Let's highlight bike friendly businesses here.

There was a recent discussion on business that block bike lanes.  How about one that covers businesses that go out of their way to accommodate cyclists?

 

First up - I'd like to nominate  Delaware Dental at Delaware and State.  They are a very nice husband and wife practice that takes all kinds of insurance.  They're on the third floor, but it is not a problem to take your bike on the elevator.  There's a room within the practice to keep your bike, and no one bats an eye when I show up on two wheels in my bike gear.


Defying all stereotypes, my doc doesn't ride a $13,000 Pinarello.  In fact, he's not a cyclist at all.

So who else wants to recommend a business where you are not treated like a criminal for wanting to bring your ride inside, or like a child molester for wearing bike clothes?

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Frank Brichetto on June 29, 2012 at 3:20am

Fleet Feet, Lincoln Square. They let me bring my bike in the shop on a busy Saturday afternoon while I bought some socks and stuff. Great folks, bike friendly. A number of cyclists on staff.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on January 4, 2013 at 10:02am

This is an important thread.  Anyone had luck being allowed to fix a flat inside when its cold outside?

Permalink Reply by Anika on January 4, 2013 at 3:06pm
I've used a Starbucks before. Not that I want to promote them as a business though. It's possible that the employees took pity though since I was changing a flat with both kids in tow and in the cold on Lincoln didn't see like the best solution otherwise.
Permalink Reply by Reba 4.0 mi on January 4, 2013 at 4:36pm

Eye Candy Optics on Division between Leavitt and Hoyne is super bike friendly. The owners ride and welcome bikes inside their store. 

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on January 4, 2013 at 10:31pm

James,

No disrespect intended here, but did you ever consider the injured or disabled person that might need that railing as support ?

Sounds like there is a lot of "ME, ME, ME !" in your tones (and concurrently, maybe in your behavior?). Have you thought of the fact that you may have gone there on a day that the bike area had just gotten a new "gung-ho" manager and had just upset the staff by changing all of their rules (making them a more "corporate-type" of organization) ? Or a day that they were just told that they would not be getting a "performance bonus" ? Or, here's the one I like the best, they were having a bad day ?

Customer service goes both ways, my friend. Everyone is a customer that is not you, is one of the things that I have remembered from my tiny bit of customer-service related training that has made an impact with me.

Try starting a conversation with those guys with...."hey ! how's it going guys?" in a cheerful tone. Even if they are rude (which I doubt) you still have a positive attitude ! No worries.

If it continues, then you can stop going there.

I can not change your mind if you don't want to change it. Nor will I try. I just wondered if you made a rash decision after only one small and short interaction with individuals that you didn't know.

 

Now, I am saying this to you, and I have NEVER bought anything at any REI (Chicago or otherwise). I was thinking of going in to REI to look for some stuff when I came across this thread and started reading.

 

I will make my decision from my visits there.

 

Good luck to you, James, and I hope that you have a better experience the next time you go.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny
 
James BlackHeron said:

  I do bring my bike into Erehwon off of North and Sheffield and lock it downstairs to the railing of the steps being careful not to block access to the elevator and they've never said a word about it.  That mini-mall has poor bike parking options outside so I decided to risk it once and have been doing it ever since.

 


 

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on January 4, 2013 at 10:49pm

I have been there on several occasions (the first is the reason i keep going back).

I went there looking for some shoe covers for this winter, not realizing that I had just pedalled from the SW side (Archer & Pulaski area) and had passed several bike shops along the way (I guess I was just oblivious of those other shops, except Rapid Transit South), and got the 3 mins to 7pm (their closing time for that day).

All the workers were extremely helpful and friendly ! I even bought some other things that were on my list to get at a later time (I didn't buy the shoe covers because they didn't fit, so I had extra money in my bike budget - YAYEEE !!!) and they even installed some of them for me !

I bought some lights (front & rear) for my wife's bike (70's era Huffy Sea Pines), my son's 20" Schwinn Falcon, and added some more for my bike as well. All because I went there for shoe covers, then looked for (and found) a front fender, and looked at some lights ! No one there pressured me to buy anything, or even tried to hurry me out of the store (even after closing) ! That was AWESOME !!!

I will be shopping there for the foreseeable future !

 

Great Customer Service !!!!
 
S.Presley☠ said:

I am reluctant to post this store...but I have always had good experiences with them, so here goes.

Performance cycles on Halsted...

There, I said it.

The reason is, I bought some accessories and they were really cool about loaning me the tools to put them on my bike...I did it right there in the store. I didn't think it was extra-ordinary, but I read here, in this thread, that some stores will try to make you pay for this service.

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on January 4, 2013 at 10:52pm

I think that I will go to Home Depot on Western & 47th to see if they will extend the same graciousness that they seem to extend to all of you on here.

Wish me luck !

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on January 5, 2013 at 7:29am

Brilliant! Instead of a Drive Through, how about a Bike Through? Maybe we could come up with a logo like what you see on cans of tuna that state they are Dolphin safe. Our logo would be "Bike Friendly" or something along that line that retailers could put in their windows. Be good for business. 

Ryan L said:

The Dunkin' Donuts on Broadway just south of Foster has always let me ride my bike through the drive through and they often give me extra stuff for free.
Permalink Reply by Anika on January 5, 2013 at 8:08am
Bike through - I like it.

I dislike that PNC will not let me bike thru at any location. And their walk up window at the Western/Fullerton branch is rarely open. I am a small business owner that goes nearly daily to the bank and the amount of time I waste locking up to go in is unbelievable. For an organization that promotes "green" business practices in a bike heavy community, you'd think they'd embrace cyclists more.
Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on January 5, 2013 at 8:51am

Hmmm, they're probably concerned about liability issues but if Dunkin' Donuts is cool with that, then I don't know. Can you find another bank? Maybe we should sue them or have Critical Mass target PNC branches.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 5, 2013 at 11:38am

When I've tried to bike through at a drive-up lane and gotten resistance (McDonald's, some banks), I've asked why.  The answer I've always gotten is liability, which sounds like b.s. to me.  Also, at some drive-ups, there's a sensor to trigger the ordering system that doesn't respond to bikes.  I've been able to get help from cooperative drivers behind me who move up to trigger it, then back up so I can order.

A few times I've gone to drive-up ATMs by bike and ended up exchanging a friendly wave with a bike cop who was using the ATM at the next lane.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 18, 2013 at 8:44am

Wormhole!

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