8bar bikes - showroom

Georg Aralov

3 months ago

starstarstarstarstar

Got a new frameset from 8bar last year. Great frame that feels both classic and modern, and great support, both online and in the showroom!

Vor Nachname

Edited 5 months ago

starstarstarstarstar

Marketing over delivery – My Experience with 8bar Based on my experience, 8bar felt like a textbook case of marketing over reality — a slick, surface-level presentation that didn't match what I actually received. Behind the branding and talk of “Berlin bike culture,” the bike I received appeared to be a standard, mass-produced frame, painted and branded as “custom.” The "custom" experience felt more like picking the color for a toilet seat at Bauhaus than having anything actually built to my specifications. It felt like I was paying for the Berlin hipster tax and some visual nail polish, not for real craftsmanship. No craftsman measuring my proportions, no consideration of my riding style or geometry needs — just what appeared to be selecting from pre-existing options and calling it bespoke. They present themselves as a “Manufaktur” and claim they’re “not like every other shop.” But in my case, it felt like exactly that — just with louder branding and overconfidence. The frame I received didn’t feel like something built locally; it gave me the impression of being manufactured abroad and assembled in Berlin. That’s not inherently bad, but the marketing led me to expect something more distinctive. Performance-wise, the frame felt heavy and overly stiff, lacking the ride quality I would have expected for the price. Their design language also struck me as dated — stuck in early 2000s fixie minimalism that, in my opinion, hasn’t evolved much, even as the brand now tries to pivot into road and gravel. The bikepacking bags I purchased reminded me of products I’ve seen from generic suppliers — in my view, they looked rebranded rather than uniquely designed, though they were priced like premium gear. I I also joined one of their club rides, which raised safety concerns for me. I observed riders taking risks in traffic and aggressive positioning within the group that felt unsafe. The event included Strava segments that seemed to encourage competitive behavior during what was marketed as a social ride. I wasn't asked to sign any waiver and the competitive elements felt at odds with the casual group ride format. For me, that blurred the line between a social ride and a race — without the safety protocols or liability protections that typically come with organized competitions. The combination felt risky and unprofessional to me. As for the brand’s image? The influencer marketing surrounding 8bar gave me the impression of people trying to brand mediocrity as lifestyle content. It felt more like excerted content creation than cycling culture — more filters and fillers than fundamentals. Customer service during my experience was also underwhelming — slow replies, missed deadlines, and a tone that didn’t match the premium image the brand puts forward. And when I eventually tried to resell the bike, I found that it held its value poorly. In my experience, the second-hand market didn’t seem to take 8bar seriously, and I struggled to sell it at even a modest fraction of what I paid. From my perspective, there’s no price stability, which is disappointing for a product marketed as premium. For me, this all added up to style over substance. And despite 8bar’s claim that they’re “not just another bicycle company,” it felt to me like that’s exactly what they are — just with higher prices and more hashtags. Rating: 1/5 – Based on my experience: outdated design, questionable value, risky rides, and poor resale potential. Update – Response to 8bar’s Reply Thanks for responding, but your answer mostly repeats the same marketing lines that led to my disappointment in the first place. Saying a frame is “developed in Germany” doesn’t mean it’s built there, and nothing in your reply clarifies that point. My experience with the product and the club ride still doesn’t match the image you promote. The response feels polished but evasive — which, to me, only reinforces my impression: load marketing, weak delivery.

Abdel-Rhman Ragab

6 months ago

starstarstarstarstar

Helpful staff, especially the guy -I forgot to ask him about his name- moving inside using skates. Thank you for being helpful, you saved my trip. definitely will rent from them again for my next bike trip. I rented (MITTE Alu - Gravel • Gravel Bike) for 4 days bike trip, and the choice was great, smooth on the road.

Frank Cichos

7 months ago

starstarstarstarstar

Best bike shop ever. People take their time to give you advice and are patient selecting the parts. Great experience!

Yuliia Hordiienko

Edited 11 months ago

starstarstarstarstar

There were two dudes in the shop when I came, one who spoke German and one who spoke German and English (as far as my experience) This 5 star review is for the bilingual dude. The other one was in the middle of looking something up for me on the computer, then got up abruptly without saying a word, left to the back room, started on another task and when I asked if the search yielded any results, waved me off and closed the door of the back room in my face looking annoyed. The bilingual dude was super helpful and really friendly, gave me great advice and took over the task of his colleague. I’m really grateful, didn’t ask the name but that was a 5 star person

Sebastian Palm

a year ago

starstarstarstarstar

Nice bikes nice merchandise however the organisation is terrible. I waited 2 Months for a stem and 1 month for a bag. My friend also had a bad experience with his bike. I received emails that the stuff was ready to be picked up and it wasn’t there. When an employee is sick another one doesn’t take over the communication per email. At least the girl that manages their Instagram account is quite nice and tried to help me.

B

a year ago

starstarstarstarstar

5/5 without a doubt! Ordered a V7 frameset. Fast reply through mail. Although the first order was returned to sender due to missing housenumber, they directly placed a new shipping order. Came within a few days. Packed very well! I can’t wait to built it up! Rob deserves a raise 😁

Leandra

2 years ago

starstarstarstarstar

Always great! Not just beautiful bikes but also fantastic service. I had a flat tire and couldn’t get the wheel off. Brought it to the shop where they only made a tiny bit of fun of me, replaced the stripped screw, made more fun of me for wanting to change the tube myself, and sent me on my way. The best!

Simone Barbieri

4 years ago

starstarstarstarstar

Came for the 8bar clubride and my chain snapped just before I got there. They had it replaced in a flash, just in time to join the group ride. Super nice team, thank you guys for the quick service and for the weekly opportunity.

Patrick Galster

5 years ago

starstarstarstarstar

Great online shopping experience, super fast delivery - although they inform you upfront, it might take a while. But you can be sure they will do their best to send out your swag as fast as possible! The Aevor bike back I ordered seems to be a good bag for daily riding, although some bits are slightly confusing, hopefully it will all make sense after a few more days of using it. The mesh on the back does a great job and keeps you from sweating. And the outer material is made of used PET bottles, which is great!