Kirkland Bicycle

The differentiator when making any purchase is customer service. That is where this bike shop separates itself from the rest. I have been to and purchased from almost every local shop in the greater Seattle area, so I have a good base of knowledge. One of their shop Mechanics (Matt) spent over two hours with me on everything from valuing the components on my old frame, to writing out a detailed list of upgrades I should look for on my new bike, using a credit I had at another shop. If you are in the market for a new bike, service, or really anything bike related go see Matt at Kirkland Bicycle.

I was a walk-​in customer and made an appointment to have my brake pads replaced on my bike. I paid a $ 20 deposit that would count towards my total, and made an appointment to drop off my bike later in the week, and was told that at most it would cost $ 35 dollars. Later that day I got a call from the shop because they hadn’t actually scheduled me, and forgot what I wanted and what day I had scheduled for. When it came time to drop off my bike, my husband took it in because I had to work, and was told that my bike HAD to have a tune up, a wheel aligned and then they could put on new brake pads. They offered to let him call me and see if I wanted that done, and they would wait to hear back. I had just had my bike tuned up less than a year ago, and didn’t want anything other than the new brake pads. When my husband called back (less than 2 hours after he dropped the bike off) he was told it was too late and they had already started working on the bike. I ended up being charged $ 95, and had to I had to point out that I had already paid a $ 20 deposit.
I wish the store had called me for such a huge increase in work and cost instead of telling my husband that my bike needed it. It’s not very realistic to expect that he would know or remember what work had been done to my bike. Neither of us will be using Kirkland Bicycle for repairs or maintenance service in the future.

One of my cables was getting fried. I stopped by this afternoon on my way from work and 15 minutes later it was all fixed!
great customer service will always result in my repeat business!

My old bike has so many miles on it that this shop has had to rebuild the drive train several times. When I asked for a recommendation for a new model, they pointed toward a Giant road bike. After much reading and research, and test riding bikes, I finally made the purchase. I’ve had 3 bike fits on the old bike in the past several years, but nothing like what they did to fit me on this bike. Using the latest technology, technique, and training, they got me dialed into a very comfortable position. I’m looking forward to my first real ride on the new ‘steed’ today, and know that these pros will be helpful with fine tuning the fit as I settle in. If you have never had your road bike fit, it is worth the time to find professionals like Kirkland Bicycle.

Really good business. Customer service is on point. The guys that work here are super candid and knowledgeable riders themselves. I’ve been really impressed with the dudes every time I’ve gone.
PS: If you park in the parking lot just north of the shop make sure to pay for the parking spot at the ticket booth!!! There’s a ticket nazi that hangs out in there waiting for you to slip and not pay!

I walked in with a bike that had two flat tires, and was in in need of a few minor adjustments, walked out 15 minutes later with a bike that was ready to ride. Turns out that the valve stem one of the tires was broken, so I needed a new tube. The other tire just needed air, but they dismounted both and give them a good check.
The price of the ‘mechanic’ work was super-​reasonable, but I did buy a new tire pump and bike lock from them, so I think we’re good all around. I needed the pump because my new bike (used, but new to me) has the new style tire valves, and my old tire pump wouldn’t handle them.
Everybody was very friendly, the prices were good, and as I said up front, I was in and out in no time at all.

Kirkland reached out to me after I left this review — I’m going back in to try a fit again. I was surprised to get the call, and surprised to find out that they offer a refund if the fit is no good (though they say they have never had to do a refund before.)
I’ve left the original review below, but will update after the second fit.
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I’ve had two experiences at Kirkland, and this review will cover both. I have a new Cannondale F29 Alloy 6 hardtail bike that is 2 weeks old.
The first one: I had a 15 mm Maxle jammed in my front fork. Kirkland was able to get it unstuck, in a relatively timely fashion, and for only $ 10. This visit gets a ⁴⁄₅ stars, simply because I got what I wanted (and I reserve ⁵⁄₅ for businesses that manage to FLOOR me beyond all expectations) and the guy helping me was friendly.
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The second one: A fitting over the past weekend. It took about an hour, and was $ 60. I have no clipless pedals, so this covered seat height, position, angle, handlebar adjustment and brake/​shifter placement. I went in with two complaints: my sitbones hurt even with shorts, and excess pressure on my hands (outside palms.)
My seat was adjusted some, but I still have pain; no real gain or loss here. I was told to wait before buying a seat. The handle bars were rotated, but after a single 10 mile ride, the pain in my hands was the same if not worse. I had to totally disregard the seat height change, as it left me barely able to touch the ground on my toes when I came to a stop, and incredibly hard to mount and dismount the bike.
On the handlebar, I was pretty sure I needed a riser, but was told I was OK without one as the handlebars weren’t below the seat. When I got home and looked at the bike, the handlebars were in fact below the seat. Not sure what he was seeing…
Next up, I asked about a kickstand; he wasn’t sure I had room for one, but after the fitting was done he mounted one. In mounting it, he clamped it down tightly, and said it’d work. I paid up (60 for the fitting, 30 for grips he recommended, 11 for the kickstand, plus taxes.) I popped the kickstand up and… hey, it moved! It had come loose already… so he removed it and refunded my money on the stand — it just wasn’t a fit for my bike and I accept that without issue or complaint. However, in looking at the bike afterwards, the paint was removed from my frame where he had clamped it down. This isn’t a huge deal as I’m sure I’ll lose more paint soon enough, but I didn’t want it to be at a bike shop.
All in all, I don’t think I was fitted very well here; maybe they’re better at fitting road bikes (they certainly have more road bikes in stock to sell, from what I could see.) What I didn’t expect, and why I knock the rating down so much, is that I didn’t expect to be tinkering with my rear dérailleur after visiting a LBS.
I’m giving a 3 star review because the help with my Maxle was good; were this a review for my fitting alone, I would be giving 1 – 2 stars. I’ll come here for stuff I need done within riding distance of where I live… but for more involved work, I think I will look around for another bike shop.

I am so glad I found this shop. I had been using another shop closer to my house, but did not appreciate their customer service. Every time I’ve gone into Kirkland Bicycle, I’ve been treated respectfully. Their service is quick, good quality and more affordable than other bike shops I’ve been to in the area.
I have to drive an extra five miles to get here, and the parking in Kirkland is a pain, but it’s well worth it for good customer service and being treated respectfully no matter how silly the question or repair.

Really enjoyed the expert help purchasing a new trail bike. Heather was great. Thanks, Jack

Very good shop,
I went to change my wheels because they where bent.
One of the worker told me that he could fix that without getting a new wheel and that will be cheaper for me.
I told me that should be ready tonight or tomorrow.
They called me 2 hours after and the bike was perfect.
They even readjusted the seat and the break.
The price was reasonable and they help me out because I had a baby.
I good to have business who care about Their customers and want you to be happy before making profit.
I recommend this place.

Great shop. Beautifully laid out with attentive and mart staff. They offer nice bikes for demo too. Impressed!

By far the best bike shop in Washington! All the staff do an amazing job helping customers and working on bikes! They go above and beyond any bike shop that I have been in. Matt the manager of the shop is the most knowledgable, patient, and understanding person I have met in the industry. Josh the owner is also a great man, he knows what’s up!
If you haven’t been to this shop you have to check them out to see what I am talking about, you will not be disappointed!
Oh and Garret, one of the mechanics, he is pretty cool too!

Excellent shop. Great staff. Personalized, honest advice. No ego trips. Thank you!

I have nothing bad to say about any of my many experiences with all of the guys and girls that work here. They have all been super helpful, extremely knowledgable and really nice! It’s hard to find a good bike shop that has good service and friendly employees when you’re new to an area but Kirkland Bicycle made my search easy! I will continue to highly recommend this shop to anyone looking for help buying a new bike, bike gear and/​or parts or for service.

Great group to work with! I haven’t owned bike in over 20 years, the crew at Kirkland Bicycle made me feel welcome and answered all my questions (so much has changed).
They did an awesome job of helping me choose the right bike for my needs as well as helped me with all the correct fittings and adjustments. They offer a 1 year free basic service with the purchase of a bike along with a bike maintenance tutorial class for those who need it.
Great work guys!

I live in Portland, OR, and I was looking for a 2012 Giant Reign X1 in a Large. Giant was sold out of them, and the closest shop that had one in stock was Kirkland Bicycle, so I made the trip.
I came in knowing exactly what I wanted, so the service was terrific. I picked it up, they told me that with a new bike I would get a free tune up and a 1 on 1 maintenance class (Though I doubted I would be back).
I rode the bike twice before I noticed a serious issue. The lower linkage slammed into my front dérailleur every time my shock bottomed out. This wasn’t the shops fault, but an issue with the bike. My buddy and I tried to move the dérailleur up, but found that there was nowhere it could go. It either dragged on my chain, or interfered with my linkage travel. My link had 2 deep notches from slamming into the dérailleur cage. I was pretty bummed out after spending quite a bit on a new bike, and it was basically un-ride’able.
I called and spoke with Matt, the service manager, who was super friendly and assured me that we would figure something out. I told him I would try and get a different dérailleur to see if that would fix it, but if not I would be coming up. The dérailleur didn’t work out, and I made the 3 hour drive up the next weekend.
I got into the shop and Matt assured me that he had some ideas to get me rolling again. Fast-​forward a couple hours, and her replaced the link that had been damaged, swapped the shock out with a new one, and found a dérailleur from one of his floor bikes that worked. He totally dialed in my shock, and then offered to hook me up with a tubeless set-​up for «the gas money» it took to drive up.
This shop is tops and I would recommend their service to anyone. They totally bent over backwards to make sure I left just as stoked as I was when I first got the bike!

This year while riding the 7 Hills of Kirkland I kept having a problem dropping my chain when downshifting. I was happy to get to the first rest stop and find Matt from Kirkland Bike Shop knowledgeable and willing to help a cold, wet, frustrated rider. My team chatted with him while he was working on my chain he mentioned the shop does custom bike fits by appointment. I told him my sad story of recently having my mountain bike stolen and Matt told me that Kirkland Bike has a good stock and some great deals on last years models. I was happy and appreciative to have found them.
I scheduled a custom fit for the Thursday before Flying Wheels. When I called the shop they told me 3pm was preferred but they could make the appointment as late as 3:30 just in case I couldn’t get out of work. Fortunately I was able to finish my day early and got to the shop at 2:45. I called 5 times during the day to let them know I would be early and never got answer but I didn’t mind waiting for my appointment because I wanted to shop for a new mountain bike.
When I walked into the shop there were 3 guys and a girl behind the counter working on bikes and having a conversation with– what might have been a customer –about riding Duthie the following weekend. I couldn’t tell because the person was also behind the counter, but not working. After many many minutes with no greeting, no eye– contact and only a dog to acknowledge me, a gentleman seemed to come out of the Duthie bubble and came around to ask if he could help. I mentioned my appointment and he seemed hesitant. He said he was the new guy and could set my bike up but really couldn’t answer any questions. No problem, we all start somewhere right? I asked if he could find someone to talk about mountain bikes with me.
After another bit a second guy came out, we will call him grease monkey for his hipster shirt and sideways baseball cap. He informed me that Aaron, the bike fit guy, was at lunch and should be back soon. Again no problem by me. I told him I was looking for a full suspension mountain bike, 26″, medium frame, that mine was stolen and I had insurance money in hand $ 2k. Immediately he took me over to $ 4k and $ 5K bikes. I listened for a bit to all of the benefits of the more expensive bikes suspecting the run of the mill up-​sell but then got surprised when he asked me if I have ever owned a bike? Um– besides the one I walked in sitting on the trainer and the one I had stolen that I am shopping for? Yes I have owned a few others.
Again I repeated the details of the Cannondale I owned, that it was stolen, its tech specs, what terrain I ride generally, what I am looking for and the price. This is like groundhog day and my warmth for the shop was quickly cooling. He finally registered my words then slowing turned and pointed to a Giant bike and told me it was the ONLY mountain bike they had around $ 2k was full suspension but it was a large frame and I should go test ride other bikes before I decide on it. — wow.
Even though I came dressed from work in heels /​jeans/​blouse, i carried in a backpack, helmet, mountain and road bike shoes so that I could test ride and do the bike fit. However, since Grease Monkey told me to ride elsewhere I decided this wasn’t the place to buy my next mountain bike.
Disappointed, I was still set on a bike fit before Flying Wheels. I walked outside and waited another 15 minutes or so for my appointment I came back in and was told that Aaron wasn’t really at lunch, that he went to the ER for his knee, when do I want to reschedule my bike fit?
Are you kidding? I drove from Ballard, tried to give you $ 2k for a mountain bike, had an appointment for a bike fit that you canceled after I was in the shop for 45 minutes… and you want me to reschedule with no apologies, no compensation and just overall terrible service?
This is why people shop at REI instead of putting money back into the local community. If you aren’t part of the local cult… they will make sure you know it. For some reason I feel like my experience would have been different if I was a dude with a bike chain tattooed on my calf.
There still are great bike shops with excellent service in Seattle. Stick to Counterbalance, Second Ascent, Recycled Cycle, Greggs or even REI or Performance –but pass on this place.

These guys saved my bacon with a smile today.
I had to have my bike off to a shipping company by 4pm today for a charity ride I’m doing out of state in a few days. Last night in the process of cleaning up my bike before the ride and removing the pedals I cranked the wrong way and hopelessly stripped one of my pedal bolts to the point of possibly having damaged the crank. Not good! I called 2 local bike shops I live near and normally go to and they told me no way could they help on a holiday weekend on such short notice. I work near Kirkland Bike Shop and have bought a few supplies there before so I gave them a call. They said no problem, come on over.
Their mechanic Tom took my bike as a walk-​in, started on it right away and patiently toiled over it for nearly 2 hours, having to dismantle my pedal to get it off the crank. He patiently re-​threaded the pedal threads on the crank, tested it on new pedals, gave me some good hands-​on advice on several maintenance items and even had time for a few things I forgot to have done before the ride — new brakes, investigated a few issues I was having.
All at a really good price, last minute and no attitude for having to fix my stupid mistake.
I’m sold and will be coming here for all my future service!

I came over to this store from Ballard to check out a bike I was interested in. They offered to do a quick fit to make sure the bike I was buying was the right size.
They easily could have convinced me that the bike they had in stock was a good fit (I actually thought it would be my ideal size.) Instead, after getting me on their sizing bike, they suggested I go one size bigger.
Because of a mistake made by their distributor, they were not able to get me a frame in this size for about a month. What I was impressed by was instead of trying to convince me into settling for a bike they had in stock, they referred me to a competing store that they found out had my size.
Even after it was clear they were not going to get the sale on my bike, they were still helpful, attentive, and patient. I really appreciate them caring about getting me on the right bike, and I think this speaks highly of their shop.

Offers most of what you need for your bike. Shoes, clothes, bikes, service but selection is somewhat limited and prices higher than other places I have visited. The staff was not very attentive.