Bikes on Solano

I love this place! I’ve been going for a couple of years now, and am always treated fairly, and honestly. Their prices are great, and they are really thorough. Mike, the owner is really knowledgeable, and friendly, as is the whole staff. There are bike shops closer to where I live, but I prefer to go there, and am never disappointed.

Excellent customer service! Went in with some flat stroller wheels (such a mom!) and the guys didn’t hesitate to help me out for a moment. I will definitely come back when I’m ready to buy my kids their first bikes!

After calling around town to find a shop with Surlys in stock I went in for a test ride. I was specifically looking for a steel hardtail with good components. After riding/​looking at new Surly mountain bikes Mike helped me find my new ride, a Salsa El Mariachi, customized and upgraded. Mike was superb at helping me find what I wanted and customizing it to my liking! The shop’s communication was good and the ordering and build quick. Pricing for the whole bike was really fair and reasonable. I don’t recall a better shopping experience anywhere anytime. I’ll definitely return for more shopping/​service.
About me — I’ve owned dozens of bikes and usually have 5 or 6 at a time for the road, dirt, touring, folding and tandems. Some bike were purchased new and others from craigslist. Of all the bikes I have ever owned I never really got exactly what I wanted. This time I did and am ever so grateful. Thanks Mike and Bike on Solano!

What a breath of fresh air!
Mike and his whole team have done an incredible job for me, being patient, consistent, knowledgable; FAST fast FAST! and more concerned with my well being and satisfaction as a customer, than with getting «that sale» or making a fast buck. Let me explain.
I am a large dude with very specific needs for my bike, which serves not only as my vehicle but also the source of my new livelihood as a food deliveryman. In spite of my expectation of the difficulty of affordably procuring proper parts, they found a reliable, strong, easily serviceable bike that fit my needs, modifying the bike and anticipating my requests before even I thought of them.
Over the next few months I would come in every week or so with a new bump and scrape due to my weight or inexperience, and Mike and the crew would patiently listen to my explanation and perform the maintenance quickly and efficiently, and I would be on my way in MINUTES.
The most incredible part? Mike was even sympathetic towards me starting a new job, and after I explained my situation, he set up a tab for me! This has enabled me to rock this delivery job, lose pounds, and turn my life around. I’m finally becoming financially independent, thanks to some understanding, a bike for a job, and the literal best damn crew there is.
I’ve been coming here regularly for the past 6 months, and honestly, for me, I wouldn’t go anywhere else now. I wholeheartedly recommend Mike and his amazing business. Thanks guys!

Everyone at the store has been amazingly helpful, including Art & Mike. I don’t know much about bikes, so I appreciate it when they are patient with me & explain stuff in terms I understand. I first showed up to the store thinking I had a flat, but they were honest & told me it just needed air rather than try to sell me a new tire. I recently purchased a new bike their & they have been super helpful in helping me upkeep it. I come in once a week there to fill my tires & they are happy to answer my questions & fix minor issues that I show them, especially Art. I highly recommend this bike shop to all my friends, family, and co-​workers.

I will have to agree on what others have stated in reviews. Not that i will ever enter this place again, but if you must, try to avoid the old douche bag Art. He has no customer service skills what so ever. Super arrogant, total turd burglar, get off your high horse you stooge you lose business by being a condescending asshole. Those fake reviews Mr Art must type up can easily be seen right through after 3 seconds of interaction with this jackass. I will be happy once this business goes under and they can bring someone into the area who wont try to rip you off with crappy used bikes and ridiculous high prices or labor costs that rival a BMW dealership. Dude is a serious creep for sure!

Great shop! Incredibly nice staff. Not the largest selection, but the guys know their stuff.

I went here today. And rented 2 bicycles. The bicycles were great, comfortable, and reliable. The person who helped us was Mike, he was very helpful and attentive. I am a small person so finding a bike my size is very important to me. Mike helped me and he also changed the bike handle rubber (I don’t know what this part is called) because the one on it was sticky. He also helped me hold one of the baby chicks they had in the front display. YES! they have a hen with baby chicks! It was a pleasant surprise and to get to hold one was very special! Again Mike was the one that helped and he is awesome! Great work deserves recognition! Overall positive experience.

An earlier review said it perfectly:
Mike is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and seems to genuinely care … in my case that I get the right $ 18 worth of tools and lube. He must have spent 10 minutes going into great detail on how to mount a stubborn tire/​rim/​tube combo for the first time (your tip to sprinkle talcum/​baby powder inside the tire and around the tube worked great, Mike!).
I’m putting together a commuter project right now and will be coming back for sure to support this local owned business.

Hi, So here’s the deal for the 3 star. If you get the older man (Art?) then it is a one star. If you get anyone else to help you, it would be 4 or 5 star. Thus I averaged out to a 3. I visited this place twice. The first time I met only the older man. I was put off by him for various reasons, mostly because he was rather arrogant and rude. A boy came in for something and I overheard him telling the kid something like «you can read can’t you». My second time I had help from the younger man and he was quite helpful and pleasant and knowledgable. In between, the older man talked to me about various things regarding what I was trying to do. He kept saying I should really consider a different way. I let him talk … because I always try to be polite to everyone. Soooo … look for anyone but Art to help you. Ignore his rudeness, practice being polite. :)

Worst people ever. I snapped my chain and went to get a single link to replace the one I broke just as a quick fix. The old mechanic there said I couldn’t have a link because I already have a $ 2,000 bike he thought that it was best for me to get a new chain. I agreed with him but I don’t have very much money so I just needed a quick fix. He tried to sell me a chain for $ 40 and charge me $ 20 for labor. Knowing this is a rip off I said no since chains cost about $ 25 and I know how to put a chain on myself. He then said that he could put a new link in my chain for $ 10. When I said no he had me leave. This store is a ripoff, they are constantly trying to rip you off. Go to a store like Mikes bikes who appreciate their customers.

Had my road bike totally overhauled/​serviced and it rode like a dream. Was flawless. And they did it in 1 day so I didn’t miss a ride. Good price. Great bunch of guys.

Great bike shop with professional and courteous service!
Mike is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. He seems to genuinely care that everyone rides home on a bike they love — whether they purchase it from his store or not. He also has a great staff. Each member seems to have a different expertise, guaranteeing that you’ll get a knowledgeable answer to any question you arrive with.
I had brake levers installed on my last visit. They did a beautiful job with the installation. I was told the exact price upfront, so there were no surprises when I picked up my bike. The prices for both parts and labor were very reasonable.
I will definitely return in the future.
Details about my visit:
I just moved to the area and found that my brakes weren’t sufficient to stop my road bike on some of the steeper hills. I visited Bikes on Solano to discuss options for upgrading my brakes.
I had a great conversation with Mike and John about brake options. We all had different suggestions and discussed the performance and cost trade-​offs for each. Ultimately, I followed John’s advice to install interrupter brake levers. His suggestion was the simplest and cheapest solution, and they give me much more leverage to achieve all the stopping power I need with my current brakes.
I really appreciate that no one dismissed my suggestions, but they also didn’t hesitate to give me alternative options. The staff really knows their stuff, so we had an intelligent and productive discussion about how best to fix my bike. All of their suggestions were cheaper than the option I suggested, so I didn’t ever feel I was being up sold. The results were tremendous!

Bought a new bike 6 months ago and Mike was awesome through the process. I bought the brand new James renegade Grable bike. I was taking it on a mountain bike race and he hooked it up with some really crazy fat tires. Will shop here for all my bike needs for sure.

I love this place! Mike, the owner, has really taken an established bike shop location and taken it up quite a few notches. The mechanics there have more experience and knowledge than any shop I’ve ever been too. It might not be the right shop for you if, instead of professional advice, you want your ego stroked with confirmation of your ideas. But if you’re looking to brainstorm your bike’s problems with experienced, professional, mechanics, this is the shop for you. I’ve learned so much from these guys!

I brought my bike into Bikes on Solano with some drivetrain issues. I already had several ideas about what was causing them, and had some fixes in mind that I wanted to try, but did not have the tools to do at home. I also wanted to consult the opinion of a professional mechanic.
I was initially helped by one of the mechanics, I believe his name was Mike, who was courteous, helpful, and knowledgable. However, a second mechanic (Art) soon joined the discussion and treated me as poorly as I’ve ever been treated by someone in a customer service position before. He talked over me in a blustering manner, ignored and insulted everything I had to say, and suggested a completely unprofessional course of action (wanted to attempt hand bending an expensive part he was unfamiliar with, rather than adjusting it first).
If you want to buy a new bike or drop off a simple fix, BoS may be fine, but I cannot recommend them to anyone who needs to interact with a mechanic. Weeks later, and I still cannot believe the degree of poor customer service I encountered with Art.

So yesterday I was invited to join other senior women on a bike ride this week-​end. I don’t know how long it has been since I was last on my bike. Too long. This morning I took it up to Bikes on Solano. Mike was just hanging the open sign on the front door. I told him I wanted air in my tires and make sure the bike was safe for me to ride. He took care of it right then and there. Thank you so much, Mike!!!

Great bike shop that I will return to again. I went in there with an old XTR dual lever shifter that I had bought on eBay and I couldn’t figure out how to install the dérailleur cable. They took the time to help me figure it out even though they had other things that they were doing. Mike took time off of his repair work to help me. Bought a nice pair of Oury grips. Their selection of accessories isn’t the largest, but their customer service is excellent. Highly recommended.

Terrible service for a bike shop.
I walked into Bikes on Solano asking to barrow an Allen wrench to adjust my handle bars. A simple fix. But the older guy with Doc Brown, Back to the Future, hair (possibly owner?) was a total douche bag about my request.
He asked what I needed and said,
«I’m not going to loan tools for a bike with one brake. I’ll SELL you an Allen wrench but I won’t loan you one»
So he implied if I had two brakes he would let me use the wrench.
«That’s ok,» I said, «I’ll go to my usual shop Missing Link.»
As I was walking out he actually shouted at me, «that bike is dangerous! That’s why bikes are made with two brakes!»
I get he’s trying to make money, and clearly that’s his only interest. Not accommodating customers. Just because I’m not buying a tool from you right now doesn’t give you the right to lecture a potential future customer on your personal bike philosophy.
After this experience, I’ll definitely never spend a dime here. Find another bike shop and AVOID Bikes on Solano.

Mike went above and beyond helping me pick out a bike. I would recommend this shop to anyone.

Wonderful experience buying my Quest Elite at this friendly shop. No pressure at all but totally knowledgeable. Had to travel 90 miles to get here but will not go anywhere else. Vince H.

I’ve got multiple decades of experience as a customer of many bike shops under my belt, and this shop ranks at the very top. The pinnacle, I say!
I read some of the negative reviews here and, while it is true that Art has a «distinctive» style of customer service, if you let go of your ego and assume the role of eager student you will learn much from him. Mike is super cool (as is his customized hardtail steelie mtb) and incredibly generous with his time and advice.
Looking for the perfect local bike shop? You found it.

This place is amazing. I took my daughter’s pink girly bike in for air in her tires and tightening up the frame — they did it for free. One guy, Mike, was exceptionally nice and courteous, pointing out bikes that may be a good fit for me as an inexperienced bike rider. I will definitely be back when it’s time to purchase one!
The other man behind the counter that some of the reviews have complained about was also very nice. People are too sensitive, sheesh.

My boyfriend & I both bought our bikes here, and love them! We drop by for regular service, and the staff is very nice and knowledgeable. Highly recommend for both buying a new bike and fixing up one you already have.

Friendly, knowledgable staff with decent prices. They stand behind the quality of their work too. What more could you hope for in a neighborhood bike shop?

Do not go here.
If you want to get lectured by an old man about how you know absolutely nothing about bikes and «meeting you half way» in a absurd $ 100 bike tune up, by all means come here and waste your time.
I will never be coming back to this excuse for a local bike shop and will be telling anyone else with bike needs to go somewhere else.

Quite possibly the worst bike experience in the 10+ years I’ve been going to bike shops. Art felt the need to lecture me twice for 90 mins a piece on why I should never bring a bike he didn’t build to his shop. He tried hard to overcharge me on parts but then wouldn’t hear me out when he tried playing detective on the history of the bike. He didn’t want my business when I got fed up with his chastising. Not sure why I stuck around for so long and I will Never be coming back. Save your money go somewhere else. Not only did I feel disrespected as a customer but I can’t believe he tried to steal from me by overcharging.
Take my advice and Go Elsewhere!

I came in today for a helmet for my toddler. I’d been to another local bike store where they’d been decidedly unhelpful. This experience was the opposite. The guy working was AMAZING with my 2 year old. He got her to hold still while he fit not one, but two, helmets because she’d changed her mind about what she wanted. They had a great selection and carried a brand with gender neutral options (which was awesome). She hasn’t taken the helmet off all day and it’s mostly because he made her so comfortable while he adjusted it. We will be back to buy bikes here soon. It’s probably the best customer service I’ve received in recent memory.