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

Ibis Mojo SL-R

Charles — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:37:00 +0000

These guys are just now starting to trickle in. We’re really excited to see them, but perhaps not as much as the three riders that have had theirs on order now for months. This one will be here only for a day or two, but we do hope to have a couple of demo SL-R’s in a few months. Those will stick around long enough for you to catch a ride or two on one.

Also, Ibis will be bringing a fleet of carbon wonderfulness to our Passion Demo Event here on March 17 and 18.

New Years Inventory and Store Hours

Patty — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Passion will be closed on Saturday 12/31/11 New Years Eve, starting at 2pm, and will be closed all day on New Years Day, Sunday 01/01/12, as well as closed Monday as usual.

Enjoy your weekend, the weather should be AWESOME.

Holiday Lights Ride Weds 12/21, 7PM

Patty — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Quick note: we are closed on Thanksgiving Day, but we will bring our big bellies in to serve you Friday, Saturday and Sunday (see hours on the right).

We are planning our annual tour of the neighborhood holiday lights ride. This year, we will wander out on the solstice, Wednesday December 21, leaving the shop at 7pm for the best-lit streets of San Carlos and Belmont.

Stay tuned for info as the date gets closer and we know the weather, but in the meantime, make sure you have some festive, or at a minimum, functional, lighting for your bike.

Halloween Costume Candlelight Party at Passion 8:00pm, Sat Oct 29

Patty — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

It’s Charles’ favorite holiday! Get your costume plan going, it’s sure to be a night of fun, fun, fun! Even the shop is dressing up, with candles, black lights, perhaps a horrible surprise or two, and disgusting food and beverages, starting at 8pm.

Please RSVP to patty@passiontrailbikes.com so we can get a corpse count for the right amount of guts and blood to serve.

The eternal internal infernal Passionate conflict

The Monk, he knows beer.

What new identity can you take on? We are dying to find out!

Please RSVP to patty@passiontrailbikes.com so we can get a corpse count for the right amount of guts and blood to serve.

Passion Demo Day Oct 15th, Reservations Suggested

Charles — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:26:00 +0000

We still have a lot of spots open for test rides, especially on the all new 2012 Specialized Stumpjumpers, both the hardtail 29er and the FSRs.

This Saturday we are having our fall Demo Day. You can test ride some of the finest mountain bikes available, on dirt, for free. We have our roster of bikes that we will have available for test rides up on our website here As usual, we are taking reservations. To reserve a test ride, please follow the instructions below:

Go to the Test Bike Schedule page This page is updated live as we take reservations. Review the chart of bikes models and sizes, and the times open in the schedule for Saturday, Oct. 15th. Cells in the chart without a letter in them indicate unreserved time slots. Send an email to info@passiontrailbikes.com, and include the following information:

Rider's name:
Rider's cell phone number:
Pedal choice (our SPD, our CB, our platform, or YOUR pedals):
Bike model:
Bike size:
Time slot for reservation on Saturday 10/15 (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm)

Note that we are now accepting reservations for a second test ride per rider, so if you have previously reserved a bike and want to try more than one, please go ahead a make a reservation.

We will process reservations in the order received, and will try to handle each request as quickly as possible. We will email you with your reservation confirmation, and you will then be able to see your initial in the time slot on the schedule. For the actual test ride, please come 30 minutes early with your driver’s licence, a major credit card, your ride gear, pedals if you are supplying your own, and a smile. All test rides will take place in Waterdog Park, and will be limited to about 90 minutes, so the next rider can have their turn.

Female Friday Fandango Aug 26, 6PM

Charles — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Girlfriends, mark your calendar for this upcoming Female Friday 8/26 at 6:00, and make some plans to join us for the best all-girl afternoon of dirt-loving fun. We will have a range of rides going out including a fast and far group, a regular ride, a white socks ride, and the famous Fat-Bottomed Girl ride, led by Patty to support inexperienced cyclists getting into riding on dirt.

After the rides we will regroup at the shop for a great gathering of women, drink a bit of wine or beer or some tasty concoction from the bar, and hang out and chat about our rides, our lives, and our next bit of bling for our bikes.

If you have questions, shoot a quick note to Patty at patty@passiontrailbikes.com.

Also, we are soliciting helpers with the food, so if you are interested in being a guest chef or sous chef for the FFF, please send Patty an email at patty@passiontrailbikes.com, to let her know!

We are closed on July 3rd and 4th

Patty — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The Passion Crew is getting a much-deserved weekend off. Please make sure you get your weekend needs taken care of by 6pm Saturday, July 2nd, because we are gonna be OUT ON THE TRAILS on Sunday the 3rd and Monday the 4th.

Ride and Dine tonight

Patty — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Assuming we don’t get rained out, today Patty will be leading the FBG wride, with coaching and other fun stuff for newbies. So send your favorite singletrack skeptic on down!

After the wride we will disburse to various local restaurants. See our post from last year’s Ride and Dine for some local local eats suggestions.

Today on 5/25/11 the Wednesday Wride will launch at 7:00PM. Sunset is at 8:19PM. Twilight ends and near-darkness falls right around 9:00PM. Next week the Sunset is at 8:24PM and the Wride will launch at 7:00PM.

Note we may not have leaders for each ride but usually someone knows their way around. All groups will meet back here at Passion Trail Bikes right around dark and then we will head out for some food somewhere nearby.

For all the details about what makes each group listed below unique, please refer to this webpage. If your questions aren’t answered there, you can also email us for info at

info@passiontrailbikes.com.

All rides start pedaling from the shop: Passion Trail Bikes, CA 94002 650-620-9798.

The FRISKY ride will go out at 6:55 PM.
The REGULAR ride will go out at 7:00 PM.
The WHITE SOCKS ride will go out at 7:05 PM.
The FBG or Flabby Bellied Guy ride will go out at 7:05 PM.
The STRAGGLERS ride may form and start chasing around 7:15 PM.

For future planning, we have the upcoming start times each week for the first wave of the REGULAR ride posted on our Community Calendar

We are hiring! Mechanic and Sales Positions

Patty — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Will facing the bottom bracket on Kelly’s Demo 8

We are seeking a mechanic for our high-end service department.

This is a full time position in the best mountain bike focused shop in the Bay Area.

The ideal candidate is someone who:

has extremely high standards for precision mechanical work
turns a wrench with a nuanced hand
values time and skill
stays on track despite distractions
is intelligent and wants to learn
has excellent interpersonal skills
is passionate about mountain biking and trails

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 bicycle components such as forks, shocks, suspension linkages, hydraulic brake systems, and drivetrains. You would also be experienced in facing frames, assembly, and all other typical duties of a bicycle mechanic. 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 at info@passiontrailbikes.com, and include a cover letter explaining why you are qualified and want to work at our shop. Please no in-person or phone inquiries.

We have an open position in our sales department !

We need a motivated, self-directed, problem-solving person with a combination of bike knowledge, customer service, sales, visual design and merchandising, buying and inventory management, and leadership 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, sales 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 leader with other sales and service department staff to satisfy customer service and sales needs.

Visual design, merchandising 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 create and manage improvements and maintenance to our sales floor plan, point-of-purchase fixtures, and signage.

Buying & inventory management:
You would be helping us select new product to bring into the store, manage our current product inventory, and move stale inventory out by implementing markdowns and closeouts. Involves receiving, shipping, database management and report generation, and warrantee management duties. Some back office work will be a regular part of your day.

Leadership experience:
Our sales staff are good people but we have blind spots and priorities that pull us away from areas where we could be improving. We are looking for someone who is experienced in leading project teams and in being a motivating influence on others. Sales management experience is a plus.

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

Compensation based on qualifications and experience; benefits include health insurance, paid vacation, and other perks. Start date is ASAP.

To apply for this position, please send your resume as an attachment to info@passiontrailbikes.com; include a cover letter summarizing your qualifications and reason for applying. Please, no phone calls or in-person inquiries.

Sale! Saturday and Sunday 3/19-20

Patty — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:45:00 +0000

CLIF Bars and Blocks on Sale!
Nutrition products from CLIF are a great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity, and this weekend they are all on sale at Passion Trail Bikes.

CLIF Bar energy bars are regularly $2.00 each, but through this weekend will be $1.50, or $1.35 in quantities of twelve or more. That makes a full case of 12 only $16.20, and you can mix and match any flavors to round out your power pantry. We also have CLIF Shot Blocks marked down from $2.75 for each stick of six blocks to only $2.00 each, or $1.90 for 18 or more. Again, you can mix and match flavors to get full box of 18 blocks for only $34.00. We also have a good selection of CLIF Shots right now, and from $1.60 each they are now just a buck a piece. Get a box of 24 for only $21.60, and you can choose the flavors too.

Give us a shout and let us know if you want us to hold any bars or blocks for you, or if you would like us to order anything special for you. These prices are also good for any special order bars and blocks in case we do not have your personal favorite in stock.

Even if you aren’t test riding a bike on Saturday, come for the Sale, all day Saturday 3/19, and Sunday noon to 5pm!

All 2010 Bikes and Frames on Sale! 20% off
This includes every Giant bike in the store!

All 2011 Bikes and Frames, including special orders, 10% off
This includes any NEW Santa Cruz Bike you order this weekend, like the Blur LT Carbon, the Nomad, the Tallboy, you name it!

Not a closeout, but a Clothes==>>OUT! Sale
We are really getting tired of some of the clothes on our closeout rack. We need you to paw through, look for stuff in your size, try it on, and take it away! nothing less than 50% off, and some screaming deals on older merchandise. Also, some still fresh fashions from last year have been marked down to make room, so please check out our Clothes==>>OUT rack!

Git your clothes OUT