I bought a single speed road bike on craigs list and really wanted to make it fixed gear. I am pretty new to the world of SS/fixed so I walked in and asked "could you make this rear wheel fixed" she asked me a few questions of which i couldnt answer having not done the conversion myself. she understood and then explained (very kindly and politely) that the wheel i had couldn't accept a lock ring and explained the concept of the lock ring. all with zero attitude. so many other places i have gone, when i asked what is prob a stupid and/or newbie question to them, i get a short response that is essentially "stop bugging me, just leave the bike and pay me money". and not only the woman that helped me through the purcase and set up and installed the new wheel for me (very quick i might add too!!) but the other mechanic that i interacted with as well were very inviting. i felt really comfortable which is a first for me at a bike shop. i will keep coming back for all my little and big bike needs. read more

Friendly, fast service. They have a small but wide selection of bikes and bike gear for you to peruse. Getting repairs done here is a breeze as these people are courteous and really know their bikes. I have a rather cheap ride and many shops (LBS's) have taken one look and tried to sell me a new bike. Not so here at Uptown Bikes. They only did the services I needed and nothing more. As a grad student I don't really need the hassle. I know I am poor. Thanks for not making me feel self-conscious about my ride Uptown Bikes! read more

The absolute best bike shop. Everyone is incredibly informative, they won't sell you anything you don't need, they can fix any issue in no time, and they have great bikes that are competitively priced. I've referred three people who have all bought bikes and accessories. I've bought a bike and accessories. All of us couldn't be more pleased. read more

I'M RATING BASED ON WALKING IN AND ASKING A FEW QUESTIONS, AND CAN'T TESTIFY TO THE BIKES OR SERVICE. BUT, I thought it was worth letting folks know that this place has very, very few bikes. I went in today, and was told that they have more bikes in in spring, and this is the last picks of the season. So, if you wanted to look at a large selection, this is not the place. The sales person was very nice, showed me what they, and didn't become rude when I let her low everything was far above my price range. (Bikes were $500-700-ish). I'm not a bog time bike person, so I headed down Broadway to Nearly New and found a used road bike for $200. read more

Uptown Bikes is easily one of my best finds since having moved into the Uptown neighborhood. Always helpful, knowledgeable, thorough, quick, and reasonably priced, I've recommended this shop to nearly everyone in search of a tune-up; I, myself, have stopped in three times already this season. They also offer a selection of new & used bikes, accessories, and safety gear. I purchased a helmet, and had them install both a basket and a bell. read more

Many years ago, when it was under the original owner and called by a different name, I worked there part time fixing up used bikes. Nora and Maria are still there and always greet me warmly when I walk in the door. I feel like I am visiting my old home when I visit. I try to buy from them as often as I can. Whenever I need bike stuff, I stop by Uptown first to see what they have. The crew is very helpful, extremely efficient, and lack the "bike snob" vibe. read more

I hope this place never changes!! Try going in off peak times such as weekdays before 5pm. If you go any other time you will probably be waiting for a while. If the wait is going to be really long they will let you know how long so you can leave the bike or do other things and come back. These are the best bike technicians in the world as far as I'm concerned. I'm so glad they're my neighborhood bike shop. read more

A beloved friend can no longer ride her beautiful Breezer bike so she gave it to me. I've only had it for a month or so and took a nasty spill on loose gravel on the bike path. Because it was completely unrideable and I thought it was a goner. Ace bike mechanic and lovely human being, Nora, called today to say that she fixed it and there was no charge. As I was leaving the store today, I asked if it really was no charge or did she take pity on me. She said that it really was no charge. How about that? read more

These guys are great. They're helpful and have never talked down to me even though I'm a total newb at upkeep on a fixie. In fact, due to my inexperience I had to fix a flat 3 times in one day and make 3 trips to Uptown Bikes and they were super cool about it each time. They make great recommendations too and don't try to up-sell anything. Also, if you need a repair done, they are wicked quick. I wish they were open more hours but, what can you do? Highly recommend. read more

This review is long overdue, but it's better than nothing. I love Uptown Bikes and the staff! Because my bike had been pretty messed up from an accident and I was tired of riding of my boss's hybrid I went into the market looking for a bike. I heard Uptown Bikes had some used bikes on sale so I decided to check it out. While none of the used bikes were for me, Maria was incredibly helpful and advised me on the perfect bike for my needs. I went to other shops just to see what else was out there, but I ended up coming back to purchase the bike Maria suggested. What I really love about this place is that the staff is incredibly helpful, friendly, and don't make you feel stupid for not knowing everything about bikes. For my 30 day tune-up they were great and fixed the little kinks in my bike and now it rides perfectly. They make suggestions and never pressure you into buying things. I know they'll be seeing a lot of me and my bike because the place has great staff and excellent service. read more

This place will try to take all your money. Not a neighborhoodly shop they did my bike so bogus and got a 170$+ out of me for my bike everything was all loose. Really if you can go somewhere else I wouldn't stop here unless you need too they also delete reviews on Google. think how lucky they are nothing dangerous happens to them or their shop. read more

Good shop, can order what you need plus a good amount of new and used in stock. They don't really treat their regulars well tho, so it's great place to go and snag something you know you need. If you (like me) spend a whole lotta money at bike shops, you should go to Yojimbos. I recently had a fixed cup come loose on the way to work, and needed at most 3 twists to tighten it down again. I popped into Uptown thinking that they'd help, but no such luck. Even tho the dude I was dealing with has seen me buy $250+ of parts and tools in the last 2 weeks, they would still only charge me $15 bucks to tighten it down. (Which i didnt have since I blew my cash there.) Screw that. That''s the mentality of someone who sees someone with a flat, has all the tools to fix it, but cruises by anyhow. As much as I'd like to support a local shop, I'll be shoppin online/yojims from now on for anything other than tubes. read more

This place is great. I bought a bike here about a year and a half ago, and it has been 100% solid. Since then, I have stopped by a few times and the employees are always more than helpful. They have always answered my annoying questions and never charged me for simple tune up stuff like air and oil. The vibe is hipster enough to know that everyone involved is serious about bikes, but not so hipster that its pretentious. Most importantly though, everything that comes out of this place is quality. read more

I sold my car and bought a bike this summer and Uptown Bikes was the closest bike shop to my apartment. I've been in several times for many different things and every single employee goes above and beyond. I've gotten so much good advice and turned a cheap 70's road bike into a quality replacement for my car with the help of Uptown Bikes. The first few times I came in, I had no knowledge of bikes, components, accessories, etc. They took their time to explain everything to me and always gave me several different options at various price points. I love this bike shop and am so happy it's so close to me! read more

Uptown Bikes is a phenomenal shop. I lived around the corner for a decade and went there for a lot of stuff over the years. The staff is always friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, and professional. Prices are very reasonable and they stand behind their work. read more

First of all, I love riding my bike, but really know nothing about repairing it or tuning it. I've had the same bike since I was 12, and every year I would squirt some oil on the chain, put air in the tires and ride it around on the sidewalk of the metro-detroit area suburbs then throw it back in the garage for another 6 months. Now that I've moved to Chicago, I've decided to bike to work therefore I needed someone to school me on bike rules and update my mountain bike for street biking. The staff was super friendly, gave me a bike map of the area, explained the repairs they would make without being condescending. They even threw in a few extra repairs, and tightened my bike lock free of charge. Everyone really went the extra mile in helping me out. I really appreciate how helpful, friendly and kind the staff was in educating me about my bike and how to safely ride in Chicago. I had some silly questions about biking, but no one batted an eyelash and were really helpful in answering my questions. These people definitely love what they do and want to share a hobby they love. They've made me a believer, this is now my #1 bike shop to go to. P.S. The actual bike rides better than it has in years after my tune-up! I felt like I could hear the low rider theme song in my head while riding it... read more

This was such a great experience! My boyfriend got me a gift certificate for Christmas to pick out my own bike and they made it so easy. Not knowing anything about bikes, except how to ride one, I was a bit nervous that I would be talked down to. Not the case. I was given lots of help making a decision, without feeling like they were just trying to sell me the most expensive stuff. I will totally go back, when I need more bike stuff. **** I had some problems with my bike, and the uptown guys were totally great about fixing it and making sure everything was right. I didn't pay a dime extra even thought they ended up giving me a new tire and wheel!!!! I'd give them 6 stars if I could! read more

Thank you Uptown Bikes for fine tuning my girlfriends bike! I took her bike there on an emergency bike repair before her triathlon. Its noisy there - with the CTA train steamrolling above. The mechanic was busy, finally turning attention to the bike. He tuned it quickly and sent me off without charging me a fee. He seemed passionate about bikes and bikers. Just happy to get another cyclist on the road. BTW, my girlfriend placed second and mentioned that the bike never ran better. read more

I still go to this great shop - service and price, cant be beat! Love love love them!!! Satya, William read more

SIMPLY THE BEST!!! Pete, Nora, John, and the rest of the team are so friendly, polite, helpful, NEVER pushy, and just great people with deep knowledge of the bikes. Prices are WAY better than other places, but service is a little expensive, though professional and great! TOP 5!!! read more

I brought my bike in to see about either raising my handlebars or putting on different handlebars. As I get older, I have found that I ride my bike less and less because it hurts my neck and back to lean so far over the bars on my hybrid bike. Nora gave me some suggestions and quoted a price. After I set up my appointment for the following week, I brought my bike in and John could not have been more helpful. It was in and out in less than two hours!! The new handlebars look awesome and feel great. My neck and back thank you! read more

I recently stopped into Uptown Bikes with a friend who needed a tune-up on his newly purchased bike. He got the bike via a mail order, and self assembled it. The breaks were having an issue, so he took it in to have it looked at. The staff were really friendly and helpful. They suggested taking the bike back apart and re-assembling from scratch. The cost $65 and promised by 3PM the next day. He got the bike back, perfect and they had the bike fixed on the same day. I'd certainly go there for my own bike needs, and the staff should be recognized! read more

This is one of the best bike shops in the city. My wheel broke just as I was heading out onto a trip and they fixed it really timely manner, also told me what else was wrong with my bike but did not push me to get additional services and just informing me. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and not pushy. My friend's bike was dropped off to replace a chain and they replaced and also tuned up the gears so his bike now works better than he ever experienced. There's also a monthly ride that takes place from here but apparently they are not affiliated just awesome enough to be the starting location. read more

I recently dropped by Uptown Bikes to get an old bike serviced that needed rear brakes and a kickstand. Their courteous staff took my bike in right away and gave me a reasonable repair estimate upfront. I like that they fixed what was wrong with it without pushing me to purchase additional services. My bike now rides better than ever. The one thing I didn't like was the nearly 2 hour wait before I got my bike back. It takes less time than that to get my car fixed. It seemed there was only one guy there that day working on all the bikes. The shop itself is pretty small. While they offer custom parts and both used and new bikes, their selection is limited especially of new bikes. Many of the newer bikes I saw were a bit pricey, around $600 or so. I recommend these guys for service and repairs and will be returning for all my future bicycle tune up needs. read more

I love Uptown Bikes! I have 2 bikes: one hybrid mountain/road bike that is about 16 years old and an 8 month old road bike. Last year I brought my old bike into another bike shop for a tuneup (what was I thinking?) and the guy there barely looked at it before trying to sell me a new one! Needless to say, I took it back and went to Uptown Bikes instead. What I love about this place is they are totally non-judgmental about the type of bike you have. They will give you straightforward, honest advice. If your bike is unsafe, they will let you know. However, if your bike is just old and beat up like mine is, they will give you their honest assessment of what needs to be done and then, with your approval, do it! I also just brought my newer bike in because it wasn't shifting properly. Again, I was very impressed. They looked at it, told me what needed to be done and gave me a very, very reasonable estimate to fix it. I haven't even picked it up yet but I know that when I do it's going to be great. If for some reason it's not, I know they'll make it right. Laid back, good, honest people. I will not trust my bikes to anyone else. read more

These guys make riding easy. I'm new to riding and was worried about encountering bicycle snobs who'd look down at my hand-me-down mountain bike and lack of knowledge, but the unpretentious staff put me at ease. When I came in with a busted tire, they fixed it up quickly and even greased and tightened the chains. The folks at Uptown Bikes go above and beyond for a reasonable price. But my loyalty to them is simply due to their great attitudes. read more

I've been wanting to get a bike for a while, so when I was driving by earlier this week, the bright pink/magenta bike out front totally caught my eye. I stopped in to ask some questions, and everyone was incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and helpful. I ended up checking out several bikes, and wanted to make sure I definitely wanted the pink one before I bought it, so I went to a couple other bike shops. I ended up coming back to Uptown, and am so excited about my new bike! They got it ready to ride for me, helped me fit a helmet properly, explained everything about how the bike worked, and how to lock it up so it (hopefully!) won't get stolen. I would highly recommend Uptown Bikes to anyone who doesn't know much about bikes but is looking to make a purchase, they were GREAT! read more

Great service. Very friendly. I went in to get a kickstand put on, a helmet, and a lock. I'm new to the neighborhood and am glad that there is a place close by and I'm sure I'll be coming here for all my bike needs. read more

I bought my first bike here - a Raleigh Retroglide Cruiser. I knew nothing about bikes, and still dont really, but the girl helping me decide was totally friendly and helpful. I busted my front tire on my Schwinn road bike a couple weeks ago and they had it replaced and ready to go within 15 minutes. All the employees are extremely knowledgeable and professional, and are willing to help teach you what you want to know about your bike. Very unpretentious and friendly. read more

Pretty typical bike shop run by guys that look like they are too cool to talk to you, but are actually pretty nice. I went in on a cold November day to fix up my front fender (Planet Bike freddy fenders) and the guy with the gigantic holes in his ears actually helped me out a lot. It looked as though he was dashing out to go pick up some Natty Light (or whatever disgusting cheap beer is the rage in bucktown these days) but he put his stuff down, grabbed some tools and helped me figure out the problem. My fenders took a couple new spokes which he had to search for the proper screws and he tightened them down and sent me on my way for a pittance. He was not the most talkative chap, but he was refreshingly polite and helpful. I shall return. The place is very small, so they don't have a large selection of goods, that is why I discount them the fifth star. read more

This place is great. I have been working on a project bike for the last couple of weeks and have been in there and called there a few times. Every time I do they are really nice and easy going. It is not the type of place where they just want to get off the phone with you or get you out the door asap if you are not a high spending road biker. I talked to John a few times and he is really cool and even looked for a stem and handlebars downstairs after I told him what I was working on. I will definitely keep coming here for any bike needs I have. read more

Maria rocks! We came in with like, zero bike knowledge....and Maria helped us pick the perfect new bike for hubby. She didn't try to take advantage and sell us something over the top, and she was very knowledgeable. She acted like we were her only customers, and definitely wasn't trying to rush us. Too bad they don't sell cycling shoes...I plan to shop here for all our cycling needs thanks to Maria. read more

I went in today because my tires went flat. Was in and back out on my bike in less than 10 mins. I'll be using them again whenever I need a tune up. read more

Hands down one of the best bike shops in the city. Limited in brands, if buying new that is (KHS and Raleigh), but they had a bike I searched almost everywhere to find for my 8yr daughter. If you want to challenge your kids and get them into cycling - stop in and let them guide you. If you need repair or bike advice, stop in. read more

Went to check out some bikes and came home with one. Their service is outstanding! Very friendly and knowledgeable. I loved the funky vibe that they have as well. They ran a quick check-up before I left the store which is always plus. I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone. read more

One of the best bike shops in the city! Very customer driven and super friendly team. Prices are affordable. I also love a team that does its best to educate the consumer about the maintenance performed. This ensures that I'm well-versed on what they just did on my bike and keeps me in the loop. We can't thank them enough for all their help this summer. XO, The Brooks Family (Samantha, Alan, Edgar) read more

This is an AWESOME bike shop. Seriously, they will not BS you. I originally went in to get estimates for new tires, because of all the flats that I had been getting. They recommended a "protective" insert for the inner tubes, because the treads on my tires were still good. They saved me $60.00, and I haven't had a flat in 5 weeks. I also had a tune-up; it included replacing my 10+ yr old bike chain and free wheel. It was well worth the price I paid, since I bike about 70-85 miles per week. read more

I love this place. They have reasonable prices and outstanding customer service. They're friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. When you love what you do, it shows. Whenever I go there I feel better on my way out. Please support this neighborhood shop with your dollars! read more

Tired of snooty bike elitists looking down their nose at you at shops where you pay premium bucks for gear? Come on down to Uptown Bikes! Ever since my co-worker recommended that I take my bike to get tuned up there, I haven't gone anywhere else. Down to earth, helpful employees with a fast turn-over rate and low repair bills. If you want to find a true neighborhood experience, these guys are all pretty genuine. From bike newbies to seasoned road warriors, they have all the expertise you need. ...Highly recommended! read more

Great place for repairs. Knowledgeable staff, will order parts if needed. Fair prices. I go here for all the basic stuff like tires and frame adjustments. They are very commuter-oriented and have a good selection of panniers and baskets and lights, locks, etc. All high-quality products. I have never bought an actual bike here so can't really comment on their selection but they also look to be commuter-oriented. read more