have helped me grow and mature as a cyclist, and point me in the right direction whenever I was lost. I am grateful for their deep knowledge, their investment in me as a cyclist, and their wonderful support.
Here is a picture of the beautiful bike I bought from them and customized to suit my needs with the help of their bike techs and sales associates! It’s definitely the bike of my dreams. Mike’s Bikes of Berkeley is the best!