best bike stuff in San Francisco?

Montana bike dork travels to San Francisco for long weekend. Looking
for the must see bike stuff in the city (not bringing my bike though).
Could anyone recommend a bike shop with a) the most stuff in it, b)
close to Yerba Buena center or c) a truly unique shop?

We've got great stuff here in Montana so maybe I'd just be wasting
time in SFO looking at bike stuff there - what with the internet and
all. Please advise. Thanks.

On 2 Dec 2003 19:42:14 -0800,
(MontanaBiker) wrote:

Montana bike dork travels to San Francisco for long weekend. Looking
for the must see bike stuff in the city (not bringing my bike though).
Could anyone recommend a bike shop with a) the most stuff in it,

I am not certain if this place has the most. It says that it has been
open since 1941, but sometime in the late '90s, it was closed and then
new owners came in. They talked of the walls of old parts in the
basement, and some have come out into small display cases. When I
needed an old Campy hub cone, they were the one shop in town that had
it. They also run the Bicycle Trader magazine, they do have a lot of
old and esoteric parts (and some great frames), and some of the people
there are pretty knowledgable (even if the owner did try to convince
me that grooved treads were necessary for a rain tire). They can also
cop a pretty arrogant attitude at times. Take the N Judah underground
train to get there.
http://www.americancyclery.com/

http://www.bicycletrader.com/


b) close to Yerba Buena center or

This is a nice small shop near the Moscone area- nothing special, but
helpful people and they seem to be doing well out of a little hole in
the wall:

http://www.roadragebicycles.com/

And down Market Street from Yerba Buena is the San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition office. For city cycling, bicycle organizing, etc., probably
worth a drop-in. If you are coming this weekend, realize that there is
a Mayoral run-off election next Tuesday and that the SFBC is actively
involved, so people in the office might be a bit distracted.

http://www.sfbike.org/

c) a truly unique shop?

An interesting small collection of used parts, but maybe more
interesting for what they are doing- providing jobs and training for
young people while serving a very diverse community. You can have
typical yuppies on new machines, young kids on BMX bikes, old men with
their fishing tackle in a bucket tied to the back end, a bike
messenger getting a new fork for his fixed gear, and a young father
who needs a flat fixed so he can get to his car washing job all there
at the same time. Seeing a new mechanic just off the street work
their way into jobs in some of the best bike shops in the city over
the years is nice.

http://www.pedalrevolution.com/


We've got great stuff here in Montana so maybe I'd just be wasting
time in SFO looking at bike stuff there - what with the internet and
all. Please advise. Thanks.

I'm not much of a gear slut, so the suggestions I have made are as
much or more about bike shops as social places, not necessarily the
hottest parts. And there are probably other shops with excellent gear
selections.

Chain Reaction Bicycles, whose owner (?) posts here often (Mike
Jacoubowsky):

http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/

has a shop in Redwood City. An easy train ride from San Francisco,
maybe 45 minutes max?

imo, the best road bike shop in sf, possibly the bay area is "bike nook"
on taraval. it's way out there, but muni goes past their front door.
3004 taraval, 415-731-3838

it's not huge, but it's old-skool road racing gear of the highest
quality. len, the owner, is campy's bay area repair guru.

MontanaBiker wrote:
Montana bike dork travels to San Francisco for long weekend. Looking
for the must see bike stuff in the city (not bringing my bike though).
Could anyone recommend a bike shop with a) the most stuff in it, b)
close to Yerba Buena center or c) a truly unique shop?

We've got great stuff here in Montana so maybe I'd just be wasting
time in SFO looking at bike stuff there - what with the internet and
all. Please advise. Thanks.

I don't know about bike gear in SF, but when this Chicago-ian visited SF
last June, I rented a mountain bike from Blazing Saddles and had a very
fine ride across the Golden Gate bridge, into the Marin headlands and up
Mount Tam.

If you have time for a ride, I highly recommend it. The full suspension
bike was about $50 for the day. Well worth it.

Good luck.

Joel

MontanaBiker wrote:

Montana bike dork travels to San Francisco for long weekend. Looking
for the must see bike stuff in the city (not bringing my bike though).
Could anyone recommend a bike shop with a) the most stuff in it, b)
close to Yerba Buena center or c) a truly unique shop?

We've got great stuff here in Montana so maybe I'd just be wasting
time in SFO looking at bike stuff there - what with the internet and
all. Please advise. Thanks.

Montanabiker wrote:
Montana bike dork travels to San Francisco for long weekend. Looking for
the must see bike stuff in the city (not bringing my bike though). Could
anyone recommend a bike shop with a) the most stuff in it, b) close to
Yerba Buena center or c) a truly unique shop?
We've got great stuff here in Montana so maybe I'd just be wasting time
in SFO looking at bike stuff there - what with the internet and all.
Please advise. Thanks.



If you love bikes, then it is never a waste of time to look at bike
stuff. Pay homage to tru bike spirit at the bike hut.
http://www.thebikehut.com/ This is a cool liitle place right out on pier
40 on the ebarcadero and the bay, a 5 minute roll from Moscone Center.
Say hi! pick through the junk, ask if they have something you have never
been able to find. Buy someting and pay what ever they ask. This is a
cool place that exists to teach inner city kids mechanic skills and
bicycling dreams. Check out Pacbell park next door and then after that
you can cruise west though Fishermans wharf and the presidio all the way
to the golden gate bridge. (4 stars!)



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Ye Olde Bike Shoppe 494 14th Street (cross Guererro) San Francisco, CA
94103-2316

Check out our shop in the Mission District, 2 blocks from the F
(antique) streetcar line on Market Street (stop at Guererro go south) or
the 14 or 49 bus line on Mission Street (stop at 14th Street go west).
We sell used bikes and parts, mostly for commuter utility; our favorite
specialties are vintage road bikes, classic cruisers, and generally
anything unique/out of the ordinary. Not as pretentious(ly priced) nor
as mint(y fresh condition) as American Cyclery. Occasionally we rent
bicycles, as does the Bike Hut at pier 40 (mentioned in other reply), at
rates significantly below commercial spots such as Blazing Saddles. This
website is minimal, only features address and mascots' photos:
www.biketeria.com,[/url] ]www.yeoldebikeshoppe.com. Phone number is
(415) 431-Y O B S (9627), we only answer while store is open, approx
12-6pm daily. Have a nice visit, Seth.



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