Mike's Bikes, Berkeley

Mike's Bikes isn't an outdoor shop. It doesn't sell snowboards, kayaks, or sleeping bags. It sells bikes, because its staff knows bikes. In fact, every new hire spends three full days working one-on-one with Mike's Bikes' owners. So when customers walk in, they can expect to ride out on a cycle—whether a mountain, road, leisure, or BMX bike—that's been custom-fitted to their body and tuned to perfection by Wheelsmith-Certified mechanics. And that's how it's been for more than half a century.

Of course, some things have changed since Mike's Bikes' first outpost opened in 1964. Technology, for instance, has improved a bit. Nowadays Certified Master Body Geometry Fit Specialists are always on hand to use a Video Capture system and a new invention called geometry to ensure that your handlebars are the proper width, your seat is at the best height, your position is optimized to your riding goals, and your pedal rotation is as smooth as possible. The result: Mike's Bikes creates people who love to ride.