Davis Bike Exchange

 InfoInfo MapMap
Search:    
Location
511 L Street
(next to Aggie Liquor)
Hours
Tuesday thru Saturday 10am to 6pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Phone
(530)753-4600

Davis Bike Exchange (DBE) is an amazingly versatile bike shop. The owner, Rich, has been working on bikes for over 25 years. He parts out old bikes, builds new-to-you bikes out of them (selling them at very reasonable prices), and stocks many interesting new models. Rich is very dependable and the services you receive are of high quality and at a reasonable low cost. DBE stocks parts not found anywhere else in Davis such as springer forks, banana seats, ape hangers, etc. If he doesn't have it in stock, he'll pick you up any part he doesn't have.

You have to be willing to dicker and deal with Rich if you want to buy at the lowest price. Before you go, do your research and know both the value of what you're buying and how much you're willing to pay.

If you have a bike that you don't want anymore drop it off at the bike rack in front of DBE or the UCD Bike Church.

See Also

r02-photorequest.png This article is in need of a Photo.
To add an image to this page, click "Edit" then click the "Files" button.

What was your experience at the Bike Exchange?

Note: You must be logged in to add comments

2005-04-26 10:04:41   Shadiness factor definitely high - he quoted me a price on a bike that was $50 higher than he'd told my husband a few days before. Admittedly, this is a small sample size, and there may have been a valid reason for the price difference. I'd recommend paying attention to the condition of the bike rather than what he tells you about how little it has been used, because the two don't always seem to match up in our experience. He has a nice dog, though. —JessicaLuedtke

2005-04-26 20:28:06   Probably the only bike shop in davis where you can haggle, not that you'll get very far... —ArlenAbraham

2005-07-05 01:03:49   The guy who owns this place seems like he could give a shit if he sells you a bike or not. I think he probably launders money and that the bike shop is just a front. —BenTaylor

2005-09-27 5:17:55   Two days before classes start and the guy is still backed up with stuff. The comment above saying the guy "is there when he feels like it" is definitely true. I came by today at 1:45 and there was a sign on the door that said "will be back at 2:30." Sigh, I just want my bike back.... —AndrewLeonard

2005-10-21 23:05:33   I was quite pleased with the service here. I had two bicycles that were damaged. Both of the frames and three of the wheels were bent. The bike exchange was one of only two shops in town that showed any interest in fixing them at all. He also gave me a much better price than the competitor. This is because he actually fixes bicycles and doesn't just trade out damaged parts for new ones. Every other shop told me that three of my wheels were damaged so bad that they would have to replace them. The bike exchange only replaced one and that was only because I asked for a little better quality wheel. He ended up getting both my bikes back in great shape and I didn't have to fork over loads of cash. He does seem to slip off sometimes when he should be open, but just give him a call before you go so you know he is there. So if you would like a decent used bike or to actually have your bicycle repaired give the Bike Exchange a visit. —JasonMoore

2006-05-31 20:00:38   I thought this place was awesome: a dank shop with some sweet antiques as well as some real junkers, and some kickass lowriders for good measure. The place is virtually always empty, but they have EVERYTHING, unlike any other bike shop in Davis. Before I found this place, I was convinced that no shop in town stocked chainrings or chainring bolts, or ANY used parts at all for that matter. And the mechanic Trey is really cool, and appreciates customer interest in his work. I don't know about anyone else who works there, but they all seem pretty cool to me. In short: if you want to pay way too much and get parts that are spiffier than you need, go somewhere else; but I'm sure as heck sticking to this place. And the bike church, which is also pretty neat. —CatherineCallaway

2007-01-02 17:10:01   I've always had good luck with Rich's Shop. He's pretty cool and does an excellent job building wheels. He'll also build you a bicycle if you have special needs. (He built my wife a nice small mixte) —RichardJacobsen

2007-01-29 15:48:59   I love this place. Granted, I've only had flats and other minor problems fixed. But he always seems to do it in good time, and charge me very reasonably. A few days ago (1.25.07) he fixed a back tire flat and replaced a broken spoke, for a total of $14. He has always seemed friendly and easy-going. I think he must just work for the fun of it, since he clearly doesn't go out of his way to act professional or make tons of money. Anyway, I like it and I highly recommend him to anyone who needs their bike fixed up. —NaBarry

2007-03-10 19:37:05   Pretty bad service, I don't plan on ever going here again. My roommate and I went in looking for a part but didn't know exactly what we wanted. So we asked him a few questions. He responded in an annoyed time and said "you are wasting my time". Also, when my roommate went to check and make sure that a part was the right size he angrily asked if we were "calling him a liar". As someone else said, he doesn't seem to give a shit whether or not he sells you anything. I literally felt like he was only one step away from kicking us out of the store for trying to buy a part. Terrible Customer Service. —ZackFrederick

2007-03-10 20:33:38   I have bought two bikes here plus various parts and have always had good experiences. An awesome place. —NickSchmalenberger

2007-03-11 00:37:49   My dad swears by this place —StevenDaubert

2007-07-05 20:21:16   I talked to the owner on the third and the landlord is trying to evict the shop. I am deeply saddened by the potential closing of yet another long standing downtown business. I am also angered at the landlord, those of us who wish Davis to remain the bike capital of the US should take notice. —Chadsharply

2007-09-25 01:21:31   Worst bike shop experience ever. Extremely rude and didn't care if anyone bought anything or not. I hope they go out of business so they don't turn people off to biking! I went in there to get a used front wheel for my bike. The guy showed me a wheel that was old and crappy though he said it is a damn good wheel that is easily worth $90. I said that was too much for my old crappy bike. He was told by the owner to promptly put the wheel back. They then said that I was wasting their time and they had too much to do. Businesses who think they can treat people like this should not get any customers. I'm surprised they have persisted this long. —Tmai

2007-09-25 02:25:56   Tmai: You have mistaken your pre-conceived notion of what a business is (no doubt you were educated as to dealing with corporate clones in your previous South Bay Sillycon existence: i.e., Wal-Mart, etc.) for reality.
Fyi: Rich is the guy who runs the Bike Exchange; a friend of mine. Let me tell you he's used to dealing with human beings secure in who they are, not insecure clones like you tried to be, Tmai. Go back, be a man, deal with Rich like the human being you really are, not a clone. Then see what happens. You might be surprised out of your clone self into actually getting a good deal.
Respect goes a long way among humans, my naive friend.
—WilyFerret

2007-09-25 22:28:35   This place is shady and very rude i suggest not ever going there bad news!!!!!! —Brians

2007-09-30 14:48:31   Owner was rude as hell, refused to even speak to me because "he hired someone to do it for him" as he told his friend he was talking to, so he yelled at one of his employees who was outside 100ft away (yelled rudely, like a total prick, to come help me, even though he was standing right there) and when the guy came to help me, he didn't have a damn clue what the hell i was talking about anyway (apparently a 700c wheel is a "special" size these days, wtf?) and the owner refused to speak to me so what the hell was i supposed to do? He also refused to discuss the sale of a couple things he had on display, it's not a showroom, its a bike shop. The frames/bikes I was interested in were rare, but not insanely so, and they need to be built and ridden and loved, instead of sitting there. That crusty frame will sit in the back never being used because the owner is a rude asshole. Bikes are meant to be ridden, not looked at. —GarrettGallegos

2007-10-14 03:46:03   This was the only shop that would fix a wheel for me. It was an odd wheel from an old Austrian bike, a Steyhr, with broken spokes, etc. Kens, B & L said they'd have to buy new hub and rim- too dangerous otherwise! This dude did it fine and polished it up for 25.00, which I was happy with considering I'd been riding on it anyway. Rumor has it the shop is moving next to Aggie Liquor, which I'm kind of happy about. I actually think it will improve his business. —JeffShaw

I too have a very bad experience at this place. The guy is one of the rudest persons that i have ever come across. —SoumenRoy

2007-10-27 12:26:15   The worst bike store. Thought it would be a great place for used parts and repairs, but the owner was a total prick each time I visited...EACH TIME. The first time, one of his employees handed over two rusty screws to me and said, "no charge," but the owner wanted $2. I just turned around and walked right out the door with screws in hand. Not that I like it, but that's just the sort of way I deal with them now. It should be called the bike dump. I think they've recently relocated to 5th and L. —Manlaw

2008-01-08 13:16:13   I went there for a set of front cones — he seemed highly uninterested in helping me, and told he couldn't give a shit looking for individual cones in his drawer of cones+axles, and that I'd need to buy a set. Fair enough, I suppose. His assistant takes a look at the old cones I brought in, and finds a supposedly compatible axle/cone set. I take it home, realize it's the wrong size, and come back the next day to return it. Holy crap, what a dick. He starts bitching about me to another customer, about how I'm wasting his time because I don't know anything, etc etc. He spends more time whining than the time it takes to actually open the cash drawer and give me my $5. —StewartShearer

2008-03-01 17:58:57   Rich fix my daughters flat tire in minutes not hours like the other snobbish bike shops in town. Rich and I had a good conversation about the old days of bikes. His impressive collection of old tricycles and bikes is to not be missed. With the smell of WD40 in the air my daughter smiled when she got on that bike again. He make look like an intimidating Marine but Rich is a soulful character fixing bike in Davis one at a time. —kswanson

2008-03-14 16:25:40   This is the only place I trust with my bike. Both of them know a great deal about all kinds of bikes and have been really helpful. And court tv is always on in the shop, so there's an added bonus. —elliottpollard

2008-03-20 16:43:42   I took my bike here for a tune up recently. They were helpful and answered all of my questions. They didn't even get annoyed when I said I wanted new tires then changed my mind at the last minute. The tune up itself was inexpensive and my bike was ready when promised. So far the bike is running smoothly and I have no complaints. I would recommend this shop to anyone. —GabeDavis

2008-06-05 15:05:23   Overall a bizarre stroe. One time you go in there and he is nice as can be, other times he is ultra surly. If you can deal with the curmudgeon of an owner they have some neat vintage parts and bikes. I was going to get my girlfriend a bike here but his attitude totally turned me off and I took my business elsewhere. —schester

2008-06-20 13:20:29   HORRIBLE SERVICE!! I bought a bike from them and it broke in about 5 minutes, when I took it back they were VERY rude and not at all happy about repairing it. They gave me a really crappy, bent chain and NEVER had the bike ready on time. Rich is a lot nicer and more reliable than the little guy, so if you do go here, deal with him. Overall, I'd advise people to go elsewhere. —littlelove

2008-06-26 02:31:18   Don't waste your time. Poor service...actually none. Not a bike in the store worth 5 bucks. Nice Motobecane sign out front, Im sure they are an official dealer!?! —Helikid

2008-06-26 11:37:57   This is the only place in town that was willing to work on my 1966 BSA bike with a Sturmy Archer 3-speed and front drum brake. Fixed everything up and charged reasonably. No, the guy didn't go to charm school, but he was interested and able to work on my old bike that no one else would touch. —Annamaria

2008-07-29 19:34:21   One time I didn't have enough money and Rich let me slide. Walk in there with confidence and you'll survive. Overall not a bad experience. —AvidSpots

2008-07-30 01:18:29   My sturmey archer trumps Rich, it's to old and to rare —StevenDaubert

2008-09-12 10:43:02   haha i like this store a lot.

i was in there checking out some frames and a freshman came in with his dad. he asked if he could get a fixie and i heard something along the lines of

i dont waste good frames on things like that. just put it in a gear and dont change it

RESPECT —aechanio

2008-10-03 17:27:29   Basically a thrift store full of junk parts. Mediocre service (customer service, not their work) at best, although the older guy didn't seem to bad, the mechanic was not friendly at all. Come here if you looking for a cheap junker to ride around town. —jcoffman98

2008-10-08 18:26:13   definitely not everybody's cup of tea. not the shiny, bling, bling modern day shop. rather, think auto mechanic for bikes. best shop for those going low budget or those interested in keeping old favorites going strong. rich is a walking bike encyclopedia, so the older, the knarlier the better. he loves bikes. people, he can do with or without. i recommend knowing what you want, or want to ask, before you head in. don't get all hoity toity on him, 'cause he knows his shit even if he doesn't sound like your average collegiate staffer. if you catch him in a mood, ask him how the fish have been bitin', because that's where he goes off to do when you can't find him. and, no, not a huge new bike inventory. —dockao

2008-10-18 16:54:04   Don't go to there! Rich is a total asshole that couldn't be reasoned with at all. In my whole life, I have never been so intimidated by a business owner. —v99erik

2008-10-19 13:39:15   I was not really happy with the shop. I bought a 2nd hand Mongoose XR-200 and it cost me $125. The bike broke down frequently, and I need to bring it back to them to have it fixed. I feel that the shop owner doesn't really care about me because I am a new customer I guess, and I feel that the employee was quite rude sometimes. The paddle was actually not the same pair! I guess he thought I am annoying. Finally I sold back the bike to them at half price, and I bought a new bike (Trek 7.2FX) from Free Wheeler. Even though I lost $62.5, I am glad that I don't have to use that damn bike anymore. —edwin2005hk

2008-10-20 11:38:19   Although it can be a stressful experience dealing with the staff, this place is really tho only place in davis that will work on a vintage bike. I had a wheel built here and I have to admit it's served me well the last few months. Reasonable pricing on service, but it's usually cheaper to get the parts you need online. Beware crankiness and prepare to be shunned when you walk in the door. I probably wont be going in anytime soon because they seem pretty sick of me asking questions but not buying anything. —TheWigglyWizard

2008-12-07 18:28:30   I found my stolen bike on a rack here. I had receipts for the parts so they gave it back to me. Still isn't clear how it got there... —AndrewPeake

2009-01-17 17:38:50   I love bikes, all sorts of bikes, know bike culture, and know great bike stores low rent and high rent all over the world — and this one is a bottom feeder. The "character" (Rich? or plain "Dick?") presiding over this expensive crap actually knows next to nothing about bikes ("what's a quill stem?"), which he tries to cover up with the abuse and general weirdness. We are chumps if we think that this is some sort of "authentic" "soulful" "olde tyme" experience that tests manhood. If you want to talk about fishing bait, try a fish store. This store can only get away with it in a college town too polite to tell anyone to f— off. So no, this place isn't the alternative to chain stores, and probably Davis still needs a friendly place dealing in beater bikes and old stock. In the meanwhile, go to your local independent bike stores for new stuff, check Craig's List for old stuff, get advice and parts from [WWW]http://www.sheldonbrown.com/, see if local thrift stores or the Bike Barn or auctions on campus have a used bike for you, support local builders for fixies (a fixed wheel isn't riding a bike in one gear, boom boom), and see if mending your own flats is quicker and cheaper in the long term. —Biggins

2009-01-20 14:49:14   I bought a new cruiser from Richard that was too high. He personally adjusted it for me free of charge. Also, every time I would get a flat tire, he would pump it up and add the green slime so that I wouldn't have anymore problems. When my bike lock was stuck, he put WD-40 in it and fixed it for free. —Aiphi

2009-01-24 12:44:50   This guy was the biggest self important dick I have met in a while. I went in to his store to buy a tube and adapter for a bike I was selling. I asked him for some information about the bikes value and he responded with an opinion that was so low as to be ridiculous. No matter, I put the tube in and met the buyer out in the parking lot so if they needed any parts for the bike we could get them right there. I'm talking with the person and Rich comes outside with some serious attitude and says what are you doing in my parking lot. He said you need a business license to sell bikes in this town and he was going to call the police on me for selling a bike without a license. I politely refuted his assertion and said we were there so if we needed parts to complete the sale we could just buy them right then. He threatened me again with the police and said he owned this parking lot and asked me to leave. It was amazing how angry he got when I told him to just call the police, but I wanted to continue the transaction so just went across the street. I was not doing this as a business, just my own personal bike. I will make it my personal mission to tell everyone I know just what a bad experience I had. In all my years, I have had very very few business experiences like this. I hope he goes out of business soon. —demoman

2009-02-03 15:24:44   I agree about the Shadiness factor. I came in looking for a bike, they told me they would put in "$100 dollars worth of tune ups and repairs" and sold me the bike for 175. Since then I have had to put a lot more money having the wheels trued, the breaks redone, gears adjusted and tightened, etc. Basically, they sold me a lemon. When I confronted them about it, they blamed all the problems on myself and how I take care of the bike, and wouldnt fix the bike or refund me part of the money. This place sucks! —ari-p

2009-03-22 11:28:06   A good shop with dogs. A friend was having trouble with a bike from there and also with the staff. After a hard haggle the transaction was reversed. That was really sympathetic. I can't wait to see how Rich handles these darn cotter (sp?) pins on my dad's old bike. :-) —lilmonstu

2009-04-23 12:01:39   Went there a couple of months ago, but forgot to leave a comment. The place was really shady, and neither of the two guys who were there seemed to know anything. I was looking for a pair of new 26" tires (standard mountain bike size). They said they've never heard of the size and asked me what it was in cm (which is used usually, only to measure road tires such as the standard 700cm). I don't understand reading all these comments and judging through my personal experience how these guys manage to stay in business. —Oleg.Lokhvitsky

2009-05-24 22:08:09   I've never had anything but excellent service here since buying my bike from Rich several years ago. I was lured away to another shop briefly (I'm a sucker for coupons) but when I came back to DBE for a flat fix, Rich noticed a problem that was obviously a result of recent service (I couldn't say what it was—I'm a complete dilettante about bike stuff and am never made to feel like I'm wasting their time by my questions.) He fixed it and I renewed my loyalty and was off. (He even worked on the brake on my mom's four-wheeled walker and didn't charge anything for it.) —CathyYoung

2009-06-30 15:58:12   Brought in my bike with a flat back tire. Told to come back in 2 hours. Returned after 2 hours and my tire was still flat. But the guy fixed it up right in front of me in like 2 minutes. Rather impressive, actually. Cost around $12. I'll return if I ever get another flat. —JustinAi

2009-10-22 12:17:19   I will never go to this bike shop EVER again. The two guys that run this place do not belong in any kind of industry dealing with customer service. The owner made me feel like I was an A-hole for wanting to take a bike off the rack so I could take a look at it. They made me feel like I was putting them out just for being in their store. —trevorchreid

This is a Wiki Spot wiki. Wiki Spot is a non-profit organization that helps communities collaborate via wikis.