Lucky Brake does it again! My bike and other tools were accidentally shipped to our new home in TN and I needed to finish putting my road bike back together for the move. LB got my new tires and inner tube done in less than a day so I could put the bike back together again. 5-star service with a smile!!!! read more

Went in, got new inner tubes. Nice people working there. They must be doing something right as they were also fairly busy and helping other people as well, but took time to put my bike together w tubes so I could ride again. Can't say anything bad at all, as all were personable and kind. I was gonna get the whole big "check-up" and was told I probably didn't need to spend that much since my bike was pretty clean, so I decided to just get the tires and ride for a while before I even got the smaller mini check. You don't get that kind of honesty often. Much appreciated, especially on a limited budget. I definitely would recommend them for bike maintena read more

Bought a new Specialized Roll 3.0 and the chain kept falling off. The guys at Lucky Brake Bike Shop in Crystal Lake worked on it relentlessly to try and recreate my problem and research possible cures. They were able to recreate the problem and found updated parts to correct the intermittent chain derailment. A special thanks to Kenny and all the guys in the shop for patience, hard work and above and beyond my expectations and quality of service. If you are going to buy or service a bike this is the place to go! read more

Great place to shop. Great staff, very helpful and not pushy at all. They only sell the good products!

This is my go-to repair shop. Today I brought in my bike after a crash over the weekend messed up the back tire alignment. Figured I'd be dropping it off and it would be out of use for a few days. But they examined it, made a few adjustments on the spot and sent me on my way with the bike at no charge! They could have totally had me leave it and pay for a repair job and I wouldn't have known any better. Honest, kind service - very much appreciated! read more

Just bought my third bike from Carrie at her shop, Lucky Brake. She and her staff are great. Excellent service, product knowledge and they have a genuine concern for your experience. Both in store and while your riding. They are their to build a long term relationship with their customers. I am sold. Three times now! Go and see for yourself what a small business that is part of the community can do for you. read more

Purchased my first real bike here few months ago. I then fell in love with cycling very quickly and decided to buy a nicer drop bar bike. Unfortunately, do to my very tall (6'4") size They did not have anything in stock that fit me correctly. BUT, after some great conversation with a couple of the shop employees they recommended a shop I could probably find taller inventory at. The ability to recommend a competitor without hesitation made me a fan for life! Other than the Bike, I buy all of my accessories / whatever here. Period! They have a great group of people running this shop. Always helpful and knowledgeable. I was just in last night to have my bars re-taped and get my shift cable adjusted. As usual. the service was phenomenal and the price was more than fair. This will forever be my bike shop of choice! read more

I used to live in Crystal Lake and now that I've moved, I sorely miss this bike shop. Lucky Brake (under the new-ish owner, Karrie) is focused on customer attention and community. The shop hosts free group rides and participates in the yearly police bicycle auction (where I bought bikes for my kids). They have no issue spending plenty of time explaining anything and everything you may have questions about, even if you explicitly state you're not buying any time soon. I've been to a lot of bike shops in my new hometown and haven't found customer service anywhere near the level I had at Lucky Brake. read more

Best bike shop in Crystal Lake for sure and maybe in nortwest suburbs. Knowledgeable mechanics and staff, polite and positive attitude. They appear to be able to solve any mechanical sports equipment problem one encounters. We are lucky to have these folks in CL. read more

Helpful in figuring out how to adjust handlebars when the set nut was hidden. I just walked in and they were very helpful with a picture I had on my phone! Pretty simple question but it saved me a lot of time! read more

This year I moved from a touring/cruiser bike to a fitness bike with the help of Karrie and her team at Lucky Brake Bicycles. I found the staff to be VERY knowledgeable and super friendly. There always seems to be plenty of staff and technicians on hand to take care of any quick maintenance needs and questions. When I initially came in, James listened to what I wanted and made a great recommendation. I came back to have my bike fitted and clip-in pedals installed by Karrie. She is a wealth of information and experience, and I was really impressed with her technical knowledge of biking and how to get the most from your ride. Not only did I get a bike there but I've found it to be a very welcoming community of cyclists. Since May I have enjoyed participating in the Lucky Brake no-drop group bike rides each week. I've met a lot of nice folks who share my passion and are very encouraging. I learn something new each ride and have increased my fitness level and the distance I can go. If you are looking for a new bike, a place to get your gear or a community of cyclist who share your love of biking stop in at Lucky Brake! read more

What a great, local bike shop!!! I used to do triathlons but a severe back injury kept me off my bike for two years. I was heartbroken and didn't think I'd ever ride again. I signed up for a bike fitting with Karrie and boy was I impressed! She was extremely knowledgable, understood proper positioning and bio mechanics. She worked tirelessly to find a solution for me that accommodated my unique injury and physical limitations. She found the perfect solution and got me riding again. She did the impossible and I'm forever grateful. Everyone in the shop is friendly, honest and courteous... they have the best customer service around. They know their stuff from racing to leisure biking. I'll never go to another bike shop! read more

GO ELSEWHERE They'll charge you for services they allegedly perform. Won't test to see if the service "they did" actually works. The guy who handed me my bike back actually said "I hope that works" which translates into "I don't know what I'm doing". Speaking of staff, this place is run by a gang of greasy, dirty hoodlums. I'd imagine your average drug dealer provides better customer service which is likely what these clowns do on the side. I will be disputing the charge with my credit card company so I will get my money back but to me it isn't about the money. It's about paying for a service that I did not receive. I can't help but think they'd rather sell me a new bike than fix the one I already have. I've gone ahead and listed two other bike shops in the Crystal Lake area I'd recommend trying instead of this dump. They are as follows: Crystal Lake Ski & Bike - 905 Pyott Rd. Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Wheel Werks Bikes - 115 N. Main St. Crystal Lake, IL 60014 It should go without saying that I'd rate 0 stars if possible. read more

Shopping here since it was Village Pedaler. Friendly staff, limited selection of gear & bikes, but great service.

This review is based on extensive notes from my transaction buying a bike 2 years ago. After having bought cheap bikes from big boxes all my life, I decided that I would like to buy a decent bike that would last from a local shop. I have had numerous friends and family buy from the village peddler so I decided to have a look. It turned out though some signs indicated it was still the village pdler it had actually changed hands and was now called Lucky Brake bike shop. They had a Simple Seven in stock for what seemed like a fair price. So I decided to buy it late in the day as the shop was closing and ride it home. After riding the bike I became apparent that it was on old model that they had assembled very poorly. The reflectors were missing The brake lever rubber covers were ripped The controls and grips were terribly misaligned on the bars causing the bike to be pretty unrideable until I realized the problem and corrected it The bottom bracket was not installed correctly and clicked every time the pedals rotated I took the bike back and was told that it doesn't include reflectors when every other model on the floor had them. I had to press the issue to get the reflectors that they forgot to install put on. They told me to deal with any issues with the grips. They said the bottom bracket needed lubrication after first telling me the clicking was normal. 1.5 hour later I left with a bike they had supposedly fixed that was now covered in greasy handprints. Had problems as soon as I left with the seat now squealing every time pedaled and the crank clicking worse than before. I ended up having to buy a bike rack for my car so I could get the bike back for service which added another $60 to the price I paid for the bike due to their inability to correct their quality control problem. I dropped the bike off again and waited 25minutes when they decided they would need it overnight and would call the next morning which was a Friday. After no return call I called Monday and was told they lost my paperwork and the bottom bracket was bad and it would take at least a week. After another week I got a call saying it was ready. They seemed to have lost my paperwork again as they couldn't find the bike when I arrived and kept verifying my details when they had just called me earlier that day. The bike once again was covered in greasy handprints but this time had some nice scratches in the paint on the bars. The bottom bracket stopped clicking but now the chain grinds every time the sprocket gets to that point which I think is due to the earlier issue damaging the chain or sprocket. The the grips were hanging off the handlebars and loose but at this point I decided to stop wasting my time dealing with these clowns and take it somewhere else and pay to have the bike serviced even though it should have been under warranty at lucky brake. Bottom line Lucky Brake has no connection with and deserves none of the reputation for service and excellence that the village peddler had achieved. Once the sale was made I was treated like a nuisance and a fool for trying to get a supposedly brand new bike to function as it should and being ignorant enough about bikes to call the bottom bracket the sprocket where the pedals attach. Shops need to realize not every customer is a bike nut and when you treat people who sought out your expertise poorly and try to hide problems behind that same expertise you may get a sale but you lose a customer. I recommend finding a different bike shop unless you want to keep taking it back until you (unluckily) brake down and take it somewhere else. read more

Awesome shop. I just finished a week of visiting 10-12 shops in the area and southern Wisconsin, and Lucky Brake stood out as one of the best. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They were aware that I was in the process of test riding a lot of different road bikes and did not hesitate to get several ready for me to try. They carry Specialized bikes, which ended up being my favorite one. While I haven't purchased a bike from them yet, I absolutely will be in the next 2-3 months when the 2014 models are available. They also carry Giant bikes, and that was my second favorite bike. So, they have good taste in brands. Also, they're in a great location to test ride, which I think is important. The streets behind the shop are quiet and a good area to get a feel for the bike. I honestly feel there are only 2-3 top notch bike shops in the area, with this being one of them. Give them a try. read more

Great bike shop with friendly and knowledgable staff. They offer a good deal of options regarding brands and many accessories you may need. The pro fit services for road bikes are well worth the money if you are looking for a proper set up and looking to push yourself further. I'm not a racer but enjoy hitting the road and a proper fit is a must in my eyes. Highly recommend this bike shop! read more

I just bought my wife a bicycle here. We looked at all of the big box stores first and we were not impressed with the value. We chose to come in to Lucky Brake to see what a really good bike would cost. We were surprised to find the cost was extremely reasonable. We purchased the bike, a helmet, and some accessories all of which were within our budget. More importantly, I found we had begun a relationship with a great staff and their excellent product. If you are in the market for a bike, you deserve to come here. The whole staff is attentive, efficient and incredibly customer focused, very refreshing for this day and age. read more

I was just in the store with my Son for 10 min looking for a Mtn bike for my wife. Not one of the 3 employees acknowledged us at all. First rule of good customer service is saying hello to everyone that walks in to your store. They get zero stars actually. read more

I wandered into Lucky Brake on the recommendation of another triathlete for help in getting my first tri bike. The folks at another shop I visited first were very nice, showed me a catalogue with some options and sent me on my way in less than 10 minutes. I expected a similar experience at Lucky Brake since I still really just intended to window shop and get some pricing info. Karrie understood my questions spot on and soon had another staff member cutting down seats while she started sizing a couple different bikes for me. The quick 10 minute visit I was expecting turned into an hour of no-pressure sizing and 2 test rides, then a return trip later that afternoon, and instead of window shopping, I am now the stoked owner of the very first bike Karrie showed me, a new Liv Envie Advanced road bike (marked down +$1000) plus new shoes (also ~60% off) pedals, aerobars, and hydration set up. Karrie is so knowledgable and I LOVE that she's not afraid to make suggestions. (I can't stand going into places looking for actual expertise, and end up getting those "it's really up to you/just listen to your heart" type answers. I go to a specialty store in the first place because there are certain decisions that are really better handled by qualified professionals who know more about what I'm looking for than I do.) She completely respected my budget and went out of her way to help me keep my total down. Seriously awesome customer service. Karrie and her staff are that perfect combination of professionalism and down-to-earth vibe (like be my dream bike matchmaker and also my new best friends afterwards) that can only possibly turn you into a customer forever. read more

Awesome LBS for crystal Lakers, I wish there we're more shops like this. Took a recently purchased vintage trek from craigslist there to get checked out, and they did a bunch of adjustments for free! I ended up giving them 5 bucks for their work, though. Staff is super friendly and engaging, seemed genuinely interested in my bike. Cool place, check it out if you're local or even if you're not. read more

By far the best bike shop in town! Karrie and her staff have gone above and beyond to get me the products I want and make me happy. Great customer service is important to me and Lucky Brake has it. Suport your local bike shop! read more

I've been shopping at LB for the past four months. I have been very pleased with my experiences. The staff has serviced my bike superbly and in a timely manner. I have also collaborated with staff on special build outs and and received excellent advice for set up and necessary gear. LB Is my Local shop of choice. They rock! read more

I recently purchased a bike here, and I love this place! Great service, very consultative, an excellent knowledgable staff and they are so fun, too! Karrie is the best. Great place to do business. read more

I love love love Lucky Brake Bicycles!!! Prompt friendly service!! Very reasonable prices. Helpful, very helpful!!! I will remain a dedicated customer to them. I have gone in there numerous times, and each time I was immediately helped, and the service to my bike was what I had hoped for! THANK YOU! read more

This place exceeded my expectations. I was a first time buyer who didn't know exactly what I wanted, but was willing to spend $1,000 plus for a quality bike to meet my needs. I visited the other two major bikes shops in Crystal Lake and found their staff knowledgeable with good, quality bikes in my price range. However I kept coming back to Karrie and her staff at Lucky Brake. I probably test rode bikes three times before finally deciding on the right bike for me. Throughout the purchasing process I never felt pressured or steered a certain direction, rather they helped me think through the different options so I could make an informed decision. Karrie personally did the fitting for my bike, and provided lots of good insights on riding, clothing, body position, etc. in the process. I also ended up purchasing bike shoes and cleats, and ended up swapping out the pedals after deciding on a different option. I also made other tweaks to the accessories on the bike, and again the staff were very accommodating and helpful without being condescending to a "newbie". After now several visits to Lucky Brake I am very impressed with Karrie and the whole team at Lucky Brake (special kudos to Dan, Katie, Eric and Tim). They are there to get the right bike for the person, not the other way around. I would recommend this shop to everyone. read more

Lucky Brake has fantastic service and Karrie Ozyuk is the best when it comes to professional fitting!! She worked with me multiple times after initial evaluation and we finally got the best fit for my bike. I rode my typical 45-50 miles without knee or shoulder pain for first time in two years!! Lucky Brake is my new home for bike shop. The techs there are great too, including Tim, Kenny and Karrie!! I rate them a perfect 10 Stars-----jz read more

What a great experience I had! I am a new rider and researched bike shops prior to stopping in Lucky Brake. I am so glad I checked out the merchandise here. The sales person that helped me was Brent and he gave me All of his attention. He was very patient with me and all of my questions, as cumbersome as they may have seemed. Brent was extremely knowledgeable not only about the bikes and gear but also about the physiology that goes hand in hand with riding a bike. He made me feel less intimidated. He was also very precise in ensuring that I was fit properly. Loved this place. Exceptional quality and customer service. I will refer many to this bike shop. Thank you again to Brent, Karrie and Katie and the rest of the staff. So excited to start riding. read more

I recommend this shop to everyone I know! It's a place where they listen to your goals and help you choose a bike that's right for you. I have been going here for years and it's the only place I will go. I bought 2 bikes from Karrie, had them both fitted and I've had numerous services done as wear and tear happens when you ride so many miles. I've found all the mechanics knowledgeable and if I've run into a problem after I've left the shop, I've brought the bike back and had the problem promptly corrected for free. There are other shops you can go to but beware. They will try to sell you more than you need or even worse make you feel like you shouldn't be in their shop because you don't meet a riding skill level. Lucky Brake is a welcoming place to go for all you bike needs. read more

Took my 7 year old on a tour of the local shops. This one is fantastic. The lady the helped my daughter listened to hear and she walked out one happy Birthday girl! Definitely give them a look. read more

This is a great LBS! Owners Karrie and Dan (and staff) are phenomenal to deal with. I am new to road biking, so I had many questions - Karrie was extremely patient and informative. She had me test out 4 or 5 bikes in my price range before I finally made my decision, and I couldn't be happier with my new rig. I also opted for a custom fitting, which was a great experience. It helped me understand some of the science behind all of the gear. As I was shopping, there were a few people who stopped in on their rides to say hi. There is definitely a neighborhood feel about the shop, which I really enjoyed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Lucky Brake to newbies and experienced riders alike. read more

The owner, Karrie, has an extensive knowledge base when it comes to products and services. I purchased another Giant road bike, and needed to be fitted to the bike. As an avid cyclist, I am particular to quality, cleanliness, and professionalism from the store and people I am buying from. Karrie and her staff we very welcoming, professional and extremely helpful when I came in for my fit today. I will be back in the future and definitely will buy my next bike from this store. read more