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

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

Support the Local Economy Sale

Patty — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:22:00 +0000

As some of you may have noticed, we were unable to provide you with a fall demo event. To make it up to our loyal customers we are having our first ever Black Friday sale.

Pancho has been busy slashing prices on some of your favorite items such as Easton carbon handlebars and seatposts, Fox forks, various Fox gloves, hydration packs, and more. All Specialized S-works shoes 40% off, other Specialized shoes discounted 25% off (limited to sizes on hand). All Giro Xen helmets are 40% off.

In addition to the marked down goods we will be offering 15% off any one regular priced item in the store (including in-stock bikes and frames), 10% off all regularly priced merchandise, and 10% off any bike ordered with a deposit.

Also, if you are looking for stocking stuffers, and taking care of some friends on your list, consider a Passion Gift Card. We will be selling gift cards for 10% off. This helps you out because you can get a $100 gift card for $90, and it helps us out because we get a little short term boost during the dark season when our cash flow is more like a creek than a river. So, buy a couple!

Oh, and we have the LifeCycles DVD in stock.

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/

Passion Jerseys

PeterD — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:52:00 +0000

So, you saw the pictures in the Lounge of Charles and Jay from their tandem adventure at the Sea Otter and wondered about those jerseys they were wearing? And you probably want one, as those jerseys sure made them fast – not quite as fast as Superman, but faster than Nice Lobster…

Well, those are the official Passion Trail Bike jerseys, made by Zoic, and we have plenty in the shop at $45 each should you want to be fast like them (custom tandem not included).

Here is some information from Zoic abut these jerseys:

Tagless neckline
Wicking
Anti-microbial
“(ee) Environmentally Enlightened”
Fabric: 57% Polyester / 43% Bamboo Active Carbon

And here’s a closeup of the front and back logos:

They are t-shirt style, so they don’t have pockets on them (none of that roadie stuff).

Demo Days photos

PeterD — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Just a quick update. Demo Days was awesome – about 100 demo bikes available for rides 3 times each day. Weather was excellent, and Waterdog was mostly dry (though had a few muddy spots). Lots of happy riders. We have uploaded a bunch of photos from the demo days to Flickr.

Demo Days bike roster and availability has been updated

Patty — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know that if you are interested in test riding one of our demo bikes this weekend, we have updated the list of bikes and the days and times they are reserved. If you would like to do a test ride, please check the list and follow the instructions at the bottom of that page for making a reservation. We’d love to see you!

Our 3rd Anniversary Party and Bike Demo Days March 7 & 8

Patty — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:24:00 +0000

Whoop! Not only is daylight saving time right around the corner, and the grass is green with wonderful spring rains, but… cow bell please…

We did it! We survived our first three years in business and are still here despite all the dire news about the economy. Well, there might have been a tiny little nose wheelie back there in October, but we kept our eyes on where we want to go, and put the rubber side smack back DOWN. Nothing like a shot of adrenalin to make you a little sharper! Our spirit is strong, our customers inspiring, our future bright. Help us celebrate! Come join the party as we release the brakes to roll out for the start of year number four for Passion Trail bikes!

Come join our 3rd anniversary party on Saturday and Sunday March 7 & 8.

Expect a festive atmosphere with delicious refreshments, fresh new cycling fashions, a sale on select items, and nearly 100 new bikes available for FREE extended test rides!

We will have Specialized here with their Test Ride trailer and Designs for Women crew. We will have demo bikes from Giant, Maverick, Ibis and Santa Cruz.

Most amazing will be the huge selection of fabulous Specialized road bikes to test ride. Yes it’s true we started out focusing on mountain bikes, but we also ride pavement and are psyched to be able to offer awesome road bikes from that bastion of innovation in Morgan Hill. Here’s your chance to test ride a crazy fast 2009 Tarmac SL2, or a dynamite Roubaix or Ruby or Tri-Cross.

Test ride a SRAM equipped S-Works Ruby!

See below for a list of bikes we will have for demo rides, and info on how to reserve your spot.

To test ride a bike, we highly recommend making a reservation as soon as possible. For some models, the reservation list will fill up almost immediately. Scroll down to see our list of bikes. Send us an email at info@passiontrailbikes.com and tell us which bike and size you would like to test ride, which day, and what time.

Ride times for Saturday AND Sunday are 9:00AM, 11:00AM, and 1:00pm. Test rides will be 1.5 hours long so you can get a really good feel for the bikes. There will also be a possibility for one or two rides at 1:00 that will go for more than 1.5 hours.

All test rides are free, however you must sign a waiver, have a photo id and a major credit card. Parents must be present to sign waivers for minors to test ride. Bring your bike clothes, helmet, and shoes and pedals (we do have a few Shimano pedals and platform pedals around to lend out, but not enough for everyone).

Riders check in to pick up their reserved test bike and get directed to a ride leader

Crazy selection of high-end Specialized bikes to test ride

Ibis and Maverick were favorites last year. Limited availability this time, so reserve your ride ASAP

			Sat	Sat	Sat	Sun	Sun	Sun
	Reservations updated as of 3/5 6:00PM		3/7	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/8
			9AM	11A	1P	9AM	11A	1P
Manufacturer	Bike	Size
Specialized	Epic S-Works	Small	R		R		R	R
Specialized	Epic S-Works	Medium	R	R	R		R
Specialized	Epic S-Works	Large	R	R			R	R
Specialized	Epic S-Works	Large	R	R
Specialized	Era Marathon 2008	Small						R
Specialized	Era Marathon 2008	Medium						R
Specialized	Era Marathon 2008	Large
Specialized	Safire S-Works	Small					R
Specialized	Safire S-Works	Small
Specialized	Safire S-Works	Small
Specialized	Safire S-Works	Medium			R
Specialized	Safire S-Works	Medium
Specialized	Safire Expert	Medium				R
Specialized	Safire Expert Carbon	Medium
Specialized	Safire Expert Carbon	Large						R
Specialized	Myka Pro	Medium
Specialized	Stumpjumper S-Works	Med		R
Specialized	Stumpjumper S-Works	Med		R	R	R	R	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper S-Works	Large		R	R	R	R	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper S-Works	Large			R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Pro	Small		R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Pro	Medium		R		R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Pro	Large	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Pro	Large
Specialized	Stumpjumper Pro	X-Large			R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Elite	Medium		R			R
Specialized	Stumpjumper Elite	Large				R
Specialized	Stumpjumper 29r	Medium	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper 29r	Large		R
Specialized	Stumpjumper FSR Expert 29r	Medium	R			R	R	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper FSR Expert 29r	Large	R			R	R
Specialized	Stumpjumper FSR Expert 29r	X-Large		R		R
Specialized	Enduro S-Works	Medium	R	R	R			R
Specialized	Enduro S-Works	Large	R	R	R	R	R
Specialized	Enduro S-Works	X-Large
Specialized	Enduro Expert	Medium	R	R	R	R		R
Specialized	Enduro Expert	Large				R	R
Specialized	Enduro Expert	X-Large		R
Specialized	Pitch Pro	Small	R	R
Specialized	Pitch Pro	Medium
Specialized	Pitch Pro	Large					R
Specialized	SX Trail Two	Medium		R	R		R
Specialized	Demo 7 Two	Medium		R
Specialized	Demo 8	Large				R	R

			Sat	Sat	Sat	Sun	Sun	Sun
			3/7	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/8
			9AM	11A	1P	9AM	11A	1P
Specialized	S-Works Tri Cross	56
Specialized	Tarmac SL2	52
Specialized	Tarmac SL2	54		R				R
Specialized	Tarmac SL2	56	R		R	R
Specialized	Tarmac SL2	58			R	R		R
Specialized	Tarmac SL Pro	52
Specialized	Tarmac SL Expert	52
Specialized	Tarmac SL Expert	56			R		R
Specialized	Roubaix SL 2	52	R				R
Specialized	Roubaix SL Pro	54			R
Specialized	Roubaix SL Pro	56					R
Specialized	Roubaix SL Pro	56		R		R	R
Specialized	Roubaix SL Pro	58		R				R
Specialized	Roubaix SL Pro	61			R
Specialized	Ruby S-Works SRAM	48						R
Specialized	Ruby S-Works Dura Ace	54						R
Specialized	Ruby S-Works SRAM	56
Specialized	Ruby Pro	44
Specialized	Ruby Pro	48		R
Specialized	Ruby Pro	51		R				R
Specialized	Ruby Pro	51		R
Specialized	Ruby Pro	54		R
Specialized	Ruby Pro	54
Specialized	Ruby Pro	56
Specialized	Ruby Expert	51
Specialized	Ruby Expert	54
Specialized	Dolce Comp	44

			Sat	Sat	Sat	Sun	Sun	Sun
			3/7	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/8
			9AM	11A	1P	9AM	11A	1P
Giant	Anthem	Medium					R
Giant	Anthem	Large		R
Giant	Trance X 1	Medium	R	R	R		R	R
Giant	Trance X 1	Large	R	R			R
Giant	Trance X1	X-Large
Giant	Reign X	Small
Giant	Reign X 0	Med	R	R	R		R
Giant	Reign X 1	Large
Giant	Reign 1 08	Large		R	R
Giant	Reign 1 09	Large
Giant	Reign 1 09	X-Large

IBIS	Mojo Classic	Small					R	R
IBIS	Mojo Classic	Small		R		R	R	R
IBIS	Mojo Classic	Medium	R	R	R	R	R	R
IBIS	Mojo Classic	Large	R	R	R	R	R	R

Maverick	Durance Fox Float 32	Small
Maverick	Durance DUC 32	Medium					R	R
Maverick	Durance Fox Float 32	Medium					R
Maverick	Durance Fox Float 32	Large	R			R
Maverick	Durance Fox Float 32	Large	R			R		R
Maverick	Durance Fox Float 32	X-large						R
Maverick	ML-8 RS Pike	Small				R
Maverick	ML-8 Fox Float 36	Medium
Maverick	ML-8 Fox Float 36	Medium				R
Maverick	ML-8 DUC 32	Large
Maverick	ML-8 RS Lyric	Large
Maverick	ML-8 Fox Float 36	X-large

Santa Cruz	Blur LT Medium	Medium	R	R	R	R	R	R
Santa Cruz	Blur XC	Small	R	R	R		R	R
Santa Cruz	Chameleon SS	Large	R
Santa Cruz	Nomad	Large	R	R	R	R	R	R

Turner	5 spot Four Bar	Medium			R	R	R	R
			Sat	Sat	Sat	Sun	Sun	Sun
			3/7	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/8
			9AM	11A	1P	9AM	11A	1P

To test ride a bike, we highly recommend making a reservation as soon as possible. For some models, the reservation list will fill up almost immediately. Scroll up to review our list of bikes. Send us an email at info@passiontrailbikes.com and tell us which bike and size you would like to test ride, which day, and what time.

Cost of driving, cost of bikes

PeterD — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Thursday, May 15, 2008, is the 14th annual Bike to Work Day! For those that don’t bike to work, this would be a good day to consider doing that. 511.org has some information related to how to get started, why you’d want to do it, a raffle for those that pledge to ride to work, etc. And there will be energizer stations out at many places where you can grab a bag of goodies, coffee, bagels, etc. (Passion is sponsoring the one at Belmont train station).

Of course, with gas prices what they are, it isn’t hard to understand why you would want to commute by bike.

But, unfortunately, gas prices aren’t the only thing that are increasing…

There have been articles in Bicycle Retailer Magazine recently (like this one) that have been talking about bike industry costs. Here are some quotes:

“It’s not whether prices will go up, but by how much. Somewhere between 12 and 20 percent seems to be the going range. “

and

“One (bike company) executive, for example, said the cost of bringing a container by ocean freight from Europe to the U.S. rose from $2,400 several years ago to more than $6,000 this year. Fuel surcharges on all air and ground freight—UPS, FedEx, DHL and others—have skyrocketed as oil prices spiral well past $100 a barrel.

And that’s on top of price increases for raw materials such as aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and plastic. Further complicating the price structure are inflation, rising wages and pending pension reforms in China, the weakening dollar, the robust euro as well as China’s revaluation of the yuan and reduction of favorable tax treatment for mainland China manufacturers.”

The word we have from our suppliers (both parts and bikes) match this. Even those suppliers like Turner than make their bikes here in the States aren’t immune, as the increased raw material costs are hitting them.

Some prices are going up now, especially for parts. Other products where the supplier does annual pricing won’t see the increase until some time this summer.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But wanted to get this out before sticker shock hits. Seems inflation is here.

Passion is fully adjustable

Charles — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Crank Brothers has started shipping their long awaited Joplin adjustable seatpost. These are the newly licensed telescoping posts using the Maverick design and technology to give you 3” of infinitely adjustable range of motion.

I use mine in roughly three positions. Full height for road riding to the trail, a half inch or so lower than that for trail riding, and another inch or so lower than that for rolling things and drop offs. I guess I also hammer down the full 3 inches to hit a jump.

We are stocking these now in 30.9 Lever, 30.9 Remote, and 31.6 Lever. We also still stock the Maverick version of the Remotes and Levers called Speedball.