My friends mock me for what they call over-the-top Trailhead Cyclery (THC) loyalty. They often ask if I am "on the take." I'm not on the take, but I am going to tell you a story about Trailhead that will knock your socks off. Last winter, they built me a beautiful bike - Yeti 575, custom wheels, top-of-the-line everything. It was my second bike from THC. Thing shredded like crazy. On May 6th 2009, I got a frantic telephone call from my wife. Someone had walked into my garage, lifted it off my ceiling hooks, and stolen my bike. Beautiful bike just gone. I filed a police report, insurance claim (USAA!), and got a new bike. THC keeps meticulous records, and they were instrumental in helping me supply the precise spec, serial number, etc not only to the police, but also to my insurance company, which needed to verify that my claim was legit. THC went way above and beyond there... but wait... there's more. In early January 2010, a heckuva nice guy strolled into THC with a ...

I used to drop my bike here whenever I needed maintenance. The crew is friendly and the place spacious. They're expensive, but for as long as they did the job right, I could live with that. Unfortunately, I had a demonstration of how bad things can get here. On my last visit, I dropped by bike for some simple maintenance. I had a stripped crank bolt that had to be removed. They said "that's easy, don't worry". One week later, I get a call that "things were not going well". I paid the store a visit and talked to the mechanic. He explained to me that while attempting to remove the bolt, they had put excessive force into it and broken an "easy out" (a bolt removal tool made of hardened metal) inside the screw. This made screw removal, which should be simple with a "clean" screw, very very difficult. "We do not have the tools to do it, because of the current economic situation" (eh!?), they said. They asked for a few more days ...

These folks here are friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. I bought some forks from them, the staff cut the headtube to the proper length and even cut a carbon seatpost (which I bought online) for free. I've had a tuneup as well as purchased a few parts and have been satisfied with their customer service every time. I'll definitely be a repeat customer.‎

a bit out of my way, but worth the trip. they fixed what others could not fix, and the bike shifts and fuctions better than ever before (Santa Cruz Superlight, Chris King, XTR)‎

These guys really know, ride and race their bikes and can help you choose the parts you need to build your rig. They have competent mechanics on duty with reasonable rates. They also have 'demo' days where you can ride select mountain bikes (xc, f/r, dh) at Demonstration Forest. They are one of my favorite bike shops in the Bay Area.‎