Karim Cycles, Berkeley CA

Wide variety of Great Bicycles! I bought a Fast and Durable Peugeot and can't stop riding. Also does repairs for many bikes. Really knowledgeable and has a few Throwbacks of Mountain and BMX cycles which are Awesome! MustVisitList!

I deliver food full time by bike during this pandemic. My bikes break down all the time and the other bike shops are more or less useless right now, quoting me month-long wait times and high prices. Karim has fixed and tuned bikes at a very reasonable rate and done quality work. I think it’s really important that Berkeley has someone out on the street fixing bikes on the spot right now

Karim is a hero of the people. He's single-handedly buying/selling/repairing bikes for the community on the sidewalk outside his shop right now. Every other shop in town has 3-4 week wait times for repairs. He's kind, he's patient, and he's hella affordable.

Karim turned out to be the sweetest old man with the wittiest of Craigslist ads. I of course got tricked into going to 2800 Telegraph ave in Oakland twice (the first time I didn’t write to him and just used the address in the ad without being careful) but he immediately wrote to me once I reached out to warn me about g maps having lead many astray. He let me ride the bike twice and patiently dispelled my concerns about the bike being a Dutch style fixie by pointing out it’s a replica that has the chain partly exposed and that can be converted to an easy gear. I’ll definitely go back for maintenance and if/when I decide to either convert it or remove my breaks haha

Karim is the man! I dropped by on my bike needing help installing new pedals and he got me fixed up in a few minutes. Don’t be fooled by the internet haters, Karim is a really nice, fair, and extremely knowledgeable bike mechanic and shop owner.
Great for quick fixes and I’m definitely planning on going back for tune ups.

Karim Cycles is the go to for bargain prices on bikes and services. Yes, his history is a little shaky: allegations of stolen bikes, however, if you can show proof of ownership, he works with the rightful owner to reconcile the differences. Probably one of the only single person operated bike shops on this side of the country. Worth taking a look.

I had a very positive experience with Karim. He added an old rack onto my bike and asked for 15$. My bike is tricky to fit a rack onto, and he did a great job of making sure it was straight and everything was in order. He seemed to know what he was doing, though I wouldn't call him much of a chatter. He even threw on an old bike tire to use as a bungee cord!
Can't comment on the bikes he was selling, but would recommend for any fixes or add-ons.

It's a real Berkeley experience. You can't even go in the shop because there bicycles piled on top of each other. The owner is a cranky old guy, but he knows his bikes. This prices are okay also. How much you like this place depends on how much guff you can put up with from the owner.

I worked for Karim a few years ago. I had my doubts about him when I first started and had read about how people thought his bikes were stolen. He is at first a little abrasive but once he warms up to you this is one of the coolest guys you could know. He has an endless knowledge and love of bicycles. His bikes are legit and he loves his bikes so much he would rather keep them than sell them to a person he thinks won't take care of it. Listen to the guy. He knows what he is talking about. He is a good person.

I went here for a bike assembly. At first glance, the place looked very (very) shabby. But as I spent time there and talked to the bike mechanic, I realized that there's more to it.

This guy (who you can tell has been through some tough times) stayed an hour after they were supposed to close to finish the job, and was patient with my requests. Plus, his prices are much, much lower than the other bike shops. Look past the dirty shop and you'll probably find what you need at an amazing price.

Stolen bikes.most likely. He pays a few hundred bucks for a dozen bikes off of some trailer, puts 30 mins of labor into each of them and tries to sell them to unsuspecting students for as much as he thinks they will pay. Prices upwards of $500 for used bikes that were barely more than that when they were new in the 1980's. If you need an inexpensive bike, my advice would be to buy a bike from Craigslist with 70% of your budget and spend the other 30% at another shop getting it dialed in. Only go in there if you know what you are looking at and are upto haggle. There are some gems in there for sure. This place is more for sentimental bike enthusiasts looking to spend some cash. For this reason I give this place 2 stars instead of 1. It has its place.