Recommended bike shop in North County for buying new bike?

[Noel Llopis]

Hi everybody,

My wife would like to get an entry-level road bike. We'd like to get it from a store that can spend time with her making sure it fits right and that carries women's specific models (like the Trek WSD series). I know of the Trek store. Any other particular recommendations in North County?

Thanks!


--Noel

[Judy Frankel]

Hi Noel:

I have a couple of recommendations for you.   If you wife happens to be close to my size I have a used women's geometry carbon fiber road bike in my garage.    I don't use it since getting my newer bike.  She might like a higher end bike used for a comparable price to a new entry level bike.  It has Ultegra components nine speed.   Here is a link to info on the bike http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=263119&id=636000613&l=90c559d757  

A couple of shops.. you might like to try. I live in North County coastal and have had good luck with Nytro. They have women's specific sizes.  I bought two bikes from them, this bike and a titanium TT bike.  

Lately I was looking for a particular bike helmet online and in stores.  I have been finding recently that a lot of stores don't have a lot of inventory on hand and, I couldn't get what i wanted online.  I finally visited BIKE BLING in Escondido and was extremely impressed in the size of the inventory they have.  They had a huge inventory of helmets in every company, size and color to try at great prices.  They had everything else you could need as well including lots of shoes and clothing and bikes.  So you can give them a visit.

[Noel Llopis]

Thanks, Judy. She's about 5'8" so she'll probably need a 52 or 54 cm frame. We'll definitely check out Nytro though.
Cheers.

--Noel

[JohnnyB]

Hello Noel, I have had nothing but great success at Performance Bicycle in Vista.  One of the largest shops in the area with a nice selection to choose from.  The staff is great and very accommodating. They will spend as much time as needed to get it right.  I recently purchased a bike for my son and they had him fitted and out the door ready to ride.  I plan to purchase a new one there later this month for myself. 

[Noel Llopis]

As a quick followup, we started with Performance Bike Shop in Vista. I didn't have my hopes up, but I was tempted by their selection and prices. One word: *horrible*.

They didn't pay much attention to what she wanted, suggested all sorts of bikes that didn't fit at all what she asked for, and they didn't even bother adjusting the seat height for her (let alone do anything else). They said "That seat height looks about right right. Just go outside and ride it." (that was with her not even straddling the bike). I had to ask for a set of Allan wrenches to I could adjust her saddle height outside. Guess where we didn't buy a bike?

The Trek superstore was the opposite: Attentive, explaining everything correctly, adjusting and fitting the bike, etc. We walked out of there with a great bike.