Columbus Cyclery – Go Bike It

these guys really saved my tail when I got an unexpected flat doing bike deliveries up in North Beach (thanks for the glass on the road, North Beach — I can’t be mad at you — you’re just who you are).
super friendly. super cheap. super fast service.
highly recommend. :)

The owner here is a complete idiot. Their website is almost totally devoted to reselling or consigning your bike. When I arrived the guy said «no, we don’t do that anymore.» I said he might want to change his website because I drove across San Francisco to come here. He replied that it was very clear on the website that you need to call first. Huh? I thought it certainly wasn’t clear because I didn’t see that, but when I went back to the website to take a look, i found that it doesn’t say anything about that. The guy was rude and dismissive. And I am in the market for a new bike! I probably don’t need to tell people to avoid this shop, because there wasn’t a single person in there.

My purchase of a used bike from CC a few weeks ago was an excellent experience all around. It started with their excellent website where I could peruse the offerings. Then I was able to spend over an hour trying/​testing the bikes I wanted (helped that I brought their ID codes from the site). They were very patient with me as I debated, nicely explaining different features and pros/​cons. All the bikes I saw were a bit beat up on the exterior but all ran very well. Priced at 60%-50% of new retail (approximately), I thought the value was good. I got a Cannondale, helmet, lock and basket, all for just under $ 500 with tax. They very nicely fixed a couple things and gave me a kickstand for free. I took the bike for a long ride the next day and found that the newly installed kickstand was interfering with gear shift. It’s bummer that I had to take it back, but really no big deal. Especially since they were able to fix it within minutes and were very apologetic about the hassle.
All in all, a great experience that I would recommend. Though I guess I should qualify that my biking experience/​ownership is quite limited. This may not be the place for extreme cyclists etc. Who knows

Absolutely awesome and I will be back many more times :)
Service here truly rocks as they go above and beyond and super fun and friendly to talk to. I got just a tune up but was back in business in no time and it made my DAY! Thanks guys

This review is from a local who loves to ride and knows a thing or two about fixing one up and getting the right parts. I will say that this place has a great selection of used bikes and some OK bike parts to buy but that’s where it stops. Every time I’ve gone in, I was never greeted nor asked for assistance just kind of got a cold vibe from them like they are miserable. The repair areas look really sketchy and low quality — I would not feel comfortable having them tune up my bike whatsoever or have them touch or tweak anything on my bike (s). Not just by the looks of their repair areas but the employees as well. I just don’t get the vibe that these people are into bikes as much as they are just trying to rent and take tourists money.

I wasn’t impressed today after picking up my bike with a tune up. So, there are two parts to this review that annoyed me.
First, they removed my quick release and attached a different axle on my bike. However, the piece was entirely rusted, dirty, and had hairs on it. It was literally so old and gross. I told him (I believe it was the owner) that it was not acceptable and he wanted to charge me six dollars for it.
These are obviously scrap pieces they add grabbing from other bikes so it’s outrageous that they’re trying to charge when they didn’t give me my scrap piece of what they took off of my bike. I told him, just give it for free since it’s so rusty and dirty. And then he was angry and refused. His pride was obviously flared. So, instead, he said that wasn’t fine so he went and reattached the quick release and was about to give me the bike back before even tightening the chain with the quick release. Oh, and hey guess what! The quick release he gave me was another random scrap piece he had and he didn’t charge me for it. Although, my initial quick release was just fine and it’s funny that he won’t charge you for other old pieces but not just the entirely filthy and rusted one. I should have taken a photo. It was not cool.
Then, he was smug when I asked him to put on new brake pads. He said they were not necessary. And then afterward he tried to give me my old brake pads back because he was trying to be smug about me getting new brake pads. He was definitely trying to mock me as a customer. If I ask for brake pads, just let me buy them and don’t be sassy. Funny that you didn’t offer to give me back my original quick release but then you want me to hold onto these used brake pads?
Shiesty tune ups and business handling. I saw another review that mirrors mine. At least he didn’t try to charge me for bike parking.
Also, my bike feels the same pre tune up. Pay more money at a better place and the difference in cost is worth the money.

Incredibly kind and wonderful place to buy biking goods! I needed to buy a bike rack ASAP, and they went above and beyond to help me install the bike rack onto my car even though they were closing for the night. The owner cracked jokes during the process and was an all-​around good guy. Price for my new bike rack was very reasonable. Definitely recommend checking them out.

Im new to cycling so this is the first time ive ever had to take my bike for a tune up. I called a few times and each person I spoke with pleasantly answered each of my questions and thanked me for calling. In addition they are conveniently open 7 days a week until 8pm! When I dropped my bike off they said it would be ready in 72hours, imagine my surprise when they called me early the next day and said it was ready! They cleaned my bike up and made it all shiny and the best part is that it rides like new again! I will definitely return! BTW check groupon, they usually have a deal!

Prices of the bulk of the bikes they have here range from about $ 300 to $ 500. I came looking for a used bike, but had them show me both new and used.
Unfortunately, they didn’t really have what I wanted. I looked at several bikes and tried two of them out on the street they have around the corner from the store that one of the bike store employees told me to ride on.
The employees didn’t seem as knowledgable of the bikes they were selling compared to some of the other stores, either when asking them about the origin of used bikes or the components that they had on the bike. When I asked an employee about the components on the bike they were recommending (green novara? bike, aluminum frame) and what constituted ‘great components’, he simply replied that it had a good dérailleur and brakes. but perhaps I didn’t ask the question properly. I’m a bike novice.
Aside from that, a small flukey episode happened to me; the seat post (quick-​release handle) on the bike was loose, but this went unnoticed by the employee who was raising the seat slightly for me. Thus, when I tried to test-​ride the bike, I almost took a spill as the seat immediately fell into the tube.
All that being said, however, it’s probably still a decent place to get a bike at a low price point in the city, and the employees were nice people. If you have a really tight wallet, it’s worth making a stop to see if any of the frames work for you, but if you’re looking for a midrange used bike (maybe something inspected, tried out a bit), or your budget is in the ~$ 500 or $ 500+ range, you can probably safely skip this store.

Had a great experience buying my first bike here! Able was incredibly helpful, showing me numerous bikes and helping me decide which one was right. They have an excellent selection of used bikes, and I managed to stay well under my budget. Would definitely recommend!

Bike rental good for guests of all ages and heights. I was a bit nervous because I always have a difficult time finding a bike that fits me 4’11″ height and short legs. Thankfully, Columbus Cyclery had just the right kind of bike for short people like me! :)
SERVICE: Friendly, fast, easy service to rent bikes in the city.
LOCATION: It’s on the top of the hill of Columbus Ave., at the corner of Mason St. and Greenwich, caddy corner from the green lawn area.
PARKING: If you’re planning to rent the bike for the entire day, definitely park in one of the public parking lots for $ 12/​day. However, this $ 12/​day parking rate is only if you pick up your car before 7pm. Most of these parking lots open at 7am.
ACCESSORIES: Your rental comes with a complimentary helmet, lock with key, a map, a zipper pouch in front, a tube and pump.
INSURANCE: You could choose to pay the $ 4/​bike for the insurance. However, I found it wasn’t worth it because it does not cover damages, lost, or stolen items.
DEPOSIT: The cyclery will charge $ 300 onto your debit/​credit card if you do not return the bike the same day.

Amazing service. Waited 40min past closure time because our ferry was delayed and didn’t overcharge.
Speaks English, French, and Spanish.

Bike shop was great. Lots of bikes to choose from and we rented a trailer for our daughter which she loved. The prices are very comparable to others in the area. The staff was really nice and helpful.
2 cons to this shop… one being it’s pretty far from the bay bridge. I would say if you plan to rent from them and want to see the bridge on your ride you better be in shape. There are plenty of hills and it wasn’t a short trek. Pretty close to the pier though so if that’s where you are planning to go then you are good. We biked from the shop, across the bridge and into Sausalito and it was like 9 miles.
The other con is they have 1 shop so you have to return there. One good thing though is that they are open a little later than the others so that gave us a little extra time.
This shop even has bikes you can purchase and they work on bikes too which is nice.

Came here looking for a bike this weekend due to all the rave reviews. The sales guy that we had (don’t remember the name) seemed barely awake and not very communicative. I told him the bike size I was generally interested in and although we said we weren’t interested in a particular bike and were more interested in another bike, he had me go ride it anyway (communication issues I think). At any rate, he didn’t seem really eager to help and I wasn’t really impressed with any of the bikes. I honestly didn’t think the prices were that great either — $ 350 – 500 for most of the very vintage road bikes we looked at.
I left generally unimpressed.

Rented bikes for a Sausalito bike ride and were the annoying customers that couldn’t figure out if they wanted a tandem or not. They were kind enough to adjust the tandem to our heights and then let us ride it around the block first. After about 10 minutes, we figured it would be best if we each just got single bikes rather than making the trip longer and potentially more tiring for the both of us when we were on a time constraint already to get the bikes back before it closed.
Everyone here was really nice and friendly and they were helpful and knowledgeable about the roads for us to take. Made for a great day.

I bought a bike for my girlfriend for her birthday and everyone was very friendly, knowledgable, and didn’t give that douchey vibe that some bike stores give. They had a pretty generous selection of used bikes — both men’s and women’s and they were VERY reasonably priced. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for but they helped me find something that worked perfectly. I ended up with a couple year old, barely used Trek hybrid for about $ 350. Definitely a deal.
They have a 72 hour return policy but I bought the bike a week before her birthday. So they stored the bike in the basement for me, let me pick it up a day before her birthday, and come in a couple of days later to let her try a couple of more bikes to make sure we picked the right one. However, she test rode a few other bikes but eventually settled on the one that we originally picked out — so you know they knew what they are doing!

Great bike rental shop, no drama, friendly staff. My biking companion and I rented bikes this past weekend to take ride through the Italian Heritage Parade (!) on Columbus, down to Fisherman’s Wharf and traversing the park and up the hills leading to Golden Gate Bridge and crossed the bridge.
Although they sell maps here, each bike came with a big zip up box pouch in front and there was a map inside!
We were told the ride was over 4 miles one way. We ended up having the bikes for around 4 hours, riding approximately 10 miles total with stops along the way, mostly to take in the sights of the bay, particularly to watch the Blue Angels fly above us overhead as it was SF Fleet Weekend. Just beautiful.
Some of the hills leading up to the Golden Gate Bridge get kind of steep, but they are doable in low gear for someone who doesn’t bike regularly, like me, as I typically only bike on vacation. Got a bit exhausted as we approached the bridge but didn’t collapse or come close.
We were told by the shop that there is a bike path on the bridge, and there was! You can even make stops along the bridge; just pull over safely.
I appreciate that they had a bike that was very comfortable for my petite 5-​foot-​2 frame.
The bikes cost $ 8 an hour, but they max out the rental fee at $ 27. Helmets are included.

I can only speak for purchasing bikes here, I’ve never rented from them. Bruno, the owner, is the man! Super knowledgable and helpful.
After hunting and hunting for a road bike, I finally stumbled across this spot. They let you freely test ride their bikes on Greenwich Street. This is because they want test riders to have a flatter ground to really test the bike (you know, San Francisco hills and all, lol). We test rode for about 20 – 25 minutes, they didn’t check up on us at all. After much thought, I decided the pricing was decent and that this bike was for me! There was a few super-​duper-​tiny cosmetic scratches on the bike from previous test riders. Bruno was willing to lower the price and throw in some handlebar tape to compensate. They do have a warranty service and free tune ups for bikes you buy from them also!
Go Bike It is family owned and everyone here is so friendly! Thanks for the awesome bike, still going strong and has no problems!

These guys are great. I brought my vintage Cannondale for a tune-​up and for just slightly over $ 100 they returned my bike in excellent working condition: new rear brake cable, trued rear wheel, new handlebar wrap, new rear tire.
I specifically wanted them to check the gears & shifting as I was having problems getting into the lowest gear. They road-​tested gears & shift and adjusted dérailleur accordingly. Afterwards they advised that a stretched chain was the probable cause for not getting in low. However, just replacing the chain was not a viable option unless I also changed the cassette. And as the adjustments to the dérailleur had solved the shifting problem they did not see an immediate need to replace the chain and cassette.
They never tried to up-​sell me.
Lastly, after I got home and road-​tested the bike for myself I was still having problems dropping into low, I called and spoke to Bruno, the owner, who advised to just bring the bike back and we will readjust it. As I live about 15 miles away + a bridge toll, I asked if there was an adjustment that I could make. He then led me through the process on the phone, which actually did fix the problem.
They know a lot about customer service!

I have rented here several times now when in town with work. All rentals have gone well with bike equipment that has far exceeded my expectations.
The owner is particularly helpful to get you just the right bike. Being taller, I have always been able to enjoy one of the 28 inch wheel bikes. Comfortable ride, plenty of gears (it’s SF remember) and perfectly conditioned brakes.
Not a single complaint and (for me) no reason to rent anywhere else in the area.
5 stars. Meets and far exceeds.