Amlings Cycle Review

Expert, friendly, and fast service. Highly recommend this place.

A very long time coming to get on my bike, I was getting ready to give up but a generous member from the Arlington Heights Bike Club gave me his trainer. Joe Reichert owner at Amling Bike Shop proved another pay it forward and got the trainer ready and set up for me today. Not only does it feel great to get back in the saddle again, I have an amazing view THANK YOU Joe, you are very generous in giving of your time!!

It looks really good and really good service as well

We purchased a Hase Pino tandem for our daughter with Down Syndrome. We are a biking family and could never fully get her to ride a two-wheeler. A trike was too slow, and a "Trail-a-bike" was too kiddy for her. Joe and the staff were simply amazing and so helpful to us. I highly recommend not only this bike but this bike store as they will go above and beyond to find the bike that fits your needs!!!

Great service / great selection of recumbent trikes. If you re in the market for a recumbent trike - Amlings is your place.

When I purchased my bike in 2019, they had a variety of different bikes to test ride which was a tremendous help in learning what features I wanted in a bike. Fast forward to this year and my need for accessories for my new toy - Amlings is my go-to shop.

Staff there is friendly, helpful and super knowledgeable about recumbent bikes. Joe, Julie & Dan have all been good about answering my rookie new-to-recumbent questions. They take time to listen, understand your needs & make recommendations that will work for you. I ve had the opportunity to see them interact with other customers and am always impressed by how good they are about taking time to help their customers.

Now covid is our new 'normal' and *everyone* has remembered they have a bike in their garage / all of the bike shops in the area have been super busy. I d recommend calling first.

The shop specializes in recumbents, but I've had bikes of all kinds serviced there (mountain, hybrid, road, recumbent). I've been a customer for some years and been very satisfied.

Our visits to Amlings have been outstanding experiences. We purchased 2 trikes after testing a number of styles and suppliers. The amount of time they spent with us ensured that our selections best fit our needs and desires. It is truly rare to find such an impressive level of knowledge coupled with superior customer service.

We could not have asked for a better experience. Even in the midst of a pandemic this place provided excellent service.
We were shopping around for recumbent trikes, and they are not too easy to find. A lot of bike dealers "can get one in for you" but don't stock many, if any at all. Good recumbent trikes are an expensive purchase and taking a test ride is a must.
I called Amlings on a Saturday after hours. I left a message indicating that we'd like to take a test ride. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but I got a return call on Sunday from Julie who asked some questions about us and our interest in trikes, and we made an appointment for a test ride later in the week. When we showed up for the rides Julie was all ours, and prepared with seven different trikes for us to try. A few days later I called back and left a message asking if we could take another test ride to help make our decision. Joe returned my call and suggested that we come in late on Saturday afternoon and take two trikes home for the weekend and "try to get them back some time on Tuesday".
To make a long story shorter, we bought two cool custom trikes and couldn't be happier.
Amlings is the place to buy a recumbent trike.
Buy a bike from a bike shop.
Buy a recumbent trike from Amlings.

They had a great variety of recumbents, and an area behind the store to try the different bikes.

I wanted my used convertible recumbent switched to the LWB configuration. I got upsold on a complete tune up. Ok, I can do all that myself, but I'm busy. I was told it would be 7 to 8 days, I could probably get it done before that, but I want to get established here; if I like this recumbent thing I'll want to upgrade next year.

I called on day 10, "we're busy, we'll get to it tomorrow. Or the next day" I called on day 14, "it's #4 in the rack, we'll get to it this afternoon or first thing in the morning." 6 PM on day 16, "no, we haven't got to it yet." I go and pick it up that night, whether it's done or not, "oh, you were probably next."

Very complete trike store, the owner is very welcoming and informative.

My wife's purchase of a recumbent TerraTrike ("TT") Rambler from Amling's is the best $ we've spent to assist her recover from medical/stroke issues. Amling's customer service has provided us far greater value than any money we may have saved buying from a lower cost seller. First we received excellent advice about which trike was best for my wife without any pressure to buy. Amling's then adjusted her TT Rambler to my 5 ft tall wife, including free after sale adjustments, which increased her comfort, safety & in turn the amount of riding she's done. They suggested sensible solutions like clip-in pedals & shoes. They sponsor & invited her to participate in TT rides & other events. Amling's provides free support at other rides we've done like Evanston's North Shore Century rides, Bike the Drive & the Harmon Hundred. More recently Amling's sold us a great trike trainer for the off season. Amlings does a great job maintaining her bike too. Joe & Amling's staff are great people to do business with!

We brought our daughter to the shop to look for a special-needs bike. Our daughter has spina bifida, so her legs are a little weaker than most. She is also a bit on the shorter side. The staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgable on their product. They adjusted bikes on the spot so we could try them out, and now they are even going to modify some of the bikes further so we can come back and really dial-in the best option for our daughter. Fantastic!

For anyone who is rating this shop with one star based on wait time for service, you should keep your comments to yourself because you are celebrating your ignorance. There is a massive push on bikes right now due to Covid-19 and every bike shop has a 2-3 week wait. To blast Amlings for reflecting the norm of modern daily life is just stupid.

This is the most unresponsive bike shop I have ever dealt with, which is a shame because I almost always have great experiences with small, independent bike shops and do my best to give them my business.

I ordered four small items off their website over two weeks ago, and received an automated confirmation email of my order. After not getting any shipping confirmation for over a week, I emailed them for an update. I waited several days and emailed again after getting no reply. I waited several days and then tried calling (their phone goes straight to voicemail) and emailing again after not a single word. I reached out to them on Facebook, and got a reply from their social media person (who doesn t work at the bike shop) who told me he/she passed my request onto the boss and manager. Still no word from them.

I understand bike shops are busier than normal during the pandemic because of the rise in demand for bikes, and I m happy to see bike shops getting the boost in business. If you can t ship out items in over two weeks though, and worse yet can t be bothered to reply to emails or send an update on the order for that long, you re doing something wrong. I recently purchased a recumbent trike and have ordered parts from five different bike shops (including Amling s, and my order with them was by far my smallest and simplest order) over the last three weeks, and all of them except for Amling s shipped out my orders within two days. Sorry, but if the other bike shops are handling the boost in business just fine, maybe you should reach out to them for some tips Amling s?

While I won t discourage folks in Chicago from visiting this bike store (though looking through their reviews on Yelp it seems plenty of other customers will!), I would advise people from steering clear of placing any online orders with this place.

Not actually open. Although Google reports that the store was open, upon arrival, the door was locked, the lights were off, and the shop displayed a sign, which had obviously been there a long time, saying that they were open by appointment only.

The lady who called me back was very rude and mean! Her ton and the way she spoke with me were so no nice... I never ever had this kind of experience. If I could give a negative star I would! They have to change the way they service people.

Joe and Josh are the absolute best guys to talk to about a trike!!!! Knowledgeable, professional and just great guys!! Incredible service!!

I have to agree with the reviewer who wrote about unauthorized charges from this bike repair shop. I am also a local customer and took my bike in for repair. They took the bike and gave me a written estimate for it. When I came to pick up the bike, the actual cost was more than double!!! They had found something else to fix, so they just went ahead to fix it and charge me extra, without ever calling me (they DID have my number all of a sudden when it was time for the pick up!) I brought it to their attention, but with no sympathy from the clerks. They coldly took my credit card, charged me the double amount and sent me on my way. Hence this review. I would look for a different bike shop to do your business. These guys are not straight.

I also discovered that the shop lost an important knob that kept my flashlight tightened in place. They flat out refused to pay for the shipping for me to get the replacement part from the bike light company.

Best consumer service ever. My wife and I laughed imagining what would the car buying experience be if it was done like this. We went in without knowing anything about trikes, Dan gave us a thorough tour and explanation, but strictly within our conditions (no attempt to sell the most expensive stuff beyond our price expectations). Then we took a trike for a full Sunday test drive. We didn't love it, next week we took another, that was the one. Joe and a lady (I don't recall her name) were all equally patient and willing to help, never trying to oversell. We're not given to give rave reviews often, but this one is fully deserved.

Great Bike Shop you can go in and ask anything you want about bikes they'll work on any bikes but they only sell recumbents

Awesome shop! Great service and very knowledgeable. THE recumbent HQ in the Midwest.

Called amlings cycle to schedule regular bike tune up. They gave me a date to bring it in. Told me will cost $95 for a tune up. People that work here are very rude. They never give you your bike as promised on time. It s a freaking bike repair shop, and they act like they are repairing spaceships. Still awaiting my bike.

horrible treatment. racist remarks directed towards me, but spoken through me, totally condescending

If only zero stars was an option!! I brought in a Trek 7200 to have the bottom bracket replaced. I was told the part was in stock and my bike would be ready in 1 week. The day it was said to be ready I received a last minute call saying they still needed to order the part (that I was originally told was in stock) and now they are saying they need 2 more weeks. 3 weeks total to fix a bottom bracket. Not only this, but my rear brake is broken, my front break is fine...yet they are trying to talk me into fixing my unbroken front brake at additional cost as well. When I called to inquire further on why I was falsely quoted on time, the man who answered was rude. No discount offered. No apologies. I purely said if it will take 3 weeks I'd rather take it elsewhere and without hesitation he said "ok then u can pick it up". Terrible business practice!!! I have used Amlings since I was a child (now 34 years old). They forever lost my business.

I came to get help setting up a bike , the gentlemen over the counter was so helpful. He sold me the correct tools, showed me how to work past an installation problem. I love supporting local business.

I ordered a few items for my TerraTrike from Amlings.

10 days later, and 4 days before my trip, I had no items, and had not received any notifications since my initial confirmation email.

I called the store, and the associate notified me that one of the items were out of stock and the order was on hold, and would ship the next day.

The website states: "Most orders are shipped within 3 business days. We will notify you by email if the product is not in stock."

When I pointed out that I had not received any notification, the associate was apathetic, offered no apology, and simply asked if I still wanted the items.
He would not even entertain expedited shipping to compensate for their screw-up and the close proximity to my departure.

This was my first and last experience with Amlings.

I got my bike a tuneup here, the service was fast clean and cheap.

The dependents were not friendly but condescending anyway they only have bicycles of more than 1000 dollars the same I do not return

I attempted to buy a consignment Bacchetta Carbon Aero 2.0 for $2500. I live in another state and wanted it mailed. Speaking with Joe he said it would cost $500 to mail. I did some research and shipbikes.com showed it would cost $130 with insurance. I called the shop again explained what I had found and was told I would have to set up and account with the shipping company because they did not have an account. And then pay the shop $150 to pack the bike. I paid for the shipping, emailed them the label with my shipping time, purchased the bike online, called left a message. Called the next day left another message telling the shop I need setup the payment for packing the bike. Finally Joe picked the phone and started complaining about how difficult it was to ship the bike. He asked who was going to reassemble the bike? Asked where the bike box was coming from? I said you don t have a bike box, what do your bikes come in? He started making more excuses, so I told him this seemed like an incredible ordeal for him, so just cancel my order. He said great, 5 minutes later my order was cancelled. This was terrible service. I did not get the bike and the person that is using this shop to sell the bike still has the bike for sell even though there was a buyer. Don t use this shop!!!!!

Joe did a great job on my bike! Didn't try to over sell me and was very professional. His personal satisfaction in delivering what the customer wants is unmatched. Highly recommend his business to buy this specialized bike! The BEST

I made an appointment for a tune-up of an inexpensive mountain bike I have. I left a message because the recording said business was exponential, and they added an additional crew to keep up with all the customers. I received a call back the next day and was able to drop off my bike a couple of days later. The tune-up, she said, would be $95. A friend had told me she got a tune-up elsewhere for $75, so this was at least 20 dollars more than I expected, but this place is nearby so I said okay. When I dropped it off, the young man (in his teens I think) asked if there was anything in particular they should work on. He took some notes about how the gears were slipping a bit and brakes needed to be adjusted, which I figured was pretty standard. When I picked up the bike a few days later, I got a simple receipt from the regiater, and when I asked what had been done and what their policy was if I noticed anything needed further attention, he had no idea and zero interest in finding out. The good news is that the bike is working well, so I know they did something, but I still wonder, what exactly did the tune-up include for $95? Did they do anything beyond adjust the gears and brakes? What's this cost based on? Is it $95 for everyone? If I'd needed more work done on it, would it still be $95, in which case I was an "easy" customer for them? These are the questions I'm left with that will prevent me from going there again. Even though I live so close to this place, the way they conduct business felt exploitative.

A great shop especially for full sales of recumbents and trikes. They have a great service department also. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. They also give back. They sponsor the Amlings toy ride every December and donate kids toys for distribution from the Marines.
Check them out in Niles.

Poor service. Not attentive to customers. Arrogant.

Great choice of non-standard bicycles, lay down ones and other

If you're interested in recumbents, I highly recommend Amlings. The staff is patient and thorough in all aspects: choosing your recumbent, sizing, adjusting, and configuring. Thanks Joe and the gang!

I purchased 2 recumbents from Amlings and brought them back for repairs, adjustments and add ons. All the work was done quickly and well. I wanted to ship my Carbent to Europe. Amlings spent 5 hours helping me get the Carbent into a special tandem shipping box!
An epoxy seal failed on a recumbent I did not buy at Amlings but they fixed it and saved me having to ship it back to the builder in Denver. This was very helpful.
If you think you want a recumbent or recumbent accessories I strongly recommend Amlings.

Attitude and expensive products. When I brought my bicycle with an appointment, my dad wanted to look at their bikes and they refused to let him see them or come inside when no one else was in the store and it was my appointment? Very disappointed with their customer service and can t even pick up my bike still! First and last time. Going to Rudys!

Who has 10 days to wait for appointment to purchase or repair a bicycle during summer months. On to the next shop.

Always quick service and helpful with all your biking needs

Tried to support local business. I got my bike serviced in January and rode my bike through the summer and rattling worse then when I send it. But real reason for the review was I bought a bike at Walmart. It was put together poorly. Thought I d bring it in to tighten up. Requested if he could take a quick peek at it . With his tools a 8-10 minute job. I m in customer service and I m about exceeding customer expectations. No care about my concerns. 3 weeks out. No problem! Just thought I d share my experience.