Johnny Sprockets
3001 N.Broadway
773-244-1079

&

5434 N. Clark
773-293-1697
http://johnnysprockets.com

“There's bad weather, but what'll get you is bad equipment,” said Manuel Tenorio, Owner of Johnny Sprockets. “There's no reason why you can't feel tropical while riding through a Chicago winter. All you need is the right gear and a little bit of willpower.”

Tenorio said he loves the recently-redesigned Specialized Defroster boot, which accepts all common styles of mountain bike cleats.

“Waterproof, warm, stylish...you can have it all,” Tenorio said.

Under his helmet, he recommends the Gore Universal Windstopper Balaclava. 

“The secret to getting tropical is covering every inch of exposed skin,” Tenorio said. “Pair this with a good set of goggles or large cycling glasses and you're all set.”

Tenorio said one of his strongest winter sellers is actually a bike: the Surly Cross Check. He loves it so much, he built one up for himself. You can read all about it here.

About the Author

Brett Ratner (brett@thechainlink.org) began commuting by bike in 2005. Shortly thereafter, his interest in cycling expanded to century rides, bike camping and trail riding. The competition bug bit in 2012 and nowadays he races cyclocross, track, mountain bikes, criteriums and gravel for Half Acre Cycling and The Bonebell. His goals for 2015 are to complete the Lumberjack 100 mountain bike race as well as a 600 kilometer brevet.