Contender Bicycles

Contender will try to steer you away from simpler, cheap repairs and convince you to make huge and expensive replacements. Basically, their attitude seems to be that they don’t have the time to mess around with easy fixes. I’d been taking my wife’s bike here until they gave up their hand by riding her (pun intended) way too hard about something small and stupid that was fixed for ¹⁄₁₀^th the cost elsewhere.
For the hardcore, wealthy biker with elaborate needs this may be the place to go, but for the casual biker or easy commute cyclist I’d steer clear.

I got a flat today on my way home from the U. I popped into the shop and was helped immediately and back on the road in about ten minutes! Thanks!

I’ve been to more bike shops in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area than I can count. I won’t buy or get service from anywhere other than Contender. The service and quality is not matched anywhere in town. I now have made it a habit of visiting weekly – the sales staff know their stuff, the product line is top shelf, the prices are reasonable (and you can find smoking deals when stuff is on sale), and the service department is attentive, prompt, and thorough. Great shop – you won’t be disappointed.

Occasion: I have a history of eating it (hard) with road bike clip-​less shoes & pedals. Currently I’m using these cage pedals AKA muzzles for my feet and they are cumbersome to get in and out of. So my husband recommended me to look into mountain bike clip-​less shoes & pedals.
Ambience: Super laid back and friendly bike shop guys. Also very helpful. Didn’t experience any hoity-​toity attitude.
Service: I told Dan my history of eating it with road bike shoes and that I was scared to invest a whole bunch of money in the mountain bike clip-​less shoes and then hate it. He was really helpful and got the guys to give me a test run. They installed the MTB clip-​less and pedals onto the shoes I wanted to buy and on the pedals onto my bike and let me ride around the outside of the shop. After ONE try, I was confident that I can ride without eating it. In addition to that, they lent me the clips and pedals until my new ones came in.
Conclusion: I rode all the way home without eating it! I personally like the the mountain bike shoes because they have more grip in their soles and they look normal enough so I can walk around in public. Maybe someday when I am more coordinated I’ll give the road-​bike pedals another shot. Obviously I’m not a hardcore cycler but for practical every day use this combo works out really well!

I wrote the following review a few years ago when I lived in Salt Lake City, UT.
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I love this place. The staff is friendly and helpful every time I go in. I live right around the corner so I’ve dropped in often over the years and I can’t tell you how many times they’ve helped me fix little miss alignments on my bike for free. One of the staff even taught me how to change a tire. I’m new to the sport of cycling and they have never been condescending towards me when I have questions. I haven’t bought a bike or anything major from them either. It’s just a really genuine, quality bike shop. Highly recommended.

Awesome bike store. They carry a lot of nice bikes, clothes, gears, and great service.

These guys know what they’re doing, quick and good service. Just be sure to ask for a quote before you turn something in for service so that you won’t feel robbed when you walk out. They charged me almost $ 20 for a ten minute job with zero material costs

This place is great. Their level of customer service is truly what sets them apart from many of the bike shops in the valley. Their service department is the tops, in my opinion. My bike was having shifting problems, and after taking it to another shop no less than 5 times and spending about $ 200 trying to rectify the problem, I cried uncle and made the drive from Draper to 9^th and 9^th and told them they had a project to work on. Less than a day later, I got a call from the shop saying they found a broken weld in the dérailleur, and that I could order a new one for about $ 50. Sold. Why the other shop didn’t find this is anybody’s guess.
Graham and the entire mechanic team are awesome, and have always gotten my bike back to me earlier than promised when I dropped it off.
The sales guys rock as well. Nick is awesome, and Ryan definitely knows his stuff. And let’s get over the whole «high end» thing. Sure, they have a large selection of expensive bikes, but they have plenty of entry-​level bikes to help you get started as well.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first bike, or an elite athlete ready to upgrade to a $ 12,000 machine, Contender is the place. And you’ll be helped by people who actually ride bikes and can give you educated advice.

Have been to many bike shops. I am later 50’s woman. just the type of person that generally gets ignored in bike shops. at least that has been the case except for Contender. I had shopped there a few years ago (at their old shop). I was not eager to return as I found the service so-​so. I did return this year and I do not know what happened but they were Wonderful! Something changed and for the better. I just ordered a bike from them as I was impressed. Excellent customer service… thank you

Still one of the best bicycle shops in the country anywhere. Ryan & his staff are patient & knowledgeable. The service techs are always thorough. It just doesn’t matter if I’m looking for a high-​end road bike for myself or a moderately priced cruiser for my kid. Contender always steers me in the right direction and takes good care of me long after the purchase is made.

Hands down the finest bike shop I have ever been into any place. Everyone was friendly, knowledgable and extremely helpful. They retrofitted/​customized a Scott mountain bike for me in 24 hours and made it incredibly functional and easy to operate. I have just my left had and wear a prosthesis on my right and they jumped on the challenge to make the bike safe and easy for me to operate and ride! My hat is off to Ryan, Nick and the others who put this very cool bike together for me. Thank you!

My situation: I’m here on a short vacation and blew my Campy rear dérailleur to bits on my first ride of the trip on a climb here in Salt Lake. Not to waste my efforts to cart my bike on the plane ride up here from CA, I searched from Provo to Logan trying to find the Campagnolo parts to fix me up. Contender didn’t have what I needed but kindly suggested a few resources (that unfortunately didn’t work out). Through my network of friends I was able to secure a Chorus rear der.
Them: Contender took my bike in and fixed everything up for me as a rush job and got me rolling within a few hours (and a kind hearted call to let me know that my shiny new chain and been wrecked in the blow-​up). Throughout the ordeal, I talked to at least 6 different Contender employees and each of them were outstanding in their helpful-​ness-​ness-​ness.
Thank you for getting me rolling again.

This store is superb.
I broke my frame near the chainstay a few weeks before a big event. The store employees were all very helpful. Nick help pick out an excellent frame to replace the old one. They had the parts from the old frame on the new one in a very short time. Fitting the new frame was a challenge, but all of the employees were very helpful and cooperative. The bike was ready to go for my event. I am very pleased with the new frame and the store. Excellent service and very helpful and friendly employees. The owner has done an excellent job. My vote for the best bicycle shop in SLC. Bravo!

I’ve got to agree with Nate K. The prices are very fair, you pay no more for the same things as you would anywhere else.
The service and sales staff are EXCELLENT. It seems to be part of their business plan to know everyone by name, and that’s a great touch. Shane in service is amazing. Ryan, Reed, Patrick, and the other staff have been unfailingly helpful and knowledgable. And it’s not just for roadie geeks; I see older folks and kids getting equally attentive care.
I’m sure there are other great shops in SLC but I honestly can’t see myself going elsewhere.

Really knowledgeable and attentive staff. Great shop that fits bikes really well. I have not found them snobby at all, except that they focus on the high-​end, pricey stuff. Try to buy at the end of a model year to save big bucks.

Great bike shop with knowledgeable staff and mechanics. One of the best bike shops in the SLC valley.

I hate that everyone poo-​poos the place for being a «high-​end shop.» it is what it is, and they do it well. ryan and allison (the owners), as well as the rest of the staff, are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. i’ve gotten excellent service and products there time and time again, and this is the shop i will continue to go to now that i am a full-​time resident of SLC.

How many of us can say, «High End Shop» before you scream? I have been screaming for weeks. How is it that a shop gets such a dumb, yes dumb title. That’s like saying the Mercedes is a High End Car. Dude you can get a C-​class and it won’t be so High End. Now, I’m starting to like saying it, High End. Hey baby, you got a nice High End there. How’s your High End Hanging? Ok I’m starting to sound like a bad Steve Carrell movie, now.
Seriously, though, so they don’t sell many $ 400 bikes. They decided to focus on one sector of the market for their bikes. Why? because maybe they like selling nice things? I think its because all those heavy steel bikes would crash right through the ancient wood floor of the shop; they had to only stock 15 pound or lighter carbon fiber bikes. Thank G_​d. Cause I’m sick of walking into every other shop in town wondering where all the eye candy is. And for once I’m not talking about the sales staff. This place is the closest thing to a bike candy store in Utah. You can go and fondle the Assos (great name for lycra pants) bike shorts in the back of the store ($ 199+). I have a pair cause well, my man was nice enough to buy them for me – they are the best bike shorts I own (100 miles plus with no rash). Or touch the Pinarello Dogma $ 8,000 and wonder if your kids really need those damned braces.
But alas, they sell normal things too like all bike shops do. They have tires and tubes and lights and helmets that are priced just like the Low End Stores.
My partner did remind me to say that, well, not all the salespeople can be friendly to all the colors of the rainbow. Some of them won’t really chat you up unless they catch the glint of Audemars Piguet (if you don’t know what that is, you don’t belong here anyway) on your wrist, but we found one and we’re keeping him. Too bad such a great shop with cool bikes has to be so lame when it comes to treating everyone like they are equal like the constitution says.
After keeping these guys late while our friend bought himself a bike and all the fixin’s these guys impressed me. So much. They got another star tonight. Ask for Blake, or Julian, or Steve and you’ll be taken care of like a star even if you’re buying last year’s sale model.

Lots of people dump on Contender because they don’t cater to the entry-​level market. There’s plenty of other shops in SLC that will happily sell you a $ 400 Specialized Hardrock to make a sale and get you out the door — this definitely isn’t the place for that.
High end road or XC MTB? Contender is the spot in SLC, hands down. Hell, I haven’t been into a nicer/​more well stocked road shop this side of Austin, even throughout the Bay Area. Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Owners Ryan and Allison obviously have significant experience riding and racing, and have put it into practice in the shop. Service manager Shawn is top-​notch and will help you out with anything, from going to bat with sales reps and vendors for obvious warranty issues for you, to sourcing bizarre proprietary parts (Campy, anyone?) you didn’t think you could find. Their fitting system (provided by Orbea, IIRC) is one of the best you could ask for, short of a lab.
You will pay for this level of service and knowledge, but if you’re a seasoned cyclist, you know it’s worth it. If you’re willing to pay full retail on a mid-​to-​high end road or XC MTB, don’t bother going anywhere else in SLC.

Great high end shop in the 9^th and 9^th area. Many bike shops to chose from in the downtown area, but if you are a velo affecectionato, this is the place to go. many $ 6,000+ bikes to drool over and a helpful staff to walk you through important decisions. You definitely have to be assertive when its busy to get some help, but i think i’ve figured out why. High end shop=high end clients, high end clients sometimes can be jerks hence the lack of service sometimes.
Great Fits, Great bikes, and Great Gear!