Any thoughts on these shops? I never been to Laguna Cyclery but hit RBC a few years back for rental for friend in town for a ride at A/W. bike was a total beater and not worth rental but not sure they had a "real" rental program Anyone familar with either of these shops? worth a check out? would be nice to know of other decent shops closer to parks when in need?
Sorry Kid A I know this is three months late but here we go. Haven’t been to RBC since I was a kid so I can't help you out there. But I have taken my Hekler to Laguna Cyclery for maintence twice. Both times I was a walk in. My first trip in there was for a severely bashed link in my chain. They swapped in a new chain while I waited in and out in 15 mins and they tuned up my derailers on the house. 2nd time was for an odd squeal coming from the rear hub, the tightened it up and my rear break had been rubbing the disc so the put a burnishing compound on to help that out, Total charge.... 5 bucks. Can't say enough about how well they treated me when I walked in with a problem. The shop tends to lean more toward the roadie side at least from the feeling I got but they don't make you feel second class for liking dirt
Before I purchased a road bike, I went there to rent one. They were great. Picked the bike up, rode the bike 1 full day, the next day, I had to be at work at a certain time so I could not drop it off before they closed, no problem though, I just dropped it off in the morning when I got off at no charge.
My experience with Laguna shops is that they have good wrenchs but they are busy and takes time to get work done. Top notch work just don't expect it to be done in a few days. MTB rentals, nod goes to Laguna Cyclery...last time in there they had a nice Medium Turner Sultan Frame for sale. Dean
I bought my 5 Spot there. Very good service. Nice, welcoming vibe. As stated above, they lean more towards the roadie spectrum but have a decent selection of dirt accessories and high end rental bikes. C
Laguna Cyclery Took my road bike into their shop on Friday evening to have it looked over since my crash just to make sure everything was in tip top shape again. Got a chance to meet Patrick the owner, super cool dude, looking he runs a pretty cool eclectic shop in downtown Laguna with a lot of inventory of high end road bikes and they are also a Yeti and Turner dealer. Told me I’d have the bike ready by Tuesday and sure enough, Tuesday afternoon I got a call telling me my bike was ready for pick up. Came by there Wednesday to pick it up and the bike was cleaner than when I dropped it off. They actually took the time to clean up the bike. They re-wrapped my bar with new tape and replaced my thrashed hood as well as replaced the tires with some swank Michelins. Their tune-up fees were acceptable and the discount for the parts weren’t bad at all A+++ for Patrick and his crew at Laguna…I need to see if he can become a LOOK dealer because I saw something they have for 09 that caught my eye.
That place is great. I dig their blog too. They are always posting about cool stuff they've just built or some new product they have in. For me it's all about the Swobo stuff there. I have my eye on those red track hubs.
I ordered my new HECKLER from Laguna Cyclery and they had it built and ready when they said they would and even beat any internet prices . Great shop and great service from Patrick and his crew ! :bang::bang:
My wife and I were in the area today so we checked out the shop, super cool vibe, really nice high end road bikes, bunch of Ibis frames. Not a lot of inventory but still was cool to check out. They had a couple of Carbon SC Blurs.
I've been using Laguna Cyclery for service & parts for several years. There are several shops closer to where I live but they've made me a loyal customer by always providing professional & fairly priced service. Patrick is a good guy & as someone else posted ,Tim is a very good (incredible maybe ? )mechanic.
I've just recently stumbled onto Laguna Cyclery and have to say one of the coolest shops I've been to small and personal. The bikes are amazing and especially their rentals!! I've been working on a new build with them and Patrick has been super cool! When they are working with you they never rush u and they make sure they answer all your questions. It's been a pleasure talking with them and they are super knowledgeable with great bikes and great deals!
Good shop. I've been there a few times and they are one of only two shops in OC where I would get my bike serviced. They carry santa cruz and ibis (great BikeCo alternative for ibis), and a lot roadie bikes and gear. Not as much mtb as the path, but great tech guys and great service.
Yeah I can see how thats frustrating, but I suppose it might be due to their small size and overhead...?
Great explanation - but not acceptable as a business practice. They lost at least one local customer who spends 1000s a year on bike crap. Even BikeCo gives me a full refund.
I demoed an Independent Fabrication tandem with independent pedaling capability from them years ago with my wife. They were really cool; no pressure, just let me try it and asked me what I thought, etc. Very helpful. Seemed like a neat shop, lots of inventory--mostly on the road. Saw the owner climbing Willow a year or two ago b4 they blew it up / graded it. Seems like a dedicated guy.
I hear you having that flexibility to change your mind is nice, I usually am the exact same. If it wasn't how nice and cool Patrick is the non refunds would also put me off. But still nice to have a shop around you that stocks a ton of stuff if you get in a pinch. Anyways usually when we buy stuff unless it breaks we all use it before we can change our minds to return it LOL.