The bike shop portion of this business appears to specialize in high end mountain bike sales and service. Bought a bike from Randy who was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful guy. Nearby river access is a plus.

Went there with 42 people from our boy scout troop. We rented 5 rafts. Drifted down the river for 7 miles to the pick up point which took 5 hours. Bus was there waiting for us and brought us back to our cars. Great day out

River Rat is the Best bike shop in Sacramento area. Why? Randy and his staff have more than a 20yrs of experience, and stock the most awesome mountain bikes! Ibis, Santa Cruz, and Rocky Mountain, NO ONE ELSE has this selection and expertise. I’ve purchased my Ibis bikes from them and have NEVER been disappointed. The staff and Randy have always been incredibly helpful and taken care of all my needs with professional know how and service. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

If you want to go rafting, this is the best shop on the American River! Cheaper than their competitors, and it was self guided so I got to just hang out with me and my friends. The shuttle back was quick, and they had signs where we got out so we didn’t miss the pickup. I recommend going on a hot day, as it was a great way to beat the heat and enjoy the outdoors! I’m going to be recommending this shop to all my friends and family!

Absolutely highly recommend. Sometimes youll even find them on Groupon. First time going rafting and we went with a group. We ended up stopping and we werent going to make it with the 5pm cutoff so we cut loose from the group to get back in time. Unfortunately we got lost and stuck in rocks and it was 5pm. Thats when my phone rang and it was RIVER RAFT. Thank goodness they calmed me down, assured me Id be ok and guided me back to them. I had not gone down far enough and then when we got there they were still there and one more shuttle was coming. Thank you to the guy who has amazing customer service skills because I thought the worst till my phone and it was you.

Highly recommend! This place is AMAZING! I bring my friends and sisters often . We rent our bikes and ride to the river . The Owner Randy is an awesome family guy . You can tell they really care about their customers. Can’t wait to buy our bikes from there :)

We came here to rent bikes and the old guy immediately belittles my whole group for trying to rent bikes in the afternoon. After we came back to return the bikes, he proceeds to talk to me like Im some foreigner. Im not surprised by the ignorance but at least work on your customer service skill. I dont recommend this place and our experience with the staff was very unprofessional.

River Rat raft and bike is full a service shop! We’ve purchased bikes and rented rafts with River Rat on many occasions best way to describe them is they always deliver! We’d recommend River Rat for riding or rafting!

Great family fun with 5yr old and 8yr old. July 7th float on main A took about 2 hrs with some stops for cliff jumping and playing in the shallows stacking river rocks. I suggest buying a tether for a few bucks if you have young kids. We used 2 and used our adult life vest to combine our two groups of two together. The $5 stick would have been worth it to push off obstacles. We didnt buy it but we should have.

We went on the raft all the way to harrington and it took about 5 hours. You must be very fit or strong to be able to survive this. Towrads the end we also started getting a little lost and confused. However the whole experience is very fun and exciting. Sometimes the river gets calm and boring and then all of a sudden waves gets so strong to the point you think the boat will flip. But that wont happen.overall very fun experince.

Helpful, knowlegable, essential team members.

My wife and I have been buying our bikes and riding gear at River Rat for over 30 years. Randy and his staff have always been at the forefront in knowledge of current technology, as well as servicing and repairing our bikes. I recently purchased another bike from River Rat, equipped based upon their expert recommendations. These guys really know their stuff. They set up the bike to fit me perfectly and dialed the suspension for my weight and the way I ride. I was obviously impressed enough to want the bike after riding one at a manufacturer demo day, but I am blown away at even how much better it performs after River Rat’s extensive personalized set up. Many thanks for taking care of our bike needs throughout the years.

Our group had a fantastic experience renting rafts from River Rat. We made advance reservations and were quickly on the water, after receiving great tips on rafting techniques, navigating the river, and suggestions for spots to beach our rafts for a swim and stretch of the legs from the friendly and helpful staff. We had a great time throughout the whole trip, which took about 4 hours with several short shore stops. Once at our final destination, we were met by the River Rat shuttle bus and transported back to our cars. It couldn’t have been any more convenient. I would highly recommend River Rat and we will definitely be back for our next river rafting adventure.

This guy who owns the store is very knowledgeble and offers good rates compared to other stores. But he is extremely short tempered, he doesnt know how to treat customers. Wondering how he is still in the business with his customer ethics !!

My family and I went rafting this past Thursday. We went on a weekday to avoid the crowds and it was very nice. The trip was very calming and took about 4 hours! I would recommend coming in on a weekday to avoid the large crowds and have an enjoyable trip. Great service, we will definitely come back. Thank you!

River Rat is definitely a treasure to the community! The yearly raft trips I have taken with friends have been some of the best experiences I have had. It is great that their raft trip goes longer and is cheaper than the competitor. They are extremely knowledgeable about mountain bikes as well. Their rental bikes are always tuned and ready to go for a ride along the American River. Randy has been there for years and I hope he is there for many years to come. I recommend River Rat hands down!

If looking for a bike, take your business elsewhere. Upon entering the shop the employee yells across the store to leave if rafting. That rafters are not allowed to hang out in the bike shop. He did not allow me an opportunity to ask any questions regarding the bikes before reenforcing his crass outburst. I was actually in the market for a trail bike and helmet. Taking my business elsewhere.

I arrived on a Saturday after calling and confirming they could make an adjustment on my bicycle, advising Id arrive within the hour, which I did. Upon my arrival, I found a note on the door saying they had gone for food, and would be back in 15 minutes. I then met two women who told me that all five employees had left at the same time, and the women had already been waiting 15 minutes for their return. I waited a total of 50 minutes, but no employees showed up. Six customers came, waited outside in the 90 degree temp., and left during that time. Who treats customers like this?Worse, I came back the next day and explained that my bike was not shifting properly, immediately following a minor tune up they had previously done for me. They made an adjustment but it still wasnt right. The employee said there was a problem with my cables and housing being worn, and denied it was anything they had done during the tune up. If the cables were bad, why wasnt this determined at the original tune up and why did it suddenly appear only after the tune up without any prior sign of a problem?I took my bike to another bike shop, where they found immediately that my chain had been installed backwards. Very disappointing.

Got a great deal over the weekend to rant a raft for the kids. Had a great time! Thank YOU!

If you’re visiting Sacramento or you grew up here river rats is a must! You can rent bikes and rent rafts! It’s an absolute blast to raft down the river and the best part is that you can raft down the river and they have a buss that will pick you up and bring you back up the river! Prices are reasonable and you get a pretty great raft! Check them out!

I went june 20th I just move to California a year ago always went to American river rafting but this time decided to try river rat rental . Everything was going fine payed for the boat was on my way to the river parking spot the first thing we see when we get to the parking lot that says not alcohol beverages I’m like ok I guess is a busy day so they don’t want alcohol in the river while we are in the trunk getting are cooler ready and taking the alcohol out our coolers a park ranger just shows up and just because he saw a box of white claws in my trunk he decided to ticket us . NOT in the cooler in the trunk . River rat could At least warned us when we bought the tickets or even when I made my reservation on the phone a week prior . That when they say no alcohol beverage that also meant in the trunk of your car we bought them prior they where just in our trunk . I spoke to other rafts some from American river raft rental and they said oh no they warned us over and over the alcohol so we didn’t bring any . I really think it was very unprofessional I also told the sheriff that the rental company didn’t tell us he said you deal with them in sorry I see it I have to ticket you .. so sorry to say I won’t be giving river rat rental another chance this coulda easily been avoided .

I spend a lot of time on my mt bike. The guys at RR are professionals. They take good care of my bike and always are patient when I dont understand things. My bike is one of my most prized possessions and I care about who works on it. The mechanics at RR are the best I have found. If they dont have a part in stock they always are able to get it in a day or two. If you want a top of the line bike, or need work done, go see these guys.

Be aware that they charge you for suttle even if you dont use their shuttle, and charge you for launching the raft even though they dont help you with that.

If your in the market for a new mountain bike, River Rat is just what you need. A great option for first time riders also. RENT that new bike before you buy!Get best service in town from their knowledgeable staff of experienced riders and technicians.

Great shop! Randy, and his staff, have the expertise required to solve complex problems and the customer service ethic required to go the extra mile to take care of his clients. I had another high end shop tell me I needed a new fork to fix a front end creak. Randy did a static stress test on my fork to determine it wasnt the problem. Then he replaced my old headset with another one to prove that was the cause of the creaking. In the end I had him install a new King headset and left a happy customer with a silent bike! I highly recommend both Randy and the shop!

Every time I go to River Rat I’m delighted. Rafting on the beautiful, scenic American river, and seeing wildlife in the natural habitat is the main attraction of course, but the helpful staff and friendly bus drivers make the day great. This is something I can enjoy on the weekends with my family, and when guests come to visit us, it’s a great activity everyone can enjoy.

River Rat is the one of the last great bike shops around. I drove all the way from Tahoe City to buy a bike because they stock the best brands (Ibis, Santa Cruz) and really take the time to dial in your suspension and fit. Support independent bike shops!

They are called River RAT for a reason. We bought a LIVING SOCIAL deal and it CLEARLY said the voucher was good for a 4, 6, 10-12 person raft. Nowhere on the offer did it mention only a $55 value. We called to confirm that we can use it for a 10-person raft and was told we could. The day we got there to use it (the last day the voucher was valid) they charged us extra. They said that they couldnt control that was on the disclaimer. The manager Jordan Graham was very rude and not at all helpful considering the advertisement was misleading and outright ILLEGAL. But whatever - we paid the difference and went on the trip. There was a sign posted about the take out point that we read and we decided to use the shuttle. We were at the posted time at 4:30 (last shuttle is 5pm). We waited until 4:50 and then called to make sure they were on their way. (There was also another group that was at the same place that we were - again it was where the sign TOLD US TO GO). When we called the manager Jordan Graham actually LAUGHED and told us to call friends or a cab. He did NOT apologize but instead condescendingly told us we must not have listened very well to the rep when they gave us the raft. Obviously the reason River RAT needs to use deceptive advertising is because they are SHADY and do not train their people on what customer service is so they need NEW customers as REPEAT customers are scarce. The manager also laughed and told us that they wouldnt refund us the shuttle charge. The other group (not with us) that also saw the sign we did had a small child with them and the man asked if he could return the raft the next day and the manager Jordan Graham again was rude and laughed and said as long as you get it here before 10am. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!! In addition the OWNER does not care as they would not even take my call and had the manager tell me to contact the BBB instead.

Went to rent a bike at 3 pm on a Sunday. The website says they are open until 5pm. I only wanted one hour, so I figured I had time. BUT, they were closed. They should probably change their hours on the website. Oh, and they don’t have voicemail.

I have been going to River Rat for over 20 years. Extremely knowledgeable with both bikes and rafting.... excellent service as well. You wont find better in a family owned business!

This place is a Fair Oaks gem. I have been going here for years, every summer without fail no matter how far I move away I make my way back for an awesome raft trip. On a nice summer day, nothing beats hanging with friends and floating down the American River. The staff is very knowledgeable, they let you know the flows of the river, how long your trip will take, not to mention River Rat’s raft trip is about a mile longer than the other raft company. You park your car, float down and they even have a shuttle that costs just about nothing compared to an uber that takes you back to your car at the top.Randy the shop owner is great, knows more about kayaking and mountain biking than probably anyone on this earth. While I haven’t owned a mountain bike personally I know they have a great selection. My friends who downhill mountain bike are always getting tune ups, parts and even new rigs and River Rat is the only place they trust. They actually have bikes you can rent for day use and ride down the American River bike trails which lead all over through secenic views and great rest spots. I’ve been going here for the last 15 years, River Rat is the best!

Excellent service and extremely knowledgable staff! We have purchased multiple mountain bikes from River Rat and the expert staff was able to make recommendations on each purchase to ensure that we had the exact right match for our skill levels and interests. It is clear that everyone that works behind the counter is very passionate about biking and can make recommendations based on knowledge and experience rather than a standard sales pitch you would receive elsewhere.Also, fast and flawless turn around for repairs. I only trust my biking need to River Rat!

I have used River Rat for everything mountain bike for about three decades now. You wont find better information, product knowledge, upgrades, maintenance, etc anywhere. Lucky to have such a good shop, as mountain bikes these days have become very complex.

Thank you! Great experience today! Went over here after Bobs Bicycles didnt open until late this morning and wouldnt help me anyway. These guys were happy to perform the quick repair I needed and didnt even charge me for the quick fix! First time in here and I will go back to these guys again for sure!

Best bike shop for mountain biking that I have found in the Sacramento area. I bought my Ibis from them and get got an outstanding deal! Have always been happy with servicing my bikes there; These guys get my bike dialed in and there suggestions for improvements are always hit the mark. Highly Recommended!

Brought my bike in to have the crankset replaced because the crank arm broke. Mechanic wasnt there so left it to be repaired. 2 days later they finally called and said they wouldnt do it because the bike was old. come on, I know the bike has 20,000 miles on it but is only 3 years old. Brought it across the street and they fixed it in 15 minutes. Used to always go here, never will again.

Hands down the best place to buy a good mountain bike. They dont sell cheap stuff. Also a great place to get repairs and tune-ups done. They are the only guys I really trust with my bikes.

Ive been coming to river rat raft and bikes for years , i always have one hell of a time just make sure you make the last shuttle (5pm)The guys at the shop always look to be lending a hand with the best chill spots and how to have the best trip possible but after you leave shop the trip is in your hands, ive never been left behind or missed the last shuttle. Great job River Rat

We had a great time rafting on the river. It was a fun day and the staff made the rental so easy, including the pick up. Can’t wait to go again!

I had an awesome experience, I swam, jumped off cliffs and had a water gun fight. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to have a great day of fun. Also, great service.

We rented from River Rats for the first time on 7/4/12. We had so much fun we went back 7/6/12. They were very nice and I dont understand what the negative review was for. EVERY RAFT RENTAL states you must pick up your rental by 11:30. The reason is so you have enouph time to finish the float and make the last shuttle at 5:00. I would highly refer anyone there.

The sales team inside was great and helpful. However, as we were ready to leave for the river, the owner, Randy, came out and said he didnt want to Profile us but as older women ( the 3 of us) we are not going to be capable and didnt want to come rescue us. This went on for at least 15 mins. Comments like that need to be sessored.The river was beautiful, relaxing and very clam.

Passionate staff. Evan was awesome and super great to work with on my bike build!

Ive been going to this shop for over 20 years for one reason: MOUNTAIN BIKES. River Rat knows mountain bikes better than anyone in the Sacramento area, hands down. There are very few shops I trust to work on my high end bike. River Rat is one of them.It is a small shop, however they have always carried a full selection of the latest and best parts. They only sell what they believe and ride on their bikes. Other shops will sell you every accessory under the sun, but use items on their bikes they dont regularly stock. The staff is extremely knowledgable and will help you get the best bike and parts best suited for you.I recall purchasing a bike from them some years ago. I was convinced from reading the glossys that I needed the bike to be upgraded with a really high end braking system. The owner convinced me that the mid range brakes (cost wise) that were on the bike would work awesome and that I should save my money. He was right, after racing a cumulative 3K miles (plus many more training and recreation) on the bike for 6 years the brakes were the only original part I did not wear out or have to replace and they performed flawlessly. What kind of retail operation would discourage you from giving them more money?River Rat - a shop you can trust for the best sales and service anywhere!

Giving 1 star reviews is certainly not my favorite thing to do but I felt insulted and mistreated by the employee that I dealt with. A short phone call left me with absolutely no desire to work with this company or their employees. Hope some negative reviews will help them out a little bit although it looks like the responses from the owner on other reviews would indicate that he is always right and his customers are always wrong.

Purchased a new Santa Cruz, service was excellent everything was dialed in for me perfectly at the shop everyone was super friendly and helpful.

Pulled up with a flat tire on my f150, told the guy behind the counter, dude jumped up and took a look at my stem( it was the problem). Took it out cleaned it and put it back. It didnt fix my truck, but I was impressed with the caliber of people here. Thank you bro I appreciate you. Great customer service.

Amazing store - went there with a school to do a water fight, and had the best time ever on these rafts; they held together perfectly after the fight, which is vital. If rafting is your thing, consider renting from here to get quality rafts and quality fun!!

They need to give better safety instructions and better directions on the easier routes to take. A fun trip turned to a nightmare, nearly ended with a fatality. The shuttle driver was unconsiderate and may have left 5 other passengers behind. We were willing to wait until they arrived, but he decided to leave. What if that group went through a similar situation as us? Hmm..

The girl at the front is cute :)

Awesome place to buy and service a bike. Would recommend it to anyone.

I went on the american river with my school in sixth, seventh and soon eighth grade. Its the same company my school has used for decades and do you wanna know why? The experience was amazing and super fun! Please just use this rental place!!! Use it or be held hostage by and tortured by the terrible, awful, super scary fact that you could have had more fun! :P lol you thought that I was a kidnapper. Nope! Just someone who had such a great time thanks to River Rat raft rentals!

Bought bike helmet from this store as first time buyer 3 days ago (plus kids bike), and didnt use at all and tried to return today since the helmet doesnt fit well. Bikeshop owner refused for return, and said customer cant return the sale item. I told him no one in the bike shop mentioned about their return policy. He said it is common rule for most shops. Ive been REI customer for many years. REI received return even within a year after used. lucky that i only wasted about $100..........I was able to return the helmet.

I prefer using them over the other guys but 2 weeks to release my deposit is a bit much....

I never came here because everyone was rude to me when i dropped in. Everyone just wanted to sell me a $3000+ bike, which I cant really afford. I needed some work done on my mountain bike and called in once - talked to Ian. He sorted out my bike a recommended some additional items and got me shralping again in no time. It took like 2 days to rebuild my front and rear suspension. coool.This place could use to keep some essentials stocked, such as bleed kits and a better selection of tires. This is increasingly important now that there are 3 standard diameters of mtb tires, let alone different treads for different conditions and disciplines.They stock Santa Cruz and Ibis - way to go.

Got our raft here and caught the van/bus back and had a blast on the river

Enjoyed the experienced, but was under the impression from looking on website that they were 2 or 3 class rapids but they were only 1. Also, there are other fees like a $5 per person shuttle ride per person and a $2 launch fee per raft. Dont understand why it is not all inclusive. With a groupon it ended up being a decent price for what you get but if there was no groupon, the place would have been $160 bucks for 5 people, 2 four person rafts on 1 class rapids for four or five hours. Not worth it to me but with a groupon that cut it in half it wasnt too bad

Horrible customer service. Go to American River rentals. They are nice there.

Horrible Service- From the OWNER! We stopped in late Memorial Day for a float. Purchased our tubes from Ian, an employee. After the walk down to the water, we walked out and put in. Turned out one of the tubes had a slow leak. Nothing we could see (we had a patch kit with us just in case!) and it was a very slow leak. After each inspecting the tube for the source of the leak to see if we could patch it, we decided the rest of the group would go on and I headed back to see Ian and get a refund for a defective product. Bummer for sure, but what can you do, right? It wasnt the stores fault it came defective and they can contact their distributor for a credit.Well this visit Randy, the owner, was there and immediatly took control from the back of the store. He proclaimed himself an expert and stated we didnt inflate it all the way and when it hits the cold water it looks a little deflated. (At this point the tube was about 80% inflated still. Again, it was a very, very slow leak- a defect. We only noticed it in the water because of tiny air bubbles). Next, after looking at the tube for a minute he took the tube and went into the back for about 5 minutes. Then, low and behold, he returns with a tube and a very noticeably large scrape and hole! I was flabergsated that he, the expert, had not noticed such an obvious large hole as neither had any of us when we inspected it- remember we had the patch kit and would have happily fixed it. Our intent was to float and have a blast. Randy, the owner, whos slogan is we pride ourselevs on giving the best service possible, told Ian he was not to refund any money. Randy, the owner, did not apologize for our trouble or make any offer of any kind (store credit, partial refund, etc.). Randy was very brisk, brash, and rude.Even IF we had made the hole, i hope no merchant, especially the owner, would ever treat his customers that way. There is a professional, polite way to treat customers. Randy was not that merchant. We drove by several big box stores this weekend but choose the local store because we wanted to support local. I am very disapointed that the service was sub-par. Maybe it was a bad day for Randy (end of a busy Holiday weekend for sure) or maybe this is how he treats all of his customers. Either way we will go to the bigger raft place next time or hit the big box store.Bottom Line: MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT LET RANDY OR ANY EMPLOYEE TAKE THE PRODUCT FROM YOU OUT OF SIGHT. STAY WITH THE PRODUCT AT ALL TIMES! If I had done that, I am confident I would have a refund now.Thanks Ian for the help- wish you were running the store and the owner, Randy, had stayed home.

I had 5 Groupons I only rented 4 rafts and they redeemed all 5 Groupons not only that their bus driver gave us a ride and gave us five bands out of his own pocket then they turned around and charged my account $25 not only were they rude and very unorganized but they also gave an attitude when I tried to find out why I was charged an extra $25 three weeks after I rented the rafts Ive lived here my whole life I will never do business with them again and I dont recomend anyone else doing business with them either if there was a negative star rating I would have given them a negative star rating very shady business

Great customer service!Got help from a dude named Ian and he got my Specialized back on the road with a bunch of help for getting me back into riding

Always a good experience.

Very good customer service from the beginning to the end. Would be returning next year

Original estimate was 200 on a repair. Actuall cost was north of 330 with no justification as why. This was with a two week wait. Find another shop.

Had a problem with my rear bearings and went in and he took care of it for me right on the spot

Great customer service

Beautiful

The bikes were thick and sturdy and a blast to ride. Really enjoy riding up and down the river and like to come here when Im in town. Highly reccomend it!