Tender Loving Cycle

I only go to this shop for Dexter. The mechanic Deborah is a very great mechanic and the guy Harold is a great guy. The spelling on their sign WELCOME is misspelled with «welome» but that’s all to look out for.

Super friendly, relaxed, great service, reasonable prices. I went it to have my tube changed, $ 10 and they oiled the gear chain as well as directions on bike paths for a great ride!

I’ve been training for about 6 months now to do the AIDS/​LifeCycle from San Francisco to LA and I’d always felt a little discouraged when riding with my peers because I felt like I was burning out too fast, despite feeling relatively fit. I had struggled to complete rides and lost confidence in myself as a rider. I was referred to TLC by a few people on my team for a bike fitting. I did a lot of research on all the different bike fitting options from Huntington Beach all the way to Westlake Village. Ultimately, I decided to go with Deb @ TLC after communicating with her a bit online.
The bike fitting process was pretty thorough, lasting about few hours for me. She began with a physical assessment that involved an array of different stretch tests and questions about how I feel when riding. She set up my Cannondale SuperSix Evo on the trainer and began making small adjustments, similar to how an eye doctor might test your vision by asking which position feels better. The best part of the whole process is her attitude. Deb clearly loves what she does and that reflects so much in her work. All her recommendations were spot on. She was at all times respectful, honest, and open with me about her thoughts on how I can improve my riding. She told me which parts I needed, and although she had them in stock, she made sure I didn’t feel pressured to buy anything if I didn’t want to.
I had to leave my bike in the shop for a few major adjustments, and Deb gave it back to me the following weekend just 2 hours before I was to do a 37 mile ride through La Tuna Canyon and Griffith Park. To be honest, I was terrified of doing that much riding on a bike that seemed so unfamiliar to me at the time. I put a lot of faith in Deb, and I can honestly say she came through 110%. I was absolutely flying on my bike — people noticed! For the first time in 6 months, my confidence came flooding back in and I finally felt like I was reaching my full potential as a rider. I loved it so much that the next day I basically did the same ride all over again.
Deb, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll definitely be back for more TLC!

Unfortunately, I didn’t know of this place when I was in the market to buy a bike. I had a flat and was pleasantly surprise of fast service and quality of items. They carry Continental tires, one of the best tires on the market.

This guy is a douche bag
He don’t know shit about bikes
He is fucking rude and he will fuck up your bike
I had a small trouble in my bike and he messed it up completely and I ended up paying way more than I should have .
Minus 5 stars for him

I wrote part of my PhD dissertation on feminism and taking in the fear that I have of being a guy saying this, as sounding condescending, is that it is really fucking cool having a lady work on my bicycle. Deb, the owner, rides her bicycle everywhere in Los Angeles and is smart and admirable. (Heart eyes.) She gave me a boost of confidence about riding my bike through Century City. And the few women who have helped me with my bicycle in the past, like donation-​run bike co-​ops like the Bike Church in Santa Cruz and la Bicicocina in Los Angeles, have been um been the most helpful ever. Alas it’s far too few between the times I go, since bicycle maitenance is so guy saturated. I know of none working as a bike mechanic in Los Angeles let alone owning the store. And I suck at fixing tires.
I got a tire puncture from THREE nails on the road in front of the construction site that is going to be «High Line West» at 5540 Hollywood Blvd. near Western (if anyone knows the contact info for these fools, please message me) so I came here the morning after it happened. I found that the bicycle shop is legit; it is well built and attractively organized. I found bike places (like Safety Cycle) sometimes do not have the tires that I need but TLC did. The bike tire and tube was quickly replaced and repaired. Not only that, but she was very personable in that short amount of time. It took about 5 minutes to get the flat fixed and the bike up and running again.
The thing that made me wish I came into Tender Loving Cycle months earlier was knowing that the bicycle shop is NOT on Western. The bicycle shop is located on Virginia; the road to the west that is adjacent to Western. I would always have it in the back of my mind that I would see it as I took my bicycle (usually with a flat) down Western to Safety Cycle.

Update… beware. I thought my bike was fixed, I had a bad back tire that I told the guy three times had a leak. He said he didn’t think any thing was wrong with it and when I got it back the tire was inflated. I brought it home and of course it had deflated. Though the tune up was good, they didn’t want to fix my tire and my bike is still sitting in my back yard and I can’t ride it. Maybe they’re allergic to tires? Maybe that’s why its so cheap?

I just needed a tire patch. Someone greeted me as I walked in, found me the kit, asked if I needed any other materials, then I paid, and was out in 5 minutes. This probably deserves a 4 star rating because I didn’t need much, but they seemed great and I don’t want to damage their high rating!

I’ve been pretty frustrated with other bike places around LA, especially a few nearby to this place. Deb was helpful and gave me a solid rate on a bike tune-​up to bust my Peugot out of hibernation. The tune up was a really good deal, and she went beyond what we agreed upon to fix my bike up even more. Their hours are better than most. Also gotta give her props for direct messaging me when I was coordinating when I could come by after work. My only complaint is the place is a little cramped.

As much as I would love to keep Deborah at Tender Loving Cycles my little secret, I have to share how great she is. My bike is a fine-​tuned instrument thanks to Deborah. I ride large on a Ferrari of road bikes and am VERY picky on who touches my baby. She rocks!
While you’re there, buy one of her HOT Tender Loving Cycle jerseys. I’ll look for you on the road.

When I need help putting on complicated parts, I come see Deb. When I need a spare tube, I come see Deb. When I need help choosing the next upgrade for my road bike, I come see Deb. I come in to see Deb at least once or twice a month.
I bought a bike online a while back, and it was a genuine P.O.S.Coming back from getting my bike stolen over a year before, it was what it was. I just wanted to get back into riding, and my mountain bike was killing me on the hills. I needed to get back on the road and start training again. At this point, I knew absolutely nothing about bicycles, except that when I pedal, the bike moves forward; when I run over something sharp, my tire went flat; and I needed to upgrade if I wanted to have a smoother ride.
Sometimes Deb orders parts for me, sometimes my wallet is itching and I order parts myself. At the end of it all, Deb gets to install them for me. Usually if she isn’t busy working on someone else’s bike I get to watch and ask her noob questions about cycling, components, and cycles themselves.
Now, my bike is working a lot better. I ditched the old school lever shifters for STI’s, and matched up the derailleurs. I switched over to a carbon fork from aluminum. Went 105 for my brakes, and a pair of Gatorskins for extra stopping power. There are many resources in my neighborhood, especially with 5 LBS in the immediate area, but the reason I always come to TLC first is becausee I come out knowing more than when I get there.

I’m so glad to be the first review. Found out this gem of a bike shop just opened. Small but they have everything you need. My back tire had an issue and the very nice women who runs the shop replaced my inner tube and throughly checked my tire on the spot. Thanks, I’ll be back.