Performance Bicycle

Today, Performance closed. We employees recieved a plate of cookies and and a heartfelt card from a customer about the enjoyable experience at the store. Ok. Now for a employee perspective. We were not like other bike shops. We catered to everyone. We didn’t have glares or stick our noses up when people don’t come in to buy 5000 dollar bikes. We treated people with a equally positive and positive attitude. That’s why we were successful. No shop can replicate the connection we have with the community. No shop around here has such a diverse field of customers. No shop has the amount of history compared to us. You won’t see a Freebord, several generations of RockShok logos, and a Coda sticker on the same wall in a shop nowadays. You won’t have a competitive drifter, a former Santa Cruz wheelbuilder, a guy who rides a downhill bike daily, the greatest managers one can ever have, a guy who rides a Suzuki Samurai, a guy who rides a Fairdale, a snowboarder, a former mechanical engineer, a guy that has a corgi named Gilligan, and a «Yipster» be in a same shop anymore. May Performance live forever in your heart.

I can’t believe this location is closing. It’s the busiest and best bike shop in WC

I want to thank Raphael for his help and advice when I at Performance Bicycle in Walnut Creek. He never rushes you and he takes his time when explaining the pros and cons of the different products that I’m looking at buying. He has never let me down.
Unlike other Bicycle stores, Raphael and Performance Bicycles in Walnut Creek makes you feel comfortable even though you’re not a pro racer. We are lucky to have them in the downtown area of Walnut Creek.

I’m using my wife’s Unilocal ID. I am not a Unilocaler. But I couldnt resist sharing my experience about Mike and Alex. I started out looking for a bike last year March. I went to Pleasant Hill Cyclery. Was treated like «you can go to Target, these are pro bikes». My wife and I felt too small. We stepped into Performance Bicycle at Walnut Creek. Best thing happened w.r.t bike. Mike is the guy who took time and patience and explained about every bike we were just looking. We didnt even say we liked those. He knew what we needed. He showed us GT Transeo 4.0. An awesome bike. He recommended us to go for the rewards program and explained the return policy especially because we are not from US and will be leaving soon. I didnt believe back then when he said I can return the bike, no questions asked.
I felt guilty to return my bike. I had no issues with my bike but I cant carry it to my country either. Its too costly and the customs personnel most of the times cause problems. So I took the courage to call Performance bike, Alex picked up the call. He just said I can return the bike and that is it. I took my bike and returned it. I got my debit card credited with the same price, not even a penny less.
I was so happy buying my bike from Performance and felt so stress free when i returned. I know where to find a good bike when I return.
Thanks Mike and Alex and the whole crew at WC. You guys Rock!

NOTE: I came here because I had a craptastic experience at Mike’s Bikes of Walnut Creek and that review can be read here:
Besides the parking situation of downtown Walnut Creek, I had such a great experience at the WC Performance Bike. I had them place a front dérailleur on my bike short notice, as the following day I had a ride with some friends up the Santa Cruz hills, and they did it quick. No fuss, no muss, no gouging of prices. I called in first to see how much repair costs would be, Mike answered the phone, and told me the front dérailleur install would be $ 15 no tax (since services aren’t taxed) and if my dérailleur lines are still good they’d be able to use them. I brought my bike in, met Mike, he sent me back to the guy in the shop. The shops mechanics were swamped, they looked a bit stressed and tired, but had the best bedside manner for their situation. The mechanic looked at my bike, told me he’d have it ready at 5pm (I brought it in at 2pm), and that it’d be $ 15 (consistency is awesome ain’t it?).
True to their word, all the work was finished in a timely manner, they even tuned my brakes at no charge. I’m not sure if it is something they just do, but it was a nice treat to see that they did a quick tune on my baby for me.
All in all, I’d recommend Performance Bike of WC to anyone. Nice, professional, quick, and best of all: Consistent.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would thrash my bike and have these fine folks repair it

When I think about riding a bike, I always pinned about owning a racing bike, but the prices were much too much for me. The bike I wanted was a Cervélo, which at the time (say 15 years ago) cost about $ 3500. I couldn’t justify paying that much. I was also told that you wouldn’t last more than an hour and a half riding one because of how stiff they were.
So, rather than buy a bike I continued to hem and haw. Then one day my sister went to Performance and bought me a hybrid as a birthday present. I loved it and rode it once and found I could only go 25 miles per hour. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I went to Performance (2 months later) and I think it was Mike who was trying to figure out what I was doing as I looked at the racing bikes and contemplated the cost of the hybrid vs. the cost of the racing bikes. Initially, I told him I was just looking, which was OK by him. The next day or so, I told him what I was up to. I said I really wasn’t happy with the hybrid my sister gave me. And I saw a beautiful flat black with gray lettering bike, which had the required Shimano 105 components and a composite frame and stays. It was around $ 1100. The hybrid was about $ 599. Anyway, it turns out I traded the hybrid in for what Mike said was a «Black Friday» bike. He helped me make sure the size was correct since that was an overriding issue and it turned out the bike that fit was a 53. My old Bianchi is considerably larger.
Since then, I bought a new helmet, flat black, Shimano clip-​in shoes, many energy bars and I have been up to the top of Mt. Diablo and Skyline and Grizzly. I try to get to the top of Mt. Diablo at least once a week. I’ve been in the store a number of times on the way home from the ride and gone into the store. Initially, I decided on not having clip-​in shoes given a previous accident and forgetfulness, but I got the clip-​ins given people talking about diminished efficiency when I would ride up Mt. Diablo with bare pedals. Initially, I fell over on my side about 6 times since I got them. I’ve fallen against a light post just yesterday when I realize some pedestrians were coming around a corner and I had to avoid them. I’ve fallen against a car as well.
The point I want to make is that the experience with Performance has been better than I could have ever imagined. I love my bike. It is a part of me as a dog might be. I rode yesterday when coming back to Walnut Creek on the freeway between Fish Ranch and Orinda, I can get up to about 48 miles per hour. The experience of riding as a 53-​year-​old male has changed my life. It might have saved my life. The value of the bike — a carbon fiber with Shimano 105 components at less than $ 1200 is dreamlike. A friend of mine I used to ride with when I had the mountain bike said that 105 components are 10 times better than they were.
Don’t wait and I don’t think you need a better bike than they have to offer. It is really just about you at that point. It takes time to get in shape and you have to keep it up, but a bike is not a car. It is imperative. You need it to live. You have to stay in shape if you want to live. I chose Performance and I am glad I did.

Great place good people and very helpful. Bought my bike from here and my fiancé’s.

This is where I went to get my first great mountain bike, yes, it was a performance brand, and I got a lot of great use out of that bike. They have excellent prices and service here.

Do: Buy gear here. Things are always on sale. Performance clothing is a great value for the money.
Don’t: Get your bike serviced here. The kid that touched my bike initially put the rear cassette on in the wrong order. Yikes!!!
Advice: The folks here are generally pretty clueless. You’re better off doing your research first, know what bike you want, and then get it on sale here if they carry it.

I have been coming to this store for the past few months after I bought my bike. I’m not an avid cyclist but I ride ~5 miles each day to work and back on the Iron Horse Trail. As a casual user of all things bike related, I have found the staff to be very helpful in answering my noob questions and getting me out of a couple jams.
This last time I rode my bike to work only to discover my bike lock would not secure. After a panicked thought of my bike being stolen I realized I work in downtown Walnut Creek and I should probably chill out. I hide the broken mechanism and no one would discover it was broken unless they really yanked the bike around. After work I rode to Performance Bike and the gentleman behind the counter, although stoic in his demeanor, was really helpful in examining the lock and replacing it for free. He didn’t even ask for verification of purchase from the store — he took my word for it and swapped me a brand new bike lock.
Another time I was in the store there was a kid there who had a flat tire. The owner Todd told him he needed to call his mom to get $ if he wanted the repair. The kid didn’t have money to pay for the repair so I took $ 20 bucks out of my pocket to help him out. Todd was so impressed by my generosity he gave me my repair for free and a discount on another item. I’m not telling this to pat my own back, but rather to share how this place pays kindness forward.
Really great service overall and I’ll keep coming back here.

Employee saw us walk in, no greeting.
Husband asked about a different clips for his pedals, no customer service, was told to buy new pedals. Asked if the CO2 system would work with Presta Valve, no real interaction.
I feel spoiled because I have been a customer with Performance Bike in Fair Oaks for years We bought 2 Fuji Road Bikes and always had fantastic personal service.
As usual the a Walnut Creek location has disappointed us. Once again proving to me that I should not spend any of my dollars in WC.
As I need bike maintenance for 3 bikes, I will drive the 125 miles back to Sacramento to see my old store or find a local store that will actually deliver customer service that involves human interaction.

I give them 5 stars because they have done everything and more that I asked for.
At the store 3 times. 1^st time they adjusted my seat and got it right just looking at me. 2^nd time they showed me a bunch of bikes b/​c I was looking to upgrade –no pressure or hassle, very genuine folks here. 3^rd time was during a sales tax free day and they held 2 tires for me over the phone by just giving them my name. because of traffic delay I was unable to get to the store and they held them an additional day.
I like this place.

I am upgrading Performance to 5 stars. Since buying my bikes from them almost two months ago I have been very impressed with their after sales service and technical support, which has been excellent. Furthermore, I was able to take advantage of Performance’s outstanding satisfaction guarantee. They have a ONE YEAR return guarantee. If you don’t like your bike you can return it within one year for a store credit towards a new bike or other gear. They really want you to be happy with your bike!
I was told about this guarantee when I bought my first bike but didn’t think much of it since I didn’t believe I would be returning it. But after riding my first bike, a Fuji, for a couple weeks and reading more about road bikes I decided I wanted a bike with a compact front crankcase (two front gears instead of three) and a better dérailleur. They let me return the Fuji for a Scattante
which I absolutely love! Scattante is their in-​house brand, but it is made in the same factories as mass-​produced name-​brand bikes.
As I mentioned their after sale service and support is excellent. I brought my bike in for a fitting and for some adjustments. Rafael, who sold me my bikes, did the fitting and after adjusting the seat and handlebar the bike fits me perfectly! Matias, who is one of the techs, has also helped me with some adjustments (tightening up fittings which came loose and loosening some which were too tight!) and he really knows how a bike works! Performance offers «Lifetime Free Adjustments» for as long as you own your bike (adjusting brake & gear settings, truing the wheels, tighten fittings, and a general safety inspection) and for a fee will perform tune-​ups and complete overhauls. I paid an extra $ 28 when I bought my bike for their 2-​year service plan which will cover annual overhauls and a certain number of flat repairs and tune-​ups.
Sorry if I sound like a shill but I really feel like I am being taken care of by Performance, like I am part of the family (I hang out there enough checking out gear so I guess I am becoming family!)
Lastly, if you park at the City garage across the street Performance will validate you for an hour of free parking!!!

I am writing to share a great customer service experience at the Performance Bike shop in Walnut Creek. I want to give a big shout out to Matias Alvarez and Mike Kaufman — my bike mechanics as well as the store manager — Todd Kaufman. I took my bike in for a stuck front derailer and cleaning for a big century ride that was upcoming. I got a call 48 hours before I was to pick up my bike, I was told I had a broken Shimano shifter and that it needed to be replaced. After a few phone calls, Matias and Mike took it upon themselves to call the bike store that I bought my bike from (the reason I go to Performance) and found out that my part was likely under warranty. They discovered they had a brand new Shimano shifter (my version) on a bike in the store — they swapped out the shifter, followed up with Shimano to get the part under warranty — saving me a few hundred bucks and I got my bike back in time to ride the century.
It is very rare to get proactive service anymore. Seem like only Nordstrom walks the walk, but I give the Performance team my kudos. Bike stores tend to have a snooty attitude, like they are doing you a favor when you need service. So, when someone actually provides the service and goes out of their way to please you… I say thank you.
Thanks guys.

Yeah it’s a huge chain that might hurt the independents but this place has something the independents don’t have– friendly customer service.
I shop here for the following reasons:
1) Super Friendly Staff
2) Cheap A_​_​prices.
This isn’t the only bike shop I frequent, but for my huge bike «habit» it is a must. I spend so much money on bike stuff the 3 bike shops I regularly frequent greet me by my first name.
One thing to note, I generally don’t come here looking for advice or shopping around I come here to pick up what I want/​need at good prices. These tend to be maintenance items or super expensive replacement parts. If you shop the same, be sure to look at their website which will generally have better deals.
If these guys had a typical bike shop attitude I wouldn’t give them a second thought, but their genuine and honest staff such as Rafael and Larry keep me coming back.

Lifetime tuneups if you buy a bike here.
Staff are very helpful and eager to make customers instead of just sales.
Great for first-​time bike buyers and casual bikers.
Not a hard-​core shop.

Brian Kane is the go-​to mechanic. He’s friendly and understands people need their bikes back in a reasonable amount of time (aka not more than one weekend without riding).

So almost a month ago (really, almost 4 weeks) I walk into Performance Bikes with my RECEIPT and a bike needing repair. The receipt had some «repair» plan I purchased. I tell the repair guy that I am donating the bike and that I don’t know anything about Bikes (Bike belonged to my brother, and he hasn’t ridden it for years). I tell the repair guy that the family is needy and that this Bike is basically the only way for the «man of the house» to get to work. He’s walking and it’s like 5 miles.
At any rate, I tell him I don’t have much money either, but that I want to get EVERYTHING done I’m entitled to per the repair plan. Basically, it’s like a 19 point inspection with some oiling of some parts, and get the gears cleaned, new tubes, and some other thing. He tells me it will be a couple WEEKS to do this because they are backed up. Fine.
Basically, weeks later, I get a call from someone telling me a long list of problems with the bike. I tell him I don’t have money but I want to donate the bike to help this family in need, so please perform EVERYTHING that the plan entitles me to. He tells me the bike is in okay condition, but it NEEDS a new tube for the tire because it doesn’t hold air. I agree to pay the 5 bucks for the new (required) tube. At any rate, the guy on the phone says it’s done and to pick up the bike soon. After 10 days, they’ll start charging for keeping the bike there. I told the guy I was on vacation, but that I’d be there As Soon as I got back.
So I get back from vacation and go to pick up the bike. Except only 2 of the 4 services were completed.
So i talk to the guy and ask why EVERYTHING in the plan wasn’t completed, as discussed. He tells me that I didn’t tell him I wanted those other services. WHAT THE HELL do you think «EVERYTHING» means! He basically tries to blame ME for this. So then I ask him if he can finish repairing the bike «today» as I drove all the way out just to pick up the bike. He says they are backed up for weeks and that there’s no way they can do it because they are working on other bike’s they have deadlines for.
right. you mean, like MY BIKE from LAST MONTH that was NOT COMPLETED! How DARE you even suggest to work on someone ELSE’S bike BEFORE mine is even done. Not only did they suggest it, but they did it. I had to take the bike WITHOUT all the services completed. And this bike is for Donation going to a family in need.
Conclusion: These people are jerks who don’t care about helping others in need. They only care about money, and don’t care about their customers and care even LESS about people in need and people who don’t have money.
Performance Bikes: I’m sorry I don’t have the money to buy a new bike for the family in need. I wish I could. I wish I had the money to repair the bike 100%, but again, I don’t have that either. But can you at least do the complete job per the service agreement I PAID for?
I hate you guys. It’s a new low for bay area people which I’ve never before experienced: going out of your way NOT to help people in need.

Performance bicycle is known for their great prices on bicycles and a large selection of bicycle accessories. The staff is knowledgeable and you also get special attention when you are purchasing a new bicycle. I like the store’s organization of sizes for the different accessories. The girlfriend and I decided that we wanted to change our older mountain bikes into street friendly bikes and we needed street tires and lights. I was looking for a specific bike tire and Performance offered a large variety to choose from.
In some cities you can be fined for not having lights on your bike at night. Imagine and seeing some bicyclist at night who might have been drinking (with no lights), it is a common occurrence in Alameda.
Fortunately we able to score some front and rear lights for both bikes plus some street tires on a special sale they were having. Parking can be very hectic in downtown Walnut Creek and tickets are giving out like candy so be watchful of the parking meters.
Happy Bicycling!

This is a decent little bike store. As long as you’re not looking for anything to crazy it will meet your needs.
Of course being the only open bike shop open on New Years Eve between Walnut Creek & Lafayette really helped out also.
The service was very attentive and friendly. They answered all of our questions and didn’t seem to be to aggressive. We kind of already know a lot about bikes so we really didn’t need to much assistance.
The selection of bikes are small and they have no Trials Bikes at all.
I am planning to get a new Mountain Bike in the near future and will come back to test drive some GT’s. I will be back.