David L.
Salem, OR
The Bike Peddler
The Bike Peddler is a solid bicycle shop in downtown Salem. The customer service is strong and the staff knows what they are doing. The clientele tends to be more hardcore bikers who ride road bikes with spandex. Thus the focus of the gear in the store tends to be on racing and speed rather than cruising and commuting.
The downsides are the relatively small size of the store, which means it doesn't have the variety that other stores in the area have. Also, the products in the store are usually a few dollars more expensive than other bike shops in town. However, in my experience the price for repairs and labor is comparable to area stores.
All around, a nice bike store although not my favorite in the area.
Santiam Bicycle
Every time I visit Santiam Bicycle in Salem, I wonder why I didn't start going there years ago. I use my bike everyday and have been to other stores all around town. Santiam is way ahead in customer service while still managing to charge a little less than the competition.
Most recently, I went to the store because my back wheel had lost three spokes in a few months. I have an old Dutch bike so I typically have problems finding parts. But the employee spent time walking me through my options and calculating the cost of parts and labor. He made sure that I understood my choices and even encouraged me to take a few days to decide.
When it comes to price, I have shopped around town on occasion. I have never once found a Santiam item to be more expensive and usually it is a few dollars cheaper.
For service and value, I don't know of a better store.
