Southwest Bicycle

Go to the Community Cycling Center. You’ll get better service, better prices, and they won’t break your bike, refuse to give you an adequate discount, and be rude about it, both when they tell you to pick it up on your voicemail «we’re not a bike storage facility» and in person when they refuse to offer an adequate discount (we’re talking, the $ 12 for the replacement kickstand).
My bike is now sans kickstand, and I had to deal with their terrible demeanor. The best part was when I asked for twelve dollars off the bill for the new kickstand – which is what the CCC quoted me – and he said, «No.»
Thanks.
So, if you want great service, a community feeling, and a lot of love…
Go somewhere else.
This is just my opinion, and that was my experience.
Good luck.

So much for supporting your LBS.
Perhaps I was just unlucky… My experience with this place was not a happy one. Let me just say I’m quite reluctant to write a negative review about a business located only a mile from my house.
I started to commute to work earlier this summer. The shop is on this bike route and before that I didn’t even know it was there so I planned to stop by one day to check it out.
One late afternoon, I brought the bike in on my way from work and ask to have the shifter checked. My bike is a REI 2012 top-​of-​the-​line touring model. I estimated it had around 2.5k miles at most. It had been running perfectly but just recently refused to shift smoothly down to the «granny» gear in the front, the smallest one. Frankly, I hardly need to use this gear but it was just a good excuse to check out this shop and to get to know the people there.
The only person there started to work on my bike right away; I was impressed to find that he’s so attentive. He inspected the shifter, lubed, measured the chain and said even though the chain still ok, a new one would help with the shifting. A bit surprised because my bike was quite new but I told him to replace it anyway. I paid for the chain and the service afterward and was told to bring it back if it needs further adjustments.
The next day, after a couple blocks from home, I was dismayed to find the bike simply refused to shift up! I reluctantly drove to work that day instead and planned to bring the bike back Saturday, the day after.
At the shop the following day, the man who worked on my bike wasn’t there but Dan, the owner, and another technician were. The tech did some adjustments to the shifter and asked me to take the bike out for a spin. I did just that and found the problem was still not fixed. He put the bike back on the rack for more tweakings… He personally test ride the bike afterward then came back and said everything’s working just fine. He asked five dollars for the service and so I paid him… Not a big deal really but I thought it should be free according to the original tech.
I was excited to get back on the bike and ready for a long ride since the weather was so nice. No such luck! The darn thing could no longer shift down this time! Brought the bike right back in and Dan, the owner, took over and again did some more tweakings.. He took the bike out for another ride and said he did his best but I may need a new chainring and shifter!
Disappointed, I abandoned the idea of the long pleasure ride and headed home. On the way, I noticed a strange clicking sound coming from the drivetrain and the bike still refused to shift smoothly. If anything the condition was much worse than before!
That night, out of frustration and a bit of anger, I downloaded the user’s manual from the shifter manufacturer and started to inspect the whole front dérailleur, gearing components. Even not a mechanically minded person, I immediately found the cause of the clicking sound: the whole shifter assembly was wrongly lowered by the shop that its «cage» actually touched the middle gear!
Following the instructions on the downloaded manual, I spent a couple hours «re-​adjusting» the whole thing until it shifted perfectly! It’s not really that hard after all.

Not real impressed.
I’ve just biked about 2,500 miles across the country. I called ahead, and asked if they had some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires to replace my current ones. They did and they were close, so I biked over. There were two employees and a dog. One employee was servicing a bike, another was helping a couple and their son out, who was trying a new bike out.
I came in ready to buy: x2 tires, a new rim, new fenders, and pressure gauge.
The service was pretty much non-​existent. When I explained the trek I was getting the employee basically said «anything over a 700×32 and I’m gonna ride a motorcycle». I explained that I’m headed for a tour to NZ (on the cheap mind you, I’m not rich, but I do need to spend money on reliable gear) and would be hitting roads with good sized gravel, muck, and pavement… the whole range. Then he gave some wise-​ass remark about spending the $ 10,000 on a motorcycle instead and that was pretty much it for me. I don’t even know what he was talking about although I tried to be courteous and play along (I do have my motorcycle license, and sure, I could rent a motorcycle and ride around NZ, but that’s not the point of a BICYCLE TOUR)
So I stuck around to see the selection, which is why they get 2 stars… not bad selection-​wise. They had a different type of Schwalbe than I was looking for, but the guy couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that anyone carrying a real load for several months of touring needs a fatter tire to deal with the road and weight. I would have been willing to order the right tire from them, but after the brief and ridiculous conversation, I wasn’t interested in spending the money there. I hope the attitude and the total focus on the other customer was worth it (actually, one more came in and was immediately helped… looked like a regular).
And yes, I’ve been to MANY bike shops. They barely deserved the 2 star rating. Nice only goes so far. Competent and helpful is much more useful.
Too bad for them, that was a $ 200 to $ 400 sale they just lost.
The problem is the arrogance street riders have or those inept employees that have no real experiences beyond their own. Touring is NOT commuting or racing. The wheels, frames, and components are largely different. I don’t CARE about speed, nor does any true touring cyclist. We are on the road for months and comfort/​ride are way more important than having a fast bike (or freaking motorcycle for that matter) or the level of tire friction on the road. It’s not the first time I’ve run into this sort of attitude, it’s just disappointing at best, insulting at worse. This tended toward the latter.

I came in needing more air, new pedals, and lights… they took my bike in and fixed it all immediately. the service is incredible and the quality is great. I highly recommend this place to anyone in the area!

I have been to several bike shops in portland and always appreciate the customer service and knowledge the staff has. Southwest bikes went above and beyond working with my budget and giving me excellent tips and pointers for commuting by bike. I was immediately greeted by someone that was friendly and seemed to be passionate about his job. I enjoy supporting my local businesses and love when they are worth supporting!

These guys are great! From high end road components or cyclocross stuff to commuter and kids bikes, they had quite a selection for how small the shop is. They may not stock everything but can order anything I need and usually very quickly. Glad to have this shop in the neighborhood!

Always very poor customer service. Monotone exchange. Zero BMX stuff. Borderline rude.

OK, so the owner is a slow-​to-​speak, straight-​to-​the-​point bike mechanic, not a salesperson; but as another reviewer pointed out, he totally knows his stuff and he more than took care of our needs — and did it super fast. My 18 year old son and I went in to buy some essentials for him (he had outgrown everything). And we brought in my husband’s barely-​ridden ’96 mountain bike to check the brakes and make sure it was ride-​able for my son to take back to school with him. The owner didn’t push anything on us, but he did make sure we didn’t do anything stupid. He pointed out that the bike was a highly collectible model, quizzed us on how secure the place was, and when he saw the lock we were about to purchase, brought out a more secure lock. When I checked the bike online later, my jaw dropped (I’m not sure I can let my son take it now, argh). I’m thrilled to find a good shop in the neighborhood. It’s a small shop, not a huge selection, but they had good options for everything we needed (new helmet, the right pedals, rack, lock, etc.). If you need a salesperson, this is probably not the place for you. If you want an expert who will get you what you need and not more, this is your place. I’ll be back in a heartbeat.

Unfriendly staff. Like another reviewer, I walked in and saw an employe behind the counter. I normally say hi to staff, especially at small shops, but he had his back turned and didn’t even turn around to see who was in his shop for at least 5 – 10 minutes.
When he finally did ask to help us, he was very blahzay and didn’t offer much help. When I tried to see if a bike fit me (which ended up being too big) he made me feel as if I did something wrong when I mounted it and seemed annoyed. I’m very disappointed, I’ve been into bikes all my life and have been in and out of bike shops all over the country. Before I walked in, I was very excited about this shop because I live walking distance from it, but sadly I will not be returning.
I do have to mention that while I was in the shop, a customer walked in with a repair. I could tell the customer was a regular by the way he talked to her. He seemed nice to her, so I have to assume that all the good reviews about this place are from locals who are regulars. I’m sure I would be treated the same (maybe) if I became a regular, but I don’t like doing business with people that are only nice to you if they know you. My local shop I went to in Dallas Texas would greet anyone right away that walked in and try to help them anyway they could, even if they didn’t buy a thing.
I miss transit bikes in Dallas Texas.

I’m all about substance over style, and I appreciate that these guys know their $%^&. Someone else mentioned they aren’t the smoothest talkers, but who cares. They were very attentive helpful once I got their attention told them what I needed. Frankly I was surprised by how helpful they were, adjusting my bike for me and helping me get the proper fit on my child’s helmet. They don’t necessarily chat up their customers, but I don’t need validation from my bike shop — I need their expertise, and they have that in spades, and are generous in sharing it. I’m happy with the products and services I’ve gotten there, and feel I’ve learned some things about biking in the process.

I came in to do two things. Get my bike fixed and shop for a bike for myself. Two stars for fixing my chain!
However, when I asked about the kind of bike I was looking for as a gift, the first guy literally pointed at two bikes and said «these are pretty good» and walked behind the counter to continue his work.
I asked the other guy about another bike, he came out answered my question, then turned around and went behind the counter. I paid for my repair, and started to walk out. No one cared. They seriously couldn’t have cared less about selling me a bike.
It was like I was almost in an episode of Portlandia, where not being a bike expert made me unworthy of looking at their bikes. So, I went over to Universal Cycles and bought a pricey Pashley from some very nice people over there.

Nice bike shop. No fancy/​flashy décor inside. I needed some brakes and while they didn’t have a ton in stock (had one but not two of the ones i preferred), they did have enough to meet my needs, offered to order what i wanted and they didn’t treat me like a moron. in fact, they were very nice.
other local bike shops tried to up-​sell me on items and services and that’s always a turnoff when I ask for something specific. More expensive than Amazon, but what isn’t? Shopping local is something I try to do. I will definitely return here.

Over the past few weeks my wife & I have searched hard for a new city bike that works with her new hip (7 months ago) and our modest budget. We have been to many shops, big & small, all over the city and tried lots of bikes. SW Bicycle’s owner Dan gracefully accommodated all our quirky questions and requests, all while dealing with his other customers and work. Despite the fact that we have plenty of other good bike shops across town between our Hollywood District home and this small Multnomah Village shop, we ended up buying a Biria Easy 7 from Dan. My wife absolutely loves the bike and the shopping experience here was great. Shop and bike are both highly recommended.

Just unhappy with the prices at this shop. I asked them about rebuilding my rear bike wheel, I supply the rim and hub. Get this: 45 dollars for the spokes, 40 for the rebuild. Man! Not even alloy spokes! Sorry, but the prices at this store suck major! Besides, I can buy a new wheel on Amazon for under 40 and they’re asking 80 some dollars for a rebuild!!!
Overall, friendly service, a little on the snobby side though, and bikes galore. I will probably do most of my bike business across the river from now on. I priced a bell: ten dollars!!! Are you kidding me, for a tiny bike bell. Get real SW Bicycle, there are other options out there.
Just bought the same bell for two bucks on Ebay, shipping included! All I can say, people of the SW, you are mega rich and don’t care about the expense!!!

Went in here for a few reasons: it’s the closest bike shop to my new apartment, I needed to buy a new bike, and my boyfriend needed to get his bike fixed.
When we brought my boyfriend’s bike in the guy let us know what needed to be fixed, what he suggested, and gave us an estimate pretty quickly. He explained in detail what needed to be done and it was very confidence inspiring. (probably will edit once we get his bike back).
I haven’t owned a bike in years and had a budget so I let him know what I needed and he picked out a REALLY nice somewhat inexpensive road bike for me to try out. He of course let me try out the bike before I bought it and adjusted the seat a little bit for me. He helped me find the right bike lock and helmet too.
I was INCREDIBLY satisfied with my purchase and I am glad that we live so close to a good, trustworthy bike shop.

I had a great experience with this shop. The staff couldn’t be nicer. They looked over my bike, filled the tires, oiled the chain. At the end they said it was no charge. I will be returning next week to get the bike tuned up. They gave me a free estimate and also talked to me about the pros and cons of putting money in my bike or purchasing a new one. I opt for repairing my bike and look forward to returning to Southwest Bicycle to get it done.

Let me first say that I’ve done century rides, but I’m not a cyclist who does there own work in my garage and I could barely change the tire on my bike if need be. So when I give this rating, I give it not based on my years of bike maintenance/​repair experience. I give it based on 4 simple areas:
1. Quick work. (I didn’t have appointment and they knocked it out in 2 hours even though they were working on several bikes when I arrived)
2. Friendly/​professional staff (thumbs up)
3. Fair price. I’m not wanting to pay a lot, but I’m also not asking for a freebie either. (price seemed fair at $ 130)
4. Quality work that I can trust won’t have me coming back in 24 hours. It’s simple right, we just want services that we are paying for to turn out as expected. (I had 700×28 Schwalbe Kevlar Marathon Tires & Hardcore Hybrid Planet Earth Fenders put on for my new adventure of cycling to work. I’m very pleased with the product and the installation of the product.)
It’s not the largest shop compared to Bike Gallery or River City, but I’ll be back to Southwest Bicycle for my cycling needs. Also, I was referred here by a friend who already commutes to work 20 miles round trip daily. Don’t think he’s a Unilocaler though — hence, this first review! Yeah, I said «hence!»