Scott is a great bike mechanic! He did an outstanding job on tuning up my older Bridgestone Mountain Bike. He is very knowledgeable and skilled. Would highly recommend this shop. read more

I have been coming to this bike shop for 20 plus years. This is the only bike shop I use. Scott and Oscar know bikes better than any other shop in Chicago. Experienced, professional and nice. Great prices too! There is a Schwinn Museum of bikes located in the shop. I trust them with all repairs, and they will not rip you off. Great prices for new and used bikes. I got a Schwinn Continental and a Rock Hopper. Easy free parking on the side streets near bike friendly Logan Blvd. They are often featured on news segments as an old-time business with knowledge that other repair shops do not have. Please drop in and you will be pleasantly surprised. Thanks. read more

Oscar Wastyn and Scott do excellent work on my three wheeled bicycle to keep me going. Love the atmosphere and smell of this old school shop and all the attention they give Berlin Vom Princehaus when she stops in for a snack and chat. Thank you for being my Cycling shop here in Chicago. Faithfully Capone Cycling Club Chicagoland read more

Oscar Wastyn Cycles - Capone with his posse Boulder bus 1987 - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love having a long-time family-owned bike shop in the neighborhood. The cost of a tuneup seemed like a fair price and the owner was awesome to fit me in over a summer holiday. Only complaint is the tight window for store hours. read more

I heard a story on WBEZ today about the history of Oscar Wastyn Cycles, and it brought back good memories from a time in the late 80s, early 90s when I lived in Logan Square. I loved going to this shop. I bought two mountain bikes from the shop and regularly went in for advice, tune-ups, and repairs. Always excellent service from Oscar and his family. I eventually moved from the neighborhood but never found a better shop. read more

An oasis from a different era in Logan Square. This family owned business has stood by giving great service and sales - dating back to the Schwinn bike empire, back to the 30's or 40's when it was still located in Chicago. They have even designed Schwinn bikes. Stop by and see their museum like display with old collectible bikes. They also sell cool old bikes, mid century tandems, odd bikes etc. They are 'hipster' in their own way - with authenticity - hope they stick around as we won't know what to do without them. They have fixed many bike issues large and small, ordered parts if not in stock, have super reasonable pricing and filled our tires with air. Cannot recommend enough. Their hours are limited now as they're en route to retirement - so only weekdays and limited hours. Get there while you can! read more

Went in here today and the man running the place was rude and said they have no bikes for sale except what was on display. Didn't offer to help us at all or tell us about the bikes he did have for sale. Despite all that there was a sign on the door asking people to wear masks and he was not wearing a mask. Would never come here again and we were ready to buy today read more

I love this place- I come in for free air a few times a year. This Bike shop has been here so long, there is a street named for them, I have had minor repairs to my bike in the past done here, they are fast friendly and reasonable at the cash register. If I needed to buy a bike, I would consider making a purchase from here. read more

I came in looking for a bike rack to put on the back of my Scion hatchback. ("Sy-ahn", not "Skeen", Ms. Green! :) The younger gentleman immediately had the book out to find out if the ones for sale fit my car. They all would fit so he went over the benefits and minuses of each. Mostly he just touted the benefits and I made up my mind about the cheap ones lacking what I wanted. Never was I given a hard sell, but I chose the Yakima three-bike rack. After the sale the gentleman put the rack on my car and showed me how to do it. He was very helpful and made sure I knew how to do it, showing me the tricks to tighten up the straps and everything. Great service from the minute I entered, until after I left! read more

I bought my hybrid bike here a couple of years ago....and since have bought and upgraded things from this store. Bar ends....new pedals...shoes....and cat eye computer. I can't vouch for the prices..since I'm not familiar with other bike shops. Oscar, the older gentleman isn't going to be your friendly grandfather-type that wants to take you fishing. He's more of the retired cop-type that still likes to bust your balls. Scott is the son of the owner and is very knowledgeable when it comes to bikes. He may bowl, but he also bikes with a group every weekend. He recommended a few trails to ride instead of hitting the Lake Front. He's not going to talk your ear off...but if you ask questions both are more than happy to help you out. He was very detailed in describing the different biking shoes and their pluses/minuses. Scott could have up sold me on the computer, but he saved me some cash by telling me the base model would provide me with all of the things I needed. I go here because they know more about bikes than i do...and have everything i need. If i need to socialize I'll go to a bar. read more

Amazing fix! Super happy with my local shop for fixing up a old bike for a great price! PLEASE start wearing masks were literally in the middle of a pandemic and due to that I don't plan on returning here. You have amazing deals and customers service please wear a mask read more

This has been my neighborhood bike shop since I moved to Logan Square in February of last year. Every visit to Oscar Wastyn has been a 5-star experience since then. The father and son duo that run the place may not be a "bubbly" personality as other overly-sensitive reviewers have complained about, but I've always found them incredibly friendly and professional. The prices are fair here and they always turn things around incredibly quickly. I love this shop and I'm looking forward to coming back here for years to come. read more

I have been coming to this shop for years. Always great quality service. Bob is very knowledgeable and cares about selling the best product for any budget. Thank you for offering the community "family friendly service". read more

It gets two stars out of respect for Oscar's father, Emil Wastyn, who designed the original Schwinn Paramount. That said...wow the apple fell far from the tree. I ride everyday, conditions be damned. I live in Logan Square. I like local bike shops. I'm happy to pay a little more than I see stuff advertised for online, b/c I can support a local business, and they have overhead. I've dealt with many a LBS employee. Usually, the assholes are the younger kids. I'm older than the frame you're riding, sonny. You're paid to fix them, but I know just as much about bottom brackets as you do. I hate those people. I'm not a hipster. I like to eat too much to fit into skinny jeans. I wear a helmet. I don't have a singlespeed bike. I don't look like I have a singlespeed bike. I was really excited that this place was in Logan Square, but didn't seem like a hipster bike shop. I really was. So, I was appropriately shocked when I came in, looking for a presta to schrader adapter (the little one that screws onto the end of a presta valve so normal, non Frenchified air pumps can be used). After wandering around the shop for a few minutes, I was greeted by an older guy, who I must say, puts every younger LBS employee to shame with what a total jackass he was. I came in asking if this was the Wastyn shop, the Paramount family shop. He was a total dickhead. Read that again: I was (and did) trying to heap praise on the shop, I got back "yeah this is that shop, now what do you want?" I would have walked out then, but I sadly needed the adapter badly, so I stayed and asked. He grunted as if I was asking for a part they didn't have, sighed loudly several times as he was rummaging around the back of the counter, and finally found me one. FOR THREE DOLLARS. Yes, it was only $3. But this thing is online for $1. It's in every other LBS in the city for $1.50. $1.75 max. I asked him if was serious. He said yes, more angrily than the first time. I gave him three dollars. He took it, slammed the register shut, and walked back into the back of the shop. Emil Wastyn, the cycling community will forever be your debt. But man, I think you failed in imparting anything resembling customer service to your next of kin. Truly disappointing. read more

I've taken my bike here for its annual tune up the last three years. Good service/maintenance on the bike, but the owner? or guy who I've dealt w. is a rude, condescending ass imo. And I told him as much. He actually appreciated my candidness and now we have like this love:hate thing b/t each other. [x] have no idea if i'll be back read more

My friend bought her bike here and while she was pregnant and after i was hit by a lexus suv on my bike she let me borrow her bike. I almost was going to buy it off of her but then with the first cold the breaks bizzarely started sticking to the back tire and not popping back out. Since this was basically a new Trek bike seeing its first winter this seemed odd. Because the bike was still under warranty I took it into the shop to ask them to look at it. My friend bought her bike from the younger man (son?) and not the cranky old man who i had my BAD experience with. First we were waiting for the younger man and I had explained the situation to the cranky old man and he proceeded to lecture me about keeping my bike lubed. I have been riding a bike for the last ten years in the city of Chicago and think I know that I need to keep it lubed. I bet it might have been because I was a girl. Secondly he gave me the advice that I SHOULDN'T RIDE MY BIKE IN WINTER because of salt or whatever and maybe it was related to my bike problems. Again, this was the start of winter and granted it was snowing when I brought it over, (on the bus). NOT RIDE IN WINTER? some people don't some people do- but a new Trek bike ought to have breaks that work in the cold regardless of the season. The younger man finally came and instead of him asking me what was wrong the cranky old man just told him. So I spoke up, umm. don't you want to ask me what is wrong. They did some adjustments but the back breaks still froze to the tires. Granted, no one was ever able to figure out the problem because once the bike was in a garage, warmed up the breaks would pop back into place. The bike was eventually stolen out of her apartment's basement along with several other bikes. read more

I helped a friend buy a bike here. It was a very old school experience, and judging by the reviews I think some people don't really understand how that works or are unwilling/unable to handle it. It sort of reminded me of that scene in the Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino where he takes the kid to his barber and teaches him how to trade barbs with the guy. Granted, I didn't actually trade barbs with Oscar, (aka the guy other reviews simply refer to as "the old guy"), but I could see where his lack of youthful exuberance could be mis-identified as rudeness by people less experienced with this type of place. I found the staff to be very knowledgable and, overall, helpful. Even "the old guy" was quite helpful once he realized I was the kind of guy who understood this kind of place and knew enough about bikes to ask intelligent questions, but also knew where the limits of my own knowledge were. I don't ride often myself, and I live a block from a Kozy, so I probably won't have need to be back very often just from a practical standpoint, but if I lived nearby and/or was an avid rider myself, I think I'd prefer Oscar Wastyn over places like Boulevard Bikes. There's nothing wrong with Boulevard Bikes and places like it, but I just prefer the old-school feel of Oscar Wastyn. If you know how places like that work, you get great service from very knowledgable staff in a more relaxed atmosphere. But you do have to have the confidence to ask for what you want and banter a bit. I personally felt I received five-star service. However, I'm giving it four stars because even though I understand and even sometimes enjoy the old-school style they have, I know that ends up intimidating a lot of younger people who aren't well-versed in the old-school style and five stars requires service that can be universally appreciated. In short, definitely consider them for your bike needs, just come prepared to approach them on their terms. read more

The guys at this shop are so friendly. I purchased a bike here right before the pandemic and everytime I walk by, the guys ask me how my bike is. Now THATS customer service. I will be back for any and all accessories and tune ups! read more

Their work is tip top and the folks who work at Wastyn Cycle are extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy, and kind. My family and have been coming here for years have bought bikes as well as brought used bikes in for tune ups, wheel truing, etc. It's always a good experience. read more

Great place that's not a bike mega store. Been here for 100 years and works with you to make sure you're ride is the one you need. Also excellent maintenance for all those little things that you need. From locks to add ins these guys not only have it but will help you put it on. Stopped on to they a kickstand today for my bike that would allow me to put my daughter in the carrier. They not only told me which one I would need but also installed it for me (and added some pads I was missing in the carrier). 5 stars! read more

I bought my bike here and it is GREAT! I also love the free air with the pressure gauge! I also love that anytime I have a problem with my bike the guys fix it fast and well and CHEAP! I LOVE MY BIKE! read more

Had a chance to work with Oscar Wastyn yesterday. It was just simply a master class in customer service and expertise. I am not in any way affiliated with this shop. I simply get my haircuts across the street and needed a bike. Oscar was helpful and walked me through bits of history, security for my bike, helmet,... the whole thing. I think a couple reviewers on here think that they somehow deserve some kind of special treatment. This guy is the real deal. The 1910 fixie on the wall gives him license to school you if he thinks it will do you some good and you should be glad for the experience. Bikes are not my thing. I regurgitated a whole bunch of stuff I have seen my friends do and say and needless to say I was wrong. Oscar just smiled and shook his head and then proceeded to take his time to teach me the real deal. This is an old school 4th generation Chicago bike shop. Goofs and entitled AH's go elsewhere. read more

I think this place was once a good shop, much like the men that work there may have actually once ridden bikes. I overheard one of the guys making reservations while I waited for the other crabby old man to come out with me bolt and I thought he was making reservations for the velodrome. I then realized he was reserving bowling lanes. I was a bit disheartened when instead of giving me the spacer I needed for my fork they told me I'd have to have it trimmed and would need to leave it with them for 3 days because they were busy... funny since it was empty and they are generally never open (note- they keep non consistent hours). I pretty much think the only positive thing I can take from my visit is that one of the crabby old men sort of cracked a smile at one point. And by the way Emily S.- this is the Logan Square neighborhood- not Wicker Park. read more

Did a great job repairing and cleaning up my ancient Schwinn Airdyne. Rides and looks like new. Scott kept in touch every step of the way. Great price as well! read more

I have had maintenance done here that other shops said couldn't be done. I've had it done quickly and cheaply. I've had the shop stay open for me to retrieve my bike. I love Oscar Wastyn Cycles. This is not a hipster shop. This is an old school neighborhood bike shop that doesn't believe in fads and flash. read more

I was greeted as soon as I walked into the store and the man I spoke to was more than helpful. I should also add that I am a first-time bike owner (since I was 15) and the man that helped me couldn't have been more patient and knowledgeable. Like the person below stated, if you want to chit-chat about something, go to a bar; if you want to know about bikes, go to Oscar Wastyn. read more

Yesterday my motorbike busted a chain. Oscar Wastyn just happened to be kiddie corner to my daughters house. I was staying there and I said wtf give it a shot. I never thought they would even want to work on it. They said no problem but it won't be ready til Monday. I had to get back home so was prepared to come back the next day. They called me within a hour and told me it was done. I'm thrilled with this bike store and will recommend everyone to them forever. Remember this is a motorbike with a engine which is hard to work on. Bravo Oscar Wastyn Cycles! read more

I went in on Saturday to bring my 20 year old bike for a tune-up, which I do every year at this time here. Saw a BEAUTIFUL Schwinn in the window and HAD TO HAVE IT!! Went back and got it Sunday. Everyone there was just great! Great customer service, great education on how to care for my new bike, great price. I am very petite (5') and have always had a hard time finding a bike that fits comfortably. They took the time to size me on a few bikes. Also got a nice history of the area since the family has been there for over 100 years. My family has only been in Logan Square for 90 years! I got my first Schwinn there when I was 10 and wouldn't think about going anywhere else. Comes with a 30 day tune-up. Rode home happy! read more

Stay away. Bad customer service and poor service. I took my bike in for maintenance to fix my brakes, when it was returned to me original parts unrelated to the brakes were either removed or replaced on the bike. They replaced one part back, but it still was not my original piece. They questioned me on it and were difficult and argumentative. The funny thing is my bike is a Specialized bike brand and it has a spec review with images online so you can see these two parts were changed. Never will go here again. read more

After some very bad experiences with Rapid Transit on North Avenue, I took my bike to Oscar Wastyn to be repaired. They fixed a bike that Rapid Transit told me was "unfixable". This is an old-school shop from the days before "One Less Car" pomposity. When it was time for a new bike, this is where I bought it, and this where I've had it serviced ever since. read more

This bike shop is the real deal! They have been in the neighborhood since 1910 and their passion and experience shows. My husband and I bought two bikes and they took their time explaining the bike and providing guidance. I walked in minutes before they were going to close and they were very patient with my last minute requests. I cannot recommend them enough! Will continue to go back for all of my biking needs. read more

Good quality bikes but terrible customer service. I needed a new bike during the pandemic when every shop had a short supply. Oscar Wastyn had the bike I wanted to test ride. I went in and the man behind the counter only let me test ride one of the bikes I wanted to try (there were 2 I was interested in). I decided to buy the bike. It's a great bike. They told me to bring it back in a month for a tune up. I just did that and the man was again very rude to me. The bike is once again running great but the customer service is unnecessarily rude. He was upset I changed out the bike rack. When I asked what was tuned up and what I should do for maintenance, he ignored my question and again focused on why I wasn't using the original bike rack. Overall fine bike but would not return again. read more

Here's an honest review: This shop has great potential to be a wonderful location ( large shop , good selection, and moderate prices) to purchase and service bikes but its full potential will not be met until the owner retires and leaves the shop to his son. Bike shops should be havens were like minded hobbiest can commune and share the exprience when shopping and servicing their bikes, this place ignores this fundamental fact. The owner behaves as if he is doing the customer a favor by selling them a bike. He probably enjoy seeing you leave more than selling you a bike. THERE ARE MANY OTHER BIKE SHOPS IN CHICAGO, GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THOSE WHO RESPECT YOU!! FYI: I've been here many times hoping he'd previously had a bad day, nope, everyday is a bad day for this guy. read more

excellent service and friendly from the older Wastyn to the younger. we bought a new bicycle, serviced an older one, tuned up another, smiley friendly service.. a traditional, bicycle shop. I loved it. i highly recommend it. you will get honest answers. not someone trying to sell you the only line they sell. diverse selection. and even concern for our safety. they convinced my husband to get a helmet! doesnt get better than that. thank you! read more

Been dealing with Oscar since the middle 70's, he may be opinionated but has always been a gentleman. Never tries to sell you anything you don't really need. He's a wonderful practical man. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it Rich read more

It is beyond me how anyone could have anything bad to say about this place! I just moved to Chicago and am in awe at all of the insane biking I see going on- no bike lanes, racing past cars, weaving in and out of traffic. I though, not having enough money for a car and especially now not even wanting one since I'm in the city, want to get into biking. Oscar Wastyn is close to my house and after reading some yelp reviews I went in unsure of what to expect and almost intimidated (all the talk about the older owner being an ass made me a little nervous). I went in with absolutely no idea what I was looking for. This was very obvious. I was the annoying, idiot customer and I admitted that I had never even ridden a road bike before but wanted to start using a bike to get around the city. My boyfriend was with me and both of us continuously circled the store not knowing what we should be looking for. Whoever works on the bikes in back is fantastic. He came out and noticed we clearly didn't know what we wanted, asked a couple questions and answered the questions that we had. The entire time the older man was listening in and adding his thoughts to help us out. What ended up happening was my boyfriend bought a used bike that day, and I had them put a bike on hold for me (without a down payment). The bike that my boyfriend bought seemed more than fine to us, but the older gentleman and the guy who works on the bikes were slightly uncertain about something and replaced the front tire; fixed whatever was concerning them on spot, made sure that everything was in as good of condition as it could be, and the two of us left. I had told the older gentleman that I would be back within the next day or two with a down payment for the bike they put on hold for me. I came back a week later, and the older gentleman was working there. He didn't remember me, but right away I was greeted by the guy who works on the bikes with, "Oh hey! You came back!", and a smile. My bike was priced and the older gentleman was very reasonable with the small amount I put down for the bike. I had told him that I would like to put down the smallest amount that I could where they would still hold the bike. He asked how much I wanted to put down and after stating a price he went ahead and told me he would even take $10 less. He then told me not to worry about how long it would take to buy the bike (and I put down a -very- small amount); he said I could even work on paying it via monthly payment plan at my convenience. I know this is usual for most places, but the fact that I read reviews about him being a grump (especially with customers who do not know what they want and do not just get in the store, get the buying done, and get out) and then had him be extremely patient and helpful was awesome. So having gone in as an ignorant, annoying customer, having not even spent much money because I bought a used bike, and then still not having enough money to purchase it on spot and having to buy it in payments...I was very impressed with how helpful and patient both the mechanic, and owner were. And of course, the used Schwinn Varsity that I am buying is gorgeous, looks like it could be brand new, and rides wonderfully. It's in excellent condition and I'm shocked that I'm getting it for under $200. read more

i only had a brief experience here. i had a cheap, $75 wal-mart bike and no time to assemble it. i got it free in a raffle so i decided i'd let them do it. i dropped it off and got a ticket (like at a dry cleaner). i went back two days later as advised. i didnt' have my ticket. i asked if a photo ID would suffice. the old man groaned and moaned but conceded. he eyed it over as if i was a zit faced kid trying to buy beer. then he announces that my license had expired SIX DAYS EARLIER! "are you seriously NOT going to give me my bike?" "its invalid, it doesn't count. you know what a cop would do if you gave him this?" me - "i didnt know i was dealing with a cop." they did not give me my bike. thankfully i found the damn ticket under my bed three days later and got the bike back. the old man is a real crab-ass but the bike was put together well. read more

Now, I could be totally out of line because I don't know much about bicycles or how these places operate, so I'll tell you what happened and let you folks decide. So I got a flat on a Sunday night. I ride 10+ miles for work every day, took the train on Monday and took the bike in right after. This was the only place in the neighborhood open on a Monday so I went there. I was just gonna buy a new inner tube and have a friend put it on, but dude told me labor was free so I just let him do it there. He then tells me I need a new tire. Now, my bicycle Damien - he came from Working Bikes over a year ago and was pretty old and worn to begin with, so even though I was suspicious of being upsold, I figured $16.95 for a new tire wouldn't keep my rent from getting paid and I'd probably need it eventually/soon anyway. I was a little wary when he put another knobby mountain bike tire on it (like the front tire, but my old back one was a thinner tire which was what I asked for). He also tried half-heartedly to convince me to replace the front tire, but I declined. Dude was making fun of my bike the whole time and seemed totally shocked when I told him how far and how often I ride, which is somewhat understandable because it looks like a piece of crap (and one of the pads on my handlebars is just duct tape) - but it's well-balanced, it's light, and it's comfortable, so I cope (plus no one's EVER gonna steal him cuz he's so ugly), and I told him this, and he seemed like he was gonna try to show me one of their $1000 racing bikes that I couldn't even balance on (let alone afford) but I just paid and got out. So anyway, new tire & tube is on and paid for, I ride it home (four blocks) and it feels funny. I don't know what it is - I figure maybe because I haven't ridden for a day I'm feeling a little weak. Next day I notice it rattling but when I flip it over it doesn't make the noise so I can't figure it out... I'm riding w/the boyfriend after practice a couple nights later and I have a habit of pedaling backwards while I'm coasting (obsessive compulsive) and he notices that my chain is dragging along the frame while I'm doing it. So we stop, I flip the bike over, and via idiot comparison of his crappy bike and my crappy bike, figure out that (bear with me here) the little arm that keeps the chain taught is loose, where on his bike it's solid and the second joint (I think that changes gears?) is flexy but doesn't just slip around like mine was. So I push it back into position like his and try to pedal it, and it just comes loose again. I think I just need to tighten it, but I don't wanna fuck it up any more so today I went back by the shop where they put the new tire on. I walk in, am perfectly pleasant (seriously), and say to the guy behind the counter, "Hi, you fixed a flat for me earlier this week and ever since my chain has been loos---" at which point he interrupts me and starts yelling, "If your derailer is broken it was gonna break anyway, your front tire could have gone flat the next day too and that wouldn't have been our fault," and really - I was giving the benefit of the doubt regardless of how suspicious I was, but he got defensive and started yelling at me before I even finished my damn question. He then told me that he'd "take a look at it" but they weren't responsible for any repairs because it was "probably about to go already." Now, he tells me that this "derailer" thingy has nothing to do with the wheel and would never be damaged from fixing a flat, but I'm seriously wondering if they actually did something to fuck it up to get me to spend more money there, especially since it got worse over a couple days. So I walked out and told him that the reason their shop is always empty is because of his attitude and that I'd make sure all of my friends knew how helpful he was. To be fair, I've had mixed opinions on what happened - most of my bike nerd friends seem to think the guy at Oscar Wastyn broke it accidentally and either didn't notice or failed to fess up, but the mechanic at Boulevard Bikes (where I took my bike afterwards - they're fantastic, by the way) said it probably wasn't dude's fault. Either way, the attitude was NOT warranted and I will never, EVER be back here. Thankfully, I know how to fix my own flat now and will be going to Boulevard Bikes for any of my other maintenance needs. Though I am curious - has anyone else had a similar experience? read more

I got my bike here, and I love this place! Oscar Wastyn and his sons are very knowledgeable and helpful, and showed me a variety of bikes that met my needs. It also feels good to support a small local business. They have all kinds of bikes in all different price ranges (I got a great cruiser with bike rack, U-lock, cable, and helmet for under $400) and levels of riding experience. They always have tire air available out front, and have never charged me to fix little problems or look over my bike. Oscar himself can be gruff, but in a funny grandpa way, and there seem to be regulars that hang out there. A variety of bike accessories. read more

It was my first time being at the place and probably my last. They have a huge retail space with lots of good looking bikes but I wondered why they didn't have a lot of client traffic like the other bike shops I visited that day. Then I asked the old man there a simple question and immediately figured out why. I asked if they had tri-bikes, which I knew they didn't but wondered if they ever get any from time to time. He proceeded to be condescending and told me that I didn't need a special tri bike "just stick the aerobars on your regular road bike and it's the same thing".... this astounded me! The younger guy there was much nicer but I figure the old man is the owner. If you really need to come to this place, talk the younger guy and not the older one. On another note: these guys did not look like avid cyclist, you kind of want to get good cycling advice from those who actually ride bicycles. read more