Lakeview Bicycle

Took my very simple ebike in for a tube change on Thursday as I had a flat tire. Was told the service would take half an hour and came back after that to retrieve my bike. When I came to the store my bike was lying on its side by the front door unsecured- it would have been very easy for someone to snatch and grab it from the store. Upon leaving the shop I noticed that my bike’s electric gear switch button had been broken off (it was intact when I gave it to the shop) and a ceramic ornament I had on the back of the bike had been removed (it was not returned to me). I was not anticipating my bike would be further damaged and stripped by this shop when I came in for a tube replacement. The store itself is flooded with bikes in disarray and does not have a clear path to walkthrough to even get inside. The tube replacement cost 33$, which is fair for service and materials, but I was not anticipating the lack of care and damage that was done to my bike when I brought it in. The back wheel when it was put on the bike after the tube was replaced was not secured properly and had an intense wobble I had to sit down and fix myself. If you break something or lose something on a bike, communicate it to the customer. Don’t leave it for me to realize later how bad of a hack job you did.

Since moving to Oakland in 2013 and bicycling more regularly, Lakeview Bicycle has become the only local shop I trust. The owner, a fellow named Charlie, is honest, direct, knowledgeable and helpful. He is a no-bs kind of person. Because of that, and because he's helped me out on so many occasions, I have become his shop's loyal customer. I take all my bike business to him. Frankly, I would rather travel 3 mi down to Lakeview Bicycle than go back to the shop 50 yards from me in the Laurel after multiple dealings there left me with doubting the integrity of its owner. If you're looking for a bike shop in Oakland, I recommend you also head down toward the Lake and visit Lakeview Bicycle.