Good Chicago area Bike store for Tri

randomguymike - 2009-12-09 4:48 PM

OK. Seems I need to keep looking after my last few experiences with On the Route. Just -0- tri knowledge and tri product offerings there. Great group of folks, but I don't think I'm getting what I need, considering what I've dropped there.

Kozy on Halsted is out since they were the most clueless folks ever when I was oing my bike shopping.

So, what shops have you had success with in terms of service, knowledge, and product offerings?

mattb1 - 2009-12-10 1:25 PM Here is a decent website with a list of all the Chicago Bike stores in it and some reviews for each of them.

Chicago Bike Shops

mattb1 - 2009-12-10 9:27 AM You are going to get a lot of opinions on this, most of the ones mentioned are excellent shops.  I like Get a Grip as I felt they were the best at fitting me and helping me get the proper bike in my price range regardless of brand (I went with a Felt, as it fit me since they're WAY better, rather than the usual Cervelo that everybody else has).  They go out of their way to help me.  When I shipped my bike to IMCDA they gave me a loaner for free for the last week of training. 

As somebody said if you are part of the Chicago Tri Club you get 10% off on bikes and 15% off everything else and if you can prove you don't live in Chicago they will charge you sales tax based on where you live.

randomguymike - 2009-12-16 10:39 PM Thanks for the suggestions. So far, so good on Mox. Final test this weekend with the bike fitting. If that goes as well as the rest of my experiences there have, I'm sold.

mattb1 - 2009-12-18 12:56 PM

Good to hear.  What are you going with?

lkc01234 - 2009-12-18 3:02 PM Are their any bike shops that have a decent selection of used bikes?  My budget will be low - but a road bike  will be an INSANE upgrade

ChicagoMan65 - 2009-12-18 3:19 PM

You may be able to catch some after Xmas inventory dump deals.  A friend recently got a screaming deal on a 2007 Kestrel at Cycle Smithy, but that was excess inventory.  Most shops dont sell used bikes.

Watch Craigslist.  Always lots of bikes.  What size, BTW, I may have a 51cm Bianchi that needs a good home.

Steve- - 2009-12-18 3:27 PM I agree...you just have to keep your eyes open. I got a 100% titanium tri-bike at exactly this time of the year that the store wanted to move because of new models coming it....it was 50% off. That was HUGE savings for me as titanium tri bikes are not the cheapest bike around. Bob's bikes in the southeast US (I forget the state) was the bike shop I bought it at.

randomguymike - 2009-12-22 10:00 PM

I'm now sold on Mox. Fitting worked well and they really gave me a great deal on some stuff I bought while I was there and were just super helpful the whole time. They opened their Computrainer studio this week, too.

Actually, a couple months into it, I kinda get how things work with bike shops vs tri shops and know what to use OTR for and what to use Mox for. So, with the combo things should be awesome for quite some time.