Mountain View Bike Shops Comparison
I live in Mountain View, California, and riding bicycles is a big part of my life. Over the past several years, I’ve visited most of the shops around town; following is a short guide to bike shops in Mountain View and Palo Alto, California. I’ll discuss brands, service and pricing, so you have a better idea of what to expect if you live around here, are a student or just new to the biking scene. Of course, biking is much greener than driving around in an SUV — in my next piece I’ll share some tips for utility biking, so you can ride more often and with more convenience.
Performance Bicycle Shop at 2124 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA (650) 964-1796 – This shop is part of a chain that offers great pricing, friendly service, a good return policy and a variety of mountain and road bikes. They have a big shop in the back for repairs. You can opt for a membership program that helps you save and choose from a wide selection of biking goods beyond the store shelves through their website. Performance has more bike racks and shoes than most competing stores in the area. Brands include Fuji, GT, Scattante, Schwinn, Mongoose, Focus, Kestrel and a few others. I’ve bought bikes and shoes here and was very satisfied. Their discount sales are also great! You can usually get a good deal on performance gear at this shop.
The Off Ramp at 2320 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA (650) 968-2974 – This two-store local chain is all about the bikes, with very few racks, clothing or shoes. Brands include Giant, Electra, Raleigh, Dahon, Haro and Scott, and the staff is very friendly. Prices are good and you get more attention than in some of the larger and busier stores. I’ve never bought a bike here, but the location is great (it’s just up the street from Performance) and I frequently visit to check out the deals.
Recreation Equipment Inc (REI) at 2450 Charleston Rd., Mountain View, CA (650) 969-1938 – This national chain offers top service and support, along with a return policy that can’t be beat! While bikes don’t take center stage at REI, their selection is good and the accessories and clothing are among the best. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, the membership program helps you save by giving you a “dividend” on what you purchase yearly, and monthly “garage sales” let you save on returned items and last season’s stuff. REI has a ton of great clothing, accessories and bikes, with the option to order online and then test products when they arrive in-store. The service department offers an affordable bike tune-up and is more accessible than bike-only shops, which often get backlogged in the Bay Area. Brands include Novara, Surly, Electra, Cannondale, Dahon, Marin, GT, Swobo, Raleigh and others. REI also offers foldable bikes, trailers for kids and electric bikes.
Sports Authority at 635 San Antonio Road, Mountain View, CA (650) 941-8611 – This chain offers a smaller selection of bicycles in the $200 range, with a focus on kids and BMX styles. Brands include Sims, Diamondback, Mongoose, Huffy, Kawasaki and GMC. You’ll find a few foldable bikes, scooters and other types of entry-level recreation equipment. In the same San Antonio shopping center, there is a Walmart with a small bike shop just left of the main entry. Walmart’s selection is similar to Sports Authority in terms of offering and price, with more products geared to kids.
These last four shops are my favorite for high-end road biking and offer products in the $1,000+ range. Of course, you can easily spend $10,000 on bikes and equipment if you have the budget.
Mike’s Bikes at 3001 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA (650) 858-7700 – This mid-sized chain store feels more like a “mom and pop” shop but offers impressive price benefits and sales. Mike’s Bikes has long been one of my favorite shops, and I have bought bikes and had them tuned here for years. They have excellent clothing and shoe selections, a big retail area, and knowledgeable staff. Brands include Specialized, Cannondale, Raleigh, Pedego and Yuba. I’m a huge fan of the BikeSmart brand of lights and accessories, which is owned by Mike’s Bikes and only sold in-store or through their website. On the downside, you might have to wait a week or two for tune-ups and pay a little extra here.
Bike Connection at 2011 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA (650) 853-3000 – This non-chain store offers great selection, fast service, and bike rentals too! You can snag sweet deals on used bikes because of the rental program, which is unique to this shop. If you commute between Mountain View and Palo Alto on El Camino, you may have seen this store with its giant banner on top of a black truck, sporting clever phrases like “Half sports car, half hybrid.” The Bike Connection carries a huge selection of Marin bicycles, along with Electra, Felt, Giant, Intense, Scott and Santa Cruz brands, with an emphasis on mountain bikes. I’ve bought multiple bikes here, and had them tuned up after hard jumping and downhill sessions at Arastradero Preserve. You won’t get the foldable commuter bikes or electric bicycles here, but they have great mountain and road setups at decent prices.
Palo Alto Bicycles at 171 University Ave Palo Alto, CA 94301 – This shop is right on University near Stanford and Alma. Being so close to “startup row”, the focus is on high-end equipment, with more road bikes than mountain bikes. Brands include Trek, Gary Fisher, BMC, Look, Seven, Ellsworth, Surly, Kona, Swobo and Independent. I’ve never bought a bike here, but their accessories are great and it’s a fun shop to tour when you’re out for lunch or cruising through the area.
Cognition Cyclery at 903 Castro St., Mountain View, CA (650) 386-1955 – I saved my favorite shop for last, and it’s fairly new to the lineup. Cognition Cyclery specializes in Specialized bikes but adds a few from Felt and Globe as well (all California-based brands). I love Specialized bicycles, and these guys will tune them expertly and quickly at an affordable rate. They also provide a better fitting than some competing stores (in my opinion) and the staff is super nice — if you buy a bike here, you get friendly tune-ups free of charge. With a prime location on Castro and El Camino (where Bike Spring used to be as well as the Polyvore startup) they’re hard to miss! Cognition Cyclery has a full video testing/tuning area, as well as upgraded displays and racks. Prices are fairly standard for Specialized gear, and road bikes take center stage, with a limited selection of mountain bikes.
While all of these shops are great, the abundance of cyclists in the Bay Area has created an excellent selection of used bikes on Craigslist.org, which might be a good option if you’re trying to save some dough. Used bikes are certainly the most environmentally-friendly option as they save the cost of raw materials, but you could end up doing a lot of maintenance and that can get expensive. Keep in mind that tune-ups can go as high as $80 US; if you buy new, you’ll likely get priority service at a reduced rate or for free. I have also found that while Craigslist has a good selection of bikes, they tend to be on the expensive side. Keep in mind that the $100-$200 you save could get quickly spent on repairs and tune ups.
Whether you buy from Cognition, Bike Connection, Craigslist or The Off –Ramp, consider this: The production of a carbon-fiber bike involves the use of more planet-damaging chemicals and energy than old fashioned aluminum or recycled steel. And while we’re on the subject, here is an interesting article about the environmental friendliness of cycling vs. driving cars.
P.S.: Once you’ve got a bike, check out the San Jose Bike Party monthly event and make some friends! The ride is EVERY third Friday at 8:30 p.m. PST, and the starting point is rotated every month. Check the website 24 hours previous for the exact address and route. Bring lights and ride safe!
