Outside Magazine Calls Marin Store One of the '10 Best Bike Shops in America'

By Jim Welte 

It’s no secret that Marin, the place that had a role in the birth of mountain biking, is swimming in great bike shops.

And while many Marinites might have differing opinions about which bike shop is best, whether it’s Sunshine Bicycle Center in Fairfax or 3 Ring Cycles in San Anselmo, a new honor has put Mill Valley’s Above Category in rare air.

Outside magazine included Above Category on its list of the "10 Best Bike Shops in America," hailing the store's no-frills focus on high-end road bikes and accoutrements, and noting its reputation as one of the best and most upmarket shops in the country.

"On offer are only magnificent bikes—think: Baum, Moots, Parlee, Pegoretti, Pinarello—and Above Category provides fitting services as exacting as the rides," the mag notes in its write-up. "The shop employs pro-level mechanics, and out the door, on the wending, verdant asphalt of Marin and Napa, is some of the finest road riding in America."

It wasn’t the first time Marin has made one of Outside Magazine’s top ten lists for bike-related content.

In April 2012, the magazine included Fairfax’s Gestalt Haus in its list of the “Top 10 Bars for Cyclists,” calling it the best for “hippy, crunch, aggressively progressive mountain bikers.”

The Gestalt Haus magazine write up also included a shout out to Fairfax’s Iron Springs Pub and Brewery.

Did Outside Magazine get it right? Or are there other Marin bike shops that were just as worthy of the honor? Tell us in the Comments!