Hank & Frank Bicycles

Bought a Giant Escape 3 here for $ 350. The people who work here were very friendly and told me the basics of riding a bicycle (how to brake, park, ect) They’ll also ask you questions like «Do you have a lock, do you have a helmet, ect» just to make sure you have everything you need to get started with cycling. If you answer no to a question like «do you have a lock?» They will give you some recommendations and walk you through the process. They’ll also put Slime in your tires for about 8 $ so your tires are less prone to flats. So far the bike is good with just the only problem being a creaking sound coming from the drivetrain, but I think that is pretty common. Besides that, the bike is great.

The owner is a complete liar who actually just committed libel. Andy, the GM of the store who witnessed the incident wrote me an email and apologized for the behavior of this employee and tried to remedy the situation. I still have the email and will use and the ignorant owners response as I proceed with a libel lawsuit against them. If I were using profanity or if I were the one out of line why would Andy write and apologize for his employee’s behavior?
This is the exact response I would expect from such a bad owner.
I feel bad for Andy as a GM of that store. The little jerk employee who belittles the customers has no respect for Andy and that’s why he acts like this toward his customers right in front of his boss. Andy then tries to remedy the situation in a very professional way. Then the owner has such little respect for Andy as a GM that he undermines his authority and goes out of his way to commit libel to protect that little jerk of an employee. He completely rewards the temper tantrum of this loser at the cost of Andy’s reputation and authority.
Andy you need to quit and go find a professional organization to work for.
The reason I bought from them in the first place is I have an acquaintance who used to work there. I contacted him on facebook and he confirmed that this little jerk constantly belittles customers and offends people and Frank is the worst business owner on the planet.

I’m very happy with the road bike (Giant Propel Advance 3) that I purchased 6 months ago. The staff are very knowledgeable and I got a great price on shoes, pedals, and other items. I went to numerous stores, some a lot closer to me, and they seemed to have the best new bikes for the money. I’ve been putting a lot of miles on it so recently I took the bike back for a tune-​up and they were very thorough, and fast. They have great customer service, and would definitely recommend them.

In and out for a lock. Andy helped me by showing me the best lock for my budget/​needs and how to lock it up. His tip: when you’re done and if you’re not sure, lift the bike and if it comes loose, it’s not locked up ;) Thanks Andy and Hank & Frank Bicycles.

Wish I had bought my Giant Defy here last year, instead of Alameda Bicycle. The owner was friendly and gave good advice about correcting a problem with a new 11 speed chain.

As a fellow cyclist Living in orinda, I do my rounds here more often than not. Being a DIYer I like to do all my own repairs and maintenance and it seems to be that every time I come in looking for tools or bike parts I get friendly service and helpful information. The staff here are knowledgeable and very eager to assist with all your bicycle needs. Thanks to H&F I have fixed my ride many of times, I put this place in high regards among the many bike shops of the east bay.

We’ve been to a lot of bike shops in the area. There are other 5-​star shops but I would rank H&F the same. We got a good deal on a Giant mid-​range hybrid which was less expensive than comparable Trek and Specialized models. Two months later and still I love the bike. «Andy» helped us with the purchase and then he helped again with swapping out the stem. We even brought the bike in again for minor adjustments, no hassle on the spot assistance and upon my request, a quick lesson on how to do it myself. We also bought a toddler bike so overall, several visits now, a great shop and I trust their experience and advice.

Short story: Terrible, unfriendly service from an arrogant employee who hates kids. Long story: We came here to purchase bikes for our children. We had stopped in the week before and had really great service from a female employee who seemed happy to help us. We left with a lot of information to think about and make our decisions. When we came in to purchase, the guy who was helping us told us that the information we’d been given was wrong and our kids should have a different size bike than what the prior employee had told us. So we then had to have our kids sit on bikes again so he could figure out what we actually needed. As we were doing that, this employee suddenly walked away to help a different customer. He proceeded to ignore us for –no joke– 25 minutes. I think he was hoping we would leave because he had been making it clear with body language and attitude that he found helping a family with kids beneath him. Well, we’d promised our kids we were going to buy them bikes, so we waited and tried to keep our kids occupied while we were being ignored. Then he finally comes back to us, no apology, and we tried to ask another question, when suddenly he’s off helping a new customer — AGAIN leaving us completely ignored. We waited for another 10 minutes hoping someone else would help us, but it didn’t happen. So we packed up our extremely disappointed children to leave. Before we drove away, I went back in to tell this employee we were leaving because he had left us to help other customers twice and completely ignored us, and he gave me total attitude that we couldn’t make up our minds and he was too busy. I’m sorry, but it was his job to help us feel confident in what we were buying. It’s also never okay for someone in customer service to tell a frustrated customer that it’s her own fault that the employee ignored her. I have never seen such poor customer service and emphatically warn people to stay away from this shop.

I’ve used a couple lbs in the area and just wasn’t happy with the service especially the big box people when it comes to servicing my bikes. But after meeting, buying and servicing all my bikes, it’s clear the fellas at Hank n Frank are the best in the business. I wouldn’t go anywhere else because they’re knowledgable, they explain what they do and what they sell to the fullest, properly set your bike up before you leave versus the big box that simply send you on your way after you sign your cc slip, and do their very best to get you back on your bike.
I own a business in Walnut Creek and deliver service the same fashion. It’s awesome to be treated equally well. Thanks to Andy, Doug, Gethen, FG and Josh for all the great work!

I just wanted to share a positive review b/​c one of H&F’s staff, Doug, really helped me out in a time of need. I just moved into the area and I am commuting into the City via BART with my bike on both ends of the trip. In the evenings, I have to rush home on BART, ride my bike to my house in Lafayette, and then jump in my car to pick up my kids before the day care closes. It’s my first week with this schedule and I already got a flat in the City! I bought a new inner tube from H&F after my flat, and the very next day I got another flat on the same tire. I find out about the second flat while on BART and I’m a little stressed b/​c I need to find a way home with enough time to get my kids. I call H&F from the BART and ask them to help me out since I just bought a new tube the day before from them. Doug meets me at the BART station and checks out my tire. Turns out that my rim tape had worn out and the exposed metal caused my two flats. Doug brought rim tape and quickly fixed my tire, provided a new inner tube at no cost, and I was still able to get home in time to pick up my kids. This is the type of customer service and attention that I greatly appreciate, especially as a new member of this community. On a side note — I also purchased a bike for my 9 yr old son from H&F before this incident and my son has been riding it every day. He loves it and I’ve been very happy with the quality of the bike.

I’ve purchased a bike here (well really two because I brought in a good friend who bought his here) for my wife-​the Oakland store. In the Lafayette store on a Sunday to get some air. Great customer service and folks were friendly too. Shop local folks.

For BMX stuff Steve is the guy to go to. He is very professional and is very helpful explaining things. He just helped me get my Robinson mid school race bike updated. They have always done good work on my BMX race bikes. There is also another guy there with tat’s that is also very helpful and friendly.

I’ve been looking at getting a new bike for a while. I’ve stopped by Hank & Frank a few times. Each time I had a different guy help me, and they were all friendly very knowledgable and no pressure. I appreciated that. They also seem to really connect with the customer after the sale with free tune ups, and how-​to workshops… I knew the one I wanted to get, but to date, it’s the most expensive bike I’ve bought so I was holding off for a sale.
…in the meantime I saw a bike shop a little bit up the street. I wanted to see the competitors options. The guy was such an arrogant bike snob that he actually insulted me and the bike I was looking at by saying that it’s the kind of bike you wouldn’t be upset if it were stollen. WTF?! This was a bike coming in at over 500 bucks. I know there are bikes that cost what some cars cost, but still 500 dollars in no joke.
This was a no brainer, I went back to Hank & Frank and got a great bike at a fair price, with great service, and I’m loving my decision.

I’ve been going to H&F’s for years and these guys know bikes. Excellent service, super friendly, and great tips on where and how to ride.

The salesman Frank was very professional, knowledgable, and nice! Really knew what he was talking about! If he had been a jerk, I wouldn’t have bought the bike there. We are very pleased with the service and product! :)

I called them about a Giant mountain bike today. I spoke with a guy at the Lafayette location and he was both unpleasant and rude. I would expect a business like this to appreciate potential customers. I asked if he would match a price of another Cyclery and as soon as I’d asked the question without a moment the answer was a blunt «no.»
I work customer service and dead ends are generally no sales. It is steering the customer in a direction to work with or do what you can to keep someone happy, even when you have to say no. Would have helped tremendously if the guy I spoke with had a positive personality. I’m asking about a $ 3k bike, I might buy accessories, tires, parts maybe clothing from them had I walked in after a pleasant experience on the phone. In the end I bought my bike today at another shop. I saved over $ 100.
This phone call experience solidified there are still bike snobs out there. I would suggest Daves, Encina or Dublin Cyclery.

Overpriced. Extremely overpriced. Rude service and snippity employees, but it’s so expensive it’s not going to ever — EVER — be worth going there again. Simple services like getting an inner tube replaced or tightening my brake lines shouldn’t cost $ 20+. I guess this is a bike shop for exorbitant bikers who don’t have anything else to spend their money on than overpriced bike services and parts.

If you want to her condescending remarks and baseless excuses by some community college lifers with hex wrenches, then this is your store.
How unfortunate for our neighborhood.

Great shop. Bought my son’s first pedal bike here and more recently a new mtb for myself. They’ve got a nice selection, from very beginner oriented rides to multi-​thousand $ dream bikes. But so far, the best part has been the service. They offer free service on bikes purchased at the shop, and stick by it. I was a bike mechanic in a previous life, and these guys are awesome. Josh, in particular; I’ve already recommended him to several of my riding buddies.
Bottom line: I’ll be getting my next bike here.

I needed to purchase a bike pump and the guys working were very helpful and friendly. They helped me select the correct pump (who knew there would be so many options) and I was in and out of there in a flash.

Not going to lie, often times I won’t bother with a place that has more than two bad reviews. However, this shop is convenient to my place so I gave it a go and checked it out! Well, I was not disappointed. I could see how honesty can come across as a little harsh but personally cut the crap and tell me how it is. Frank was honest, gave me options and made the best suggestion suited to what I was looking for. Let’s just say, I will be back. I walked out with a Mt. bike for my boyfriend and I plan on coming back and taking advantage of the free tune-​ups. Thanks Frank for your expertise!

I bought an expensive road bike from Hank & Frank a couple of years ago. I have continual issues with the gears, and bring it in every 6 months or so. The staff member told me that I should think about buying a new one — that it wasn’t designed to be ridden so much (4 – 6 times a month). This leads me to believe that they sell cheaply made bikes.
Do not be mislead by the free tune-​up — they will find issues with the bike which they will charge you for fixing.
Do not expect good service. My bike remains in their shop anywhere between 1 – 2 weeks, and if I ask if they can fix it any earlier, they are extremely rude and NEVER accommodate.
I feel stuck with this shop until I get rid of this bike. Even though they don’t offer free tune-​ups, I will buy my next bike at Mike’s Bikes in WC, they’ve been more service-​oriented with my son’s bike, and never rude.

I’ve been riding for a very long time and have gone to a lot of bike shops in my day. Hank and Frank is one that i’d recommend. I’ve bought several bikes for the kids here and they include service on them, fitting help, and the prices are not bad. I used to go to Sharp Cycles when I first moved to Lafayette and after a few overpriced repairs I started looking elsewhere. The lead Mechanic: Josh is flat out the best in the East Bay, Honest, cool and knows his stuff…
Some of the peoples reviews here crack me up by the way… complimentary flat repairs? are you kidding me? this isn’t Big O tires lady!

Yesterday my family and I went for a leisurely ride in downtown Lafayette. Throughout the ride, my sister realized her bike seat was a little too low and needed to be lifted. This was the first bike shop we came to by chance.
A young man greatest us and was delighted to help. However another employee, big guy with shaved head told us we could not bring the bike in. The you man preceded to assist us regardless of the other employee.
When the rude employee came in he told my sister he would not finish raising her seat, after the younger employee had already started adjusting, and if we wanted it tightened we would be charged for it. He then proceeded to tell us we had to leave the bike there overnight? All we asked for was a raised seat.
A good bike shop is like your home base. You should feel trust, and helpfulness. This employee turned it into a bad «car mechanic» vibe trying to squeeze dollars for everything.
Go anywhere else but here.

We came back again to give it another shot. This time it was a for a helmet fitting for the boy.
Hes mastered the art of riding his coasting bike in the living room and now needs a helmet for the big, bad, bumpy world.
We were greeted at the door by a woman who told us of a sale that was happening that day and asked if we knew about it. No we didn’t we just planned on buying a helmet that day that’s all.
Another man came over immediately and started helping us. We fitted our son first. He wasn’t even two years old yet and was so cooperative with the man. He stood still and looked up so the straps could be adjusted. He said that my son was more cooperative than any 3 year old that’s ever been in there.
Then I was fitted with a helmet. My husband was also fitted. It was pretty painless and easy. They do life long fittings for your helmet that you’ve purchased there. They also keep those cushony things that are inside the helmet for you in case you need them replaced.
Customer service was so much better than before. Then a few days later I found out the man helping us was also the owner. I personally was impressed and am glad he helped us this time.