We have had lots of questions since opened. Here, in no special order, are some answers to the ones we have heard repeatedly:
Are all of your bikes super expensive? Not really. Some of our bikes are well over $10,000, but others are quite easy to afford. Our bikes start below $200 for a traditional cruiser. But whether you are considering purchasing a very affordable entry level bicycle or a fully custom dream machine, we try to make sure that all of our bikes are great values for the money you spend and that you enjoy the process of choosing and buying your new bike from us.
Do you service bikes like my old _____? Yes. We work on all bikes, whether we sell them new or not. If you ride an old bike that needs a tune-up or repair to be ready for your next ride, we want to see you and show you what it is like to get the very best service at surprisingly affordable rates. In general, we try to keep our service prices lower than the other area shops that do good work. Again, our focus is on giving you the most value for your money whether you are buying a bike or having a flat tire fixed.
Where is the shop? At the corner of Waukegan Road and Sherwood Drive at the Southwest edge of Lake Bluff. We are just south of the intersection of Waukegan Road and Route 176, just south of the Carriage Way Shopping Center the Ferrari dealership and the garden center.
How do I get to your shop? From the Northeast: come south on Route 41 to the Route 176 exit. At the light at 176, turn left to go West to the intersection of Routes 43 (Waukegan Road) and 176. Turn left at that intersection and we are about 1/2 mile south on the left side of the street at 999 Sherwood Drive. From the Northwest: come south on I-294 to the exit at Route 60. At the top of the ramp, turn left and head east to Waukegan Road (Route 43). Turn left on Waukegan heading north and drive until you see the sign indicating that you have entered the Village of Lake Bluff. We are at the first right after you enter Lake Bluff. From the Southeast: head north on Route 41 to the exit at Route 176. When you reach the light at the intersection of the exit road and 176, take a right and drive west to the intersection of Routes 43 (Waukegan Road) and 176. Turn left at that intersection and we are about 1/2 mile south on the left side of the street at 999 Sherwood Drive. From the Southwest: Drive north on I-294 to the exit at Route 176. At the light at the bottom of the ramp, turn left and drive east to the intersection of Routes 43 (Waukegan Rd.) and 176. Turn right at the light at this intersection and drive south for about 1/2 mile. We are on the left side of the street at the intersection of Sherwood Drive and Waukegan Road.
Do you have Tandems? Trikes? Special Needs Bikes? Yes, yes and yes! We stock a significant number of Tandems at all price ranges. If you want a dual suspension Mountain Tandem, we have it. Cruiser Tandem to ride with your spouse--always in stock. Fully custom race-ready tandems for road or track teams?--we have them from Rue and Calfee. Have you got need for a trike to address balance issues? We have great looking Tricycles in stock from a number of manufacturers including tandem tricycles for those with special needs who want to ride as a team. Do you need a bike to address physical challenges, we have them available for you, whether you need hand-pedaled, stability enhancing or other solutions. Want to use a bike in your business to haul cargo, shuttle folks around or to make deliveries, we have bikes with two , three and four wheels available to meet these demanding applications. We even have bikes designed to allow you to let your dog ride along with you--if your dog loves car trips, wait until you see how much he or she enjoys being out on a bike!
What does the name mean? Roughly speaking: "The Joy of Cycling".
Can you get me special order stuff? Sure. We have access to nearly anything you might want through the many, many suppliers we work with. If we don't have what you want in stock, we can almost certainly get it for you--just tell us what you want, pay us for it (but be advised that we don't refund deposits on special orders even if you don't come in to get the item you ordered) and we will get the item you want and either hold it for you to pick up or send it to you (shipping and handling charges might apply).
This website isn't so great. Why? We are not web designers, at some point, we will try to rework our site.
Do you sell over the Web? Not yet, but if you are interested in a specific item, give us a call to see if we have it in stock or can get.
Why should I come all the way to Lake Bluff to get a bike? Well, that depends on what you want to buy. We have many items in our inventory that you just won't be able to get anywhere else in the Midwest. So if you want one of the wonderful but rare things we sell, you'll want to come see us to pick it up. If you live in some parts of the area, you'll find that you might save some tax by making a purchase in Lake County. If you value expert service, want the most knowledgeable sales help or are looking for the best selection of high-end bikes in the area, we are the bike shop to which you should come.
Can I reach your shop on my bike? Absolutely. The Skokie Valley Bike Path and the Northshore Bike Path intersect just a short distance from our shop. You can easily travel down the paved path on the west side of Waukegan Road and cross over to Northshore Drive where the Ferrari/Maserati/Aston Martin dealership and the Garden Center are located (a traffic light is intended to be installed at this intersection in the near future, by the way). Once you get on to Northshore Drive, you can just loop around to Sherwood without riding back on to Waukegan Road. If you are comfortable riding on main roads, it is easy to reach us via Waukegan Road from the north or the south.
Do you do bike fits? Yes we do.
When are you open? Our hours are listed on the top of the home page and change seasonally. If you need to come in for a fitting or to buy a bike or major set of components during a time when we are not scheduled to be open, call us to set an appointment and we will meet you.
I saw a lower price for ______, will you match it? Probably--depends on what the item is, how well it sells at our store and what availability is like for the thing you want to buy. In general, we strive to price our merchandise fairly, consistent with what things are selling for at other shops while still providing the best possible experience to our customers. We believe that there is a difference between price and value. We won't treat you badly if you are not an elite rider or an expert on all things bicycle. We will always listen to you, take the time to understand your needs and then do our very best to exceed your expectations and to deliver products and services that will satisfy you for many years to come. In our experience, many folks are disappointed when they find out that the bike, shoes, clothes or other item on which they got a "great deal" is not of good quality, doesn't fit properly and cannot be used comfortably, is poorly assembled or else requires expensive modifications to work as they intended. Generally, taking the time and spending what it takes to get what you really need produces a better long-term result than searching for the lowest price above all else. If you spend the time and money to get a well fit, well chosen bike now, you'll still be happily riding it long after you cannot remember precisely what you paid for it.
Can I return this ______? No. Our detailed return policy is posted in the store, but generally speaking, once you have taken it from the store, you may not return an item. If we choose to accept a return as an accomodation to you, we will issue a store credit. We do not give cash refunds--no exceptions.
Do you sell used bikes? Not at retail. We may occasionally sell used bikes on-line in rare circumstances. We do sell demo bikes which have been ridden in conjunction with our selling process from time to time. These bikes are usually in flawless condition and exhibiting almost no wear. They can be great deals. If you are interested in buying a demo bike, especially at the end of the summer selling season, let us know and we will be delighted to show you what we have available to meet your needs.
Will you take my old bike in trade? Sometimes we will take high quality, standard size bikes of the type we sell as trade-ins on our new bikes. To be considered for trade, a bike must be in great shape and fully functional with good tires, brakes and minimally worn. In general, however, the value we are able to offer in trade is not very high and customers will often find that they can get more money for their used bikes by selling them through, eBay, Craig's List or a community bulletin board or other traditional or electronic advertisement.
Your logo (the one on the sign and the front door, not on this site) is really cool, who designed it? We like our logo too. Jessalyn Alany, a local artist and designer, did it for us and we have sought to get trademark protection for the design because we like it so much.
What is the most expensive bike you have ever sold? One of the owners once sold a custom bike with an incredible paint job, amazing top-of-the-line parts and one of a kind custom trim parts and accessories for a little over $60,000. It is not uncommon to see custom bikes with the very best available components sell for between $30,000-$40,000. Of course most people pay much, much less than that figure even for custom bikes.
I only have $______ to spend, but I really want custom geometry on my bike, can I get a custom bike for that figure? In general, it is very hard to equip a custom frameset with components and produce a complete bike for much less than $4,000. Gunnar brand steel bikes can be built-up for a somewhat less than $4,000 with quality components and a single, standard color paint job. It is worth pointing out that while a custom bike is a luxury and highly desirable, for most riders careful selection of components and skilled fitting services can produce results with production bikes that are considerably less expensive than custom bikes but remarkably similar in comfort and performance to bikes with custom geometries.
