Village Cycle Center

This is my $30 bouncy overpriced cell phone holder. Cracked the back of my iPhone and would hurt you if you attempt to buffer its ability to kill your mobile device. Figured the $5 Target competitor would suffice as it works better, so back to the shop right? WRONG! As immediate as I was explaining to a helpful clerk, a smug bald co-worker leaned-in to snark quite blatantly, “I don’t believe that”. So this city bike shop WON’T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS! Will not remedy, return or exchange it, all headaches are final here. NOTE Every item I considered purchasing was totally overpriced compared to any Chicago independent bike shops I’ve been to. This snobbery excuse of a retailer is obviously on commission VS base and stereotypes your entrance to level their intentions on helping you. So if you prefer snarky bald sales guys when money’s no object, this is your shoppe!

Update: Brought in my old unicycle for some work. Rus and crew fixed it right up! Thanks- Best Trek Bike Shop in the Midwest! Bought our Trek bikes here in 2013 and live in the Western Suburbs. We still bring them here for the yearly tune-up. In February they offer service specials and 20% off service. Best selection of bikes, equipment and repairs by far. Worth the drive!

Davey was super helpful when I came in looking for a new bike. He was super knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable in the one that I chose. He even helped me take one tire off so it would fit in my car. Would recommend this place 10/10

I love coming to Village Cycle. Every single time I've been in, the staff is really helpful, super positive, and very kind. The vibes are fantastic, and all bikes and people are welcome. Some shops can be snooty, but everyone at Village Cycle is just happy that people are biking, and you'll get the same service and repair no matter what you ride. I really appreciate that staff takes expert care of my bike and helps me make fully informed choices whenever I need something bike-related: whether it's checking for a flat tire, shortening my chain, re-taping my handlebars, or helping me pick out a new seat after mine was stolen, I know I am in good hands at Village Cycle. Thanks guys!

I liked this place at the first time when I visited it. They are a dealer of Trek and have a number of different models of that brand. Consultants are great guys. They could explain all of the differences between the models, and give me some great advices. They also provide you 2 check ups during the year ( the basic one after 30 riding hours and the one after a year or so). So I bought my first brand new bike there! I realized it was a right place!

We bought a bike here for my daughter today. This is just an incredible store with incredible customer service. I want to thank Adam for going above and beyond helping us. The store is 1hr away from me, but I will drive there to buy our next bike.

I was really happy with the customer service. Walked in and was instantly greeted and helped. The staff is knowledgeable, quick, and helpful. I had the bike fitted and ready to go in less than an hour and I received helpful information when it comes to purchasing an adequate lock. I would definitely recommend.

Hats off to the team at Village Cycle Center on Wells in Chicago! They recognized how important cycling is to me and worked to get me back on the road quickly while making sure my mountain bike was in perfect working order. Thank you again Village Cycle Center!

A little background. I was an avid cyclist in my 20's and 30's. Stopped in my 40's. And now getting back into it. I've only known the world of road bikes as I cycled only as a sport and never for commuting. Commuting is a very different beast and one I knew nothing about. A coworker at the office recommended I visit Village Cycle Center. She mentioned that they were very helpful and nice when she needed assistance with her bicycle. I decided to give them a visit. They were instrumental in helping me choose a commuter bike. Very knowledgeable. They were also very helpful in helping me choose accessories I would need for commuting. Such as fenders, rack, basket, etc. My whole experience was positive and I highly recommend you give them a visit. When I get back to cycling as a sport, I'm planning on getting my next road bike here.

This is my $30 bouncy overpriced cell phone holder. Cracked the back of my iPhone and would hurt you if you attempt to buffer its ability to kill your mobile device. Figured the $5 Target competitor would suffice as it works better, so back to the shop right? WRONG! As immediate as I was explaining to a helpful clerk, his smug bald co-worker leaned-in to snark quite blatantly, "I don't believe that". So this city bike shop WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS! Will not remedy, return or exchange it, all headaches are final here. NOTE Every item I considered purchasing was totally overpriced compared to any Chicago independent bike shops I've been to. This snobbery excuse of a retailer is obviously on commission VS base and stereotypes your entrance to level their intentions on helping you. So if you prefer snarky bald sales guys when money's no object, this is your shoppe!

The best service department in Chicago. Skilled mechanics who love bikes and treat their customers with respect.

To say I am a novice cyclist would be a massive understatement. I went into Village Cycle Center with some ridiculously simple questions and a high-level of intimidation. All of that changed when Adam began to help me. He made me feel welcomed and comfortable, despite knowing nothing about bikes or cycling. His advice was straightforward and simple. He has such a warm demeanor and answered my questions without a single eye roll! Don't hesitate to bring your business here even if you have no clue what you're doing, like me.

Came in as someone pretty new to bikes (other than 30 years ago in my teens). So had no idea of what the cycling world currently looked like. Worked with Adam who was awesome. Took his time, explained things carefully to me, and showed me all kinds of options in a casual, no pressure setting. Great experience at Village Cycle - will definitely be returning!

I have been going here for many years. They have bailed me out many times with flat tires, tune-ups, brakes and today Russ installed a new seat on my bike in ten minutes. (something my DYI husband couldn't do in an hour). ACB

I was looking for a road bike, and I asked to see two options. They took it out of the back within minutes and Luke helped me to pick out one that would work for me. It was on sale, like most products, and they also had accessories available. I highly recommend Village Cycle Center

This is an AMAZING bike shop! Tim Clinard set me up with a sweet ride. Outstanding customer care from start to finish.

I contacted Village cycle and asked, Do you repair chains on spin bikes? To which they said they did. They ended up destroying my spin bike, and putting a cheap quality chain on it I could not ride the bike the chain kept breaking and I ended up throwing the bike away :-( That was an expensive lesson learned.

I had to stop by on a raining night to get a flat fixed on my commute home. The guy who took care of me was helpful and nice. Although he said my tire was serviceable, he suggested that I should replace it and offered me a discount on it after he realized he didn't have the less expensive option in stock. I had been looking at bike panniers online for awhile and saw they carried a some of one of the brands (Ortlieb) I was looking into. Happy to turn a flat into an opportunity, I bought a pair of the Ortlieb's Back Roller City panniers. They adjusted them to my rack and showed me how they worked. After getting home, I realized they didn't give me the discount on the tire. When I called they were friendly and credited me back the discount, which solidified my positive impression of Village. Later on, I looked up the price of the bag on Amazon ($124) and saw it was quite a bit cheaper than Village's price ($155). Unfortunately, it also turned out to be $10 more than the actual list price from the manufacturer. I appreciate being able to go into a store and look at a product like this in person and having someone install and show it to me has value too, so I wouldn't mind paying the extra $21 over Amazon's discounted price. However, I resent paying higher than list price so knocking off a star for that.

I haven't bought a bicycle in ages and wasn't acclimated to what's available. I called around and they were the only bike shop that was friendly over the phone AND had inventory. I took the long drive and was treated to the best buying experience I had in a long while. I really enjoyed that bike and with time I came to the conclusion that if 1 bike is good then having 2 might be better so I called again this year and spoke to Alex and he spent time explaining what was available and the attributes of each model. I told him I'd come out in a few days but had a change of heart after getting off the phone and brought my bike up to get the over due tune up. I was thinking I'd drop it off and chose another bike and they'd have both ready the next day because it was 1 hour before closing. Oh no not with Alex and the team....they had both bikes ready before closing saving me a 2nd trip and parking. Alex even helped me load the bikes outside to make sure everything was good. This is a very friendly, top notch place with plenty of inventory and accessories that's pleasantly devoid of sales pressure.

Adam and the guys here are just so great. They are always so helpful and kind. I really appreciate all they've done for me as I have gotten into cycling over the past year!

I bought a Trek bike here in 1989, and I'm going back today to buy another. They only sell Treks, but that line has something for everyone, from a cute Loft Electra step thru to a $$$$ super fast bike for Tour de France aspirants. Unlike some bike shops that get a little pretentious (I'm looking at YOU, Johnny Sprockets), the staff here is really friendly. More interested in getting you on a bike that's right for you, than pushing their own preferences. Ohhhhh, so many pretty colors. I'll take that black one, there, to replace my black bike that got stolen. Two days later. I LOVE THIS BIKE that I got from VC. A sweet black Trek FX Stagger, women's frame style. It rides like buttah!

Very friendly, job is done right. I did the tune up of my bike last year and they helped fix a brake issue I had this year. I will continue to go there whenever I need repairs on my bike.

How fantastic that this bike shop which carries, biking items, bikes, Chicago-Themed Shirts, Beer Glasses, Bike Pajamas, as well as all the necessary tune-up and other gear each avid biker whether a racer/competitor, transportation to work, or leisurely biker can appreciate. I love that it is a small owned family business as are many of the shops on North Wells Street in Old Town. It is refreshing! I also love that they offer unique items and gear as well as their location which is only a few blocks from the Bike/Running Path that runs parallel to the West Shore of Lake Michigan!

village Cycle Center of pre COVID times is back. The have inventory again and their service is once again over the top friendly and helpful. I recently had an issue with my gears on a bike I bought from them a year ago and they were able to fix it instantly without charge and a few weeks before that I needed help installing new pedals I did not buy from them and they only charged $10. I would highly recommend buying from them. Their prices are very competitive but most importantly their after care is just amazing.

I went to Village Cycle for the first time to purchase a bike helmet. Shortly after I entered a salesperson greeted me, asked what I needed and took me to the bike helmet section. After showing me a few helmets our interaction started to feel rushed. It was at that point I realized they must be on commission and I could be taking up too much time for a bike helmet purchase when the salesperson could be helping a customer with a bike purchase. I also noticed a different salesperson kept interrupting us to ask her for what looked like a price sheet that she kept rolled up in her back pocket like a newspaper. By this time I started looking on my own for a helmet and found one I liked by the brand Giro. Since I was at a bike shop I also want to look at, not purchase, a bike but it appeared she had very little time for that unless I showed intent to purchase a bike. Fine, but my philosophy is, take the time with the customer now. You never know who they are, who they know, or if they will come back to buy more. It just so happens I do plan to purchase a bike in the near future but will most likely steer clear of this place. My impression is the interaction could be rushed and it seems they would spend more time trying to sell me a bike that I don't want just for the sake of selling instead of putting my needs, the customer priorities in the forefront.

Was biking far from home last week and my tire came loose. Found this place and they had my tire fixed & I was out the door in a couple minutes. I unfortunately didn't get the name of who helped me but thank you for saving the day!

I liked this place at the first time when I visited it. They are a dealer of Trek and have a number of different models of that brand. Consultants are great guys. They could explain all of the differences between the models, and give me some great advices. They also provide you 2 check ups during the year ( the basic one after 30 riding hours and the one after a year or so). So I bought my first brand new bike there! I realized it was a right place!

Great service work: I took my vintage Stumpjumper in for a general tune-up plus a new chain and cassette. The bike still had mostly original equipment, including the integrated shifter and brake handle mechanisms, one of which appeared to have given out, and I was resigned to the possibility of losing the original look and feel. The shop was able to repair and adjust the original parts instead of replacing them with new ones. Along with all the other work, this was finished in just a few days and at a fair price. It's great to have this old bike working like new again, but when the time comes for a newer one, this is the place.

I was interested in getting an electric bike and did a little research online before going to Village Cycle. I am certainly glad that I chose this spot as the help I received was exceptional. The sales rep was super patient and walked me through the wide range of e-bikes they had on sale. He answered all my questions, did not pressure me and helped to pick a bike that fit my needs. Further to this, they were able to make the bike available to me in just 90 minutes after I decided which one I wanted. Another sales rep walked me through all the paperwork, what prep I needed to do before riding it extensively and answered more of the questions I had on the bike. There are SO many different options when getting an e-bike and I'm glad that I went to Village Cycle to get my questions answered. Please don't rely on YouTube or online reviews - you will make a better decision by going to a place like Village Cycle!

This place came in clutch today as I decided to do a 20 mile personal marathon on my bike. I was on my way to Lincoln Park when all of a sudden I got a flat tire. On this busy day I was told they couldn't accommodate anything further than a flat tire & that I had to drop it off. They whole process took maybe fifteen minutes & for an in & our job this meet my expectations. The employee were courteous & answered my other inquiries such as a new bike seat. I'll definitely be returning for further service as the workshop in the back seemed to be stocked with people who knew what they were doing. There may be a line but social distancing is enforced. With stickers on the floor & mask are required & worn by the staff.

This is probably a sign that I'm getting old but when I was a delivery biker and worked by this place I would come here and get reasonable deals on things. But today I went here to get a bike seat and a bike lock which I thought would cost $120 but it wound up costing 167.00. Not only was the cheapest bike lock $67.00 but I asked them if they would put on the bike seat and they charged me 15$ for the labor which is honestly insane. Pretty good service but they should offer more of a range of products bc not everyone who comes in is rich

Great bike shop with an excellent array of bikes, very knowledgeable salespeople, and a rock solid service department. They only carry Trek, but if you can't find a Trek to fit your needs, you probably need something custom built anyway. A Chicago bicycling institution.

Got my husband a Trek hybrid bike from Village Cycle Center. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. They had us riding out within the hour! Would recommend this place if you're in the market for a new bicycle or if you need to give your bike a tuneup.

Has always fixed what i've come in for the same day (simple fixes). Prices are very reasonable and they've even done small adjustments for free. Was told at REI that they'd need to take my bike for a couple of days, went to this place and the guy fixed it as I was describing the issue. Excellent service honest mechanics highly recommend!

I recently bought a Retrospec bike for short city commutes and casual lakefront trail rides. Nothing crazy. I am a new bike owner, so don't know a whole lot. I decided to pop into Village Cycle on a Monday evening, as I assumed the weekends were more crowded there. I needed to purchase a tire pump, basket and cup holder, but also needed help in how to use the tools/put on the accessories. Within 15 min., they were able to show me several accessory options and attach everything to my bike. Thank you so much for the education and assistance!

Hands down the best bike shop in the city. Huge inventory of bikes for kids and adults and able to order even more in a timely manner. Customer service outstanding. I have tried many other bike shops in the city and while some are better than others none even come close to the experience here. Pricing very reasonable and transparent. Highly recommend.

Trek shop and another cycle shop in town both told me that what I needed fixed would take 2 weeks due to staffing issues. I went into Village Cycle Center and they fixed it same-day... Very knowledgeable and super friendly. This will be my new go-to spot!

Shouts to these fine people for getting me on a bike and answering my myriad of questions.

Village Cycle Center totally ROCKS! I initially hesitated to try them because I thought that they'd be super pricey due to their Old Town location. Wrong--Their prices are competitive and their have a terrific selection of bikes which is saying A LOT 16 months into a global pandemic! Highly recommend

I have tried a few different bike shops in the city, but Village Cycle Center is now my go-to. I took my (very neglected) commuter bike in for servicing, and Sean was so helpful. He worked within my budget and had my bike ready the next day. Highly recommend!

This is a good cycle shop. The tune up was completed on time, on budget and even included a bike cleaning. We are very happy with this business.

Pros: AMAZING customer service! Adam was so personable, very enthusiastic about cycling. I didn't feel rushed and learned a lot. He also never pressured us to buy anything. Adam provided many options for different costs. He went above and beyond! Con: The items I purchased seemed more expensive than other locations.

I went last year to fix my tires and they did an excellent job. I also like that they have free use of air compressors if I need to inflate my tires every now and then. Today, I returned hoping to get the same level of customer service to fix my tires again. There was a sign outside that they were at full capacity and are taking flat tires only. I waited in line for almost half an hour only to be turned away because the person who assisted me said my handle bar was slightly loose. He said it was a liability if they will accept my bike even if I only came there for the tires. I did not know that. How I wish they were screening the people in line so as not to waste other people's time. They could also ask people to sign a waiver to not file any liability if something happens post service. I will definitely not return and will not recommend in case my family and friends ask. I was also planning on getting a new road bike to replace my old bike but I guess I will bring my business to another shop. I hope my experience today is an outlier but still I was disappointed.

I went to the store in search of a leisure bike, a cruiser, an urban commuter. I bike only during summer weekends. My budget was about $500. The GM pushed too hard to sell me a road bike that started at about $700. (not gonna happen for a weekend bike) Anyhow, this was the least of the problems. The facts that made me rate a 2-star are as follows: 1) GM tells me: "what we have in store is just the tip of the iceberg, you should check the inventory online." 2) I bought the bike of my dreams online. Free store pickup. However, in the order confirmation email, there are no instructions as to when the bike we'll be ready for pickup. 3) I call. After waiting for 10 minutes on hold, the guy on the other end says: "We are sending emails when the bikes are ready. After fully assembled. 4) I got the email a few hours later: "Your bike is ready. Status of order: waiting for customer pick up." 5) I went to the store, 1-hour later. We're sorry we don't have your bike, and we can't do anything about it. Either choose another or get a full refund. 6) After trying a couple of models, I decided to get a refund. 7) 5 hours later my phone rings: I am calling from Village Cycle to let you know we don't have your bike, do you want another bike? Don't get me wrong. These people are very nice but extremely incompetent. For those reasons, I would spend my hard earn money at unprecedented times elsewhere. My bottom line is that not because you shop online means you'll get what you're looking for. You might be exposed for no reason.

Came in to get some service on my Canondale. They were excellent! Fast service and they were all really nice . I would purchase my next bike here based on the people that helped me here.

This review is solely upon customer service, I haven't purchased or had anything repaired here. Full disclosure I have little to zero knowledge about bicycles. I purchased a bike from my friend over the summer, best decision ever. The thin tires were something I was unfamiliar with how to fill. This shop in Old Town has the manual and pressure pumps outside the shop so even if you need some air outside of business hours. I attempted to fill my tires and luckily one of the employees saw me struggling and came out to help me. This was near the end of summer. It being months into winter I have not rode my bike for some time so naturally the tires deflated and I brought it back in. Of course my memory is terrible and forgot what I was taught, a different employee helped me and showed me how. Very very helpful!!! Didn't make me feel silly either bonus :)

I called other bike shops in the area and they all had back orders. Ordered bike online Sunday evening and it was ready to go the next day! Customer service was terrific. Drew was patient and answered all of my questions.

Village Cycle Center was able to get me the bike I wanted during the national bike shortage. I called in my order over the phone and picked up during the week to avoid heavy traffic. I was frustrated to arrive and watch them look through hundreds of paper tickets after misplacing my order. It's odd things aren't stored digitally. My order wasn't ready and over an hour late from the requested pick up time. Bikes are VERY expensive. When you pay top dollar you should expect top notch service. I even called the morning of to make sure the bike would be ready. Only to drive into Chicago to find it wasn't.

One of the best experiences purchasing (really anything) a bike! The staff is very attentive, kind and knowledgeable to help find you the best fit bike. Their prices are amazing for the bikes they offer, and their protection and warranty program is amazing. Making sure your bike is properly fit, put together and ready to go before you even leave the store. I love my new road bike and will be happy referring this place to anyone!

I bought a bike here in May. The customer service was GREAT but I have had nothing but problems with the bike. Most of the time they fixed the issue without charge, but it came to a point where there were several issues so they started charging me. I would just be careful buying here, it's not the service that is lacking but the product is not up to par. I shouldn't have to replace the grip tape after a month, shouldn't have to replace the chain and gears after three months and my chain should not fall off every time I take it out of my apartment or go on a ride. Throughout it all, they have been super nice for the most part. I did see a clerk refuse to help another clerk who was having trouble with the register once. He was a total dick to her and that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. He sat on a stool while she asked him for help. He just kept telling her to grab another manager who was on lunch. It was laughable and I felt awful for her. Aside from that, I can't stress enough how helpful the other staff is, Brendan and, I believe her name was cara (short, presumably Caucasian with dark rimmed glasses) were awesome. The bikes...not so much.

These guys were great. I knew what I wanted, but was in between sizes. Went with their recommendation and couldn't be happier. I would definitely buy a bike here again despite living over an hour away. Super friendly and super fast service.

Years ago, I LOVED this shop and frequented it often. So did all of the riders and racers I knew. In the past few years, I've been in about 10 times to make purchases, and am always feeling low when I leave. Three visits ago, the sales manager tried very hard to sell me a gravel bike instead of the road bike I went in to buy bc that's all they had on hand to sell. Told me he "Couldn't even find it on the computer" for me to order. Guess what, I went home and found it on the computer at another store and picked it up a week later. Two visits ago, the mechanic was throwing all kinds of shade on me bc I wanted to see him change my flat tire so that I could learn how to work the thru-axle. Sales mgr says, " Just do you know, bike mechanics don't like you watching them work." Huh?? This last time I was prepared to buy a stem for my Trek, and again get the sales mgr. There are no other customers in the store and two additional sales helpers on hand. I asked him would he be willing to comment on which length stem to get were I sit on the bike, and he says, "No, I'm not in a position to do that." I was sure that I had misunderstood, and asked again. Nope. Refused. So -weird-, frustrating, and wasteful of my time. I swore last time there that I wouldn't go in again. Have heard similar stories over the past 2-1/2 years from several others. Does the owner not know what's going on? I will say that the Service Manager Russ is SO nice, professional, efficient and helpful. Thank God he was there to at least offer some salve.

Very disappointed with both the experience and the actual bike. The salesperson pushing hard to sell a more expensive bike. I literally did one ride home which is about 10 minutes away, and just noticed a flat tire. This is completely unacceptable

Rude staff. Bike that we purchased for our 5 year old wasn't put together well, handle bar got loose while my son was riding. Made him crash.

I bought a trek checkpoint here and went back for the free fall tune up. Sean did an incredible job fixing a couple issues i was seeing, and i'm very happy with the service and how little time it took. Will definitely be back

If I could give 10 stars I would. I've been a regular customer at Village Cycle for 10 years now and the reason I keep going back is the amazing customer service and their service department is second to none. I've had my Trek road bike that I got there since 2012 and just today a plastic bag blew into my path, got tangled in the gear, and tore the gear off and broke the frame. My bike was not repairable, totaled by a plastic grocery bag. I was devastated as I loved that bike and also did not want to miss out on the great weather this first week of November, so decided to look into getting a replacement. Never for a second considered going anywhere but here and as usual I was blown away by the great service. Jonathon spent a good hour half with me as I tried several different bikes, explaining my options, answering question after question, and making sure I was satisified. The manager (Tim) was also incredibly helpful and was able to use the Trek's crash warranty to get me a discount from Trek on a new bike that day, despite the back order due to the pandemic. While having to spend money on a new bike at this time is the last thing I need, having a bike now is really important for me and my favorite bike shop was able to make that happen today. If you're in the market for a bike, I can't possibly recommend Village Cycle any stronger. I can honestly say, I've never walked out of the store unhappy and not completely satisfied and often blown away by my experience. Even today, after the bike I love was totaled and I had to spend money I can't afford on a new bike, I left the store incredibly happy and grateful that they spent as much time as they did and did everything they could to get me an affordable replacement that I'll be able to break in with the great weather this week!

I ride my bicycle to work almost every day, so I frequently need service. The shop always seems very well staffed, so the turnaround time for work meets or exceeds reasonabl expectations. Flats are typically fixed within 15 minutes or so while I wait. The staff is knowledgable, professional and polite. The pricing is fair. My impression is that this business takes pride in its work and respects its customers.