Montlake Bicycle Shop

This place is really terrific. They had a good variety of bikes in the commuter/​touring range I was looking for and were knowledgeable when I wanted to add a dynamo hub and lights.
We recently did their Sunday morning maintenance class (with Michael) who helped us out tremendously with both a lot of basics of bike maintenance we had never really learned properly and how to diagnose and tune some of the problems we were having with our rides. Just a fantastic experience end to end.
I’ve also had a couple of fittings done here (they also include a free one if you buy a bike from them) that have all worked out.

I had a great experience with this store. I was looking for a commuter/​light touring bike, and of the stores I’ve visited Montlake Bike shop had the best selection. More importantly though, the service was great. The store employee answered all my questions, let me ride several different bikes, and was very nice and friendly, without a hint of attitude that some bike «pros» are said to have. Later that day, I walked out of the store with a beautiful new Salsa bike!
I recommend this store. It’s a local business, the bike selection is fantastic, and the people working there are nice and friendly. What else could you ask for?

Great customer service! I rented a Cannondale Synapse here for a triathlon at Lake Washington and though they ran out of my size, they set me up with a smaller size with some adjustments. No pressure to rent the smaller size– they offered to let me try it if I wanted to before completing the purchase. The guys there were very help and made sure I had the right pedals for my shoes from home. Wish we had more shops like this back at home! Thanks again for providing me with a smooth, fast ride for 12 miles!

I have been coming to Montlake Bike Shop for a long time and am pretty happy with it. I bought my road bike here many years ago and I just took it in for a serious overhaul tune-​up.
It had been several years since my last tune-​up, and the mechanic had quite a laundry list of things that were needed, but he showed them to me right away and on the spot, rather than call me later and describe it on the phone; in that way, it was very easy for me to see what was necessary and why – seeing the frayed cables, ratty bearings and worn gears for yourself is a much better way to understand what’s going on than just getting a phone call and hearing «you need _​_​_​_​_​.» Thus, when I got my initial estimate for what the parts and labor would be, it was easy for me to understand and approve it.
The repairs were done on schedule, and came in below what the initial estimate was, so I am pretty happy… plus my bike rides pretty much like new again so even though the price was on the spendy side I feel like it was completely justified and was more the product of me taking my bike in for a whole bunch of stuff at once rather than being proactive about maintenance. So, big thumbs up there, and I’ll continue to get my bike maintenance here because it’s always been good for me in the past.
Other aspects of customer service here can be odd at times, and this has been true over the years; example, today when I went in to pick my bike up, I was second in line but three different guys behind the counter helped people behind me before they helped me. Me = Chopped Liver! Woooo!
Otherwise…they have a pretty good selection of bikes for all ages as well as gear, nutrition and accoutrements, and they usually have a good amount of information on upcoming rides around the PNW.

Incredibly helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. New to the area and this bike shop quickly won my devotion and has proved they deserve it with every visit

Thanks to Gary, this is my new bike shop. I walked in to MBS with my bike in two pieces when my previous bike shop could not complete a brake job. Gary finished the job in just an hour at a minimal cost. Gary was friendly, had a can-​do positive energy that has helped me decide to switch my business to Montlake Bicycle Shop.

Stopped by when my bike started popping between gears after getting it serviced by another shop. I couldn’t make it up the hill, and didn’t want to walk home. They spent an hour checking everything to find the problem, then explained my options. The part to fix it would take a few weeks to arrive, but they offered to store the bike until it came in, and the price was very reasonable. They didn’t charge at all for the diagnosis!
This made me start thinking about new bikes, and even though it was technically past closing (after 7PM), the staff was very patient in answering all of my stupid questions. They let me ride a couple of bikes around the block (yeah, I’m one of those customers), and never rushed me. After telling them my budget, the staff actually recommended that I step down to one of the less expensive models, less than I was ready to spend. They explained it would do everything I needed, so why spend more for extra features? I rode out on my new bicycle, at a price I was extremely happy with!
After 3 weeks of riding my new bike, it is faster, smoother, more durable, and just all around better than what I had before, and it cut 6 minutes off my commute! I’ve since been back to pick up parts, and now my girlfriend is looking for a bike. Guess where we are shopping first?

Good shop, great selection, poor customer service. I tried to order a custom bike from these people, and they lost my contact info, didn’t return phone calls or email UNTIL I told them I was going somewhere else. Dealing with them was like pulling teeth.
There seems to be a pervasive snooty attitude here. upon returning from a test ride, a different salesperson than the one I’d been dealing with asked curtly «Are you gonna buy that?» When I said «I’m not sure», they abruptly took the bike from me without saying another word, and handed it to someone else. I get that the shop was busy that day, but holy smokes that is no way to treat somebody. The vibe in the place is that they are Too Busy to Deal With YOU. Its really too bad, I wanted to like the place but I wont be going back.

Story time!
So my bike was stolen, suddenly putting me in the market for a new one. Three awesome things happened — two of them at this bike shop.
First, they were infinitely patient while I test rode different bikes. In between rides, they were helpful and informative, but not pushy — even when taking up their house brand. It was a great bike buying experience overall.
Then somebody found my old bike! The thief had ditched it in an alley a few miles from my house… probably just took it on a joy ride. While I wish I could say the Montlake shop had a hand in this, it was actually just
(which is also awesome).
To top it all off, they took my recently purchased bike back with a full refund, less the cost
of a week of bike rental. Holy crap… customer for life.
TL/​DR: Montlake Bike Shop singlehandedly defeated dirty bike thieves in mortal (fiscal) combat.

We came to the shop because we wanted to rent bikes somewhere near Cap Hill. It was really busy, but everyone was welcoming and attentive. Callum ended up helping us out. We didn’t know a lot coming in, but he was really helpful explaining the different options and guiding our selection.
The bikes themselves were excellent. These were bikes are the same caliber they are selling in the shop, which made a world of difference while we were riding.
We dropped the bikes off and Callum was there again to help us and even gave us some good pointers for when we were ready to purchase rather than rent.

Hands down the top notch shop for extensive experience in their staff.
I went in twice, once worked with James and once was helped by Ben. They were both beyond experienced, knowledgeable and personable and extremely patient.
I test rode 2 – 4 bikes each time and was not pressured in any way for time. We were there once at the end of the work day and once on a rainy day and there were no complaints.
I really wanted to love the bikes and almost went with a Gunner ($ 3000K approx) but it just wasn’t the perfect fit.
I would recommend them to anyone!

These guys are great. They absolutely run one of the finest bike shops in Seattle. I’ve worked with Patrick on two bike purchases over the years and had great experiences. I’ve been in countless times for a repair or quick purchase and always had good service. Highly recommended.

These guys were quick and efficient, needed two new tires and wheel truing. All three employees working there helped on my bike and had me out of there in no time, impressive.

I was searching for a new road bike for the STP. I visited lots of shops and I bought my bike here. Good selection of quality bikes, helpful sales staff (Thanks, Aaron and James) and Neil, who helped me when I picked up my bike. Let me ride lots of bikes, and the shop is two blocks from the bike route that goes through North Capitol Hill. I think I got very good advice. Highly recommend this shop.
Loving my new composite endurance bike, too.

I stopped in here briefly to have a quick shop job done and was quite impressed. I normally go to a different shop, but they were closed that day and Montlake is near my work. Their shop is clean, nicely laid out, a good selection of bikes and parts, and the employees were super helpful and friendly. Unlike another Seattle bike establishment that starts with a G and ends with a S (uck my fixie), Montlake’s staff was great. I’m strictly a mountain biker and while this looks like more of a road shop, they did have an adequate spattering of mountain bikes, parts, and even rentals. Good job Montlake. Keep it up.

Thanks to Gary… this bike shop gets five stars! I’ve been to just about every bike shop in Seattle… but I’ll bring my return business to Gary. Great customer service and bike knowledge.

The service definitely lived up to its reputation. The staff is extremely professional, polite and genuine. I had a choice of bikes to choose from, and they inspected it before handing it off. A set of tools and a spare tube is provided free of charge, as well as a tire pump. I also was given the option of extending my rental period over the phone.

After a recent serious neck and back injury, i found myself searching for a new, lower impact sport to trade my marathon running, and downhill snowboarding and skiing antics in for! It turns out that cycling is a great sport for 40 somethings like me who are still anal about staying in shape, but with lower impact on the aging bones! Anyway, even though i cycled for years in high school and college, and i am pretty fit, it had been over 15 years since i last rode a bicycle. I ride a motorcycle, so have a thing for 2 wheels, but i had no clue as to what direction i should look for a new bike.
I was (and continue to be) thoroughly impressed with ALL the staff at this shop. My first purchase was a Shinola neighborhood cruiser. I dealt with James, and he was awesome to deal with. I explained to him the symptoms of my injury and was an excellent listener. He sized up the bike, and swapped out the stem and a few other parts on the bike to ensure the fit was perfect. I love the bike! After a few weeks of getting my feel back for riding, i decided i was ready for a 2^nd bike. I wanted something more fitness and road riding oriented. This time i dealt with Michael. Super nice guy, and very patient with me as i test rode a ton of bikes. It turned out the bike i wanted wasn’t in stock, so he help me order and spec out a new Cannondale. I love it! Lastly, i can’t say enough about Gary and Ben (the store managers) and Neil, the owner. All of them are awesome. I looked at bikes at a few other stores, like Greggs, and Greggs felt like Costco, or a sleezy used car dealership. Montlake is a super local bike shop, and i’ll be buying my 3^rd bike (a commuter!) from them very soon, i’m sure!

Came in for two repairs for self inflicted damage. Both times very gracious, efficient and fixed the problems quickly and cost effectively! One time fixed it while I waited! On a Saturday no less! Thank you. Then for the other They diagnosed the problem, gave me an estimate and I left the bike. There was a potential problem identified before, they called, had a solution and
D delivered it on time under estimate. With a smile and good cheer! Thank you!

Somewhat disappointed with this shop. I had been to half a dozen bike shops around Seattle and was hoping to buy a very specific brand of bike. Fortunately, this store had it! I was very excited and as a novice cyclist I had a lot of questions. Looking at the exact model in front of me, a man working on a bike asked if he could help. I said, «Yes. I have a few questions about this bike here and bikes in general as I’m new to the sport.» He asked to give him a minute and I hung out looking at other bikes and accessories as he finished what he was doing. At no point did he actually seem interested in helping but since he appeared to be the only person in the store offering, he got up and walked my way. (There was another person who appeared to be an employee in the store but they disappeared into a back room as soon as I came in.)
When I mentioned I was new to the store it seemed obvious that this guy who would rather get back to working on this bike was not interested in answering a lot of questions. He rushed through everything and his attitude overall was pretty negative. I know this is a really niche sport and maybe he just was upset that I wasn’t the hipster he was hoping I’d be. Halfway through our talk he took a call and after he was finished he looked at me as if to say, «so are you here to ask questions or to spend money?» Now granted — this is just my perception of the situation but it was very obvious that he had little to no training in sales or customer service.
That said however, this store has a fabulous selection of bikes. I would definitely check out their inventory if you’re in the market for a new bike. I’ve since been to many other bike shops (I’d say at least 12 around Seattle) and this store had a much better variety than a few other stores. You’ll notice some stores carry certain brands and other stores carry different brands so as not to directly compete with one another. So among the few stores I visited that had the exact bike I wanted, this was one of them and I was very pleased with their inventory with regard to my personal taste and preferences. It’s just unfortunate that because of man’s attitude, I felt like I should check out a few more shops before deciding where to spend $ 1200.
I ended up finding the same bike at another shop about a week later and the sales person was so happy to answer questions that I spent about 3 hours in that store learning everything there was to know about the bike, which made me feel a lot more comfortable about spending so much money.
Good store, poor customer service.