West Town Bikes Reviews

Greatest experiences ever!
I have been coming to West Town for six years now, and just thought I d finally write a review.
The staff is great, it s a non for profit, they have open shop on Monday s & Friday s from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. They also have Women s/Trans Night on Wednesday s from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
You can work on your bike for free during open shop hours and even volunteer to eventually put together your own bike for little, to no cost.

I highly recommend to anyone who bikes.

I had a bike stolen a week ago. It was a Bianchi Carbon 928. They do not make these frames anymore so they are very rare in Chicago. After it was stolen, I posted about it on the Chicago Stolen Bike registry.

West Town Bikes came a calling! Someone had brought the bike in, and they knew that it had to have been stolen (12 year old with a $2,000 bike). They didn't let him leave with it, and they searched for the bike on the registry. They gave me call!

They were incredibly kind, and are helping me with all of the minor fixes that need to be made. Really trust worthy and amazing bike shop/non-profit.

Staff is friendly and helpful. I'm surprised at how much a used bike would cost. Used parts are ok though.

They're one of a kind and offer a great service, but I was kind of expecting more with a "suggested donation" that high. I've been to similar open shops in other cities and been much more impressed with their service and selection.
The main mechanic is knowledgeable, sure, but don't trust him more than your expert local shop. First, he knowingly suggested I use brake cable for derailleur, which my local bike shop laughed at when they saw. They're different for a reason, unless you don't care about shifting performance. He also didn't recommend a much-needed clamp-on cable stop when giving me recommendations for my problem, which is something an expert mechanic would have done. Finally he could tell how many lock-rings my cassette had, but was wrong about what needed to be replaced (which could have cost me a lot). Despite all that, coming here was a great learning experience.
Even though the suggested donation is a little high (a fast mechanic can sometimes do the repair better for a similar price if you're slow doing repairs), their prices on used components are fantastic (better than ebay usually) and they have a decent selection of used parts.
As other reviewers have noted, it's frustrating to tell who's working there and who's just a regular. Would it kill them to wear name tags or uniforms?

Phenomenal neighborhood outreach and mentorship of local youth...plus they are expert bike mechanics...quality through and through..!!..

We had to travel about 50 miles to get here to buy a gift card, and got caught in traffic and weather. We called to say we might not make it before they closed (on a Saturday night!!!) and they graciously offered to wait, no problem! When we finally arrived, they were so nice, didn t rush us through. Our son was so happy to get a gift card from here.

I LOVE West Town Bikes! Their primary concern is to promote cycling (making money comes second). A lot of bike shops I go to I feel like they're trying to see how much money they can squeeze out of me, but at West Town I feel like they're trying to see how much they can get away with giving me for free. They're a non-profit, so they only really need to break even.

They also do free workshops where they will let you use their tools and teach how to take care of your own bike maintenance for free. They even have special ladies' workshops for women/trans who aren't comfortable with the help men offer on their usual Saturday workshops.

I got a great deal on a used bike and staff is super helpful with resolving any issues, has provided free maintenance on most issues and great recommendations.

I went to bug Alex to show me how to build wheels. AWESOME experience. He's very informative and helpful.

Everyone there is knowledgeable and helpful. They don't make me feel uncool or dumb like a couple of other bike places I've been to.

I absolutely love West Town Bikes and Ciclo Urbano. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and every time I go in they get my bike back in great shape get quickly. But what I love most about them is that they are a youth employment organization and nonprofit, so you know every dollar you spend there is going to support their vital work in the community. I can't recommend them highly enough.

I have had great experiences with West Town, unlike the retail shop in the front.

Great fast service, in and out with a fixed bike in less than 10 minutes.

West Town Bikes is a non-profit that provides a lot of services to the community and they have open shop times which is really helpful when you're just starting out with DIY bike repair and maintenance.
I went to their women's and trans open shop night on Wednesday and got great help from the volunteers there. I was able to do all the things I wanted to get done and get them done right with their help, and also got the satisfaction of feeling like I did it myself. It's a great feeling!
The retail shop Ciclo Urbano is also great and has a good selection and really helpful staff.

This is a great nonprofit bike shop thatn teaches kids how to fix bikes. They also have free classes on basics of bike fixing, and more detailed courses how to maintain your bike. I totally recommend these classes. The atmosphere is very friendly for women as well. The tool set here is bigger than most bike shops twice its side. Defintiely recommend!!

Well if you call to the store don't trust in the guys I just call asking for a inner tube they say I have it" and I drive 45 minuts and when I arrive they say sorry bro I don't haven't !! My bad!! Bye bye

So welcoming and such an asset to the community! They offer a ton of community programming. I love their Women Wednesdays -- a safe space for ladies/trans/lgbtq to work together on bikes. I'm really grateful this shop provides this. The staff are great. keep it up!

Jose.. Was great! Walked in not knowing anything about bikes. Told him I needed a bike to go to and from work nothing crazy. I also needed according to my height. He walked over said try this ride around Campbell and let me know. I walked out with the bike. Any questions or concerns, Jose, answered them.

I recently went to West Town looking to buy a commuter bike. Met with Max, he was very patient explaining the different types of bikes and which would best fit my needs. They had a nice selection of new and used to choose from with a variety of price ranges. Picked one I really enjoy! Don't hesitate to go here