Palo Alto Bicycles open???

[sfscott]

Have an appt there for service (booked online) coming up and tried calling the store and ebike annex. Both numbers not working.

Did they close recently and not take down the website?

Would like to know before driving down.

[Mark McM]

Have an appt there for service (booked online) coming up and tried calling the store and ebike annex. Both numbers not working.

Did they close recently and not take down the website?

Would like to know before driving down.

I've never been there, but if this is the Palo Alto Bicycles on University Avenue in Palo Alto, their latest Yelp review (https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-bicycles-palo-alto) (a positive one) was posted only a week ago (8/23/20), so its a pretty good bet they're still open.

[ronlau]

I've never been there, but if this is the Palo Alto Bicycles on University Avenue in Palo Alto, their latest Yelp review (https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-bicycles-palo-alto) (a positive one) was posted only a week ago (8/23/20), so its a pretty good bet they're still open.

They were open yesterday when I walk by.

[sfscott]

All is well. Seems that there is a massive phone outage.

How 2020.

[C40_guy]

Evil Corp wants $10M or they're not getting their phone system back...

(just kidding...I hope...)

[roguedog]

you they're open but got hit by more 2020

[mmendoza87]

I will forever have a bad taste about PAB when I walked in there in 2007 (when I was a newbie at road cycling) and was given a major attitude by one of the employees when asking a simple question about handlebars.

[jkbrwn]

I too have had poor retail experiences, but I think it's time to move on :rolleyes:

[barnabyjones]

I will forever have a bad taste about PAB when I walked in there in 2007 (when I was a newbie at road cycling) and was given a major attitude by one of the employees when asking a simple question about handlebars.

When I was at the Farm I poked my head in there looking for a hybrid. Hybrids seemed cool back then! I had done some online research on cycling and believed it was a complicated activity. They gave me a great answer to my most inane question.

How much should I coast?

"Um, I pedal all the time."

[pdmtong]

I will forever have a bad taste about PAB when I walked in there in 2007 (when I was a newbie at road cycling) and was given a major attitude by one of the employees when asking a simple question about handlebars.

I too have had poor retail experiences, but I think it's time to move on :rolleyes:

these comments come up a lot and serve to remind me how daunting it must be for a newbie to walk into a high end shop. one doesn't know the fine terminology, what questions to ask, or even how to ask the questions they want to ask.

The tension is between taking time to pour all your knowledge of a given component into someone who is probably unable to digest that volume, and parsing out the info they need, want and perhaps a bit more to shape the conversation. and not spend an hour doing it. I've never sold at a shop, but I can see the challenges and why the untrained sales person might turn off a lot of folks who could become passionate cyclists.

[bfd]

these comments come up a lot and serve to remind me how daunting it must be for a newbie to walk into a high end shop. one doesn't know the fine terminology, what questions to ask, or even how to ask the questions they want to ask.

The tension is between taking time to pour all your knowledge of a given component into someone who is probably unable to digest that volume, and parsing out the info they need, want and perhaps a bit more to shape the conversation. and not spend an hour doing it. I've never sold at a shop, but I can see the challenges and why the untrained sales person might turn off a lot of folks who could become passionate cyclists.

Agree. Owning a shop isn't easy, but you have to cater to all customers, not just "high end." The newbie who comes in to spend under $1k may become a lifelong customer that ends up spending thousands more at your shop!

I remember PAB from the late 80s. They use to have a catalog and these huge sales where they basically put out tables and tables of parts like Campy SR, NR, even C-Record (which was the latest thing back then). Further, they had tables with other parts from Ofmega, Galli, Gipiemme and of course, Avocet, which I later learn was their "in-house" brand as it was designed there! Moreover, PAB had steel framesets made in Italy with their name on it. These were usually made out of Columbus SL and good stuff.

Alas, I walked in to their shop earlier this year and believe it is now a Trek dealer?! Still, Trek offers a variety of bikes for all levels. I'm surprised their "employees" didn't recognize or asked enough questions to know a potential customer is a newbie and direct them to the appropriate bikes. Sounds like they need some training...

Good Luck!

[pdmtong]

Agree. Owning a shop isn't easy, but you have to cater to all customers, not just "high end." The newbie who comes in to spend under $1k may become a lifelong customer that ends up spending thousands more at your shop!

I remember PAB from the late 80s. They use to have a catalog and these huge sales where they basically put out tables and tables of parts like Campy SR, NR, even C-Record (which was the latest thing back then). Further, they had tables with other parts from Ofmega, Galli, Gipiemme and of course, Avocet, which I later learn was their "in-house" brand as it was designed there! Moreover, PAB had steel framesets made in Italy with their name on it. These were usually made out of Columbus SL and good stuff.

Alas, I walked in to their shop earlier this year and believe it is now a Trek dealer?! Still, Trek offers a variety of bikes for all levels. I'm surprised their "employees" didn't recognize or asked enough questions to know a potential customer is a newbie and direct them to the appropriate bikes. Sounds like they need some training...

Good Luck!

I grew up in the East Bay so PAB was not a LBS for me until I moved to the peninsula. At that time Wheelsmith was on Hamilton mid-block and Ric and Jon were still in the shop. The first time I walked into PAB I looked at the shorts and thought OMFG...$40 for shorts.

PAB is important to the community and they are lucky the owner owns the building. Given the retail churn downtown if that was not the case, they would have been long gone. the restaurant on the corner next to them pays $30k/month in rent. Thats a lot of assos and Emonda SL

PAB does indeed have bikes for all riders. from high end road and mtb to city to folding. They opened an e-bike only annex. they had the front parking converted to bike share (since gone). they had a small shop out in the commuter train station. they do a lot more than an ordinary shop.

I've seen people come in to get a flat repair on their beater and the $12k bike being packed for a customer's third vacation home. Personally, have always been treated great. Even when I was a total newb.

[jpw]

Does PAB attract the Silicon Valley crowd?

[jpw]

I grew up in the East Bay so PAB was not a LBS for me until I moved to the peninsula. At that time Wheelsmith was on Hamilton mid-block and Ric and Jon were still in the shop. The first time I walked into PAB I looked at the shorts and thought OMFG...$40 for shorts.

PAB is important to the community and they are lucky the owner owns the building. Given the retail churn downtown if that was not the case, they would have been long gone. the restaurant on the corner next to them pays $30k/month in rent. Thats a lot of assos and Emonda SL

PAB does indeed have bikes for all riders. from high end road and mtb to city to folding. They opened an e-bike only annex. they had the front parking converted to bike share (since gone). they had a small shop out in the commuter train station. they do a lot more than an ordinary shop.

I've seen people come in to get a flat repair on their beater and the $12k bike being packed for a customer's third vacation home. Personally, have always been treated great. Even when I was a total newb.

$1000 a day just for rent. As Peter Thiel has commented, the whole of SF has become a rent seeking abuse.

[sfscott]

1). What exactly is a “Silicon Valley Type” ? ; and
2). Peter Thiel is the last person who should be providing social commentary on the area. Something about walking the walk....

[prototoast]

1). What exactly is a “Silicon Valley Type” ? ; and
2). Peter Thiel is the last person who should be providing social commentary on the area. Something about walking the walk....

I this context, I would think "Silicon Valley Type" refers to people with so much money that they aren't price sensitive. The people who will walk into a store and buy whatever they want, regardless of what it costs.

[jpw]

1). What exactly is a “Silicon Valley Type” ? ; and
2). Peter Thiel is the last person who should be providing social commentary on the area. Something about walking the walk....

1. The web tech ecosystem populous with bottomless pockets.
2. He did walk. He left SF. He's in LA and NYC.

[Fixed]

How about the little shop that carried colnago and vintage Italian cycling gear
I looked For them last time I was there ,a couple of weeks ago they were
between Whole Foods and the creamery
Cheers

Telling people what is wrong with their home is not kind

if You do not live here keep it to yourself imho
Cheers

[maxim809]

How about the little shop that carried colnago and vintage Italian cycling gear
I looked For them last time I was there ,a couple of weeks ago they were
between Whole Foods and the creamery


VeloTech? I like Mark and Tom.

[Fixed]

VeloTech? I like Mark and Tom.

Yes that is it
Are they still in business?

It is a cool shop
http://www.velotechcycles.com/

[maxim809]

Yes that is it
Are they still in business?

It is a cool shop
http://www.velotechcycles.com/

Yep, they sure are.

It took a little longer than the other LBS's in the area, but traffic to their shop spiked like all others shortly after the pandemic. I was last there in May. The entire shop was packed with customer's Parlee's, C-series Colnago's and every vintage of Pinarello's waiting to get a tune-up.

It was like being in a museum. The owner said he hadn't seen some of these bikes in years and he was ecstatic to see them alive and well, ready for a fresh tune-up. The energy in there was very fun.

[tylercheung]

For any mechanic work, def velotech. PAB is kind of a bigbox store for more selection but Tom is apparently well know re mechanic expertise. Alchemy/Pinarello/Colnago/Pegoretti dealer i think. I went to PAB for specific odds and ends like a bike helmet and such, but any major work goes to Velotech when I'm in town.


Of note, I saw what looked like a Stanford-focused mom and pop shop near California Ave/El Camino Real, looked interesting but I never set foot inside...

[ronlau]

+1 for Tom @ VeloTech.



For any mechanic work, def velotech. PAB is kind of a bigbox store for more selection but Tom is apparently well know re mechanic expertise. Alchemy/Pinarello/Colnago/Pegoretti dealer i think. I went to PAB for specific odds and ends like a bike helmet and such, but any major work goes to Velotech when I'm in town.

I have the wildest story re Velotech but given some quirky details (not their fault, and which they bent over backwards to straighten out), that will be kept private for now..

Of note, I saw what looked like a Stanford-focused mom and pop shop near California Ave/El Camino Real, looked interesting but I never set foot inside...

[PaMtbRider]

I was in the Army and stationed at Fort Ord in the mid 1980's. I was an avid cyclist at the time, but coming from small town Pennsylvania, I had never been in a bike shop that stocked high end bikes or parts. I thought I had found heaven. I ended up buying a Palo Alto frame set that they sold me at a ridiculously low price. They treated me really well, and I am glad to hear they are still in business.