Performance Bicycle

This was the 8^th bike shop I had visited after looking around to buy a bike for my wife’s birthday. I was instantly approached by Shawn who spent a half hour going over the specific features of a bike that I was looking at. He was very patient in answering every question that I had. I decided to check out Mikes bikes down the street before making a decision so I drove over there and wasn’t impressed with their very expensive selection. Came back in about 20 minutes and bought the bike Shawn and I had been discussing. My wife and I went for a 13 mile spin today for her first time on the bike and she loved it! Thank you Shawn for your incredible service and for helping me make the right choice!
(By the way, they have a private lot in back of the store so you don’t have to park on the street.)

Went in here looking to buy my first road bike after doing a little bit of research myself and they were super helpful. Got a good bike at a good price and they carried my size in the store (which is ridiculously small)! I’m pretty novice but the man helping me (I forgot his name Mike? Maybe?) was super nice and talked me through everything, didn’t try to pressure me into buying a more expensive bike or anything and answered all my questions no matter how dumb ha! The store also has a private parking lot so it’s always a plus to not have to pay for parking or walk from far away. They were the most helpful and best selection out of the 4 different bike stores I went to. Will definitely be back.

These guys seem to be getting more and more of my business as I’ve found that most local shops keep terrible hours, and the bigger places like Mike’s and REI just seem to have incompetent technicians. So yeah, it’s a chain, but it’s a pretty good chain.
There are usually good prices on parts, and frequent sales (though I would warn you away from subscribing to their newsletter — daily e-​mails!)
Took off one because I’ve occasionally gotten pressure for service or parts that I don’t want.

Sales department still gets 5 stars (so for the moment I’m sticking with the overall 5 stars, since my I’m mostly getting parts there). I’m feeling a bit less happy about the repair side of the house.
The first sour note was after I left my bike for two weeks with a specific (though hard to diagnose) problem. When I went to pick it up, nobody seemed to know what had been done to it, and the repair tag inexplicably had a note not to contact me. Bill, the store manager, at least didn’t charge me for the non-​repair.
Today I needed a part. I was sent to Will in the shop to see if they had it. He barely communicated that they didn’t have it. I asked where else I might be able to get it, and he said he didn’t know. Really? There are 10 bike shops in a one mile radius of Performance, and an experienced person should know who is likely to carry specialty parts.
I’d been thinking of asking Performance to to a small adjustment that has been flumoxing me, but after these last two experiences, I will likely take my repair work elsewhere.

I went to this store twice in one day, a few hours apart. My first walk in wasn’t so bad. Didn’t get acknowledge until after 20 minutes but I was really focused on checking out bikes so I didn’t really mind. My 2^nd visit Bill provided great customer service and he was really helpful (without me asing for help). I end up ordering a bike that was not available in store. Bill was such a nice guy, he knows how to take care of his customer. Give him a raise. I’ll definitely return because of his great service.

Was told I needed a new crank on my road bike (which would run me upwards of $ 550!!) by a couple of other mechanics at different stores. I stopped by, and Mike at Performance Bikes emailed around to his mechanic buddies, and found a super-​cheap ($ 2.50!) fix by sticking in a special kind of washer — he did not even charge me labor even though he probably spent over an hour all-​told.
I would definitely recommend this store for maintenance, especially Mike, he was super nice and helpful and really knows his stuff!

I bought a road bike at Performance back in 2010, and have used the service plan since. The staff have always been helpful in getting me back in the saddle quickly, whether minor tweaks or a full tune-​up. The manager there (Bill) cares about biking and bikers. I recently had a (free) fitting with Mike, who spent nearly an hour with me measuring and making adjustments to ensure the best fit possible. Although they don’t have the top brands, the discount prices and dedicated service are enough to keep me coming back.

Had a minor problem I needed taken care of. I was initially told I might need an appointment a week away, but they let me come in and have the mechanic, Alex, take a look. He fixed it up right there, no waiting and no charge. He explained everything and didn’t make me feel like a dolt like some bike shops seems to do. No smug «bike pro» thing going on. (And it was a pretty stupid issue-​he would have been well within his rights!)
Anyway, I will definitely return here for all of my bike service. Thanks Alex!

I got a killer deal on a 2013 Fuji Altimara at the Berkeley store. They do not have the best selection, and there staff isn’t very knowledgable, but the low prices make up for it.
If you are comfortable doing your own research then this is a good place to get a great deal!

I’m no super cyclist, so I don’t have the most informed opinion — but I like this store. Everyone is super helpful, I find what I need and I’ve gotten plenty of discounts with their rewards program and double/​triple points days.

Great team. I needed an obscure part, which «Mike’s bikes» assured me no one in town would have, special order only. Mike (of Performance Bicycle) talked to me on the phone, located the part, and made sure they had it in stock. When I came and paid for it (OK, it was a few dollars more than the internet price) I asked if I could put it on myself in store with their tools, he offered to put it on for me for free. It wasn’t very straight-​forward either, they had to fight my twisted chain and align the rear dérailleur in the process, the shop mech dropped what he was doing a few minutes, and helped straighten out the kinks. They also pointed couple of worn out parts, which I later replaced myself. Great help and that’s the second great experience with this store.

I don’t normally post reviews but I had to take the time to give the highest marks possible to Mike and the crew at the Berkeley store! Mike was very attentive and matched me perfectly with a great mountain bike. He walked me through everything I needed to know and addressed every detail. I left the store extremely satisfied, and anyone who knows me know that doesn’t happen often… This place is highly recommended! Great product! Great Price! Great service!!!

One very positive visit to Performance Bicycle of Berkeley compelled me to not only write a review, but join Unilocal in order to do so.
I generally do my own bike maintenance, and use local shops for parts only. I went into Performance to purchase a replacement screw and spacer for my Look Keo cleats. The mechanic Mike promptly helped me out by finding a loose one from their small parts bin. He didn’t have a spacer that fit perfectly, so he used a stone grinder to shorten a spacer that was slightly too long, after which it fit perfectly.
The other issue I asked him to look at was the crank arm on my girlfriends Fuji. It is having an issue loosening over time (it has come off twice in three years), which is uncommon for the type of connection it uses. After taking a look, he removed, cleaned, greased, and thoroughly tightened it. I was prepared to happily spend $ 40 – 60 dollars to replace the arm, but he suggested that it really wasn’t necessary, and that if it happend again, then it should be replaced.
After spending twenty minutes and fixing two issues that I couldn’t easily without spending some money, Mike said that it was «on the house.» I offerred a nice tip anyways, which he refused.
Thanks for the great experience Mike!

Great selection, solid service.
Preston and Jonno were super helpful in helping me select a bike that suited my needs, and gave me the rundown on some essentials. The bike I liked wasn’t already assembled in the correct size, but they had it assembled for me the same day.

This rating is for the service department. I went in with a pair of Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals looking for help because the dust covers were stuck and I wanted to service/​grease the bushings. The guy at the bike repair service counter was able to offer nothing except his completely uninformed opinion: that they pedals could not be serviced = WRONG!
If you have NEVER seen or worked on these pedals before, why not just admit it? Tell me that you are sorry but you cannot help because you are not familiar with them, and that’s it.
So it was a double disappointment:
1. I was shocked that he didn’t know how to do repair maintenance, on crank bros pedals (I am totally dedicated to these for my road and mountain bikes. And performance bike sells these pedals!)
2. He told me they could not be serviced, when he did not know anything about them — and he was just plain WRONG. Seriously lacking in curiosity and helpfulness… seemed like he just wanted to get back to work on whatever it was he was doing when I walked up. Perhaps he resented the interruption of his work? I guess that he’s more into fixing bikes than helping customers.
Even though this is for the service department, I will give two stars because Performance does have good sales on bike parts and accessories. I just think they are too corporate to be of value for personal service. The atmosphere was just kind of dead and empty.

As a car-​free student in Berkeley, my bike is my lifeline. So I’m particularly grateful to have bought such a fantastic bike (one of the hybrid Trek bikes– highly recommended) during a sale in August 2013. I got a great deal on it, use it all the time for commuting, errands, and exercise, and love it to bits.
I’ve also tested the benefits of the membership and repair policy. Despite having all parts locked down and being as cautious as possible, I’ve had parts (front wheel, bike seat and pole) stolen off it, and been swacked by car doors twice (OUCH!). Example 1: months after I purchased the bike and U-​Lock some jerk tried to steal my bike by using crowbar (?) to bend my lock. Though the lock didn’t release my bike it became totally disjointed… and Performance Bike replaced the lock for free. Example 2: After both doorings they did a free tuneup and adjustment, which was helpful for my bike and even more for my jittery nerves.
Though there have been some hiccups around discounts and applying membership points, and though the store doesn’t always have the part I need in stock, overall it has been a great experience due in large part to Wayne’s cheerful and meticulous care of my bike. Having him at the Berkeley branch is like having a super-​knowledgeable bike mechanic in the family– I get attentive VIP treatment from someone who knows what he’s doing. My bike and I feel very cared for, despite Berkeley being a rough world for bikes and bikers.
I did have occasion to test two other independent bike stores in Berkeley– one while shopping for bikes, and one to replace a stolen part when I didn’t want to walk my sorry vandalized bike all the way back to University Ave (I had to return 3 times since the part and installation were botched). All else equal I’d prefer to support local independent shops, but in this case, all else was NOT equal. I’ll stick with Performance Bikes and Wayne.

I have experienced nothing less than pleasant, knowledgable, and affordable service here. I bought my bike here, and the salesman was super helpful in narrowing down the bikes in the store that fit my needs. I love my bike and the price was great for the quality compared to other bike stores I shopped at.
Since buying my bike I’ve been back many times for maintenance or to get accessories for my bike. They have a great maintenance membership for $ 60 for two years where it covers 2 tune-​ups, 4 flat tire fixes, among other services. It pays for itself quickly since I ride my bike daily. After my bike was clipped by a car and my disc brakes slightly bent, they took the time to inspect both tires and fixed the alignment FOR FREE. The mechanic and other employees in the store have always been very nice and helpful. Would definitely recommend Performance for buying a bike, or for accessories/​maintenance.

Not great experience. Not even good. More like disappointing. And lousy.
Felt invisible. And like my business wasn’t important, despite having dropped $ 600.
Will stick with Blue Heron, where they care about customer service.

Went in yesterday morning to inquire about a 24″ bike for my son for his Bday next week.
They did not have any on the floor. So I talked to Preston and he immediately said, «wait a minute I think I’ve got one still in the box in back». He found it and brought it out and opened the box. I liked it and told him I’d be back later in the afternoon after I picked up my son from school.
On my way to pick up my son from school, I received a call from Wayne at the store to inform me they’d assembled the bike so that my son can try it out. AWESOME.
We went in less than 30 minutes later and bought the bike.
This is my son’s second bike from the store, so we received 15% off from their «step-​up program».
OUTSTANDING service overall, and that’s why we keep coming back to them. This is our fourth bike overall that we’ve bought here.
Keep up the great service guys!!!

Thought the low ratings for attitude might’ve been a situational experience, but I completely agree with the other reviews.
I order a bike online and selected the in store pick up. I got an email saying the bike had arrived on Sunday, but it would take a few days to assemble. Now I didn’t understand why it’d take a few days to assemble but figured it was just to buy them time. I waited till Thursday without hearing from them so while I was in the area I dropped by the store to see.
When I got there I waited around for 5 minutes before being attended to. The store seemed completely empty besides one worker who appeared to be doing nothing.
Finally a guy from the back came out, asked what I needed. When I mentioned my bike, he asked if the store told me my bike was ready yet, for which I answered that i received an e-​mail on Sunday that it was in store, but would take a few days to «assemble.» The day I came to pick up my bike was a Thursday so I felt that they had an adequate amount of time to put together my bike. I mean +3 days to attach a fork, some tires, and a chain.
Ridiculous.