Giant Santa Monica

Had a problem with my derailer while on a ride. Will and the mechanics took care of the problem and I was back on the road. Thank you so much!

very nice and knowledgeable fellows there. went to buy a toddler bicycle there and he stopped his work to share his experiences as a father and as a bike mechanic. I didn't buy anything, because they didn't have what I wanted, but I would 100% go to them again if I looked for a bike for myself.

TL:DR; These guys are awesome. Shop with confidence. Great bikes. Great people. Great Service.

Long version: Willie, Elon and Larry have taken great care of me pre- during- and post-purchase. I decided to swing by the shop on a whim, just to see what it was all about. I had just bought a bike from another shop's 4th of July sale. My plan was to browse, talk shop, ride on. But Willie and Elon were so engaging and enthusiastic about bikes (though they never tried to sell me one since they knew I had just bought one). Their enthusiasm made me want to test ride a TCR...and the rest is history. Larry is a whiz in the back, holding down the service shop. Willie took the time to give me a 90 minute fit which the previous shop didn't do for my new purchase of a $4K bike (they just did saddle and cleat adjustment). Willie took all my measurements: saddle, reach, leg angles while pedaling, arm angles while riding, etc.). The result was so different from the previous shop's setup, and way more comfortable to ride and efficient to pedal. I even used his numbers to dial in my Cannondale and even that bike has now improved greatly in terms of comfort, but still nowhere near the weapon that the Giant TCR Advanced SL1 is.

I have a new favorite bike shop, and it's Giant Santa Monica. They have a raving fan in me and will be getting my business for the foreseeable future.

EDIT - it's been several months since my original review, and even though I've gotten to know a few other bike shops (the cycling community in SoCal is truly awesome!), Giant Santa Monica continues to be my go-to store for bikes, service, and quite frankly just to hang out and talk cycling with the guys. They're so low pressure...or maybe no pressure is more accurate...in terms of sales. In fact they have talked me out of making some impulse buys that would have been unwise in hindsight.

But true to form, I bugged them enough and made my second bike purchase from them. A new gravel bike to complement my road/racing bike. The wonderful Giant Revolt! I'm adding a picture to this review as well. Once again, Elon, Willie and Larry were top notch in their service and bike setup. I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you're in the area, just drop by and say hello, even if you don't need to buy anything.