VeloTech Cycles

I brought my bike in to have my break pads checked. I was helped by Mark and Tom. They are amazing! They fixed my break pads, aligned my handle bar from a car accident a few months ago and taught me a couple things about my bike… ALL FOR ONLY $ 10! I am bringing my bike here from now on!

Great customer service on warranty of an item of clothing I did NOT buy from them. And they did so with warm welcome. Than you Tom!!!

Follow up review:
I went back to give them a second chance. I asked Mark (in the store) to give me a quote on a Colnago with the listed components I wanted. After relutantly doing it, I received a verbal quote. I then asked Mark to put the breakdown on my list. He was not happy. When I asked why his quote was so high. His answer was that because they are VeloTech, and that is why. The truth is that I built that very Colnago with only ²⁄₃ of the price of VeloTech quoted elsewhere, and the store worked with me every step of the way with delight.

I’ve been taking my road bike here to have worn chainrings, chains and dérailleur cables replaced. Velo Tech will only replace parts that really need to be replaced at very reasonable labor rates. Tom does a good job every time and my bike rides like new after he has worked on it. Their prices for replacement parts are reasonable as well. The staff at Velo Tech are friendly and personable, which is kind of rare in shops selling high-​end bikes. If you have to wait a few days to get an appointment with their shop during times of peak demand, I think it’s well worth the wait.

I have long been in search of a quality endurance bike that I could use on Gran Fondo and Century rides. I almost drove myself crazy with the amount of research I conducted to find a good selection of bikes to chose from. The important factors in selecting a bike were comfort, correctly sized, efficient, not too heavy and has a good component group installed. I did not want to buy a bike and then turn around and have to invest more money upgrading. Armed with a ton of data I went to several local bike shops and asked many questions. What I noticed was that many of the shops I visited had «entry» level bikes but nothing with higher level components; not that there is anything wrong but it was not what I was looking for. The second thing i noticed is some attempted to talk me away from my selections only to chose theirs. I would have loved to support my local bikes shops but they did not have what I needed. I asked a friend about high end bike shops and he pointed me to VeloTech. I made the drive from Monterey to Palo Alto to visit VeloTech. When I walked in a was immediatelty greeted and I explained what I was looking for and several choices were given to me. The cool thing is I never voiced my selections and the ones made to me were on my list, bingo! We then narrowed my selection to the Bianchi Infinito CV Ultegra and I knew this was for me. We went through the fitting process, I ordered my bike on Saturday and picked it up on Thursday, although it was ready on Wednesday. One typically hears all the marketing blurb from various manufacturers about how smooth their bike are… Hmmm, I did my maiden ride today and all I can say is WOW what a difference!!! The Bianchi Infinito CV «IS» smooth and a pleasure to ride, much different than my Specialized Roubaix Elite. Kudos to VeloTech and their expertise !!! Yes, it was not cheap but my motto is «you get what you pay for!!» Very Happy Customer… Check them out!!!

Mark and Tom are fantastic. While they carry beautiful, high-​end, mostly Italian bikes, they’re not elitist at all. Down-​to-​earth, approachable and knowledgable. They tell it like it is. Go sit on their couch with an espresso from their machine and talk cycling. You’ll have a great day!
When it comes to service, Tom is a top-​notch mechanic. More importantly, he’ll only fix what’s wrong with your bike and charge you an amazingly fair or even cheap price for it. No «a basic service is $ 79, the deluxe service is $ 129» from these guys. He’ll make it run perfectly and do exactly what you ask him.
Also, they’re never trying to sell you on anything. I bought a pair of Fulcrum wheels, highly recommended by Tom, on eBay instead of from their shop, and saved a bundle. I took them into Tom and had him make sure they were true. He was happy to do it, no resentment that I didn’t buy from him and he even asked how much they were on eBay. When I told him the much lower price, he said he’d have done the same. And he told me the wheels were in perfect shape and charged me nothing to check them.
This kind of service is unfortunately less and less commonplace. It’s great to find it somewhere. You absolutely cannot go wrong with VeloTech!

Outstanding products. Deep knowledge on all cycling issues. Excellent advice.

MEH. What you see on the floor display is what you can expect to get. Small shop with small time customer business service. Wasted my time dealing with this shop. I went elsewhere and purchased an 2015 S-​Works Tarmac.

Top quality equipment. I like to buy the best quality equipment and ride it for years. Carries assos, kask, etc. It’s a nice change of pace from the other shops in the area – this seems to cater towards those looking for the best stuff. Also, the people in the store were really helpful.

Not a huge inventory, but it is the best stuff in the industry. Not necessarily the most expensive, but the best. Best clothing, best supplements, best mechanic. These guys really know their stuff and are friendly, which is rare in high end bike shops.

This review is way overdue! I’ve been receiving first class treatment from the folks at VeloTech for as long as I can remember. Tom has many times helped me get back on the road with creative solutions when time wont allow for that special part to be located elsewhere. Tom and Mark are trusted names when it comes to cycling equipment and service! Always a pleasure to see these guys!

I am a big rider and I like to go fast (F = Gm1m2/​r2.) When you’re pressing over the handlebars at 45+mph and you look down over your inch wide tire — faith in your mechanic is critical.
Tom and team, built my bike to spec and it has been flawless in its operation for 6 years now.
In addition to the quality of service, the prices are fair if not very competitive. I am big fan and in a town with more bike shops than Starbucks — VeloTech is the first one I recomend and its the only one I trust to work on my bike.

These guys are so nice. I walked in and told them I was not going to purchase a bike from them, because I could not afford one, but I had some questions. They were SO nice! Answered all my questions and even helped me play a joke on by cyclist friends by taking a picture of me with a $ 17,000 bike, which I then texted to all of them telling them that I had purchased it.
So great!

I too hesitate to mention how great this place is for fear of it being overrun but Tom and Mark are the best. Won’t take my bikes anyplace else for professional tuning and attention to detail. Mark can wrap handlebars like no one else. Absolutely the best bike shop for serious cyclists but w/​o the snobbish poseur attitudes!

I am super impressed. Stopped by today with what I feared was a broken $ 250 bike shoe and he fixed it with some creativity and stuff from the parts bin for a very reasonable (paltry) sum. Beautiful shop full of amazing machinery, but the only attitude I got was that of a friendly, helpful guy who loves bikes. This is how to run a great business. I will definitely be back!

I’d been searching for a shop to build up my new road bike for a while now, and hadn’t found any that I was really certain about. Since the bay area is full of shops, I tried searching around on here, and when I found Velotech’s Unilocal page with nothing but five star reviews, I was intrigued. I had to know for myself, and I had just obtained the last part needed for my custom-​built-​frame-​dream-​road-​bike.
I took everything down to the shop and was met by Tom, who you can tell within a few seconds is incredibly passionate about what he does. The shop itself feels like a place where you could just sit and talk bikes for hours, a comfortable place where anyone is welcome. I handed over all of my parts and the frame I had built myself, and let Tom work his magic.
There were hardly any issues, but Tom made sure to ask me about everything beforehand. When, as it turns out, I accidentally bought the wrong handlebars, he researched good replacement options for me and put in the order. There was never any pressure to upgrade parts, and I had good vibes in the shop (no holier than though attitudes here — everyone is equal).
When I got a call to come in to place the brake hoods and possibly get a fitting, I headed over to the shop and was nearly in tears when the bike came out. It was beautiful. That was when I met Mark, who knew exactly how to do a proper fitting. He watched me pedal with my bike on the trainer, took measurements, used plumb lines, and made small adjustments that made all the difference. He explained what he was doing as he made adjustments, so I could understand how changing certain things would affect my position, and what that meant for me as a cyclist. After a few minutes and some adjustments, I was perfectly aligned and fit to the bike!
Not knowing I would be able to take it home after the fitting, I was ill prepared to ride from Palo Alto to Burlingame. Tom and Mark lent me a helmet and made sure I had a full water bottle to get home okay. They also helped me with the route (turns out part of the road I was planning to take was closed!) so my ride was easy and worry free.
My bike rides like a dream. The fit is absolutely spot on, everything is tuned to perfection, and Tom’s attention to detail makes it look like a masterpiece. Riding that bike home was one of the best rides of my life, and I don’t think I stopped smiling even when I hit a few 10% grades.
From now on, I know where I’m taking my bikes. Mark and Tom, you guys are awesome. Thank you for helping me build my dream bike!

Tom… the bike whisperer… that’s all I can say!
Both Mark and Tom offer the best of everything, especially customer service. I don’t buy much bike stuff, but try and send as much business to them as possible. Anytime I have a question, Tom can and does answer it… he’s always willing to help.

Mark and Tom, the owners, are very knowledgeable about bikes and helped me choose and build the best bike I’ve ever ridden, a Colnago Prestige. Tom is the only person I’ll let touch my bike for tune ups. His attention to detail is second to none and my bike is always riding smooth.
In choosing my bike sizing, they have an Argon fit bike which can be configured to any frame geometry. The bike fit is perfect!
Awesome place to just hang out too, kinda like a coffee shop where people are talking with people about their rides and gear. Very friendly atmosphere and they takes their time to explain everything about the bike. Oh, they carry really nice accessories and clothing as well. Love this shop and if you’re in the neighborhood, or not, you should do yourself a solid and stop by.

I need a new pair of socks, cuz Velo Tech just knocked mine off (again).
Today I went in because I had a little unique issue (tubeless tire, lost the valve stem insert). Nobody locally had the valves, but when I popped into Velo Tech, they were able to fix the existing stem without all the nasty, gooey trouble of removing the tire and replacing the stem (which, if you have done before, is a super messy difficult wrestling match to perform). In less than five minutes I was in and out the door.
A few weeks ago I was hunting for some help with a PowerTap that would not communicate with the hub. I had some attempts at help, but the same gent at Velo Tech who helped me today (hitting self in head for not getting name, but will do that) fixed up the PowerTap. He even had to lookup some info online and he did it on the spot.
I cannot say enough about the five star customer service I received the first time I went in, and the second (today). Anyone who treats people off the street this well is worth visiting again. Go there! Buy stuff!
They carry some amazing Italian rides in the store, and they carry the good stuff (Lezyne pumps, Assos chamois cream, for example). The bikes on hand are covered in my drool. The shop is small but really well done. They know what they are talking about. I would trust my high end rig here anyday!

This neighborhood bike shop offers a different fitting process than other shops in the area like Chain Reaction, palo alto bicycles, sports basement, rei, goride bikes, etc.
Mark uses a fitting bike that can be manipulated to the size and geometry of the bike you are interested in to see if it is appropriate for you. It is as if you are on that bike. In this manner, you can different «bikes» while he ensures it is the appropriate fit by taking measurements while you’re on it. The fitting process for a new bike is around $ 150 but is free when you buy the bike.
This isn’t the kind of shop that will have a ton of bikes on hand for you to peruse. You’ll probably be ordering from a catalog. I ended up with a bianchi infinito, and it’s pretty awesome.
Free tune-​ups for the first year.
Good customer service.
Not exactly the place to come if you’re a newbie, but i’m sure you’d be welcome. It caters to the serious cyclist… or the pretenders (like me!)