Highly recommended store on Reddit by the cycling community. The staff and the dog that patrols the store are all super friendly. The selection of used bicycles here is outstanding and are all in great condition. This place has everything from trail/mountain bicycles to tandem bikes, children's bicycles and everything in between. There is also a workshop where you can bring your bicycle in and work on it yourself or with the help of an employee. They let you test out the bicycles before you purchase them on the empty street next to the store. Wonderful store and a great environment for people of all levels of cycling! read more

Working Bikes - Inside of the store. Amazing used bikes. - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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went to this place to find bikes that were fairly cheap. It was recommended to us from someone who went there and saw donated bikes that they have marked for $1200. they claim that they order the parts which is not true. They just replace the parts from other bikes onto other bikes and then charge outrageous prices and then the bikes that they have for donation for the people who don't have transportation is not given to the people who are on the list for donation, and all the bikes are literally stacked on top of each other inside the shop. bikes are at Walmart brand new for cheaper than the bikes that they have in their store. read more

This is a great way to support a local business and a non profit. Have gotten 3 bikes from there and get all my maintenance there as well. Knowledgeable, friendly staff and committed to sharing the joy of biking worldwide. Why spend your money at any corporate bike chain with this gem available? read more

Great service I was in and out within 20 min or less For two inner tubes They were fast, professional, and welcoming My new go to bike shop Highly recommend read more

Everyone I asked recommended Working Bikes, and they didn't disappoint. I bought a refurbished bike for $280 that would have been sold new for $600, and they also have all the used bike attachments you could need. Their staff is so helpful, and even their clientele is, too! Plus, they fix up old bikes and donate them, so supporting them is definitely the right move. They also allow test rides before purchasing. read more

Working Bikes - Me with my bike! - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service was quick. I was in and out and customer service was great, I will definitely come back in the future

I wish 0 stars was available. Drove there to check out a bike I saw on the webstore. I knew there was no test ride but didn't except no seeing the bike either. I told them I'm just interested in this specific one after I walked the floor and didn't find anything. I didn't even test ride anything either. I wanted to see 1 bike on their webstore and said I'll buy if the condition is good. Told me no test ride and no viewing. I have to buy online and schedule a pick up time. I was actually fine with that but refund is store credit or cash refund -$15 to bring it back upstairs. So I need to gamble over $400 just to see the bike, can't take it outside or no cash refund. Even with cash refund I'll be losing -$15 just to see the bike. The guy had zero intent to give any customer service. I felt treated like a goofball "trying to test ride bikes for fun". Because he repeated on how people kept wasting time on test rides. Or it can be they are trying to hide something's wrong with the bike. read more

Bikes, bikes, and bikes galore in a cool urban loft setting! The mission of Working Bikes is basically buy a bike give a bike. Your donation and purchase of a bike helps support their cause to give bikes away to those in need from all around the world. The average bicycle costs somewhere around $200+. You'll leave with a refreshed, fixed up, used bike that has a lot of love from those who volunteer their time to get your bike in working condition. Each bike has a 30-day warranty. If you're not satisfied for any reason, you can exchange it or get a credit for a bike. No cash returns. Word on the street is that people line up first thing in the morning to get the best inventory pick, but we were there in the middle of the day and...well...as you can see from my photos, there are a ton of bikes to choose from! Every corner of the building has something to do with bikes. From high-end bikes to vintage cruiser bikes, to a few kids bikes, they also have bike parts galore and a section of used bike clothing. They have a large onsite repair center, and they also offer community classes where you can learn to care for your bike and keep up with the repairs on your own. It's super crowded and fast-paced in there, so don't expect a typical retail store experience. But, everyone is super duper friendly and cares deeply about the mission. Top Tip: There's a crap load of construction on Western so the traffic, even in the middle of the day, is insane. On Wednesdays during street cleaning, parking is scarce! read more

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I went there today to purchase a bike. I'm extremely happy with it. It rides great. It feels safe, sturdy, and quick. The staff was helpful and laidback. They helped direct me to the bike I needed. read more

Working Bikes - My new bicycle! - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Phenomenal experience. Staff was very helpful and cheery. Bikes were great quality for the price. Can't recommend it enough. Only thing I'd suggest is that the staff be made aware of the bikes that are available and the process for ordering them. There was a little confusion around that. read more

Funny thing happens with kids, they grow up. When they do, if you are busy enjoying your time with them, you don't realize how suddenly you have 4 bikes from your two kids that they have long since outgrown, taking up needed space in your garage. Dealing with this is how I stumbled upon Working Bikes. Play it Again Sports didn't want the two nicer ones this spring, and the two older ones were still serviceable, but not bikes Play it Again would have even considered. What to do? Throwing them away seemed wasteful, silly, and almost unacceptably privileged. These bikes could still be used. With a call to Working Bikes I learned they would enthusiastically welcome the donation of all four bikes, and they were actively looking for some better kids bikes for local Christmas gifts for this year. I had one, probably two, kids bikes that would make excellent gifts. Getting to their location on 23rd in Western is a bit of a trip, but they now own their building, and can do their good work there, and they will be able to stay there for years to come as they work to fulfill their mission. So slightly out of the way, yes, but if you are smart like I wasn't, you could plan your trip around a stop to Lagunitas Brewery, and all would be VERY, VERY, good. Supporting a charity and having good local beer, a near perfect day. What I didn't realize when I drove down there, is that they support their mission, not just by fixing and shipping bikes to locations where bikes are needed across the globe, but they repair, sell, and service bikes and bike parts, to raise money for their mission as well. Everyone, or almost everyone there is a volunteer, and man are they ever enthusiastic about bikes. Infectiously so. AND what interesting bikes they had. From cheap kids bikes to affordable Treks and Schwinns, to expensive racing and hand crafted bikes, and all sorts of things in between. Had I known about this place early in the summer of 2018, I would have made my two bike purchases from them instead of from the reseller and Facebook sites I did. Prices were comparable, and hell, their mission is darn compelling, which is no doubt why WBEZ's Jerome McDonnell, and this fall's Chicago Architecture Center, Chicago Open House, have both featured them. My wife's old bike is probably the next to be donated to Working Bikes, and when we do that, I think we will just go ahead and buy her next bike there. Just seems like the right and good thing to do for all involved. Oh, and did I mention that after I made my donation, they gave me a great pint beer glass with their logo on it? Yeah, like they are just daring me to drive past Lagunitas on my way home without stopping there first. GO HERE and donate your old bikes. Or go here and buy a used bike at a fair and reasonable price. BUT GO HERE. It is places like this that make Chicago GREAT! read more

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I moved from SF to Chicago days before the shelter in place order. I wanted a bike to be able to explore the city. I had never bought a bike online before (the only option with the storefront closed) so I found a few that seemed like good options and emailed Working Bikes. Phil quickly got back to me and we had two long conversations about all of the things I'm looking for in a bike. He had searched the website and had a couple recommendations for me too. He even tested the weights and did some extra measurements for me. I went and picked up the bike and am SO PLEASED with it. Seriously a great experience. read more

Working Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the best places to go for used bikes and accessories, if not the best. Great staff.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced used bicycle, I would highly recommend shopping here. I purchased a bike, and I was a little anxious about sizing. I bought it online, and picked it up. I was told that if I did not 100% love this bike, that I could exchange it. After riding it for about 20 days, I realized that it was too small. I e-mailed Working Bikes, and told them it didn't fit. They were extremely flexible in facilitating my bike exchange. Not only that, but the people that work there and do customer service were just downright nice. If I am in the market to buy a bike again, I will consider Working Bikes first. read more

I hate when this happens but...my husband was right about this place. Whew...there I said it and now I can move on. Went here this past Sunday to look at bikes and I walked out with a sweet Schwinn for $45. The most you will spend on a bike here is $110. My husband went the week before and got an almost brand new folding bike for $100. Mine was pretty beat up but it works and I love it. It's a single speed...yeah I'm a big chicken so I need something old school. They open at noon and are open until 5pm or until they sell out. We got there at 11:55 and there was a line waiting at the door. Doors opened at noon everyone scurried in and started grabbing bikes, handing over their photo ids and taking the bikes outside for a ride. The people at the shop are really cool, they'll answer any questions you have, help you pick out a bike if needed, put air in the tires, adjust the seats, etc. etc. You also have 30 days to bring it back with your receipt. Sweet! At these prices you could get a bike for every day of the week! read more

The screw on my bike seat broke and I had to ride home five miles with no seat! Luckily, I wasn't impaled on the way home and didn't lose control when it broke like the LAST time my seat broke a year ago. I swear, I'm not that overweight that my seat should break twice in about 1 1/2 years! Anyway, last time I lost the bracket and had to spend about $20 to by a new seat pole thingy with a bracket from a local bike store. This time, I went to Working Bikes, searched through some screws that were laying around and was out of there for $2 and one of the people there helped me install it! They have many parts available to help you fix your bike at a low cost in addition to also selling bikes that have been fixed up by their mechanics or volunteers. read more

This is a well-known spot in the Chicago bike community and as well they should be! I had recently bought a bike and didn't have space for my old one. I very easily could have sold it but I love their mission and I know donated bikes go to a good cause. So I swung by and they were super nice and appreciative and I can't wait to go back to show them more love. read more

Had a wonderful experience not only learning a thing or two about bikes but also finding the best bike for me. Thank you Kiki! read more

Working Bikes - So pretty!! - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is such a neat place. We first went here for a tour during the Chicago Open House weekend in the fall. And in the spring we came back to get one of my kids a bike. We found a reasonable selection to choose from and all at very fair prices. The people working there were helpful and the vibe was relaxed. My kids had fun test driving bicycles around the shop. I am sure we will be back here when we need to acquire another bicycle. read more

Superb. I love their mission of delivering bikes to the Global South. It's also a great place to find a good bike. I got my first real roadbike there, a carbon-fiber frame with decent shifters and brakes, good wheelsets, and even a sense of style. I highly recommend them over other sources of used bikes for quality, service, purpose, and value. read more

Working Bikes was so helpful and personal. I haven't had a bike in YEARS, but Trevor and the team helped me chose the right bike for me. The bike is a Schinn World Sport and it was in excellent condition. Pick-up was super easy too. read more

After having my bike stolen I was looking for a good replacement that didn't drain my bank account. Someone recommended working bikes and it sounded like my kind of organization. I liked the sound of it enough that I made the trip from the north side, disregarding the many other options closer to me, since I wanted to believe in it. I'm happy to say it was well worth the trip. There were many bike options on the floor, each with clear pricing,specs, and notes on whatever refurbishing they had undergone. There were also plenty of used parts on offer, in case you wanted to build your own. The staff member on duty (Kiki was her name) was incredibly helpful and helped me find a perfect bike that met my needs completely. The bike included a 30-day warranty as well, in case you were wondering. Having visited many other bike shops in different states in the U.S. I can honestly say this was one of the best experiences I've had in one so far. Check em out. read more

These guys ROCK! Working Bikes is a cooperative that promotes cycling as transportation, sells reconditioned bikes out of their little shop on S. Western Ave., salvages bikes and sends them to communities in other countries where folks need transportation to get to and from work or school. And they have a slew of really cool volunteers that are just nutty for bikes! If you need a road-ready bike and aren't too particular about the asthetics, Working Bikes sells 'em for between $40 - 90. Hours: Wed, Sat and Sun 12N - 5P read more

Working Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had such a great experience here! Found a Schwinn road bike in great shape for about $200. I wasn't able to take it home with me that day, so they filled my tires up and held it for me for several days. When I came to pick it up, it appeared that there was an issue with the front tire, as it was flat again. Brian at the service desk offered to take a look at it and make sure no repair was needed to the tire before I was on my way. I'm really impressed with this place! Selection changes often but there should be several options in anyone's given size/price range. Also, I'm sure this was a rare occurrence, but word to the wise, make sure your ID is the correct one when you check a bike out to test ride - I was here shopping with a few friends and they gave my friends ID to someone else. read more

Working Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just helped Lee, Omar, Arron, Jim and a whole bunch of others pack a container for shipping to El Salvador. Great experience. I have volunteered here before with my son but have never attended one of there "Shipping Parties". I would definitely do it again. Also a great place to pick up a bike! I would have "Checked In" but waited until I got home. read more

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Great place with the most dedicated volunteer/employees. They have so many bikes, all at extremely discounted price, for you to pick. Speak with any of the volunteers and they will give you their opinion on the bike - honest opinion, with no intention of trying to sell. If you are looking for a cheap and affordable bike, come here. read more

Working Bikes. Great place to shop for you next bicycle. They have many types of bikes and you can take them on a test ride. I picked an awesome K2, hybrid bike. It was like new. And I love it. Andy was most helpful, and friendly customer service. read more

When we could find what we were looking for at our local shop were steered here by Chris from Small Shop Cycles. (A great guy and place if you're looking for a new bike.) I was chasing a specific vintage bike. My partner wanted a good quality used mountain bike that he could ride to work and that was not too precious. I was shocked to see my dream vintage bike in their stash a step through Raleigh bike with rod brakes. It was pure luck thing since inventory changes often. My partner found himself a bike that fit his 6' plus frame and they were even having a 20% sale on his size of bike. The cashier walked us through a few bikes and talked with us about what we were interested in. She got us out to test ride the bikes and we got immediate feedback on trouble shooting issues. I got a three speed that was shifting funky and the guy on duty explained that I had to stop peddling to shift for this bike. It was against everything I knew but it helped the feel of the bike and I was super happy he knew exactly what the "problem" was. It's a very community oriented bike shop that wants to have their customers out riding. Loads of people were popping in and out for advice and to get their bike fixed. They seemed to be working with everyone in a timely manner. We had a good experience, hoping you do too. read more

I had checked out several used bikes shops in the city before discovering this shop. I had just pronounced to my girlfriend that I would never find a bike and that I should just accept my four wheeled fate. In a last ditch effort, we decided to try one more store. We walked in to a wonderful treasure trove of bikes, bike parts and accessories. After looking around for a bit, I fell in love. I knew this bike was what had been missing from my life. I got on to try it out and the seat was too high. I was heartbroken. Luckily, a wonderful gentleman named Phil came to my aid. He adjusted the seat to my needs. He explained the specifics of how to use the gears on the bike and gave me the low down on the great work the shop does. After a short test drive, I gave them my money willingly. If you're looking for a great bike at a very reasonable price, go see Phil. He's a magical man. read more

My girlfriend was looking for a new bike. We scoured the city looking for an affordable, lightweight bicycle. We turned to Yelp where we found Working Bikes. When we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised by the large selection of bikes. Each bike carried a label that denoted price and any maintenance work done to the bike. We shopped around until she found a bike she felt would work, and the price was right. I had to flag down a staff member--it's a bike shop so every person in there looks like an employee. Phil helped us and I'm glad he did. He kindly adjusted the seat of the bike before Ally took it for a test run. Phil provided excellent customer service from start to finish. He also gave us a rundown of how the shop operates. This shop functions as a not for profit wherein they fix up and donate bikes wherever a need exists. Phil walked us to the checkout counter. The purchasing process was painless. The bikes came with a 30 day warranty. We were pleased. Working Bikes is a fantastic place. However, there are a couple areas for improvement. For example, some items in the store are labeled with prices but many aren't. During our visit, I was interested in getting a storage rack for my bike. I had to find Phil to get the price but he wasn't sure if I could exchange it if it didn't fit for a brand new, more expensive Eco rack. He suggested I ask the cashier. I waited in line at the register. The cashier said no. I was told "we just don't do that." read more

Working Bikes continues to be an excellent, community centered space that support everyone riding a bike. I took my twins to make sure their bikes, purchased at Working Bikes, were adjusted to their size/height. They not only helped but also encouraged my kids to fix their own bike seats, add a kickstand and learn how to fix their own bikes. Plus, I appreciated their COVID safety precautions. They also worked to get a bike that was better suited for the specific height of one of my twins. I was so thankful for their generous time and patience I made an additional donation. Highly encourage everyone supporting Working Bikes!! read more

Bought two bikes (for wife and I). Both were tuned up and in great shape. Good price for quality bike and way better for the money than anywhere I found for the same (especially tuned up already). Very happy and would recommend, if I have to buy again I will definitely be back! read more

Primarily volunteer ran nonprofit that refurbishes used bikes and resells many of them here to fund sending others overseas to impoverished areas. Besides full bikes, they also sell various used parts. Staff is really knowledgeable and took their time as I test drove many of them. They also have bike classes, with many of them LGBT and female focused. read more

Here's the thing: This review is split into two sections. One for the actual shop. One for the other stuff. Shop n stuff: The dudes here helped me out a LOT. Like a ton. They let me stay when it was raining, try out some bikes inside, and then ended up helping me get some new parts on my old bike, instead. I felt totally trusting of these guys with my bike and felt they went above and beyond to help me. They helped me a lot and obviously, this store is a great thing. Stuff that brought this review down: Ahg, I really hate this part. Because it wasn't malicious, and they seemed like generally nice guys. But shit. I was there for probably a little over an hour, and heard at least 3 gay jokes, a joke making fun of retarded people, and a few jokes objectifying women. It's so awkward to be a woman in a store asking for help and having the person in front of you commenting on your body. I don't know if they've considered this, but it's kind of time to. The thing is, I don't think I'll come back here even though it's awesome. And that sucks. read more

As usual, I'm gonna give you the whole story... I went here on a Wednesday and arrived early as the website suggested, about 11:25 am to be exact. There were already five people in line, sitting on the ground reading their books. I was ::SHOCKED:: that at 11:25 I wasn't the only desperate loser hungry for a new bike. So the line builds steadily as the minutes tick on by, and before too long it is like 40 people long, no joke. I kept wondering how this was all gonna play out once this place opened, and had mental images of children clawing over each other to get into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory or something. So this guy who works there comes out just before the place opens and says, "Ok, so once you get inside and find a bike you like, take the ticket off of the bike and bring it and your state id to the counter, then you can go outside and try riding the bike. If you want the bike, you can then come inside, get in line, and buy it." So I begin looking in the window trying to visually find my potential future bike so that I can just walk in and claim it. This sucks. I'm really disappointed and I'll tell you why. What happened was that everyone just piled into this place, put their hands on a bike, and it WAS like a scene from Willy Wonka, totally gross behavior. I had my eyes on this sweet Schwinn that was like 75 bucks, but literally as I was reaching to put my hand on it, this damn hipster girl loudly declares, "I'm want this bike!" (Think Veruca Salt, "I want it now!") Whatever dude. They should let 5 people in at a time, because if you get there as early as I did and are willing to wait in line, there is no reason why you shouldn't have a few minutes to pick out a bike. It's really just about who is ruthless enough to rush in front of you and steal your thunder. Totally a bad experience for anyone with decent manners. Needless to say I did find a bike, but only because I settled for a little piece of shit Columbia that was beat to hell for $40. I needed a bike. I made myself fall in love with it because of it's unique shape, low price, and certain charm. It sort of fits me like a glove, hurts my ass though. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, and don't mind a hipster stampede, this is the place to go. I found a bike that was on the low end- most of the bikes were between $50 - $75. Try your luck, but it doesn't matter if you are the 1st person in line or the 30th, unless your a total a-hole. read more

I have a very tall teen and I couldn't find a bike that would fit her, except for some high-end, very expensive ones. Someone recommended Working Bikes, so we checked their site and found that not only is their inventory all online, but they include the "stand over" height. That made it really easy to browse through and find a few options that she could choose from. I ordered it online, we easily scheduled an appointment online, and pickup was super easy. We got a great brand-name bike at a great price. The young man even adjusted the seat height for my teenager and showed us how to detach the front wheel (and got it into the car for us when we were struggling to do so, LOL). My only regret is that I wasted so much time looking at so many other places for a bike. read more

I volunteered here for a few months regularly because I love working on bikes and being involved in community bike shops and helping people. Working Bikes is a great project that needs some front end adjustment. Eventually I stopped coming in because I didn't like the atmosphere of the shop. Saying a simple "hello" to some of the mechanics at the store is met with a level of rudeness that I rarely experience elsewhere in the world. It's terribly unfortunate that the bad attitudes from the employees can ruin what could be a great resource for many folks. Personally, I know of several people who have related to me stories of rude treatment there, including an english speaking friend whose native tongue is portuguese. When she asked the employee to slow down because he was speaking too quickly for her to understand, he replied by asking her what language she speaks, and when answered, told her that no one there spoke Portuguese, and turned his back on her. All he needed to do was have a little patience and repeat what he said slower. As a volunteer I was witness to sexist remarks, and although I don't believe it was intentional, rather from innocent ignorance, they make the space unfriendly at times to women who wish to be treated like an ungendered person. They sold my friend an out of true rear wheel with a bent axle from a department store mountain bike for $25 - probably 1/3rd of what the bike it came from would have been valued at. Overall, Working Bikes is a great great project and is run very effectively. There are some great bikes for sale at reasonable prices, and for the most part you can't beat the deals on used parts anywhere else in Chicago (assuming you get the right employee in the right mood). I just wish that the employees could lose the attitude and treat people with more respect. I hope that these things are addressed in the future and Working Bikes could be an even greater resource to it's community. read more

I don't how anyone would walk a mile to this place since it's only a quarter-mile in each direction from the blue Forest Park or Cermak lines. If you don't know anything about bikes, I suggest bringing a friend who does to help you sort through the warehouse because chances are the storefront has slim pickings or nothing at all. It's entirely volunteer based and during the summer, they get slammed with customers. They build them as fast as they can for people to purchase, but that's rarely fast enough. If you can build bikes and have spare time, volunteer here to help people without any understanding or sense of mileage get happy or because you believe in what they're doing. The reason they charge so much in the storefront is because they put in a lot of labor to refurbish these bikes. A lot of these bikes are salvaged from trash and may not necessarily have all their parts let alone are working. Any mechanic can tell you that refurbishing a random used bike with random used parts takes hours if not days. It's amazing that with the 3-5 mechanics (which range from volunteers learning as they go along or veteran pro mechanics) they have any day that they can provide bikes for people as often as they do. This also means that if you decide to sift through the warehouse yourself, and fix up the bike with their equipment as any volunteer mechanic would, you're saving them labor, and you save yourself money. A bike that would be $100 at the storefront is now only $30 at the warehouse. Plus if you're there on any of the days towards the end, you'll know Lee brings a round of Bacci's pizza and beer for everyone. Cash ONLY. read more

First: Working Bikes claims on thete web page there used bike prices are 1/2 the cost of bikes being sold on craigslist. This is false advertising to say the least. I visted there store today and found there used bikes that have been put together with miscellaneous parts to be starting out at over $200. II asked a person working there why there bikes where so expensive. He said "This is a charity the money we make goes to a good cause" I drove an hour to find a bike at the lower than craigslist prices. To find junk priced at Blow your hair back prices. Also, They do have a ton of miscellaneous parts. But again. Was quoted a rock bottom price of $20 for a rusty 26 in wheel. However, Your money will be put to good use helping poor folks in a far off country. At the expense of the working poor here in Chicago Stay away from these scam artists. read more

I got a sweet bright green 70s cruiser from here a couple of years ago for 30 bucks. the service is great, people are super chill-- after about a year the brakes began to get sassy and not work so i donated it back. oh, the great circle of bike life. read more