[toolsnob]

I have to travel to San Diego for work in mid-December, are there any good bike shops worth visiting in the general area?

I'm looking for a LBS that has a lot of high-end mountain bike stuff in stock that I can actually see.

I checked the SoCal LBS Review Sticky but I never heard of most of the cities/towns listed so I'm not sure if they are in LA or SD.

 

[aword4you]

Beyond Bikes has some good stuff. They carry Ellsworth, Yeti, have a 6.6 in stock, the Fox40, lots of DH/FR gear.

 

[Pinch]

Beyond Bikes is your best bet. They are up in the Carmel Mountain area off of I-15. They have tons of high-end stuff in stock that you can see. They also have a demo fleet of bikes. So, if you have the time you may be able to actually go ride one. I would just make sure to call in advance.

 

[pyrofly]

Black Mountain Bicycles

Black Mountain Bicycles is a pretty good shop. They have mostly Trek, Giant, and Specialized, but also carry a few others in the mtb section. I've also heard some good things about Mountain Bike Warehouse down in the Clairemont/Pacific Beach area, but I've never been there myself.

 

[noslogan]

I ordered from beyond once.

Apparently if you order from Beyond online or by phone that is the day they order the part from the distributor. That way they don't have high overhead.
That is what they told me when I called to find out where the item was.

 

[Pinch]

Apparently if you order from Beyond online or by phone that is the day they order the part from the distributor. That way they don't have high overhead.
That is what they told me when I called to find out where the item was.

Have you ever been there? They have a lot of items in stock. They have considerable "warehouse" space where they stock a lot of stuff. I wouldn't doubt if they run out of stuff or don't keep everything in stock. I think that would be a near impossibility. So, there will likely be times when they do wait to get an order from a customer until placing an order with the distributor. However, there is no way that they do that with every item. They have a very good sized shop with a lot of high end frames/parts in stock. I think you are a little confused (or the person who told you that misspoke).

 

[noslogan]

Been there

I wanted to "test" them out. They sell merchandise on Fleabay. I won an item and called them up. Told them that I won an item. Told them exactly what it was. I asked if I could pick it up tommorow. The guy said hold on, a few minutes later he said to come on in and pick up the brakes. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE BRAKES.

I guess if they are gonna sell something on Fleabay they don't have to actually have the item. Kinda like those guys who have zero feedback and 200 bikes for sale.

Not only have I read about poor performance from Beyond and what they used to be called in the past here on these boards but, still do have poor berformance to this day. With me anyway.

Most people that experience good service don't speak up. The reason why they don't is because good service is expected. That is the sellers job.

 

[xjbebop]

Beyond Bikes Bites! Do a search here for more details...

They have a lot of stuff, but thier customer service is, shall we say, lacking.

 

[NappyT]

Beyond Bikes is the only local shop that has high end parts on hand. I would check them out but like a lot of other shops that are trying to diversify the business. The customer service isn't an issue for me. I know what I want I find the best price. They price match and I save shipping and get instant gratification.

 

[Timmy]

Too bad they're complete morons...

Do yourself a favor and stay away from these jackasses.

 

[toolsnob]

Post-Visit to San Diego

I ended up going to Beyond Bikes and two Bicycle Warehouse locations (Chula Vista and San Diego).

Beyond had a wide range of high-end products in stock, which is good. I didn't experience bad customer service but I've had better. I'm not sure how good they can make their in-store customer service when all the employees walk around with headsets on to answer the phone.

The Bicycle Warehouses were great, plenty of high-end stuff and friendly customer service. The indoor track at the San Diego store is cool (test rode a Santa Cruz Blur XC... very nice). I had extended bike-related conversations with employees at both Warehouse stores.

Beyond is a "Go and pick it up" kind of shop, Bicycle Warehouse is definitely an easy place to hang out.

 

[West Side Rider]

Bicycle warehouse has a lot in stock and the SD store is big...you have to find the right people to talk to but if you do they can be very helpful