Passion Trail Bikes, Belmont, CA - specialists in quality bike service and custom-built mountain bikes: Category Service

Holiday hours

Patty — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:15:00 +0000

Happy holidays everyone!

Here are our holiday hours:

Friday 12/24 10am to 1pm – closed early Christmas eve
Saturday 12/25 closed for Christmas day
Sunday 12/26 12pm to 5pm
Monday 12/27 closed
Tuesday 12/28 10am to 7pm
Wednesday 12/29 10am to 7pm
Thursday 12/30 10am to 7pm
Friday 12/31 10am to 1pm
Saturday 1/1/11 closed for New Years Day
Sunday 1/2/11 12pm to 5pm
Monday 1/3/11 closed

The Passion Build

PeterD — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:22:00 +0000

It is interesting to watch different customers come in when they are shopping for a new bike. Some obviously just “get it” about Passion and what we are offering, and other haven’t picked up on it yet. As a marketer, I’ve had trouble figuring out how to help people who don’t “get it” to understand what we are really offering.

The problem is a bike has a standard retail price, often listed right on a manufacturer’s web sites. If a bike is a commodity, then going to the discounter that offers that bike at 20% off is better for the customer than paying full retail as you would at Passion.

But Passion doesn’t believe bikes are commodities. The parts may be the same whether you buy the bike from us or a discounter, but the final product is not.

If you want to have some fun, ask the other bike shops you go to how long they spend assembling the average full suspension mountain bike. I think you will hear numbers all over the place. For a big box store, the answer will be in how many bikes an assembler can build in an hour.

Yes, Passion gets the same bikes that are 90% assembled by the manufacturer. But that is where the similarity ends. Rather than just finish the last 10% of the build as many shops do, we instead tear the bike apart and re-assemble. In doing so, we do the added steps like facing where the head set, bottom bracket (see pic to left of faced bottom bracket), and the brakes mounts on the frame, making sure the wheels are correctly tensioned, and greasing every point of metal to metal contact. Doing these little steps up front will pay many performance and reliability dividends later on.

And people generally don’t walk into Passion and leave with a bike. It frequently requires three or more visits to Passion to get a new bike, instead of a more “grab and run” approach at some other stores. Where discounters will sell the bike and then offer discounts at a later time for stem swaps and other modifications to make the bike fit you, we do it a bit differently.

First we work with the customer to figure out the exact mix of parts that is right before we start to build it. Then we build it half way (example being the blue Ibis in the picture to the right) and bring the customer back for a first fitting – this way we can get all the sizing and parts just right. Only when it is fully assembled can the customer take the bike. I know this can drive people batty with anticipation as they wait for their new bike, but only doing this makes sure that the everything from cables length to seat height to stem length is set perfectly right from the first ride. Actually, with a discounter, it is more likely it will never be made perfect for you, but instead you’ll make do wit it as is.

And all this takes time. The answer for Passion on how long it takes to assemble a full suspension bike is over 8 hours, which doesn’t include the fitting time.

“Get it” now?

ps 1 – want to see more photos of bikes being built? Check out bikedoula.com. Charles doesn’t think of Passion as a bike shop, but as a bike doula – read the description to understand the difference.

ps 2 – if you do ask other shops how long they take to assemble a bike, post your findings in the comments here

Holiday Hours

Patty — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:28:00 +0000

Monday December 21: Closed
Tuesday December 22: 10:00am to 7:00pm
Wedndesday December 23: 10:00am to 7:00pm, followed by Holiday Lights Ride
Thursday December 24 (Christmas Eve): 10:00am to 2:00pm
Friday December 25 (Christmas Day): Closed
Saturday December 26: 9:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday December 27: 12:00pm to 5:00pm

Monday December 28: Closed
Tuesday December 29: 10:00am to 7:00pm
Wedndesday December 30: 10:00am to 7:00pm
Thursday December 31 (New Years Eve): Closed for Inventory
Friday January 1 (New Years Day): Closed
Saturday January 2: 9:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday January 3: 12:00pm to 5:00pm

Happy new year!

October Demo Followup

Charles — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Whew! We just had a fantastic weekend running our third Fall demo event at the shop. We had major league participation from Giant, Specialized, and Santa Cruz for the first time, and were also able to round out this fleet with bikes from Maverick and Ibis, allowing us to send out over 200 separate test rides over the two days. I want to thank everyone that participated, from those that came to tempt themselves by looking at new hardware, to the benevolent bunch that volunteered to help us keep things running smoothly, to those that just left a little extra in the til or the tip jar before the end of the day. We have been getting a lot of positive strokes and good feedback since Sunday, and it would not have been as good without everyone’s help.

I still want to hear what bikes you liked, what you liked about them, what you didn’t see or get to try, and what surprised you. Add a comment to this thread, or shoot something out to info@PassionTrailBikes.com. Santa Cruz left some bikes here for a couple extra days, so I was able to get a long ride in on a Blur LT Carbon yesterday. Look for a more thorough ride report on that one from me soon.

We ran special pricing on all bikes this past weekend, special orders and stock bikes included, and sold a few bikes and frames in the process. If you are regretting not taking advantage of that and getting one for yourself, let me, Berry, or Pancho know and we will do what we can for you.

I am updating Passion’s Flickr page tonight, and a few images from the weekend are already posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51326343@N00/sets/72157622385579697/

Closed on Saturday July 4

Patty — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Just a quick note to you that we will be closed on the fourth of July for the Independence Day holiday.

We had previously announced we would be open in our email newsletter; this was an error, and while heads will not be rolling for misleading you on this important bit of news, knobby tires will be rolling instead, so we hope you’ll forgive us.

We will be in on Sunday July 5th, from 12noon to 5pm.

Here’s a little color that came in and created a few fireworks back in receiving today. SRAM X0 rear derailer, in a patriotic red color. Also available in pink, green, gold, and orange, with matching cranks, shifters, cassette, and more

Holiday hours

Patty — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Quick note about our holiday hours this week and next:

Tuesday 12/23/08: Open late until 9:00pm
Wednesday 12/24/08: Closing early: 1:00pm
Thursday 12/25/08: Closed
Friday 12/26/08: 10am to 7pm
Saturday 12/27/08: 9am to 6pm
Sunday 12/28/08: 12noon to 5pm
Monday 12/29/08: Closed
Tuesday 12/30/08: 10am to 7pm
Wednesday 12/31/08: Closed for inventory
Thursday 1/1/09: Closed for new years
Friday 1/2/09: resume regular schedule (see right)

2nd Anniversary Demo Days are almost here: March 15&16

PeterD — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:56:00 +0000

We will have bikes for you to ride. We will have food for you to eat and beverages for you to drink and a store full of stuff on sale. And it’s gonna be good!

Come on down to the store on Saturday and Sunday, March 15th & 16th, and help us celebrate our 2nd anniversary. Whooda thunkit? We made it through our second year and we need you to help us kick off our third!

We are lining up a whole stable full of bikes for you to saddle up and take out for a nice ride. Scroll down for more info on the Demo Days:

Specialized Pitch in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Epic in Large, XL
Specialized Enduro in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Stumpjumper in Small, Medium, Large, XL
Specialized Saphire in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Era in Medium
Ibis Mojos in Small, Medium, Large, XL
Maverick Durance in Small
Maverick ML8 in Medium and Large
Santa Cruz Blur LT in Large
Giant Trance 1 in Medium
Giant Reign XO in Large

Rumor has it we should have some Versus Bikes also – stay tuned…

We are taking reservations for test rides, which will go out in groups at 10am and 1pm, or possibly other times (depending on availability) during the day. You can also take a bike for your own ride, so long as you stick within the time frame you signed up for (we need it back for the next person who reserved it).

We will also have the BBQ going from noon until 4pm both days, along with a nice spread of yummy side dishes, snacks, and of course, the all important brews and EANABS.

Party Saturday Night:
The side dishes, brews, and EANABS will continue on into the Evening on Saturday, as we have one of our world famous parties. Probably do some sort of green theme, as there seems to be some green-related holiday that day…

To reserve a bike, follow these instructions:
Send Charles an email and list your preferred test bike model and size, and ride time. If you are unsure what size, put what size and model bike you are already riding in your email. Or you can just show up and take whatever hasn’t been reserved, but there may be slim pickings…

Please note: Test rides will require a credit card and photo id card (there is no charge for the demo ride – we just want these to make sure you ring the bike back to us). You should come with your riding gear including shoes, helmet, and CamelBak. It’s a good idea to bring your pedals with you, though we do have some Shimano ones and flats available for loan (feel free to just bring your bike and we will swap the pedals over for you).

We are hiring (again!)

Patty — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:20:00 +0000

We have two positions open starting soon:

Mountain Bike Mechanic and
Mountain Bike Customer Service and Merchandise Specialist

for details, clicky on the linky below.

Mountain Bike Customer Service and Merchandise Specialist

We are thriving! This important new position in our sales department offers an exceptional opportunity to help a young business grow, if you are a motivated, self-directed, problem-solving person.

We need someone with a combination of bike knowledge, customer service, sales, and visual design skills.

Bike knowledge:
This position requires that you know a lot about mountain bikes. Some mechanical aptitude is required; you should have the ability to make fitting adjustments, minor tune-ups, assembly, etc. You should be adept in discussing both big-picture topics such as different riding styles and ride characteristics of different bikes, as well as the finer points of various mountain bike suspension types, pros and cons of various parts, accessories, equipment, and clothing etc.

Customer service skills:
You should be able to intelligently talk with avid mountain bike enthusiasts to determine their specific background, goals, needs, wants, budget. Your job will be helping people select and buy the right bike, the right gear. You will need to be able to manage the sales floor and work as a team with other sales and service department staff to satisfy customer service and sales needs.

Visual design aptitude:
This position also requires that you have excellent visual merchandising skills. You will be required to identify opportunities to improve our merchandising and execute amazing visual displays. You will design and update our point-of-purchase fixtures and signage.

Other:
We have a lot of other needs. What skills do you have?

Bicycle Mechanic/Mountain Bike Mechanic

The mechanic position has been filled.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits, and opportunities for training and advancement. These are full time permanent positions.

To apply for either of these this positions, please email your resume with a cover letter to Charles at Passion Trail Bikes dot com

Shop Shorthanded for Interbike

Patty — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:17:00 +0000

This week the shop will be shorthanded while most of the staff is at Interbike test riding cool new bikes for 2008, and wandering through a tradeshow with over 3000 vendors of bike goodies.

Bret, Sterling and Peter will be here to assist customers as best they can, while Charles, Berry, John and Patty are in Vegas. If the phone rings and goes to voice mail, or you come in and find your self in line for customer service, please accept our apologies. We considered being closed during the week but decided open and shorthanded would be better.

If you’re curious about interbike, you can check out the link above, or check out MTBR’s photos from the show. On Monday and Tuesday, the boys will be riding in Bootleg Canyon where there is some awesome rocky technical goodness to put bikes through a real trail test. Between the three of them, they should be able to ride about 15 different 2008 bikes.

Wednesday thru Friday they do the indoor part of the trade show. Wandering through the conference center, they get to pick up and fondle new parts, ask questions and try to stump the techs, and meet up with other movers and shakers in the bike industry.

Look forward to a couple writeups after the boys return. Until then, happy trails, and enjoy the lovely California weather.

Who will be our newest mechanic?

Patty — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:18:00 +0000

It had to happen sooner or later.
We need another mechanic, and we need one now.
Actually we needed one last month too, but we are just now getting the word out.

If you think you would like to work here, or know someone who would, please send them our way. We will be accepting resumes for about another week or so. Here’s the ad we posted on craigslist:

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-
Passion Trail Bikes in Belmont is seeking a mechanic for our high-end mountain bike service department. This is a full time, permanent position in the newest and best mountain biking shop in the Bay Area.

The ideal candidate is someone who:
—is passionate about mountain biking and trails
—has extremely high standards for precision mechanical work

—is intelligent and wants to learn
—has excellent interpersonal skills

We are looking for someone who either has experience working as a bicycle mechanic or who would like to transfer their skills from another industry and work in a bike shop. Ideally you would be confident in your ability to take apart, troubleshoot, and reassemble components such as forks, shocks, suspension linkages, and hydraulic brake systems. Although we prefer someone with experience working on mountain bikes, we are willing to train the right person. Most important is that you have really good problem solving skills, you have a good touch with a wrench, you can handle working in a demanding environment, and you can work with customers from all walks of life with respect and a high level of customer service. Sales experience is also helpful.

To apply, please send your resume to Charles by email. Include a cover letter explaining why you want to work at our shop.

For information about Passion Trail Bikes, please visit our website at http://www.passiontrailbikes.com or see our reviews at MTBR.com at http://bikeshops.mtbr.com/cat/united-states/california/california-bayarea/PLS_6221_912crx.aspx

Compensation: depends on qualifications; competitive salary for the bicycle industry