Local Bike Shops in Pasadena, CA

May 24, 2009 6:44 PM

Please recommend a bike shop near Pasadena, CA

I'll be moving to Pasadena, CA and the commute to work will be about 7 miles in local roads. AskMe has convinced me to buy a bike and commute to work so my question is: Where do I go to buy a bike? I'd like to go to find a local bike shop so that I can pick someone's brain about which bike to buy. I'd appreciate recommendations of knowledgeable staff, decent prices and a good selection of bikes and parts.

I'll also appreciate it if you can also get me started with a few questions to ask. I really have no idea of what I'm looking for in a bike.

Aside from work, there will be hiking/biking trails near where I'll live so I'd like to be able use the bike for both.

I'll appreciate bike and bike trail recommendations as well. It's going to be my first bike since I was a child.

If it's relevant, I'm not in great shape, but hopefully, biking to work will help.

Thanks in advance, folks.

posted by onich to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (10 answers total)

I've had good experiences at Pasadena Cyclery, but I've been there for repairs rather than new bike purchases.
posted by mr_roboto at 7:34 PM on May 24, 2009

Two reasonable options
Pasadena Cyclery
Incycle

There are also a handful of less reasonable options.

The whole area is a very bike friendly place (I don't ride one, I walk everywhere, but there certainly are a lot of bikes).
posted by milqman at 11:18 PM on May 24, 2009

Nthing Pasadena Cyclery for purchase. To learn how to do the maintenance on your bike yourself, check out The Bike Oven!

I agree that Pasadena is, in general, a pretty bike-friendly place, especially near the school areas like Caltech and PCC. But there are some places where it is just not that hospitable, so you can decide whether it feels safe to you (I don't think I could use a bike for my 4-mile commute, just because of the way the streets are on that route... I would almost certainly get hit by a car, I think). I know there is a huge bike culture in Pasadena/Highland Park/Eagle Rock too, in case you get super into bikes and want to do all kinds of socializing around the topic. :)
posted by so_gracefully at 12:01 AM on May 25, 2009

I like Pasadena Cyclery! Great place, have had good luck with them. I would avoid Steve's, had a bad experience with them when I moved out to the area.

Welcome to Pasadena in advance!
posted by 6:1 at 4:14 AM on May 25, 2009

Oh, check out the trails by JPL. It is used by bikers, runners and walkers.
posted by 6:1 at 4:16 AM on May 25, 2009

Best answer: Welcome to the neighborhood!

If you are just getting started, don't be overwhelmed at the crazy road, mountain, and fixie bikes you'll see at the store. Since you are new to cycling, I'd suggest a hybrid cycle. The hybrids are wonderful bikes to get comfortable riding on in this area.

Stores I like are:

Jones Cycles in San Marino - family style store for more casual biking
InCycle in Pasadena - good store with a wide range
Performance Bicycle in Pasadena - big store with a good shop

Of course my fav is Open Road which is for serious road bikers that don't mind a mess, love Bianchi, and like rabbits.

A big hub of cycling in Pasadena is at the Rose Bowl. Plenty of paths out into the hills and trails from there.

For trails, you can look at mapmyride.com where there are several local maps. I'm not a mountain biker, but I've seen the PMBC folks about.

My last suggestion is don't buy a ton of gear at first. Bike & helmet first, then see about other things as you feel you want them like gloves, clothing, tools, etc.

Have fun!
posted by Argyle at 10:02 AM on May 25, 2009

Buy a modestly priced bicycle. You don't know enough to appreciate an expensive bike. Don't spend more than $1000. Have racks installed on the rear wheels and buy grocery bag panniers so you can use the bike for regular shopping. Most mountain and road bikes don't have covers over the chains, which is a problem if you want to wear long pants, so you could have covers installed or buy a bike with them. In fact, there is a growing interest in urban-oriented bicycles, common in Europe, that you should check out - they tend to have an upright riding position, fenders, chain covers, baskets and or panniers. You will also need a bike lock, headlight, tail light and helmet.
posted by conrad53 at 5:17 PM on May 25, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the Open Road link, Argyle. This recommendation is what I'm looking for. I can't believe I didn't think to search from Yelp. I'll make sure to visit the recommended shops within the next couple of weeks.

Now, if anybody can tell me how not to get hit by a car traveling down Fair Oaks at rush hour...
posted by onich at 7:59 PM on May 30, 2009

Cut over to Marengo instead?
posted by 6:1 at 7:48 AM on May 31, 2009

Response by poster: I bought a road bike in Performance Bicycle! They have a pretty good selection and good prices as well. Although I was previously aiming to bike mostly to commute to work, I don't regret getting a road bike rather than a hybrid because it's just so much more fun to ride on a lighter and faster rig. Now I just go out and bike for no reason except to have fun.

Riding downhill is the bomb. l just have to learn how to stop thinking that I'll have to climb back up to get home. :)
posted by onich at 1:57 AM on October 14, 2009