Wheel World - Woodland Hills

So I recently picked up a full suspension bike.
I compared a number of bikes, Giant, Cannondale, Kona, Santa Cruz, Gary Fisher, the list goes on...
When comparing features and price along with my riding style I landed on a Kona Coiler. I could not be happier with this bike!

My local Kona dealer is Wheel World in Woodland Hills, CA. Upon first visit I didn't get the welcoming vibe that I did in some other shops in the area. However, my second time back to actually take the Kona Coiler for a test ride I ended up working with Skyler. He knew a decent amount about the bike, but was more of a BMX guy. The service and buying experience was great! Not only did I get a great price on a 2007 model year bike but I got a killer setup, everything on the bike was checked and re-checked. Buying a bike at Wheel World comes along with 1 year of free adjustments (derailler, brakes, suspension, etc.) and 1 full tune up which they recommended to do after 30 hours of riding time.

Now being a repeat customer the shop feels much more welcoming, all the guys are very informative and I never feel forced into buying a product that isn't right for me. They work to understand my riding style and are spot on with suggestions.

Overall it's a great shop with tons of bikes and accessories in stock!

 

I stopped in this shop once last summer and it's not very big. I stood around for a solid 10 minutes, looking at a couple bikes and the few workers in there paid no attention to me whatsoever. I walked out after 10 minutes of not being helped.

I went back in this afternoon since I was in the area.
Note: neither this locaiton, nor the Culver City location are anywhere near where I live, so it's definitely not a local shop.

They have some bikes on sale for cheap right now and I am more than just browsing, I am ready to buy. So I go in, spend another 10 minutes standing around, and there's one employee in the whole store. I didn't see the bikes advertised on the web site so I walk out and notice another employee in the back with some other bikes and he's unlocking them and I ask about two bikes I saw on the website and he doesn't stop what he's doing to talk to me, he grabs a bike and as he's riding off yells, go to Culver City. Yeah, because that's right down the road, right?

I sarcastically yell "thanks" and take off.

THe vibe I have had from two visits is that they don't seem too interested in approaching customers and asking them how they can easily make money by selling them a bike, especially when someone like me has cash in hand. Maybe they push enough volume through their website that they don't *need* the sales, but whatever, I'm not going in ever again.

 

Wow, that sucks. Since you don't buy a bike very often, I'd recommend a drive to a shop where you'll get good selection, price and service. I've bought bikes from a few shops in OC, but never spent as much money or had as great of an experience as I did at The Path in Tustin. That's a long drive from La Verne, but I think a lot of people would tell you that you'll get very knowledgeable people to help you and a good price.

Good luck--buying a new bike should be fun and a great experience, so try to enjoy it but that starts with picking the right shop. Someone on here may know of an option nearer to you.