Bicycle Bill’s Pro-Shops

I had the chance to stop by Bicycle Bill’s today for a tube. In the past I remember trying to visit the shop only to find it closed. They keep very limited winter hours.
I came in at about 1pm and was taken aback as I entered the shop.
Their main floor showroom was dark and uninviting. I walked toward the light and found myself in the cellar. It appeared as if I were alone. I said «Knock, Knock» and was greeted by a shop guy appearing as if from nowhere.
He was helpful and promptly located the inner tube I needed. I paid what I thought was a fair price but declined to pay for the install.
He and I discussed the strange wheel. (from a garden cart) He then offered to see if he could just swap the tubes real quick. If took over 15 minutes to make the swap. But the help was greatly appreciated. As I started to offer cash for the help he ushered me to the door.
I don’t know about bike sales but the service department was great.

I think that you have to be tolerant of the owner and the assistant here, who are wonderful bike geeks — but not terribly great communicators. When they are down in the shop, alone, you can see why they don’t let people wander around — but they DO help you as much as they can with whatever they can do. Their prices have always been WAY fair, and work fast and competant. As a plus, they do a lot of work for disabled people using recumbant bikes. Use these guys instead of «Capital Deals» — where I have run up against an unfair (high) pricer of used bikes, who uses up his kid-​repair people as slave laborers, then fires them. I bought a set of tires there (with wheel in hand) and when they didn’t fit, he wouldn’t take them back, even in trade — and he KNOWS me. This is the guy on the West Side to stay away from. Use Bicycle Bills instead.