BFF Bikes

I went to two other bike shops to try to find a road bike to get me to work. Performance Bike was scant on the selection in my price range, and the staff not particularly friendly. The ordered my bike only for me to find out it was out of stock a week later. Then came a vintage selection at Working Bikes, which failed when I realized it was too big half way into my hour commute. I had pretty much given up on finding a bike when I decided to head to BFF.
I thought they’d be out of my price range, but due to the end of summer sale, I found a beautiful Liv bike in my budget, that rides so comfortably, that even a newbie to road biking like me loved it. I found the 606 trail behind their shop and test rode the bike for about 20 minutes. It was great. Annie was super patient and helpful, and her recommendation and knowledge of women’s biking anatomy and positioning was so helpful.
The only thing that keeps BFF from getting a 5 star from me is that the bike I bought came with a seat that severely bruised my soft tissue after 1 – 2 rides. I ended up having to hunt around for a replacement bike seat. While this is not the bike shop’s fault, I do feel that the owners could address saddle comfort a bit more with the customers, since it is such an individualized aspect of the riding experience. They have many test saddles there, so maybe sending a new customer home with a test saddle may not be a bad idea.

This place is wonderful. I came in on a Saturday needing some work done on my front hub and dérailleur. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The repairs were inexpensive and done within minutes; the bike is back in shape and riding well.

I live nearby, and would come to them for parts and emergency repairs, and BFF would always help me out. Their parts are very reasonably priced, and they would install things for me in-​shop immediately, like a new bike basket, or a new seat/​seat post. They spent time with me to help me find the right parts for my 15 year old bike, and were honest about repairs.
Which is why I bought my brand new, first-​bike-​in-​15-​years bicycle from them! It’s a beautiful Momentum by Giant bike, and after having me test drive a few different models, we found an amazing blue commuter bike with all the bells, whistles, and storage that fit perfectly within my budget. I had plenty of questions about how to maintain it, and they answered and explained everything in great detail.
I recommend them to everyone, whether you need parts, labor, or a brand new set of wheels!
P. S. They are dog-​friendly, and have done events with local rescue One Tail at a Time, and I often see shop dogs when I visit. :-)

If there is a more friendly bike store and staff in town, I am not aware of it. Steven and Annie are smart, patient, and friendly, and I can’t recommend bff enough. So far we’ve had a tuneup, bought pedals, and gotten help with shoes and saddle adjustment. When it’s time to build a new bike, I expect to come here.

A hidden gem in Bucktown. We live in the neighborhood and recently visited BFF for a few adjustments on our bikes. The service level was well beyond what I expected with an immediate call to review an issue and prior to repairing it. My bike was ready when they promised, the employees that work there are very knowledgeable and attentive. The biggest factor in why I will continue doing business with them is because they are just great to work with.

The staff at this place is nice and the selection is decent for a small shop. I am upset that they moved my seat height during a tune up. My bike is professionally fitted and this impacted my fit. In Chicago most fitters charge $ 300 so this was an expensive mistake they made. Take you beater and commuter bikes there. Don’t take your racing bikes.

I came in today while I was visiting Chicago via bike. My brake cable randomly disconnected from my bike and it turned out that my cable was shredded and needed replacing. I came to the closest bike shop which happened to be BFF. They were super friendly, quick, and helpful! I didn’t even know they were women specific when I walked in but I was pleasantly surprised! They have lots of women’s jerseys, shorts, bags, gloves, and more! My only complaint is that they’re a small shop and as an avid female cyclist, it was hard for me to find something I didn’t already have but it’s probably hard for them to find really good stock for the store since women’s stuff is so rare. Thanks BFF for filling a much needed void in the cycling market place!

My rear tire’s inner tube met its maker this afternoon. Tragic though it seemed to skip the grief phase and skip right to moving on and getting another one, it had to be done.
I’d biked and ran by BFF Bikes on my way to and from work more times than I can remember, but had had never had cause to stop in before today.
When I arrived, it seemed the entire store’s team greeted me with enthusiastic smiles. I was directed to the back of the store, where I met their bike mechanic guru extraordinaire, also known as Steven. He quickly determined what I needed, rang me up, and I was out the door. Friendly, knowledgeable, and down to earth. Awesome experience.
I’ll definitely be back for my other biking needs. Seems they have a free bike maintenance clinic once a month! Check them out.

Went in to BFF this afternoon with my sister-​in-​law to get her a new bike. While I wasn’t in the market, I know that all my bike accessories, mechanic service, and my future bike will be from this place. I can’t say enough nice things about how friendly, informed, and NON-​judgmental this shop is. Not only that, but they are the only shop that I’ve come across that has more than 1 token small sized frame!

The experience with Vanessa, Chase, and Dan was exceptional! Bike accessories are Reasonable priced. They even did a courtesy call to let me know what i needed to replacing. Down-​to-​earth people running an honest business.
BFF Bike Shop is one to
definitely one to recommend.

Annie is a life saver. My new go-​to spot. Very helpful and answered a ton of questions I had about Bianchi!

BFF Bikes is just like the name says. If your best friend had a bike shop, you’d feel just as comfortable there. A wealth of knowledge but with the female cyclist in mind, newbie or pro. Unlike a lot of shops, there’s plenty of women’s gear and the repair shop prices are really competitive…

I won’t ever step foot in another bike shop again, because this is the first bike shop where I’ve ever truly felt comfortable. The staff was friendly, respectful, knowledgeable, and willing to talk me through the steps of my repair so that I could learn from it — all with out being even slightly condescending! I could not have asked for better customer service, and the actual repairs were perfect and averagely priced. I absolutely recommend BFF to anyone who bikes, but especially those who are new to biking and have felt judged and looked down on in other bike shops (I know I have). Getting small repairs done on my bike is no longer a thing I’m going to dread, so thanks BFF Bikes! You guys rule.

I can’t recommend BFF highly enough! Ken Mitchell from Get a Grip Cycles recommended BFF to us so my wife and I went in August to get her a new touring/​road bike to replace her late, unlamented hybrid. Vanessa spent over two hours with us while my wife tried out at least three different bikes (two Giants and one Bianchi). She decided on the Bianchi and has been very happy with it. BFF even lent us a bike rack so we could drive it back to Cincinnati!

BFF bikes is the best!!! I bought a Bianchi Pista this summer and they were so helpful. Everyone has a wealth of knowledge and is super friendly.

I had to stop into BFF Bikes on a whim due to a flat tire. Even though it’s not normally the shop I go to, everyone there was super friendly and knowledgeable and I had a good chat with the mechanic about bikes and cars and Chicago. He fixed my flat in no time, put a new battery in one of my lights, and told me some pretty important information about how my back tire was kinda rad and to be careful of people trying to steal it – no one had mentioned that to me before.
Pricing was awesome, conversation was awesome, shop was awesome. If you’re in the area and need some help, definitely stop in. These are good people.

I am new to the biking scene in Chicago — like — really new. Because I didn’t want to invest a ton of money, I ended up buying an old Schwinn off Craigslist. I brought it in to BFF and they were non-​judgy about the bike itself, and were more than happy to take a thorough look and fix anything that needed to be fixed.
While they had my bike, the mechanic took the liberty of riding it around the block to make sure that everything was working properly.
I also bought a few accessories for my bike, which they affixed to my bike for no charge.
I did compare the price of some of the items they had in the store to other bike stores in the area, and they were consistently the lowest priced.
I have been in several times, and had great experiences. Most notable though, was when my husband took my bike in. About 3 days after I fixed the bike up to my liking, the saddle and seat post got stolen off of it at the Clybourn Metra stop. The good folks at BFF helped him surprise me by looking up which saddle I had purchased a few days prior, and getting it on the bike. They even took the time to make a «custom part» using a bike chain and some rubber to secure my saddle to my bike frame. They did this for free, and only charged my husband the cost of the saddle and $ 5 for labor.
Overall, great service, welcoming environment (especially for new riders), knowledgeable staff, and just generally good people.

I am obsessed with BFF bikes! The place is female focused, but still have bikes men can purchase too. They have a wide variety of bikes they can order for you! I got my beautiful Brooks saddle from them and my beloved helmet along with other tidbits. They put on informative seminars (with beer) to educate bikers on different ways to advance their biking portfolio… like bicycle touring and racing. They also have group rides to cafes on Saturdays. How cute! Steven and Lauren repair bikes. They are great at explaining to you what’s wrong and helping you in a non condescending way. I’m hooked to BFF bikes. They’ve got a loyal customer right here.

Are you a person who currently rides bikes or is interested in doing so? If so, I cannot recommend BFF enough. You will be welcomed by knowledgable staff who will take you seriously and treat you with respect regardless of your comfort and skill level with bikes, which is definitely a commodity in bike shops, especially as a woman. On the shop end, repairs are fast and good. Even if you’re not sure what’s wrong, BFF will work with you to make sure that things are ok in the end. It’s also wonderful to see a shop that caters to women and actually carries a variety of gear that you can even try on in store. Now go get rolling!

To preface:
I have been trying to find a bike for my girlfriend for over a year, with little to no luck at all. The majority of shops that I looked at simply did not have a variety of female bikes to choose from.
Fast forward to this past weekend (4÷26÷14):
I had heard the buzz about BFF bikes and having a free weekend on my hands, my girlfriend and I decided to go and check it out.
1. The ambiance in this shop is amazing. It is warm/​cozy/​inviting. All good vibes from this place. They have a nice lounge area with a couch and interesting and relevant reading material.
2. The people. Liz and Vanessa (one of the owners) were there to greet us as soon as we walked in the door. They were very helpful when it came to figuring out which bike style would best fit my girlfriend, without feeling like they were trying to sell us something.
3. The merch. I didn’t take exact count, but i would say they had at least 10 different styles of bike to choose from accommodating just about any riding style. it felt like enough to to choose from without being overwhelmed by 50 different bikes. The brands are nice too, Bianchi, Giant and Public I believe.
They also carried stylish riding clothes (of which my girlfriend plans to go back and pick up).
3.5 — Service– they do have a service station. We only got a light tune up because the bike was brand new, but we plan on coming back for regular service.
4. The experience. We were able to go in, learn about their bikes, take one for a test drive, purchase a bike/​helmet/​lock. While they were tuning the bike up for us, we really got to know the staff and had a great time.
It is hard to walk away from BFF bikes without feeling like you’ve made a new friend. I would recommend this place to any level rider/​male or female.