Berkeley Bike Station

Rude condescending attitude from the current staff over the past few months every time I’ve come in or called. I used to enjoy coming here because Jim was so kind and helpful, as well as patient when answering questions considering I am just a casual rider. However since then, whenever I have called in with questions or come in to have work done on my bike, the staff members I’ve encountered over the past few months have been unfriendly and impatient. While I’m sure the staff are extremely talented mechanics, this is still a storefront location, and friendly customer service is still needed to make your customers feel welcomed, no matter what their level of bike knowledge.

Great place. Great staff. Helpful and kind. Highly recommend this place. I left my bike here for a couple of months (my own damn fault) and forgot about it. They called me and told me to come by or they would donate it. That’s incredibly considerate and nice. Thanks!

I’ve been to my fair share of bike shops in the east bay, and Berkeley Bike Station is probably my favorite by far. The employees are nice; none of that condescension that I’ve gotten at other shops. Their hours are great too. When I worked in Berkeley, I’d drop off my bike right when they open for maintenance/​repair and pick it up after I got off work (or even during my lunch) more than once. I came in recently for a replacement rear wheel after mine was stolen, and the guy who helped me (never got his name) did some free small tuning/​repairs on my bike’s crappy gears. I really appreciated it. Recommended that you give BBS a try with your bike.

There are probably be less helpful people than the, «I’m just a mechanic» drone, but they have been hard to find in Berkeley.

I used to bike all the time as a kid and wanted to give it another go this past weekend now that I’m all grown up. Never rented a bike before so didn’t know what to expect — now, I can’t wait to rent again for my next biking adventure!
Since the Station is closed on Sundays, I was able to rent out a bike Saturday evening and return on Monday evening for $ 35. The helmet came free with the rental, which was nice.
I hadn’t touched a bike in 7 years or so, but the rental bike was good enough to take my nervous self for a super fun and relatively intense (for a n00b biker) 23 mile bike ride. Gears were solid, wheels pumped to a good level, and the brakes felt brand new. Size of bike was perfect for my height.
Last but definitely not least, the rental return process was very efficient — took five minutes for the employee to check the bike before sending me off.

I went here this morning because my chain kept getting stuck due to a bent chainring. I was helped by this guy named Thomas. He diagnosed the problem and let me know that it was going to be really expensive to repair. Then, Thomas did something magical and thought of alternative solutions to help with the cost. THEN Thomas did something even MORE magical. He tried a more… cost effective solution, and basically unbent the chainring for me. VOILA! Problem solved, and literally in the matter of 3 minutes. Thomas was also nice enough to lower my bike seat since I didn’t have the proper tool to do so.
Long story short, Thomas is the shit. He was really friendly, offered great advice and wasn’t out to steal my money. You win at life, Thomas.

Near to Berkeley Bart, great free bike parking from 7am to 9pm weekdays. Perfect for commuting. Also have a basic selection of bike stuff and they do bike rentals. 35 $ a day super casual rental for simple but very reasonable bikes.
Protip: the first door as you come from Bart is locked and only for the 24 hour bike access. For everything else use the south door.

Their bike parking service is a lifesaver when I have to separate from my bike while downtown. I use the street lockups for something quick like running into the bank, but if I have to go to a meeting or even a lunch, it’s such a relief to have secure parking.
The thing that pushes this place from great to stratospheric, though, is that they can fix your bike, and that they open earlier than the other nearby bike shops. This is HUGE for me, as I can’t leave work at 10 or 11 and push/​walk a round trip. Today, not just my tube but my tire failed on my ride to work. I hoofed onward to the next BART, was whisked to within a block of Bike Station. There, the guy said, «give me 20 minutes». He had a quality tire in stock, the right size. I came back in 15, and it was already done. Completely friendly, too — and not pushy or up-​selling.
I don’t know how to give this enough emphasis: bike commuting, for all its myriad joys, comes with a list of contingencies, worries, or hassles. Theft risk and breakdowns are in the top five, and Bike Station mitigates them handily. This is an example of a business that really thoughtfully contributes to making a bicycle-​based lifestyle possible.
Witness also the attached BikeLink facility that lets one card in securely and store one’s bike after hours. I would not go to movies, meet friends for dinner, or splurge occasionally on Freight or Rep tickets in downtown Berkeley without this support.

I use the free bike valet parking probably 3 – 5 times per week, so I get my tuneups here and also try to buy accessories here whenever I need them. The employees are always extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. They’re also happy to help special order things they don’t keep in stock.

The greatest place ever to park your bike in Downtown Berkeley. It’s free, safe, and the folks that work there are fantastic! Just be sure to walk your bike on the sidewalk in front or they will give you the smack down.

I had a nasty blowout on my rear tire this morning that required I buy an new tire. I was a block away form Berkeley Bike Station so I thought I’d give them a try. They had what I needed but when I dug into my wallet I didn’t have enough cash and wasn’t carrying my credit card. They very generously agreed to take the cash I had and let me come back later that day to pay the balance. They didn’t have to do this but they took a chance on me. I’m very grateful because it saved me a ton of inconvenience, and possibly an expensive cab ride back to Oakland. Wow, great service!

The station is very convenient for me. I can trust my bike will be in safe hands. The workers are nice and helpful. Just remember to keep the ticket. I wish there was more stations like this along the BART system.

I finally tried out the BikeLink parking station. It was pretty easy and convenient. After setting up my BikeLink account online, I showed my ID and paid $ 5 for activating the account.
After that, I locked and stored my bike at the station and went on my way to see my friends.
I have not been using the services offered this time around but I’m looking forward to using the parking station again. It only cost me 7 cents for almost 6 hours!
Make sure to bring your lock because you still have to lock it to the spot. They also have lockers for 25cents if you need to lock your stuff.
Overall, I would use them again to lock my bike. It took the worry about finding a spot where it might or might not get stolen.

Couldn’t be any happier when Jim and the man working with him saved my day by making my front wheel true.

So handy and convenient, and with great customer service (the front desk guys would top up my tires with the air compressor without hesitation, if I asked them). I am so grateful this service exists, because it completely took the hassle out of my commute to SF from Berkeley, knowing that my lovely bicycle was safely stored away. And for FREE!!!
The front lobby offers good solid bike accessories, and the front desk guys are never pushy, only serving the bicycling community as nerdy, knowledgeable resources. How can you get much better than that? Thank you Bike Station!

This place is excellent. Helpful, upbeat staff, knowledgable folks, clean and great layout.
Their repairs are quick, cheapest I could find (compared to Mike’s, Missing Link, and Performance) and well done.
Excellent resource, very grateful to have it here.

I used this service for about a month, probably three or four times a week. It’s really easy to set up, and extremely easy to use. Just walk in, fill out the claim card, and leave your bike. When you return, give them the claim card, get your bike, and leave.
They’re fast, and very, very friendly. Never had a bad interaction with the staff. Highly recommended, and for free, why not?

I’ve now done the bike valet a few times. As I expected, that was great. One night I ended up renting a ZipCar overnight and left it. They have an overnight fee, but when I went to pick it up the next day and they guy waived it for me. He explained if people abuse it, then sure. Otherwise, no problem.
I mostly do the ²⁴⁄₇ parking still, but if I know I’ll be back before 9pm, I opt for valet parking.

I have a road bike with 700 mm rims, so you’d think replacing a tube would be standard procedure. However, about a month after I had my tube replaced, I noticed a lot of weird things happening. My tire stopped holding air again, and it rode as though it desperately needed truing — despite the fact that it showed no signs of lopsidedness when I spun it.
It turns out that the good people at the Bike Station thought it would be cool to use a huge ass janky tube that was about 7 inches too big for my wheels. They had folded it over a few times to make it fit, and that’s what was causing the bumpiness/​air leaks.
Perhaps it’s unfair for me to give them this rating after only doing business one time, but honestly if they are willing to do something like that behind the customer’s back then I will never trust them with my bike or my money again.
+1 because I like the idea of bike parking and lord knows how much we need it…

Excellent valet bike parking, half a block from BART!
I do the bike-​to-​BART thing to get from home (Berkeley) to work (SOMA). I’ve taking my bike through the system once or twice, but I don’t usually bother — I mostly need the bike for my Berkeley-​side commute. That’s where the Bike Station comes in.
This is the new location of the old «cage» inside the Berkeley station. More room, plus the separate card-​access room for late nights (the main valet service closes at 9 pm).
Staff is excellent — Jim’s always helpful, ask Adam about his bike journalism sideline, and have a look at David’s bikes.
I’m pretty well stocked for spare parts and doo-​dads, but if you’re not there’s a small repair-​and-​accessory business here as well.