Westside Joe's Bikes - Alameda, California

Christopher W.

Had some issues getting into contact with the shop after I dropped it off and wasn't able to get updates for more than a week.

However, Vivian recognized the mistakes that lead to it and ultimately made things right, which is all I could ask for.

Good experience, nice people, and after the work at the shop, my bike rides the best it has since I bought it despite tune-ups at other shops.

Mikael D.

Rented a bike at Alameda location. Friendly staff and a fun time riding while in town. I can recommend as a good option to get a bike when away from home and your bike. Was able to rent a Cannondale speed rush lefty 26" full squish with 3x9 set up.

Eve P.

Paid $80 for 2 pair of shimano disc brake pads that sell for $20 online. The woman behind the counter was talking down about the brand of brakes I requested and said they were worn down. I got home and switched out my brake pads and my brakes weren’t worn at all but contaminated with grease. I recommend avoiding them for parts and just ordering online, I was in a pinch and needed the brakes for next commute…Sunday surge pricing I suppose?

Colleen H.

This place is the BEST! Super friendly and helpful with a great collection of bikes to rent or buy. Awesome bike accessories as well. Vivi was SO cool! We rented a cute bike for the day to bebop around Alameda....we got a flat and Vivi came to the rescue and brought us a new bike to finish our ride!

Dash B.

This makes me sad to say, but West Side Joe’s has completely lost my trust. We’ve been going there for years but to say they bungled my friend’s order is an understatement.

A friend from Oakland asked for a shop rec and I convinced him to order from Alameda. It took multiple months to get the bike to him because they kept forgetting to make updates they promised, forgot to deliver it even though it was physically in their store (meaning: not a supply chain issue) and his order is still incomplete. He ordered it in NOVEMBER. Here is the timeline:

We go in person in November. He picks a bike that’s in the store. They hold the bike to upgrade the motor per his request, but they ask that he pays the 1000s of dollars in full up front.

DECEMBER comes around; still not ready. He wants to at least have the bike while waiting for the motor. They never answer his calls. So the bike sits in their shop for another month.

January comes around and he still can’t get through to anyone.

February he finally tells me what’s going on, and I’m so embarrassed about giving this recommendation to him that I go in person on his behalf, and the owner starts scrambling to figure out what’s up with his bike. She makes a few calls. The bike is still sitting in the show room because even months later, and after he’s left many messages, they really forgot about it and were just chilling with his money.

Late February I go back but this time with him. Still not ready and the owner offers to deliver it to him after all this time but requests five dollars for gas (going to Oakland from Alameda LOL). Later that same day she calls me and says she suddenly feels under the weather and can’t drop the bike off after all.

She reschedules for a different evening. She doesn’t show up again.

Finally she drops it off one morning but it doesn’t have the boot lock he already paid for. It’s now been almost 3 months to get a the order he already paid for and he can’t even take it everywhere in Oakland because she never took him the special lock.

Then get this. She sends me a Venmo request for $5 and a text saying “hope he’s enjoying his ride!”

This is still unresolved. We are never going back here.

Kenneth K.

I love West Side Joe's Bike Shop. Vivian, the owner is and awesome! They have saved me so much time and energy I can't even Express my gratitude. I could darn near write a book on how great this place is.
Just yesterday I came in because I was having trouble with my tire, and they fixed my handle bars, seats, and lights.
They are committed to service, quality, and pricing that's competitive with any shop out there.
They also carry more bike brands than any bike shop you'll ever find.

Juan L.

Needed to have my damper on my fork swapped out because I did not have enough time before a trip to do it. Vivi was able to squeeze it in at the end of the day and the mechanic doing it (whose name i forgot) did a quick, splendid job. I also got a reasonable price for the work!

Needless to say, I’ve found my new local go-to bike shop

Laura W.

This is my 3rd attempt to address my experience with this business.
My impression of this business it is that it is generally well-meaning and somewhat chaotic - not particularly well managed and a bit slow with making sure that what they deliver matches what they promise.

I did not get a receipt for my purchase - In fact - I was not clear what was included in the charge until days after I left the store (and demanded a receipt itemizing the charges - turns out there was a charge that I was not expecting at the time- I had mentioned I wanted an extra battery and would return to buy it in 2 weeks. She charged me half the cost. To be fair - we had discussed that this would be the case and I did say I wanted this to be postponed so I was not expecting the charge).

Included in my purchase was what I thought was a cover for the cargo area of the bike - what I got was not what I thought I was buying.., It is a cover for the entire bike, which almost works for the bike.

I left the bike I had been riding with the understanding (which I thought was actually a legal requirement) that she (the person I assume is the business owner) would provide me with a receipt - she did not. I went back and asked or my bike back. She did go through some considerable trouble to get my bike to me.
When I purchased a bike from her - I allowed myself to be convinced that the weight of the bike would not be an issue for me - turns out it is. Point being - one can count on her in being interested in making a sale - not so much on considering the needs/well-being of the customer.
As I was leaving the shop - I wanted to transfer the mirror on my old bike to the new bike. I was willing to do the task myself - it may have taken me 15 minutes given that I was very tired. The person who came to do it (and prevented me from doing it) spent about 30 minutes to just remove it from the old bike.

The business owner has reached out and apologized profusely for my experience of our interaction. She shared her vision - which I am perfectly aligned with - that Alameda become a city where bikes become the principal form of transportation.