Tam Bikes

Tam Bikes is the new old store in Mill Valley. In fall 2008, Quac Phan, formerly the service manager at Mill Valley Cycleworks, called Bryce Kirk, who owned the now-defunct Mt. Tam Bikes, to ask if he would be interested in partnering to open a new store. From that conversation, Tam Bikes was born.

Quac, Bryce, and Den Sataki officially opened Tam Bikes in late 2008, and have been swamped with customers ever since. The new store is at the old Cycleworks location, 357 Miller Avenue in Mill Valley. “It’s a good, friendly store with a cool product,” says Bryce. “We keep a personal interest in the customer.” Their website will be up at www.tambikes.com, possibly by the time you read this, and you can call them at (415) 389-1900.

Tam Bikes carries several lines of bikes, including Specialized, Santa Cruz, Look, Kona, Seven, and Turner. They’re dedicated to the 29er movement, carrying bikes by Niner and Pivot. They also carry a fleet of demo bikes. You can take a demo from their store right up onto the mountain. Tam also carries a lot of clothing, particularly for women, and is the flagship dealer for Swobo clothing and bikes.

The store has three full-time service stands, and is in the process of building a fit room as well. Their top-notch mechanics have a wide range of specialties, and can work on this week’s model high-end bike, or on your ’89 Hard Rock.

Tam Bikes stays open late Thursday for those of us with long commutes, and an informal ride leaves the shop each Thursday night. Call them for details. They’re also planning to hold basic bike-maintenance clinics one Wednesday a month beginning later in 2009.

And while Mt. Tam Bikes no longer exists as a store, it has a new life as a mountain bike summer camp, where young riders can learn trail etiquette and environmental stewardship as well as bike skills. They’re currently taking signups for 2009. Visit them at www.mttambikescamp.com for more information.