Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative

Brought my bike to the repair shop for brake repairs and they did a great job. I told them it might need new pads, but instead of charging me for new pads and installation they were able to clean and adjust the old ones and saved me some money. Really impressed by their honesty and commitment to helping customers! They also installed new grips for free when I picked the bike up, and the entire staff was very friendly. Their free tool space is really awesome too! I bought a rack and was able to install it on my bike using their stand and tools right there in the retail shop. I’ll definitely be coming back here for all my biking needs.

The staff was rude and unwilling to address my concern. After a long condescending conversation, I was dismissed and told the place was all booked up until next week. Unless you’re a professional that can perfectly describe the problem, I would avoid this place. There’s a much nicer coop across the street.

In and out in a matter of minutes– nothing like a quick trip to the bike repair shop to start off your day. Best part is I got a really good deal on it, considering I don’t know anything about replacing chains on a bike. The chains on my bike were rusty and could, at any moment, snap.
Long story short, I just had to get it fixed and luckily, this place is a stone’s throw away from my apartment. I came in when they opened at 11am and they called me around 1pm to let me know it was ready for pick up in the next hour.
They fixed another issue with the alignment and when I went to pick it up, the repairs cost $ 45 and I felt like a came out with a different bike! It moved smoothly and it felt brand new! Of course, it’s my boyfriend’s dad’s bike but I think he would be happy to know that I gave it some much needed TLC.

I bought a bike here at the beginning of the year and have been really satisfied with it. Not only that, but the price was fair.
The staff is really knowlegable and generous. I went there the other day because i had lost the quick release skewer for my front tire, and after the guy learned that I had bought my bike from there, gave me a new one for free. Sure its only a $ 7 part, but you simply dont see that everywhere.
Overall, if you live in the downtown Berkeley area, I highly recommend this place.

Andy, was really cool. Tuned my bike up on a drop-​in basis, and was super helpful in his advice.
Fast, friendly service.
Fair pricing.
Appreciate services companies like these a lot.
Thanks.

I don’t know much about bikes but I know great customer service when I see it.
I’ve been to Missing Link time and again for flat repairs and I’m always in and out with a smile.
This past visit, I brought my good ol’ road bike that has been around longer than I have (circa 1985) because the chain kept snapping off while I rode. The staff at Missing Link identified the problem right away and told me that the type of screw needed to repair it is hard to find, since my bike is so old. But then he sawed down some metal things (please ignore my lack of hardware lingo) and voila! My bike was fixed and ready to go.
He also tuned up the brakes, re-​aligned the handle, and reset my tires into the wheels. I was nervous that it was going to cost me a lot for the 20 minutes of labor, seeing as he had to mcguyver a way to fix my bike without the correct parts. I was pleasantly surprised when he said I only owed him 10 bucks.
I’ve moved further away from Missing Link but I don’t trust anyone else with my bike (hey, she’s old but I love her) so I am happy to be a continued customer!

Made an advanced appointment for service to adjust wobbly tire in rear, adjust to improve derailing, evaluate for cables, and lube. Requested Andy, who figured out a misplaced cable on the rear derailer, last visit. WooHoo, as good as it gets. In and out in a few hours. Bottom line, 100s of miles later of riding, all concerns repaired. Yea, a bit further than the local Solano Ave shop, but I would rather support a shop that effectively completes the job and treats me with kindness. I will spend my money in this shop every time.

I’ve used their services a few times before, but their stellar customer service finally convinced me to leave my review :) I’ll write down the several times I came in to fix my bike.
— Around 2013 I owned a beach cruiser. No major issues except ocassional flat tires, which they were more than happy to help me with it for free. They have the pump line on the outside of their doors too!
— I sold the beach cruiser, and got a mountain bike this year. Two weeks ago, I broke my U-​lock key in the lock, and had to carry my bike on my back all the way to the shop to cut the U-​lock. They were very nice about it and charged me ~15 bucks for the service.
— Last weekend I crashed my bike mountain biking, and broke both of my plastic break handles… They fixed it within 2 days, and even gave me a call to remind me that my bike was ready for pick up ahead of schedule. There were some issues with the credit card system, and I had to use another card… but here’s the best part– the next day, their manager (?) called me, and told me that they’ve noticed that I got charged twice, so they have contacted my credit card to remove those charges. I am completely thankful and amazed that they care for their customers as such.
The workers who helped me were very knowledgeable, friendly and down-​to-​earth. You’ll not go wrong getting bike services from these guys!

I am giving this a 4-​star review only because this was my first repair experience here. If future experiences are as good, I will make it a 5-​star. For a long time I have been searching for a reliable shop where my husband and I can take our bikes. I took a bike in recently to Missing Link because of broken spokes and the experience was very positive. When I dropped it off, the mechanic looked at the bike and gave me an estimate. Plus he noticed that my rear brake cable needed replacing, which I had forgotten about, so I was happy he noticed. You can either call ahead for a same-​day repair appointment, or you can drop off your bike, anytime, and pick it up at another time. I chose the latter. I dropped it off on a Sunday, they told me it would be done by Wednesday, and sure enough they called me by the end of the day on Wednesday. The cost for the job was fair and reasonable too.

Couldn’t be better — experienced, helpful staff — talented mechanics — I’ve been relying on the Missing Link for bike maintenance for years now.

Love this place. Went in on Sunday to get a bike post and new saddle. Needed a helmet. Got a pannier too. And bike lights. Picked up my bike the next day and they made sure my bike would be safe to ride and that my bike lights would be visible in traffic.

I went in to the repair shop to change a flat for my fixie. The guy at the counter was cool. He answered all of my questions while he changed the tube. I must have asked about 10 different questions; he answered every one of them without making me feel like a dumbass. While doing so, other customers entered the shop and he courteously let them know that someone will help them out shortly, an indicator of good customer service. He also did a quick check of the brakes, both wheels, and my air pump to be sure they all work properly. It was a pricey $ 18 for the job ($ 8 for the tube, $ 10 for the labor), but I left with peace of mind that the work was done by an expert. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful; 3 very important qualities when dealing with folks like me who are bike enthusiasts, but far from specialists. I walked out with my bike in better shape and with valuable bike knowledge.

If you like having someone grimace at the sight of you bike, this place is for you. Take another sip of your latte, Horace, and let’s reconvene once you have recovered from the shock of observing my cross-​chained drivetrain.
The Good: the workers are knowledgeable and competent.
The Bad: no n00bs in the Hipster Cave.
Pro Tip: open the door quietly and hum Glen Hansard tunes for best service.

I definitely support co-​op businesses — especially the ones with down-​to-​earth, accessible customer service.
Unfortunately, I feel like the staff I have interacted with tend to have a bit of an attitude. I spent a lot of hard-​earned money on a bicycle at Missing Link, and the customer service was disorganized and somewhat distracted. When I bought the bike, I didn’t feel like anyone was being rude on purpose, it just felt careless, distracted, impatient. I didn’t really feel like I was being listened to. I felt a little like I was being lectured.
I also bought a lot of little items, and wasn’t offered any kind of bag to hold them in. It was kind of like, «Ok, move on. Next!“Also, partly because of this, I ended up leaving something I purchased for $ 5 behind. I was asked to write my name and address, and not really explained what it was for. I feel like if I go into an independent business and spend $ 450 that didn’t come out of thin air, I would like at least some friendly, reasonably organized, present customer service.
Then, today I called to check on a return policy that was boasted when I purchased a saddle (bike set) at the same time I purchased my bike. I’m not a bike expert. I didn’t even know they were called saddles. But the person I talked to, this time someone different I believe, was impatient and mildly hostile when I couldn’t hear what he was saying right away. I wanted to clarify generally what he was saying about the return policy. I’m less sure what the return policy is than when I called in the first place.
One thing folks at some of these bike shops, such as Missing Link, don’t seem to understand, is that not everyone is, nor is aspiring to be, a bicycle courier type of dude. I probably will avoid this business in the future and find a shop where I feel like my business is appreciated. I’ve done plenty of customer service, and I try to be very mindful that the customer is often right. It’s a good rule of thumb. It’s not always true, but for all intents and purposes it’s best not to come at your customers with an attitude if you want referrals and repeat patronage.

Missing link is the bomb, everyone there is insanely helpful and they helped me rebuild my bike better than I could have imagined.
Usually bike shops are kind of adequate with how they repair things, here you can tell everyone REALLY loves biking, and talking to them got me excited to actually get out and ride more
That’s beside the point, basically, missing link is my favorite bike place in the Bay Area, hands down.

I’m new to the Berkeley neighborhood and needed a new bike shop to call my own. So I proceeded to ride my bike around town (no I didn’t go to Unilocal first believe it or not) and asked as many people on bikes where to go. I got several suggestions but Missing Link seemed the best option for me. They’re a local shop, worker owned and run so everyone there has a vested interest in the shop, and there prices seemed to be on the fair side, as far as I could tell from talking to people…
I went in with my bike to get a tune up and was greeted immediately and asked how I could be helped. I was pretty sure I needed a tune up but was told all I needed where some minor tweaks and I’d be good. They pointed out a few other things that could improve my ride but were never pushy or condescending about it. They even threw in a free attachment for my rear light which I had misplaced in my move. I’ve been going back ever since and couldn’t be happier.

Friendly and helpful.

My husband and I have not yet decided upon and purchased our bikes, but the care that was put into our test ride fitting here was astounding. As a result I’m considering buying a bike less than half the price of the one I thought I’d wanted, because the fit was that great. Tough decisions ahead!

I refuse to bring my bike to any other repair shop.
I’ve had so many issues with my 1970s Peugeot. Although a classic that’s difficult for me to let go, the Missing Link has helped me maintain, yes I will say it, my precious bike. I’ve had to replace my peddles, tire spokes, brake systems, chains, and cables. Everytime, I’ve come in, the staff are totally welcoming and jovial. Having difficulty naming what my problem is, and feeling somewhat embarrassed for not knowing, the staff are patient and take the time to educate me and show me what’s wrong. They’ve given me so many pointers and exchanged side conversations with me. I can tell they like doing what they do. I’m not sure about why others have had such less than great experience here, but I really like these guys.
I think his name is Jeff, he’s the white-​haired fellow. He is super helpful, knowledgeable, personable, and an outright cool guy. I try and ask for him because took the time to see what else was wrong with my bike when I brought in to fix the spokes. He lubed up my chain, tightened some bolts, and other loose ends free of charge. On other occasions, they have charged me less for there service and parts because they found cheaper used parts to use for my bike.
I really dig this place and will forever bring my repairs here. Thanks you guys. Keep up the good work.

Bought my first Surly from these guys. Friendly knowledgeable staff. They seem to really care about how the bike fit me, considering it was not expensive.