Biking around the East Bay? Here are 3 shops to visit

No matter how much you’ve perfected your biking route back and forth across the Bay, or dialed your daylong two-wheeling adventure, things can come up to throw a wrench in your plans. When that happens, it helps to know the right bike shop where trusted mechanics (armed with well-honed wrenches) can make on-the-spot repairs and take preventative measures to ensure your bike is in its best shape.

Flat tire or broken chain? In need of replacement parts, accessories or maybe a brand new ride altogether? Whether it’s an easy circling of Lake Merritt with the fam or a heart-racing mountain adventure, be prepared. Cruise on BART with your beloved bike and walk down to one of these East Bay shops when you need local bike know-how. 

Uptown Bike Station

Uptown Bike Station is located at 1775 Broadway in Oakland, a 1-minute walk from 19th St./Oakland Station. Photos by Uptown Bike Station and Joel B./Yelp.

Free valet bike parking steps from 19th St./Oakland Station, Uptown Bike Station is the BARTing bicyclist’s dear friend when working or exploring right in the mix of things, or when heading to the city and needing a safe drop-off for temporary bike storage. Gear, clothing and repairs are on hand at reasonable prices.

King Kog

King Kog is located at 327 17th St in Oakland, a 7-minute walk from 19th St/Oakland Station. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

King Kog specializes in selling track bikes and offering full service repairs, and they also stock vintage road bikes and cycling apparel. If you're working on a classic build, check out this shop for those hard-to-find parts.

Archer Bicycle

Archer Bicycle is located at 431 13th St. in Oakland, a 1-minute walk from 12th St/Oakland City Center Station. Photo by Maurice J./Yelp.

A newer full-service shop that started aiding local bicyclists in 2014, Archer Bicycle is a no-frills repair shop whose owner, Greg, has a solid reputation for getting the job done at fair prices with a friendly attitude. While it’s generally a straightforward operation in a more bare open space, Acher also doubles as an art gallery and hosts First Friday exhibits.