New Bike Shop: Chicago Bicycle Company North

By Yasmeen Schuller

If you bike in Chicago you probably know Denis Smith. He’s owned several bicycle stores in the city since 1998. Denis and his former classmate at Cornell College, Elizabeth Georgescu opened a bike shop in North Center just in time for bike season, adding a second location to their other bike shop in Printers Row. You can read more about their “BFF” story on the shop’s website.

Of course, living less than a mile away from the shop, I had to check it out before it opened and Denis was kind enough to give me a tour. I was immediately drawn to the welcoming design and size of the space as well as fun, colorful bikes and gear. They have lots of options for the whole family including bikes for all ages, baskets, accessories and helmets.

When I asked them about the concept of the new store, they explained Chicago Bicycle Company has a wide audience including “sport fitness, casual riders, and fashion-oriented riders looking for the modern take on the traditional retro bike.”

They have a lot of mountain bikers stop in to gear up before heading out to Palos or Kettle. Being a family-friendly shop, quite a few families visit the store to buy kids bikes and baby seats. Chicago Bicycle Company is a Trek dealer so they offer Trek and Electra bikes. You can also buy Bianchi bikes at their Printer’s Row location. In the near future, both shops will have a selection of single speed/urban bikes.

In addition to the bikes, Chicago Bicycle Company also has a wide variety of gear and accessories, “Bontrager accessories and components is our number one go to on anything from lights to helmets. We also carry staple brands such as Continental, Cat Eye, Kryptonite among many other of the usual suspects found in most bike shops. Our Chicago Bicycle Company branded t-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers are doing very well and will keep expanding into different products, as we have an artist on board.”

As you walk through the shop, check out the accessories, including fun bells and helmet designs. The other items you won’t want to miss? The baskets. They have a great selection of baskets to cover everything from a trip to the farmer’s market to a bike commute to work to a picnic ride to the park.

What do you like about North Center?

The best thing about North Center is the people that live there. We have been so touched by the warm welcomes we have received from other shops and the people and families in the neighborhood. So many have stopped in just to say congratulations – we can hear it from the customers that shopping local and supporting small businesses is important to this awesome community.

What can you tell us about the other store location?

Printers Row - We see professional messenger, sport enthusiast, and casual riders from the South Loop area. We get a good deal of repair from the Loop area, people working on a bicycle in need of immediate service. PR has an “open kitchen” style of service area. Also a tourist destination. Lots of shipping and receiving, assembling and packing of bicycles coming and going from all corners of the world. We supported Team Canada Triathlon team members when the World Tri Championship was here. Sport Fitness, commuter style, fixed gear and traditional style step through, mixte bikes are popular.

Any advice for families looking to get out and ride more this summer?

Do a bit of planning ahead, maybe bring a picnic basket, create a unique adventure and have a destination in mind. Create a tradition with your family, picking one day during the week when you plan a special ride and make it your routine.

What are your favorite places to ride in Chicago?

Denis: Heading south on LaSalle at about Adams. Serious Gotham effect, you know you’re in a big city. Reminds me of being a messenger a million years ago.

Elizabeth: I have been working on planning this Art Tour Loop around our South Loop store because of the number of significant works in that area. Within Millennium Park you have the “Cloud Gate” aka, The Bean. Head to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and see Frank Gehry’s ”Billowing Steel Ribbons”. Get off your bike and splash about at Jaume Plensa’s “Crown Fountain”. Within a few blocks, at Chase Tower Place, 10 S. Dearborn, enjoy the color in Marc Chagall’s “Four Seasons” mosaic wall. Further up Dearborn, spot - Henry Moore’s “Large Upright Internal/External Form”. At 69 W Washington St, you can catch “Miro’s Chicago” and right around the corner, you have “The Picasso” at Daley Plaza. From there head to 100 W. Randolph Street, where you can get up close to the “Monument with Standing Beast” by Jean Dubuffet.