Upgrade Cycle Works

This location does not exist.
I walked my bike, with a busted tire, a mile to get here and it’s shut down

They have a decent selection of after market accessories. Staff is helpful and well informed. Willing to help out and service your bike right away.

2 cruiser bikes, in and out in under a hour.
Coolest bikes I’ve seen in Chicago.
Cruising on Lake Michigan path tomorrow.

Oliver is the F***ING MAN!!! My bike took a dump on me, I had a 9 mile ride home, and my kids were with the baby sitter. Oliver took action! He replaced the bearing that went bad and he me riding home in 30 min!!! Most bike shops would have made me drop my bike off but Oliver hooked it up and got me home in time to my kids. I wont forget the great experience I had here and will be sending business their way!

Most of the staff is very nice but don’t seem to have much of a sense of urgency… and I’ve had a few questionable/​bad experiences here. I hate writing bad reviews but hey, there is a positive side.
If you want good/​quick service make sure you talk to the mechanic with the beard. I don’t even know his name but he’s usually there. Seems like he is their head mechanic. As far as I’m concerned he is the shop. He explains everything to me in detail and makes sure I leave happy. He understood that I waited too long for service and/​or they forgot about me and gave me a discount on parts/​service.
They are my neighborhood shop so I definitely will give them at least a few more chances, but there may come a point where I could get better service elsewhere.

I have been impressed with their on-​line response. I have only purchased on-​line, but they ship quickly and the products are as advertised. My only suggestion is that they respond quicker, but I understand they are busy running a business. Great job Upgrade! Thanks.

Came in to this store to purchase a Felt TK they had in stock. The bike was my size, I tested it and it fit great, and I was ready to purchase.
However, their price was roughly $ 100 more than Village Cycle Sport (which did not have my size in stock). When I asked them to price match, they said they couldn’t do it. So I asked the sales person to speak to the owner/​manager/​anyone, they told me they would get back to me and I left my phone number. I anxiously waited for the call, but to no avail. When I called them a few days later asking them the outcome, they had no idea what I was talking about and I had to start all over. After getting the same mumbo jumbo I took my business elsewhere and just ordered the bike in my size.
I’m giving them an extra star (2-​stars) just for having the bike in stock, letting my ride it, so I know the size was correct for me. Atleast this allowed me to order it elsewhere.

Went in right when they opened because my chain broke. They replaced it in about 10 minutes. The dude with the curly hair was super nice and helpful, and the girl is very friendly as well.
Also I snagged my free air caps.
These guys are alright with me.

Was caught stranded on my ride home after breaking a chain at Milwaukee, Elston and Chicago Ave.
Upgrade was right around the corner so I went there to get it fixed. At first, they said I’d need to leave it because they had a busy afternoon. When I impressed upon them that I was stranded about 9 miles away from home, they made an exception (since I was the only customer in the shop, pretty much staring at them while holding my bike).
It took them about 20 minutes to swap out the broken chain for a new one. I asked about repairing the old one and he said not to bother because the links didn’t match the poles (or something like that).
Cost was around $ 49 for a Shimano mountain bike-​style chain. Might not have been a steal, price-​wise but this guy understood that time is often better than money. I would recommend them.
Only knock I can think of is they didn’t choose to name the store ‘Upgraydde’, spelled thusly.

Since my initial review, service has gone down the tubes. I had a back injury and surgery earlier in the year and am now unable to put anything heavy (i.e. my messenger bag) so I was looking for a rack and paniers. They were able to find an option to jerryrig an option for me. It was supposed to be in house on Thursday. Thursday came and went with no phone call. I called on Friday to see if it came in. It did. I had it installed on Sunday. They didn’t have one in stock so they’d have to order it and call me on Thursday. Thursday came and went. The next day I ran into one of the employees at a gallery event and he told me that he quit the shop and got a job at another shop because of the crappy attitude of the other employees. So, since the guy I liked dealing with left, I won’t be back.

I bought the tune up on Groupon here because my bike was in desperate need of some loving!
I liked that it was SUPER cheap. I think like $ 30 or something for a tune up. BONUS!
So drop off is only M-​F so that is a little annoying and they are open from like 11 – 6 so its a little difficult to find the time. Moreover, when we called, they were all booked up for like a week. I guess there was a great response from the Groupon. Also, when I dropped off my bike, it did take them awhile to work on it. They had it for about 5 – 6 days. I remember when I went to Kozy, they had it for like 24 hours.
Overall, they did a great job. They didnt try to upsell me. They just did what was needed. If you dont mind having your bike gone for a bit, its worth the price. The staff seemed nice.

I dropped off my used, abused & beloved track bike on Friday afternoon for a spring «cleaning» and I am really happy with the care it received. I got a new drivetrain (chain, cog, chainring) and new bearings in my rear hub for a good deal in less than 24 hrs and the dreamy mechanic (Al?) who took care of it cleaned off the winter sludge and lubed up my front hub out of the kindness of his heart. My baby now runs like butter. Couldn’t be happier. Thanks guys! I’ll be back… I normally get my tubes at Smart Bikes ’cause they’re cheap there but I think I might have to switch it up. If you need work done, though, Upgrade’s definitely the way to go.

I took my bike here for a tune up.
Due to a little miscommunication it took them weeks to finish it but they were nice about it and gave it to me on the house.
Good customer service.

TORN ON THIS ONE.
Mechanical skills? A 4/​5, solid one at that. I’ve had good and bad experiences w the clerks here. Get over that, people. If you’re going to base your review of a bike shop on how ‘nice’ the mechanic was, and not how well they did their job, I’m going to ask you how long it’s been since you were chemically castrated. Good grief.
Selection of items? ³⁄₅. They’ve got some stuff, could have a bit more, but have a decent selection of most of the bike junk you need to deal w a daily commute. No stupid kits, spandex, or that nonsense, but that’s fine.
Price point? 2/​5, at best. Good lord, $ 50 for planet bike hardcore fenders? Your bike locks are all about $ 50, and up? How much are your floor pumps? I think I saw the price on one, and my vision went blurry. I get it, small shop, overhead, etc. Dudes, it’s 2012. You have to compete w Nashbar, Amazon, REI, and even places like Performance Bike. You guys win with mechanical skills and off brands that those places don’t have. $ 50 for a pair of solid fenders almost made me pee.
If you’re in the area and need some work done, these guys will sort it out properly. If you want to buy bike parts or accessory pieces, good gravy go elsewhere.

The short version: They do carry some great parts and decent rigs, and I’m sure they are ok in a pinch, but the staff here is so apathetic and difficult to deal with, that I’ll ride past it to go to another shop.
Most recently, I walked in to the shop, saw at least 4 people behind the counter doing pretty much nothing. While on this trip, I was acknowledged by a clearly bored clerk, who seemed a bit frustrated by me being in the store. I took a look at a few bikes (I’ve been in the market), went to get the clerks attention, but he was otherwise occupied with the people behind the counter. I was about to try to pull him away, but, frankly, I thought «why bother?» Then, I left, likely never to return.
I’m hoping I’ve had a string of bad luck here, but, frankly, I’m not sure if I’ll give it another chance.

I just had a really great experience with Upgrade. They are my local bike shop, so I was really hoping they would be awesome. So far, so good! I got a flat on my ride to work yesterday, and I called Upgrade to see if they had the tires I was looking for (it was time for some new ones anyway). They did not, but they said they could order them for me and have them in the shop by today. Excellent!
Sure enough, they called me today letting me know they were in and I could bring my bike in anytime. I brought it in and they mounted my new tires while I waited. They even gave me 30% off labor. Sweet deal. The staff was very friendly as well. I’ll definitely be back in soon.

I’ve never been treated so poorly at a bike store.
I walked in with my broken bicycle and was told a mechanic would be able to quote me a price to fix it.
Mechanic came over and told me it was a 15 dollar part to fix my bike. I said great and was willing to pay whatever labor fee they wanted.
I even admitted to the guy i was willing to overpay– just to have my bike working again.
I was then told it wasn’t worth fixing, and that i should save my money up till i could buy a ‘real bike.‘
I continued to ask if there was anyway they’d help me.
He then stated that their cheapest bike started out around like $ 400.
Then the guy had the audacity to ask me if i had a car. lololol
I’ve never been so pissed off in my life.
I then went to another bike shop where i was treated with respect and dignity. I paid 30 $ and had the part replaced AND my breaks fixed.
I will NEVER return to Upgrade.

They don’t have a huge selection in the store, but what they do have is pretty sweet. They are good at customizing bikes though and the people are pretty friendly. After I purchased my bike there i have brought it in several times and they haven’t charged me a dime to make any minor tweaks. They also have no problem letting you test ride whatever you want.
They know their stuff and can help you figure out what you want. Just don’t expect hundreds of bikes. Its a small store.

To be fair here, I’ve been there twice and both times, everyone was nice. The people I dealt with were polite, and there was an older guy holding court that was very likable.
So why the 1 star rating? Initially, I went in for a flat change — something that I normally would have done myself, but I was in a time crunch and didn’t have the tools. They fixed my flat quickly, I purchased a new lamp, everything was rosy. The next day, the same tire was running low, I added air. Next day: low again, but no riding. Skipped a day, then it was flat. No big deal, just went back when I had a chance.
Before I go on, I’ve twice had a similar flat experience: when I’ve changed my own tube and [before I knew how to do that] at Rapid Transit. Sometimes when changing you miss the cause and have to get another flat to figure that out. I’m ok with that. What Rapid Transit did, was find the cause, remove it and then refix it for free. I was not expecting that. It was awesome. I tipped and brought back a coffee for the guy that helped me out.
Now, at Upgrade, I was charged full price for the 2^nd repair. That was kind of annoying [at least throw a discount at me], but not nearly as annoying as the lack of care given to me and my bike. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t rude with me or reckless with my bike, but any other mechanic I’ve visited [Smart Bikes, Easy Rider and Rapid] takes the time to tell me what went wrong at the least, and, at best, will give me advice how to avoid the situation in the future. They knew I had the same exact repair 3 days prior, why wouldn’t they offer to talk to me about it?
So, they are aloof, but not about peolple. About bikes. Not a great quality in the bike business.
Btw: Rapid charged $ 20, Upgrade $ 18.35 and Smart Bikes $ 10. If you go to Smart Bikes at the right time, you may also score a beer.
On another tangent, I once had a gear shift snap off a crappy bike while in the Loop. I stopped at Kozy Corner on Desplaines (I think?). They immediately converted me to a single speed so I could get home, at no charge. I’m clearly not a loyalist but I have been back a few times, once with $ 20 for their beer fund.

Upgrade can be a good shop, at times. At other times, they frustrate me beyond belief.
Pros: They carry a decent stock of important items, especially if you need something quick. Any work they’ve done to my bike has been done well.
Cons: They always talk down to me, in that condescending «I know everything about bikes and you know nothing bc you’re a girl» kind of way. (They never talk this way to my boyfriend.) Even though we have been in there countless times and used our Active Trans membership card for a discount, they wouldn’t give me the discount once bc I didn’t have the card with me. However, they never ask my boyfriend to show the card. The last time I was there getting something worked on, the clerk and a messenger customer were talking about why someone should or shouldn’t get a triathlon bike. Since I am a triathlete, I interjected with the physiological reasons someone should get a tri bike. They looked at me like I was a dumbass, and couldn’t possibly know that.
But, most importantly, they just aren’t nice.
We ride our bikes all year, and spend A LOT of money on our bikes (we have seven bikes and are looking to buy another) and all of the corresponding gear, tools, clothes, bags, shoes, etc. Where I spend my money is important to me, and I *never* get this attitude from the guys at Rapid Transit or from Marcus at Yojimbos.
I simply can’t justify going into Upgrade anymore.