Freewheeler

Location

703 2nd Street

(intersection of 2nd & F Street)

Hours

Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

Sat 9am-5pm

Sun noon-4pm

Phone

(530)758-5460

Website

FreewheelerBikeCenter.com

Freewheeler is a local family owned bike shop that sells bicycles and cycling equipment and performs repair work. They sell Giant, Gary Fisher and Trek bikes. They also carry Aggie Cruisers.

You can also get a bike license renewal here.

You can only get store credit when returning items.

What's been your experience with Freewheeler?

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My experience is that the staff is often very aloof. Not a good quality for a store IMO. One time I went in to buy a seat and got zero help. Another time I was looking at $1000 bicycles and the staffer still remained quite detached. - JackHaskel

2005-05-23 12:36:20 I have found their repair shop to be excellent and quick, but the sales staff hasn't been very helpful. They don't carry a large variety of accessories, either. —MattCzarnowski

2005-07-08 00:21:30 I have no idea if their bikes are good or if the service is grand; however, they do house a very friend very old kitty that always wanders out of the store and keeps me company at the Starbucks next door. Even though I have already had 3 bikes stolen from me, I would still consider taking a peek at this store just to pet the cat and maybe buy a bike. —MichaelGiardina

2005-07-08 02:34:44 That cat has got to be on its seventh or eighth life by now... it was around when I bought a bike from these guys over 10 years ago. —KenNeville

2005-09-29 15:06:46 I had a great experience today. The staff answered all of the questions I had about the bike I ws looking into purchasing, found the right fit bike for me, helped me out with figuring out what I was looking for in a bike, and added on all of the accessories I bought quickly and efficiently. I am very happy. The price wasn't too bad, either. —RachelPeters

2006-03-15 19:08:28 The Freewheeler kitty disappeared a few weeks ago, so said the bike shop people. It was an old kitty, but added a nice feline touch to downtown davis. —KaiTing

2006-05-29 21:25:15 I just bought a mountain bike here and the service is variable. The first guy I got refused to give me a discount on the bike + accessories but another worker gave me a 10% off everything and even made adjustments to the sale when I changed my mind about a few items. The guy who installed the accessories onto the bike dropped the taillight, however, and cracked a corner of it but it still works well and I don't really have a problem with that. Prices aren't too bad but they're even better if you haggle with them. One thing I don't like is their lack of lifetime tune-ups for bikes. They even argued that their 90 day policy is the industry standard. It's not, however, for any bike shop back in Cupertino or Martinez back in the Bay. Good experience, however. Just one question for y'all... who has the best tune-up/maintenance policy here in Davis? —LiRic

Tune-ups for life doesn't make sense to me. Over time, the value of the tune-ups would easily exceed the value of the bike, especially if you bike a lot. At Wheelworks, you get a year of free tune-ups. Maybe this would be a good thing to add to the bike shop comparison chart ... —KaiTing

I remember being given a year of service with my bike when I bought it here some three years ago. Maybe they've changed their policy since? — TravisGrathwell

Yes, The policy was changed about a year and a half ago from 1 year to 3 months. In reality, this makes little difference, as after the bike has broken in, it should run fine for the first year. Also, they do offer a half-priced tune up within the first two years.

I agree that a lifetime of free tune-ups would make less sense in Davis than it would back in Cupertino or Martinez where the concentration of bikers is much lower. But, a lifetime policy makes it more likely that the customer will shop with your store again. It simply adds to the peace of mind of buying a brand new bike and more than likely, the store won't have to do much work anyway because the less profitable, more casual riders will forget about the tune-up policy pretty quickly. —LiRic

2006-08-02 00:04:27 I just purchased a bike from them yesterday. I was in the market for a new mountian bike and went to Freewheeler first to check out their models. I received very knowledgeable advice and zero pressure to purchase from a nice young man, he knew that I wasn't ready to purchase but was none the less very free with his time and advice. I then went to B&L and Wheelworks and had less enjoyable experiences so I returned to FreeWheeler to purchase a Trek from Sherry. She was very helpful and friendly. I thought their prices were fair and that the value I received for the the money I paid was in perfect balance. I would definately recommend Freewheeler. —GregPass

2006-08-06 14:35:10 On Friday, Freewheeler replaced my bike innertube. When I got home, I noticed that both tires were badly cracked while 1 was terribly warped! I was very disappointed because the Freewheeler repair guys didn't catch the above problems. I had to bring my bike back on Sunday and buy 2 new tires. I couldn't use my bike for 2 days because of the repair(s) and it took time to go back and forth to correct their ineptitude. I told the store owner, Jeff, that I was amazed that his repair guys would let me walk out the door with my bike in this unriddeablely poor condition. He said that he would not charge me for the labor when they put on the new tires because they would have been installed on Friday if his guys caught the problem the first time. The owner said that he stands behind his work, and what do you know!?,..he actually does! —JoeCustomer

2007-01-22 18:28:40 I've been in there a couple times and have been disappointed each time. They have a really poor selection for everything, their bikes are totally standard out of the box and are not very high end... They don't have anything exotic, you can't even walk into their shop and see anything really cool, just normal new expensive mountain and road bikes. The girl at the counter was nice and helpful, but didn't know what she was talking about at all, and told my friend at least 4 things that were blatantly WRONG, then rudely told me that I was incorrect. Their bikes have no character, they are almost all the same. Lack of character extends to the staff as well. "bicycle culture" is nowhere to be found at Freewheeler. You can order the same road and mountain bikes and parts that this place has directly off of Amazon.com, probably for a lot cheaper. It feels like they only want you to ride their way. LAME. Won't go there ever again. —GarrettGallegos

I am baffled by this comment. Freewheeler is probably my favorite shop in Davis. Their selection is huge - you can order any bike by the Trek umbrella or Giant (which is more models than you can imagine). Nothing high end? Most people consider $4,000 bikes high end (and they can special order bikes up to $10,000), but I could be wrong. Their bikes are all the same? Last I checked, Trek's Carbon Madone had very little in common with Phat cruisers, but I could be wrong again. Buy the stuff on amazon? None of their bikes are sold online - Anywhere! It's part of the dealer contract - Trek and Giant only sell through Brick and Morter Retailers. I guess I don't know what it means for a bike to have "character". Oh well. - MatthewSessions
Other bike shops in town can help you out if you're into exotic thoroughbred european bicycles. However, it's good to have a blend of bike shops in town since not everyone cares about exotic bikes and bike culture. A lot of students just need to get around time, and a somewhat vanilla bike shop is fine for that. I don't understand how you can say that the girl was nice and helpful, and then immediately accuse her of being rude. I also don't understand what you mean by "they only want you to ride their way." What way do you ride? I typically move my feet in circular motions, although when I'm tired, I pedal in squares. —Kai

2007-01-22 18:28:40 I bought a Giant two years ago from these guys and have been nothing but happy with both the bike and the service ever since. Based on the other bikes I've owned, I've decided that Giant is a great brand if you want to buy a bike that isn't too expensive, but isn't junk either. —Tom Hinds

2007-02-19 12:32:01 When I specifically asked them to replace the rear wheel of my bike with one of the same color, I came back only to see a caricature of a bike with one silver and one black rim. On top of this, after their tune-up, the chain would derail when going from 6th to 7th. Their service is just a dream come true. —AntonUzun

In their defense, they did fix both problems the next day within an hour with no additional cost.

2007-03-30 16:01:14 I got my bike here. The owner is super friendly and very helpful. They used to have a really awesome cat, too. —GreenThing

2007-04-05 22:19:43 I've had great experiences a this bike shop. My freshman year, they set me up right with fenders, a solid cable lock and a front basket. Very friendly and helped me find exactly what I need. The service they provided was excellent. And just recently I purchased a new bicycle from them- so far, I love it. More importantly, my experience in the shop was a great one. They provided me with lots of information, helped me try out a variety of bikes and sent me out for a little test ride to check out my selection before purchase- all that good stuff. Also of note: when you purchase a bicycle from Freewheeler you get 90-days of free tune-up services. —StacieTownsend

2007-04-12 10:49:44 This was by far the best bike shop I have ever been too. I went to 4 other shops in Davis and the service and bikes shown to me were appalling. At Freewheeler all the bike that I tried were well tuned and the daughter helped me find a bike that works with my body. The sales was low pressure but they took the time to get the right bike for me. I love my 7.5 FX WSD! I want to ride it all the time. I am commuting on it from Woodland, 12 miles each way and that baby is smooth and fast. I will definitely buy my future bikes from them! —claire

2007-05-13 17:43:11 I bought a road bike in a closeout sale here (about $1700, down from $2099 I believe). The owner (?) and Sheri were very friendly and had no problem with me test riding the same bike (and others) on three occasions. They also fit me in (not with the fancy special rulers like the folks at Wheelworks, but they took care). You get 3 months free tune-ups on a new bike, and it sounded like they'd swap the seat if I realized a week later that didn't like it. Some of the other staff seemed not as knowledgeable about fancier bikes, but they immediately got me somebody who was. Also, after the sale, they detailed the bike first instead of just sending me off with it. So far I'm happy with their service and prices. The selection could be bigger, but that's understandable for a shop of this size. —JoFeuerstein

2007-05-18 08:52:20 I've taken my bike to Freewheeler for repairs for years. They always do a great job. When my tires got punctured, they replaced them with much thicker and stronger tires which lasted a long time. One of them finally got punctured yesterday and I'll be going back to Freewheeler tomorrow for a replacement. —Dana

2007-07-24 18:24:53 I took my folder here for a tune-up a little over a week ago, and after they gave it back to me everything was perfect except one of the wheel bearings had started creaking. After a little investigation, I found that one of the bearings was not snug in the hub—something I had no idea how to take care of. I went back there today with the wheel, and they were willing to take care of it right away (despite how busy they were). I was told it would be no more than an hour, and sure enough when I came back it was good as new. I asked what I owed them, and they said nothing! Thanks a million, guys; I'll be back for all my bike servicing! —MichaelKeteltas

2007-08-06 16:59:55 cant tell theyre heads from their arses when it comes to bmx. —piratechef

2007-09-01 12:48:34 friendly, no pressure, no attitude- a nice difference compared to some of the other shops in davis. —joel

2007-09-14 12:27:55 These guys are so friendly and helpful, and they carry a nice selectin of not too fancy/expensive but still nice bikes. I felt no pressure to buy, and I must have test ridden about 5 different bikes, each one adjusted to fit before I got on. I also didn't feel at all like I was less of a valuable customer because I don't know everything about bikes. This is a great shop and a great experience if you are looking for a Trek or Giant (not a lot of other shops in town sell them). —Erin80

Brands are territorial - so they're the only place in town to go for Trek or Giant (similarly, Jamis and KHS at B&L, Haro and Specialized at Kens, Cannondale and way-too-many-high-end-brands at Wheelworks). —BrettHall

2007-09-20 14:54:59 We went here on a recommendation of a friend and were not disappointed. Another bike store might have laughed at us, bringing in our ancient bikes to be tuned up, but they gave us an estimate on the spot and were honest — they didn't try to tell us that our bikes were unfixable or try to pressure us into buying new bikes. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and informative, and the bikes were ready when they said they'd be ready. We'll definitely be going back there for future bike needs. —CovertProfessor

2007-10-09 19:05:24 I've been taking my bikes here for several years and have always had a good experience. They are generally fast and do a good job. I have even brought my bike in for a quick fix (brake adjustment, pedal stuck) and they have done it while I waited for no charge. —SusanCameron

2008-02-08 19:27:59 I just created my davis wiki account today so that I could comment on this shop. I went on with the recommendations on this page about the store, after researching online and checking out some local stores in davis and in sacramento. I was not dissappointed. Everything is true: 1) Great Service, 2) Great selection (for a start-to-medium mountain-biker), 3) No pressure. The bike that I chose (with the help from the owner, Jeff) was right on budget and Jeff even gave me a discount (they had the bike in discount a couple of months ago, so he made it retroactive). I bought a nice Giant brand bike and took it for a spin right away. It was awesome. Jeff placed the bike on a stand and had me try it on for size. He made the adjustments to the handle and seats and before I took it out of the store he made one last round of checks and tuneup. I did not get the pressure to buy more stuff (lights, seat, rack, helmet, etc..). No Sweat, Great Selection, Awesome Service!! (I went back a few hours later to have my fiancee's bike fixed due to some thief taking the back wheel... he replaced all the parts and charged me no labor because of my earlier purchase... what a deal!). —momktg

2008-02-09 21:14:13 I bought my bike here. The whole staff was pleasant to deal with. They helped me to find a bike that met my needs quite well. I put in a custom order to get a bike in the colors that I preferred. (If they don't have what you want, they can order it from a manufacturer catalog.) My free tune-up was done quickly, and the bike has really been great. They even gave me a loaner bike while I waited for my bike to arrive (which took about a week) because I needed a bike immediately. I highly recommend this place. —IDoNotExist

2008-02-23 17:24:19 I recently got into a bicycling accident and had my back wheel bent out of shape. When I took it to another bike shop (the only one I knew at the time) they said I'd have to buy a new SET of rims, the prices of which were $275-$399! I wandered around dejectedly and by luck I found the Freewheeler just a few minutes before it closed. Jeff (if I remember correcttly) inspected the wheel and said that he could just order replacement wheel (not an entire set) and transfer the tire and hub from the current one to the replacement. A week later (would have been even earlier but the wheel was out of stock in California) and only at the cost of about $65 I'm riding around again.

Great service and great value. I'd definitely recommend the Freewheeler. —Saengking

2008-03-13 23:02:15 Freewheel has a decent assortment of road bikes to choose from and a great place if you want a good towny hybrid bike. Odd place to find one of town's best mountain bike mechanics though, really helped figure out what i needed. —harrisan87

2008-03-14 16:05:20 I went here to get my bars re-taped and my hoods replaced. When I got my bike back the new hoods were torn, and then gears didn't work anymore. I took the bike back to them and they got really defensive and mean. I asked the mechanic why the gears were all mess up, and he said he was having trouble with it and complained that the bike was broken (which it wasn't before I gave it to them). I asked why he would leave it all messed up and not tell me and just send me off with a now broken bike, and they both got really mad and said they couldn't fix it for 10 dollars (which I was quote the day before on being the price). They then blamed the price on a high school employee, even though he checked with the mechanics. The girl working said she never wanted to see my bike again, like the bike did something wrong... I will never go back there again. 1. they messed up my bike 2. they didn't tell me about it and just gave it back 3. they were and are extremely rude when they were in the wrong. 4. then they still didn't fix my bike. I took it right over to the Davis Bike Exchange and they fixed it right up. —elliottpollard

*Hi, I'm the manager at Freewheeler. I'm really sorry you had this experience. Clearly, we could have handled things much better. If there is a way we can remedy this, please email me and we'll work it out- Sheri@freewheelerbikes.com

2008-03-15 20:37:16 I am almost positive that Ridingalong129 (the girl who works at Freewheeler) is the person who originally helped me to find my bike there. If Ridingalong129 is who I think it is, I must say that she was definitely the nicest person at any of the bicycle shops that I visited. She was very passionate about the business, and she did an excellent job of helping me to find the bike that I wanted. In fact, the positive experience that I had there is one of the reasons that I bought my bike there, instead of at one of the many other bike shops in town. (Are you listening, WheelWorks and B&L?!) As I've mentioned previously, this is one place that I can definitely recommend without reservation. —IDoNotExist

2008-03-18 11:38:20 My shifters were not broken before I brought my bike in. And if they were broken, then why could Rich fix them in like 5 minutes? Rich actually laughed at me for taking my bike there and told me that one of the Freewheeler employees who is a cyclist take his bike to rich to get work done (I don't know if that's actually true, but if it is its funny) But I NEVER yelled at you guys, i merely complained because my bike was not working (which I noticed on my ride home) and you started attacking the bike and saying it was all messed up and the hoods were old and messed up, even though I bought them like two days before. I would be willing to take this so called 10 year old rubber hoods to a lab to have tested, because they are and were not dried out. Did they even make hoods like that 10 years ago? (i actually don't know, not being sarcastic...). And you may have not been trying to be rude, but it doesn't change the fact that you actually said the words, "we don't want to see this bike again..." not "We can take a look at it and try to fix it" or anything of that sense... —elliottpollard

2008-04-29 17:25:58 I live in West Sacramento and am much closer to downtown Sacramento than I am to Davis, but I chose to shop at Freewheeler because of their excellent customer service. I guess I'm what you would call 'vanilla,' whatever the heck that means. i wanted a hybrid road bike that was comfortable, low-maintenance, and affordable. Most of the clerks in the Sacramento bike shops seemed irritated at the vague and general nature of my query, as if my questions weren't sophisticated enough to be worth their time. The guys at Freewheeler were VERY informative, VERY helpful, and VERY positive in their attitude. I was happy to spend a little extra money and also purchase a few accessories to boot. I would recommend them to anyone. —LaRoi

2008-05-07 15:03:20 Apparently if you are not a hardcore bicyclist and don't want to spend $800 on a new bike, you're not worth being nice too. I haven't owned a bike since I was 13 but since I will be living in Midtown Sac, I decided I wanted one to ride around town. I went wandering the Davis bike shops on my lunch break, hoping for some help. The girl at the counter was flat out rude, when I said I didn't realize that "low end" bikes start at $250. Went over to B&L and they were very helpful even though I said I couldn't afford to buy one that day. —princessjeni

2008-05-15 23:47:14 I bought my bike there 5 years ago & remember feeling very snubbed by the sales guy, before & after I purchased the bike. It was a "low end" $300 Giant, but it's lasted me during my stay at Davis (my only complaint is that it's very heavy).

After my cool treatment a few years ago, I reluctantly went back this year to get my brakes replaced. The guy in the repair shop was cute, but seemed a little ditzy. I asked how much it would cost to replace the brake pads, and he said "$19 for the pads & installation" (or something under $20). He then suggested I get all the wires, etc changed (full brake job), and I asked how much that would be, and he said "$24, which includes labor". It might have been "24.99", but it was definitely under $25.

When I picked up my bike, he charged me $39. When I reminded him that he'd quoted me $24, he said that price was without the brake pads.

Now, if someone quotes you a price and says "with labor," wouldn't you assume that price was all-inclusive? That assumption seems especially reasonable considering he'd just quoted me on the brake pads with labor.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't be willing to pay $40 for a full brake job, but I would like to be given full disclosure before I have the work done so that I can make an informed decision.

I'll never go there again.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a bike shop (or individual) that would be completely honest in the event that I need a bigger repair in the near future? —Phoebus

2008-05-19 21:30:25 I just went there today and I thought the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. —TimBenedict

2008-07-10 13:01:30 I needed a bike that would be comfortable riding to town and light and easy enough to go on long bike rides (like to Winters). This shop was very helpful and even changed the part to increase the height of the handle bars. I have come back several times for tune-ups to purchasing accessories and I have ALWAYS had wonderful service. Before that I went to Ken's for tune-up and the service was terrible. The bike was not ready on time (apparently the guy working on the bike just didn't show that day) and somehow my light mysteriously disappeared. I have tried Wheelworks as well and they really only get excited about talking to you if you are a true cyclist. So, for the average biker this is a great place. —LokiAbbi

2008-08-19 10:04:13 I took my book to Freewheeler to change the shifter and to check out a problem I had with my wheel. I asked them to call me before any work was done. I was quoted $25-35 for the work. Fast forward to me picking up the bike and the bill was 3 times what I was quoted. They also performed work that was completely unnecessary and charged me for work I never requested. When I politely expressed my surprise to the gear shop guy who checked me out, he just looked a little dumbfounded and barely responded. Not impressed with the customer service, frustrated with the lack of communication. It seems like others have had positive experiences, but I won't go back. I've had much better service at EVERY other bike shop I've been to. Keep looking around Davis. —AshesCS

2008-08-19 10:32:08 I continue to have very good experiences there. I've had a variety of random problems with my bike, and they've always been good at fixing my bike quickly and correctly. I'd still definitely recommend them based on my own experiences. —IDoNotExist

2008-09-26 10:03:40 They continue to be the best bike shop experiences I've had in Davis. I needed my chain replaced, and they did it for $10 and it only took a few hours. Wheelworks wanted $45 and to keep the bike overnight. I wouldn't go anywhere else for repairs. —KelliDorey

2008-10-20 16:53:19 I just got a tune up last Friday, and I was pleased. I had my chain and one derailer cable replaced, for a total of about 100$ (35 for the parts, 65 for the tune-up) The staff was courteous, they never made me feel bad about the amature neglect that my bike had been suffering. And they made some modifications beyond the standard tune-up; They fixed my bike lights and mount for my basket, both of which I had very poorly rigged. They didn't mention this when I picked the bike up so I think they left it as a pleasant surprise, which it was. —drpottsiv

note: I returned to the shop today (10/28/08) during lunch time because I was having some trouble with my bike since the tune up. The guy in the shop gave it a look on the spot and made an adjustment, free of charge. I appreciate it very much, and will continue to give my business to Freewheeler.

2008-11-03 17:58:52 I have almost always have found Freewheeler to have good service. Last week they adjusted my derailer and it wasn't quite right. So, when I went back they corrected it free of charge and were very nice about it. —IgnatPrintsev

2009-01-13 14:27:18 Bought a bike light here today. Friendly guy, very helpful. —HJH

2009-03-21 16:15:11 I got my bike at Freewheeler a few months ago and got a free 3 month service yesterday. I love the bike that I got, the service is always really good, and I was really happy that they were about to service my bike as a walk in in about 30 minutes yesterday - and for free! I've been really happy with my experience! —navetdi

2009-07-22 18:41:33 I've been in several times for service, all of which has been excellent, and reasonably priced, as well as prompt. The staff has been helpful when I've bought accessories. Highly recommend. —sgilmore

2009-08-14 20:42:58 Just took my Giant in for a long-overdue tune-up. It's running like new again and the mechanic even cleaned it up for me. I still stand by my statement that, based on the bike I bought in 2005, Giant sells a great bike that isn't so expensive that you need to always worry about it getting stolen, but high enough quality that you'll enjoy having it. I still love my bike! —TomHinds

2009-08-15 17:08:31 Great Service, stable staff, very responsive, Family owned. I've lived in town for 17 years and have bought 3 Trek bikes from Freewheeler. (2 road, 1 mtn) I've worked with Kevin and Sheri a number of times to fix routine items on my much used bicycles as well as order specialty items. These guys are also very good with advice as to what you do and don't really need at your level of biking. Highly recommended. —ThomasCorcoran

2009-10-01 19:33:02 Picked up a new hybrid Trek today from Freewheeler and left feeling good about my choice and the experience. Would recommend. —GregFurnish

2009-11-04 10:05:13 Excellent customer service, and very reasonably priced merchandise, unlike Ken's, Bike Barn, or B&L. —ThanhVu

See Also

What's been your experience with Freewheeler?