Village Cycle Center

I replaced my 20 year old Trek road bike last fall, working off of the year end sales sheets. Working with my somewhat limited budget, Bill S. took the time to fit me to several bikes on the floor . He took the time to analyize my riding requirements and helped me choose the right bike. (07' Trek 1500) I then loaded up pedals, shoes and aero bars. All of this came in under the retail price of the bike!
This took about 2 1/2 hours start to finish (bike, shoes, pedals, etc.). After a burger next door while they assembled my bike, Bill spent 20 more minutes fitting me and my aerobars to my bike.
I wasn't rushed nor pressured. I drove in from the suburbs specifically because of their inventory list.
Spring's arrival has finally provided more riding time. The bike is great, the buying experience was genuine, and I didn't burn up too many wife points by buying on sale!

Pros: Great selection: Year end sales inventory on line

Posted 04/19/09

Great friendly service in finding things but completely overpriced accessories! They charge double to triple compared to what u can find on the internet for a lot of their products....12 dollars for an intertube??? 40 dollars for chain whip??? You have to be kidding me! Long lines for service partly due to people ahead of you complaining about how things got improperly fixed the first time they brought their bike in. On the plus side, good selection. Perhaps if they didn't employ 40 people at a time there, their prices might be a bit better. As a side note, FYI, it takes all of 10 minutes to change a bike tire on your own.....why am I seeing grown men in there paying good money to have someone else change their intertubes for them..... Man up!

Posted 07/14/08

Wow. I whole-heartedly agree with "brightyellowrims". A kickstand?! I am not in any way an "avid" biker, just a weekend rider and evenings after work rider at this point. I used to do off-road mountain biking a few years ago, but lost the time to do so with marriage and kids. But to hear a complaint of a great bike shop because the bike you chose didn't have a kickstand?! Sir, if you want a cheaply made bike with a frame as thin and flimsy as tin-foil, that will last 2-3 years (with a kickstand) go buy your bikes at Toys R Us. This shop has great service for tune-ups and the like and I've had my bike in there every year or two depending on my use. The staff is trained, skilled, and yes, very busy. Why do you think they're so busy? Because they're good.
I highly recommend this shop. Been going there and buying there for 8 years and they're always friendly no matter what your skill level or buying interests are. Just don't ask for a kickstand. They would still give you one, and smile glady and appreciatively to sell it to you, but don't knock the shop for not having it on the bike. I bought a $200 bike there on sale 7 years ago and they treated me the same as if I'd bought a $1000 bike. I now own and bought from them a typical $400 Hybrid that I love and I will always take my bike there for tune-ups, etc...even though we've moved out of the immediate area. They still consider me and my average $400 bike as a good customer.

Pros: Great selection, good sales from time-time, pacakge deals w/ accessories

Cons: Waiting 2-3 days for your tune-up to be done right, but it's worth the wait.

Posted 06/17/08

Seriously? A kickstand? I'm not sure how many bikes you've had but BIKE SHOP bikes, REAL bikes, don't come with kickstands. For you to call yourself an accomplished shopper, someone who "knows that they want", your post shows a holistic misunderstanding of bikes and anything bike related - especially shops. Hobbies are expensive, I would challenge you to find a single bike shop in the city that you would consider cheap or even decently priced. Once you've acclimated yourself to the biking culture you'll realize, especially on the Northside, thats just what stuff costs. Don't let this person give you a bad impression of a good shop - these guys get swamped but they help you when they can for as long as you need them. Someone who complains about the lack of a kickstand and doesn't know if it's the "fault" of the shop or the manufacturer isn't necessarily someone who's review you should put much stock in.

Pros: Good pro shop with pro help. Knowledgeable people, standard bike shop prices.

Cons: Some wait time if you aren't strategic about when you go.

Posted 06/17/08

my service guy tom was a little older than most of the 20 somethings there and he knew what he was talkin' about.he didn't pressure me into buying anything i didn't want.he basically just asked me a few questions probably because i told him i already had a few bikes in mind so i knew what i wanted.that was the good part.it took an hour to wait for my bike but they were busy on memorial day so can't blame em' for that.while i waited i looked around at some really OVERPRICED accessories like pumps,saddles,gloves,gel pads,etc.selection of bikes was great,but my new trek 3700 didn't come with a KICKSTAND.not sure if that's trek or the bikeshop??? anyway i would go there when they offer a deal like a bonus accessory pack like i got-it had a basic water bottle/holder,mini hand pump,seat bag and helmet if you want- i didn't ask for one cuz i won't wear it anyway.overall an o.k. place in a yuppie neighborhood wit da projects a few blocks away.

Pros: big selection of bikes some good deals(free accessory pack)

Cons: long wait,no kickstand,parking

Posted 05/26/08

I will not bring my business here again. They replaced a tube for a flat tire for me. After I picked it up I drove it home 3 blocks and put it away. The next day it was flat. I brought it back and explained what had happened. I didn't have my copy of the receipt but they had theirs yet they wanted to charge me again for the same work. I did not take them up on their offer and brought my bike elswhere to be repaired the second time. My experience was slip-shod work and not standing behind their service to admit a mistake and correct it when given the opportunity.

Pros: they were open

Cons: poor service, will take your $ without fixing problem

Posted 05/09/07

I have bought bikes from these people for years now. Unfortuatly too many bikes of ours have been stolen, so I need to buy bikes more often than I should.

They always have good prices and they dont just try to sell you the most expencive ones.

(What kind of NUT would spend $5000.00 on a bike/ unless he's Lance Armstrong)

Pros: No pressure, good prices, a lot of bikes on sale

Cons: wait

Posted 03/30/07

Did I morph into the whiners club or are you guys related to the competition? When I go into that store I've done my research, I have a pretty good idea what I want, I pick my spots because they are busy, I know the area so I don't expect parking to be easy. Get real. I don't want a new best friend, I want to buy a bike, they sell bikes. Did any of you babies happen to see all those bikes? They are phenomenally successful, why should they change a thing? Go to your local store, get your schmoozing, test ride your bike, ask your questions, then go to Village and save a pile of dough. I love that place. It is what it is and there's a retail niche that they satisfy with perfection. I go there, I tell them what I need, they may offer suggestions, I have never been disappointed when I spent money there but I didn't expect them to be something else either.

Pros: price, selection, website, return service

Cons: crowded, cramped

Posted 12/27/06

I went here to buy a bike because they've got a huge selection. After riding my bike I noticed that my seatpost was slipping. I took it back in and told them -- turns out the seat post clamp was installed backwards (they had assembled the bike when I purchased it). Ok, I thought, no big deal, everybody makes mistakes. But this was just the beginning. When I took it back for the 30 day free service, they adjusted my brakes and derailleurs as advertised, but also took the liberty of lowering my seat and resetting my speedometer's odometer. I can't imagine why these things would have been done on purpose, but if they were done by accident they could have had the decency to tell me. I spent more time looking for and fixing their mistakes than it would have taken to adjust the brakes and derailleurs by myself.

Pros: Big Selection

Cons: High Service Prices, Poor Service

Posted 05/23/06

I won't go back and will likely return my bike. It's true, if you are female you'll be ignored. Although my bike was on "sale," I realized afterwards they had charged me the full price anyway. In addition, I should have gotten a "free accessory" pack although half the stuff was missing. I had to ask for the helmet and noticed when I got home I was missing the seat pack. This place is AWFUL!!!!!! Not to mention there is NO PARKING!!! My car was towed while I ran in to get my bike, although there were five village cycle people standing out front smoking no one had the decency to tell me that tow trucks hide around the corner waiting for people to go inside to pick up their bikes.
Nice, huh?

Pros: none, none, none

Cons: no parking, lousy, untrustworthy

Posted 08/01/05

1. They do not allow you to test ride the bicycles before purchasing, which is a bad policy. I didn't realize this until I had a bike picked out.
2. I spent over $300 on a bike that was advertised as being for urban riding and had two flats within a week of purchasing the bike. The day after purchasing the bike the break pads loosened up and were rubbing against the wheel.
If a bike tire pops every time it crosses a small fragment of glass, then it's not really made for city streets, is it?
3. The bike shop was unwilling to pay for any of the following consecutive 6 flat tires that occured within 2 1/2 months. Will not return to this shop and cannot recommend...

Posted 07/24/05

Just to get a chain, I had to wait in line behind textbook LPers who are comfortable not doing things themselves and will gladly pay $5.00 just to get their tires pumped and evenmore ridiculous fees for simple tasks. The mechanic at the service counter was shouting at me and throwing around jargon he himself didn't rightly understand. Nothing I said seemed to register with him and then he somehow gave me the right kind of chain anyway, saying, "Most people get this, it's known as a 'BMX chain', I forget what the other kind are called." I then asked if I could see the package myself, and I identified it as the right kind for my bike, but he said, "And if it's not, you can bring it back if you haven't installed it." I left confident I wouldn't have to come back, EVER.

Pros: branding-centric, big, pro-look shop

Cons: terrible staff, terrible prices, terrible everything

Posted 06/18/05

As a retired bike racer, I spent more time on my bike than I did studying, so excuse my spelling. My gramerical talent is shamed by my ability to know when I have found a great bike shop. You guys Rock, I think the people that wrote the other reviews went to the wrong shop. Selection, quality, value, it is all there! The employees are eager to help, and the mechanics fixed the linkage on my full suspention tandem in no time.

Pros: Staff, selection,, location, dog treats

Cons: , so little money

Posted 03/17/04

Village Cycle has a horrible reputation as a business. The sales staff are punks, slackers, and losers who actually believe they possess extensive knowledge and experience in cycling and racing. You should shop at this store if and only if you are comfortable dealing with an unprofessional, untrained staff. The managers are equally incompetent at providing satisfactory customer service. The staff are too busy annoying customers with their shrill and unintelligable sales pitches to actually provide good, honest, reliable service.

Pros: none

Cons: idiotic sales staff, horrible service, horrible reputation

Posted 08/13/03

This bike store pretends to be the U.S's largest...and it does have a big selection.
But I never shop there anymore.
Why?
Simply because i've consistently had terrible and unfiendly service...only if they are sure that you will buy somethign expensive are they fiendly, for tips how to tune something or help finding the right parts, they are worse than nothing.

Stick to smaller locations unless you can't find a specific bike anywhere else, and NEVER GET YOUR BIKE SERVICED THERE!

Pros: ALOT of bikes, Some good deals

Cons: TERRRIBLE ATTITUDE!, Unfriendly.

Posted 09/03/02

I had a fabulous experience in this bike shop tonight. My boyfriend found a bike that he really had been searching for in the city for a long time. The price that was on the bike was alot more money that we had seen it before and they said they would try to match the price for us. Then as that was going on..THEO... helped me look for a bike. He was awesome. I told him in general what I wanted and a price range and he took care of the rest. He was patient, and did not put any pressure on me to purchase something as the store was closing down. He was really knowledgable about the bikes, what I needed, and what was important to have and what was not. Theo was great and I will be back to buy something soon.

Pros: Good Variety, Good Service

Posted 08/20/02

They have the cheapest prices and the worst service. They are obnoxious people too. I went there with a male friend of mine (i am female) and looked around while he went to the bathroom. He was gone for about 20 minutes. No one even tried to help me, even though I was obviously shopping for a bike. My friend returned and not 10 seconds after he entered the store some dude says (to him) can i help you find something? Ridiculous! Don't support this horrible place. They'll treat you like dirt and they don't care because they undersell everyone else.

Pros: Cheap bikes, Large Selection, Porn Shops Nearby

Cons: Horrible Sales Staff, Stuck up people, Only major brands

Posted 07/31/02

You only get the best price when you are ready to go somewhere eles. The build on my bike was crap, I had to bring it to another shop to put it together correctly. No test rides ?? Go to another shop these guys suck !!!!!!

Pros: good selection, na, na

Cons: no test ride, poor set up, crappy sales people

Posted 07/24/02

I went to Village with my tax return in the bank - ready to spend it all on a bike. After over an hour of pondering I make my choice and wait for its assembly. After walking around the neighborhood shops for an hour I return to pick up my bike...I mean they ADVERTISE we guarantee your bike will be ready within an hour - right??? Well, the bike was not ready, but a radio person (whom I certainly did not recognize, but knew they were from Q101 from the conversations between her and EVERY Village employee) was there with a friend, getting a discount that goes to freinds of radio people, I guess and keeping all of the employees so intrigued that the customer paying full price who was waiting could continue wiating. When I asked what their advertised guarantee meant - I was told NOTHING. Very disappointed here.

Pros: Great brands, Decent prices

Cons: POOR customer service, POOR ownership, POOR management

Posted 06/24/02