Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative

These guys are nice and helpful in person but lack in phone manners. Unfortunately not a lot of variety in store gear or knowledge when it comes to options for accessories unless you get the parts manager to directly assist you.
If you just want a straight off the rack bike and have no desire to spice it up with customization or doing work on it yourself this joint is for you. First time or mild riders with no maintenance knowledge could have a pleasant experience here.
If you pop a tire or something minor they do offer tools for rent in the back to make adjustments on the go. I appreciated this when I had to put my new seat on even if getting the correct one from them was a bit of a process.

This place sucks. I’d give them a 0 star if I could. I walked in there thinking it was the main bike shop and the old white guy running the place basically just pointed and said go across the street to their store (they need a better sign). The other people working bikes didn’t look up or anything either and I found him to be rude and got a racist vibe from the place and from him. I am and look Hispanic. When I did go across the street to check out about buying a bike they only had 1 guy working the place and he apologized to everyone for the delay. The bikes they were selling were certainly not all that and not worth the $ 400+ price tag they were asking. I ended up going corporate (which is so anti-​Berkeley) and I got better treatment and a better selection of bikes to choose from that actually looked descent and came way under $ 400. I got it at the Sports Authority. They have bike repair services as well and nicer looking bikes. I don’t know if the street they’re on is particularly douchey or if Berkeley is just racist despite the history of the 60s as I went to KPFA and got the same snobby better than you attitude. Anyway you’ll do better going to another bike shop.

These folks are awesome. I came in looking for a few bolts, and they found and gave me a few from the back, during a busy weekend day. I’ve since gotten a few accessories here, and had some work done on my bike at the Annex, and it’s all been cheap and solid.

The staff here are very knowledgeable and friendly. I’ve been here a bunch of times to use the self-​service repair space in the back. As a hobbyist bike mechanic who doesn’t own all the tools I need for every job that comes up, this is an *amazing* resource! It’s also handy that if I need any new parts to complete my task, I can just buy them here immediately.
This building is mostly retail space (the full-​service repair shop is across the street) so the staff aren’t under any obligation to teach you how to fix your bike. So you’re largely on your own to figure out what you’re doing. That being said, the staff have helped me out anyways on many occasions. Shout out to Scott, who has probably helped me the most number of times and possesses a deep knowledge of bike repair/​maintenance.
It sounds like a lot of folks complaining about the Missing Link have expectations that aren’t aligned with how this place is set up. Perhaps they do less hand-​holding and are less flexible in what they can/​will do, but their strengths more than make up for it.

We went to Missing Link to purchase a new bicycle for my girlfriend a few weekends ago. I specifically chose Missing Link because it was a local cooperative and I try to support local businesses as often as possible.
Anyway, I had visited the store before because the bicycle was meant to be a gift for my girlfriend, so I had done a bit of research ahead of time. When we went in together this time, I asked the salesperson John to please not reveal any of the prices of the bikes as to not influence the decision of my girlfriend in picking out the bike she liked the most. I privately gave him a price range of bicycles to choose from. Right away, when describing the bikes, he began listing the prices and explaining what you were getting for the cost. I was a bit disappointed when he completely ignored my simple request.
The bottom line is that this place is a decent place to purchase bike supplies and they appear to be quite knowledge of the subject. However, they really need to work on their people skills and general attitude. I felt like the salesperson was looking down on us for not having an advanced knowledge of bicycles before coming in to purchase one. Also, after agreeing to purchase a $ 500+ bicycle, I asked the salesperson if he could quickly look at my bike and maybe give it a brief tune up before my girlfriend and I went riding that day on her new bike. He looked at me strangely, looked at my bike, and told me that I would have to do that myself and that I’d have to go next door to their repair shop and make an appointment. I would think that if you spend $ 500 or so in a store, you’d be treated a bit better. The salesperson also charged us for a kickstand, which, I believe, came with the bike from the factory. We ended up walking out of the store with a bike, which I believe was priced decently, but I didn’t feel good about it. I will definitely not be back to this store for my future bike purchases. I’d rather go to Mike’s Bikes, a bigger business, and get treated decently.
Disappointing…

Not like most bike cooperatives I’ve been to — the people who work&volunteer here don’t show much of a willingness to help others in the biking community. Vibe is very snobby. Go to spokeland if you’re looking to fix up your bike without the attitude and without having to pay a fortune on things that should be free (bolts for example).

The Missing Link bike shop is mostly an excellent bike shop. I’ve spent enough hours in the shop, on serval different visits, to witness excellent customer service provided to customers of all knowledge levels.
Personally, I haven’t been in to purchase a bike, but to use the loaner tool section on many occasions, which happens to be (tragically) in the retail shop and not the repair shop across the street. If you come to work on your ride in the loaner tool area don’t expect a great amount of service or advice. It’s not what most of the workers are interested in doing. They’re priority is to sell bikes and equipment, which you can’t fault them for, cause it’s a retail shop first.
The Missing Link’s weakest link is a particular unfriendly manager — a shorter tattooed guy who comes across too busy to be friendly unless he thinks you’re interested in buying a bike. Then he’ll «help» you as a salesmen, which, to his credit, he does well.
Aside from that one bad apple, the staff is super friendly. The star being a gentleman named Scott. He’s fantastic, has helped me personally and I highly recommend you asking for his assistance. The Missing Link feels more like a retail store, but with the friendly, knowledge service Scott provides I have to highly recommend this bike co-​op anyone in the East Bay.

The first thing this place should do is put a sign on their front door that reads «no beginners allowed.» Because the second you walk into this place, you get a sense for how snobby and elitist the staff is. No one welcomes you into the store, no one asks if you need help, no one cares. Try to ask a question because you have no knowledge about bicycle maintenance or repairs and they’ll look at you like you’re an idiot. i found their condescending attitude toward their customers very disappointing and uncharacteristic of the culture Berkeley usually upholds of being very friendly, welcoming, and open-​minded to those who are looking to learn.
Don’t dare to ask a simple question about how to repair something because they’ll either ignore you like an innocent child, or try to sell you on their overpriced labor. Some of the staff wasn’t terrible, but they could really use some training on how to interact with customers. Not to mention I ordered some brake pads and they took more than two weeks to come in. Ridiculous when they said it would be only a few days. Some older guy who apparently was the owner, told me a simple repair would run only about $ 10 across the street at the repair shop and it ended up running me close to $ 30. Absurd. Save yourself the headache and order your products online. With such poor customer service this place is bound to disappear any day now and get swallowed up by Amazon.

I had never been before, it is big and has tons of bikes and extra things for your bike. Absolutely fantastic. John helped me out and was incredible patient. He helped me out with everything I needed, I barely had to wait. All of my questions were answered and issues solved. Reasonable prices and will not try to sell the most expensive thing just because. Great place.

My girlfriend and I walked into the Missing Link when visiting Berkeley for the day as we were both in the market for a new (first) bicycle. Neither of us knew exactly what we needed as this is a new area for us, but we had a general idea of something to use for commuting in SF as well as for longer rides on the weekend.
That is when we met Shane who made this not only a very fun experience, but also a very educational one. We had a great time picking his brain about the types of bikes out there and what specifically might best fit our needs. Shane walked us through each type of bicycle and allowed us to come to our own conclusions and decisions about what was best. He was not pushy at all but took the time and effort to help us understand and was genuinely wanting us to find the right bikes.
After trying multiple types and styles, we both decided on cyclocross bikes as we liked the added stability for commuting but still benefited from the fast sporty design and drop handlebars. When we both found bikes we absolutely loved, he was even kind enough to hold them an extra few days for us while we decided if we could swing it.
Ultimately, I did not end up buying a bike from Missing Link but my girlfriend did get her bianchi volpe here which she is crazy about. The bike is beautiful and rides great and we would have never heard about it if we hadn’t visited this store. When we came back to get her bike and I came in with my new one (which I ended up buying online), Shane and the other staff were more than friendly and genuinely excited for me that I got the right bike for me. They even helped me outfit it with some safety skewers and other accessories I needed.
This was the best, most pleasant shopping experience I’ve had in a long time. Even though I didn’t end up buying my bike here, I had a great time getting to know Shane and the staff while learning a lot in the process. This is a great shop full of people with positive energy who love what they do. You can’t get much better!

cole rules. i went in for a pedal swap and came out with a completely dialed-​in bike. he took extra time at the end of the day to fix everything that was bugging me about my bike without me having to ask… –he just knew what i needed. one of the best customer service experiences i’ve had in recent years.
keep up the great work.

I don’t write as many Unilocal reviews as I should but the experience I just had definitely deserves a 5-​star review! I went to buy a bike lock but I get there 10 mins. after they closed. Drat. Not to worry, as I turned to walk away, a friendly gentleman said, «hey you need something from Missing Link? I work there».
They opened the shop, sold me a bike lock, gave me a teacher discount, and then… wait for it… gave me a beer on the way out!!! What?! That’s unheard of. Super friendly people the entire time.
I will definitely go there for all of my bicycle related needs!

I really like these guys a lot. Their customer service was top notch. Even when I needed to reach them from NY, they were super helpful. Particularly Andy.

I found that most of the staff were a bit snobby and not extremely friendly or concerned with giving good customer service. The policies regarding «special orders“is that they can not be returned, fine, but they also try to tell me I can also NOT exchange it?
after talking with some others (some of which agree that they are snobby) and after taking responsibility for my part (they never took theirs but did concede i could pay a fee to exchange it even though the receipt sad no such thing, uhhh) — I have decided to cut my losses and re sell the bike in question on my own.
DONT go here unless you are at least a moderately savvy biker, good with being blown off, and always bring a witness, because they can get a little slippery. I am happy with the accessories I bought but will not be going back. If I am going to spend money like that I want people willing to meet me at least half way not 15 percent of the way…

They clearly explained what I needed for my bike, and what my options were. They didn’t try to sell me things I didn’t want or need. They didn’t talk down to me. (This may seem like the basics of good customer service, but as a girl who isn’t a bike expert I have frequently experienced the opposite at other bike shops.)
I went there with a broken dérailleur, hoping to buy just the part I needed to fix it. They explained that the part I needed was the top pulley of a Shimano dérailleur, but that since my bike is from the 80s Shimano isn’t making derailleurs like that anymore. They looked through their junk bin for a compatible spare part but couldn’t find anything. They offered to sell me a new dérailleur and put it on the bike for me for $ 50 or so, I forget the exact number. I said I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do yet, but thanked them for the information, so then they suggested I try Street Level Bicycles to see if they had a compatible part in their junk drawer. So, they could have pushed me into a sale, but they didn’t, and that’s why they deserve this 5 star review.

I recently moved to Berkeley, and I am somewhat new to biking. The folks at Missing Link are super knowledgeable, and helpful. They definitely have been patient, and didn’t treat me with any stigma for being a bike newbie.
I really like the DIY bike repair station. I have an old bike that I bought second hand (Not from Missing Link). Several times I have gone into the shop with a nonfunctional bike (flat tire, chain in a knot, dérailleur out of adjustment). The coop members were glad to give me step by step instructions on how to fix whatever mess I was in. As the old saying goes «teach a man to fish, and he will buy a bunch of bike accessories from you». Someday when its time to replace my jalopy of a bicycle, Missing Link will get my business.

I’ve been a big fan of Missing Link for years — and I apologize right now for being so tardy in writing a review!
The staff is helpful and knowledgeable — especially Scott & Ian — and Any in the Annex is super helpful, too.
ML have always been able to help me out — and they have great sales on shoes & clothes (I love shopping from sales racks!). I bought a used hybrid there in May and have been absolutely delighted with my purchase — I might return to buy a road bike before spring.
ML is right downtown — parking is at a premium — so don’t risk getting a ticket, there’s a city-​owned lot around the back.

I purchased a bike in mid-​October 2014. It felt comfortable when I took it for a test ride, but riding it to work the next few weeks I could not find a good fit no matter how I adjusted it. I brought it in to get a tune-​up and asked about the fit. My worst fear was that I had purchased a size too small.
Yep, I had.
So what did they do? They did a fitting and put me on the right size bike, same model, no hassle. The only thing they were concerned with was that I walked out completely satisfied. And I am. Completely. Special shout out to James and Kathy as well as all the other sales support who helped me out.
The bikes are competitively priced, the selection is great, they are expert at what they do.
One tip: They get incredibly busy on the weekends. You’re better off coming in during the week or early in the day.

I Found the Missing Link!
As a kid I used to ride my tricycle up and down the sidewalk. Then, as a teenager I used to take my mountain bike to the local park. Now as an adult, I decided to buy my first commuter bike. I didn’t know how intensive it was to become a bicyclist and all the amenities one needs to properly bike around the city.
I recently purchased a 20-​year-​old used bike that was originally sold at Missing Link. So to get it up to tip-​top, modern day shape, I took it back to Missing Link, conveniently located near Downtown Berkeley. The people at Missing Link were extremely helpful guiding me, teaching me how to change the tires, how to sit properly on the bike, how to adjust the seat, how to efficiently get on/​off the bike, and even what I need to maintain the quality of my ride.
The prices are average, but the selection is good. Above all else, Missing Link treats you like a real human being.
If you are a new bicyclist like me here is a list of things you might consider when purchasing a new bike or revamping a used one:
–Rear carrier
–Front and/​or rear pannier or basket (for groceries or bag storage)
–Bell (to avoid hitting pedestrians)
–Rear and front lights
–Standing pump with tire gauge
–Pocket tool kit (with Allen wrenches)
–Emergency tire fixing supplies
–U-​lock and cable (to lock both tires); buy the best one you can find! Bike theft is a frequent occurrence in the Bay Area.
–Handlebar tape (cork or synthetic)
–Helmet
–Seat cover (protect seat from rain)
–Cover (for longer storage)
A lot of stuff, right? Missing Link will help you with all of that. Happy riding, Folks!

Store Review.
The Missing Link Bike Co-​op has been my regular go-​to spot for a couple of reasons: their tool area for you to DIY, and the convenient location. Really, everything else is up in the air (e.g. biking equipment) especially when it comes to price. I can kind of say the same thing for the staff. Although some of the staff are really freaking cool like Jay, and an older hip man, there are some other staff that are non-​talkative and non-​validating. Perhaps they have been in the bike scene for way to long and speak to more of the veteran bicyclist, ironic since the majority of their customers are probably noobs like I was a couple years back. But now, considering myself to be a patron and somewhat of a veteran bicyclist, the Missing Link grows on you. It’s by no means compared to the service by the staff at Mike’s bike, the Missing Link does have the tool area AND the used bike gem.
I came in here looking to buy a brand new bike $ 600 – 800 and saw an old school bike: a 1970 ish novara veloce. Although I was looking for a new bike, this one was in mint condition, my frame size, and $ 250. WTF! I didn’t know the Missing Link sold used bikes in such good shape. I mean, they mainly get their bikes from trade-​ins but this occasionally they get some good stuff. There were some issues with the used bike but Jay fixed them right up and did a test run to make sure. He also politely double checked to see if I had all the proper safety equipment even though I knew what I was doing. Definitely will be back.