Blue Heron Bikes

It is truly amazing to have this shop right around the corner from me.
I’ve stopped in several times to ask about child carrying options, and every time, the staff and the owner, Rob, have been perfectly helpful and friendly. They have all sorts of cargo bikes and related accessories, from front loader box/​bakfiets, longtails, trailers, and child seats. They have both unassisted and electric assisted options, which is excellent. They also stock non-​cargo and folding bikes as well. Great selection!
I appreciated the chance to test ride some cargo bikes and received no sales pressure at all – just very straightforward answers to my questions and insights on how the bikes may suit different needs.
I did not end up buying a cargo bike from them, but I did use my test ride experience to purchase a used cargo bike from craigslist. The previous owner actually bought it from Blue Heron originally, and the bike even has a Blue Heron sticker on it. Honestly, I paid a similar amount for the bike as it’s available at this shop new, but I am very into the concept of reuse and community resources.
When I brought my bike in to buy some lights, Rob asked me about it. I think he probably recognized the bike from when it was brought in a couple weeks ago for a tuneup before the CL sale. In hindsight, it might have come off as a snub for me to bring this bike in after having test rode bikes in the shop, but Rob was nothing but kind and helpful as always.
I did end up buying lights based on Rob’s recommendation. I will definitely be shopping here for all my future bike repair, tuneup, and accessory needs in the future.

Attentive, efficient, friendly and reasonably priced bike shop, if you ask me. The guy who helped gave me pointers as he was straightening out my rear dérailleur hanger and adjusting my brakes. The drop-​in service job took 20 minutes or so. I’ll definitely be going back to Blue Heron Bikes for my bicycle related needs.

Really happy with the crew at Blue Heron. They were super friendly and accommodating when doing my road bike repair. The price was very affordable as well. I won’t shop anywhere else now. Thanks guys!

Incredibly helpful staff. These guys repaired an outdated brake system that I thought would never work again. To say nothing of the ultra friendly vibe in their store. I would recommend this shop for families as well, as the inventory is rife with bike appendages & other accessories for kid-​mobility. Great shop, great experience. Five stars aren’t enough!

Haven’t bought a bike here or needed their mechanical expertise, yet…
But they are friendly, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to visit. They are well stocked and have a large selection of bikes and accessories. Rob was very helpful and just all around Super!

I will never come back here. I came in this morning for three simple items – a lock, a rear rack and some panniers. All three guys acted stoned, hungover, irritated, disconnected. I don’t even have the energy to get into how much they sucked with the customer service. I live right around the corner, got a new bike and thought I had found my perfect neighborhood bike shop. They lost my business almost from the start. Old boy acted annoyed that I had showed up, sold me the wrong rear rack for my bike frame, and then slinked off to another customer while I was left to fend for myself with the inappropriate frame. After messing around with it and not being able to attach it appropriately to my bike, I went back to the counter for help, to show them the problem. They assumed I was doing it wrong. One clerk gave a heavy sigh and slowly walked out from behind the counter to look. Sure enough, he confirmed that I was right. Unfortunately, they did not sell one that would work, So, they had to refund me everything, and I left entirely frustrated and without any gear. What jerks.

Rob is always helpful and the mechanics are fast, accurate and super freaking cool.
Whenever I get a flat, I hope it’s on the ohlone trail near gilman so I have an excuse to stop in.

This review only concerns their customer service & overall attitude. My 7 yr old son & I were set to bike Ohlone but I forgot his helmet. They let me borrow one just for the afternoon… no charge. The kind of business that makes good neighbors!
Thank you!!!

Blue Heron Bikes is such a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. The owner Rob is dedicated to the bike community and is knowledgable and friendly as are the rest of the staff.

I stopped by the shop yesterday for an emergency repair. I was running late for an appointment and the mechanic stopped what he was working on to help me get back on the road. I was in and out in less than ten minutes. Great shop.

My son made several modifications to his bike which needed to be unmodified when my younger son inherited the bike. Rob got the bike back to its original configuration and working just like when it was new. It’s a great shop run by a bike pro who takes the extra time for every customer.

Brought my bike here for a tune up, to replace my chain and cassette, and to replace the handlebar tape wrap. Got it back, and the wrap job looked like it was performed by a 5 year old. No big deal, looks bad, but whatever.
Then I took it home and rode it down Tunnel Rd from Skyline (near where we live) and THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE PAD WAS MISSING! Thankfully the rear brakes were on, but it was not a safe situation going down the hill.
Brought the bike into the shop, explained what happened, and they agreed to fix it. How long? They said 15 mins. Okay. I gave them my number and said I’d be around when they were ready. Grabbed some food and returned 50 minutes later. The job was barely started. They said «Sorry, we are really busy today.» I’m sorry, but YOU RETURNED ME A BIKE WITHOUT BRAKES. Shouldn’t you prioritize making it right? They said it should be done in 15 more minutes… Ended up being 35 minutes.
I asked for a discount on FUTURE services (not a refund for the botched job, mind you), and they said «Sorry, we gave you new brake pads at no charge.» Ummm… That’s because YOU LOST THE ORIGINAL BRAKE PADS!
Wasted 2+ hours of my weekend on these guys. Don’t make the same mistake. Sloppy and bad customer service.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a bike aficionado. I can clean my gears and switch out tires/​simple maintenance, but my terminology and materials knowledge is very basic.
THE bike store to go to if you’re in the area. Knowledgeable, friendly, and patient staff. The bike I’d been riding is a solid second-​hand that I had for 5 years, and it was time to actually invest in something more suitable for my needs. I wanted to buy a bike and ended up having some not great experiences at a few other places due to the attitude of the staff, and did some Unilocal research.
I was looking for a good quality hybrid – this place DOES specialize in offering a variety of cargo bikes (and they look so cool!), but they have a great selection of other bikes, which is how I found mine.
Jeremy, the senior mechanic who helped me, listened carefully to the specifications I had and selected bikes (each progressively closer to my needs as I tried them out). I did mention a general price range and he worked within it. He answered every one of my questions thoroughly and without any attitude – I ended up going with a higher end of the model that I fell in love with, but without any upselling on his behalf.
I was not treated different/​better for buying a bike. As I came back from testing one, I overheard Jeremy and other staff treating other customers with the same cordial attitude and frankness.
I haven’t smiled so much while riding a bike in a long time! Getting the right size and type with help from someone in the know makes a huge difference. Their pricing is reasonable for the quality of bike.
Blue Heron is the local bike store that is furthest from my house, but it is the one I will be going back to without question.

Ron and the others are friendly knowledgable and fun to work with. I asked questions, did some research, came back and ordered a bike. They did exactly what I asked. I had a question about a rack and Ron called me later after really researching it.
Now, the prices are reasonable but not the absolute cheapest. I decided it was well worth it up support a local and personable bike store.

Notice all the five star reviews? Here’s another…
Nicest guys, expert service, terrific stock of bikes and supplies. I couldn’t have had a more satisfying experience.
THIS is how a business should be run.
Great job and congratulations, blue herons!

We live a ways away from Berkeley and came here solely on the customer service we received on the phone when my Husband spoke to Rob. Rob was very patient, explained in great deal all the inns and outs of the bike my husband was interested in and was just as kind as could be.
We’ve taken our bikes there for adjustments and repairs and the prices have always been very reasonable.
Oh I did mention customer service earlier. I have to expand a bit. One day we were in the shop and I see this white/​pink bike and ask if I can rake a test drive, of course Rob said yes. This bike fit me like a glove (I’m a shorty) and I fell in love with it. Come to find out it was Robs wife’s personal bike. Long story short, he told her I was interested and they sold me this bike. I was and still am very happy with this bike and am so thankful to them for their generosity. We will continue to ho out of our way to support this small local business man.
Honest. Integrity. Passion. That’s pretty much wraps it up

Super nice guys!
I walked in to replace a bolt that I stripped. The mechanic stopped what he was doing and helped me out right away. I got the bolt I needed and I was out of there in less than five minutes.
I think I am going to buy my next bike here once I get the finances ready.

I live near this shop. Recently I went to Nearby Big Box Store and got a bike mechanic who was kind of aloof, not sure if he was condescending (never mind that I’ve been riding since he was a fetus). I didn’t get any answers there, so then I made the longer trip to come to Blue Heron.
I’ve got to say that even over the phone this place gives great customer service! Very warm and friendly and willing to help.
I have a standing bike, which is pretty darn new on the market and there’s only one dealer in Nor Cal and the gentleman who assisted me came up with some very helpful tips about which new tires to get and how to choose handlebars and a replacement shifter. He was technically very skilled obviously, since most mechanics would wash their hands of a bike like this. He gave me great advice and I could go about 3 times as fast with little effort on the new tires. He also tried to address a couple more questions even though someone else had walked in and said that he wanted to buy a bike, and certainly he would make more money off of that than my grip issues.
I would definitely shop here again. Actually until I move away, I think I’m going to switch from buying on the web to going here, since they are SO good. And it’s greener not to buy online anyhow. They have an excellent selection of bikes for families with multiple options for toting kids around. I hope they’re in the neighborhood for eons!

How lucky are we to have such a great bike shop in the neighborhood!!!
I went in to have my wheels changed from tubeless to tubed and the staff was nothing but helpful.

I bought a great around-​town bike from Blue Heron and had a positive experience throughout the process. The price was reasonable and they even installed some new handlebars for me. When a pedal broke a few weeks later I just popped by and they immediately installed new ones, no questions asked. Thumbs up! The person helping me was Rob — an honest and kind fellow.
Great local business… so happy to have them in Westbrae.