roll: on Clybourn

These guys are great. I’m no noob to biking in Chicago, but am a noob to this part of town. After heading to a few shops with $ 9 inner tubes (wtf), employees who are chilly at best, and where nothing will happen without a lot of caveating and NEVER for free, these guys are a freakin oasis. Their selection is solid in terms of bikes, accessories, parts, etc. They offer advice until you ask them to stop, they’ve fixed the bike in front of me on the stand near the register so I can watch them work, their prices are plenty fair, and they are nice nice nice.
They organize group rides, cyclocross rides, and kids stuff.
Awesome shop. Give them your business.
(And to be clear, when I say nothing for free, I’m talking about tightening a bolt or giving me a cable end for free, not actually doing any mechanic work. You need to pay people for their work But, it’s the little things like a cable end for free that’ll make me want to come back, and even go out of my way to see you *cough — shop near Lincoln n Belmont*).

Employees: excellent service, knowledge, and wit. Shop: everything in it’s right place. Everything you can ask for in a bike shop. Keep it up yall.

I visited ROLL bike shop on Clybourne today. ADI POTASHNICK helped me. The service was AMAZING. They have an electronic bike fitting system which allowed Adi to quickly get statistics on my exact frame, from there Adi adjusted my ENTIRE bike from head to toe to make sure I had maximum safety and comfort. It didn’t take long and when I got on my bike it felt like a new bike. It was easier to handle like going from a Chevy to a Ferrari — — No kidding!!! In addition, he made sure I knew how to properly stop, hang corners and shift my gears. I purchased additional accessories for my bike and they installed all of them with care and made sure I knew how they worked. The manager and staff at ROLL is TOP NOTCH. If you are serious about buying a the perfect bike and having it tailored to your style, make sure you go to ROLL. A family member who purchased 2 more bikes there, told me about their awesome shop. I give ROLL an A+++ for product quality, expertise and customer service!

I had some issues with a bike I purchased elsewhere and they did an excellent job diagnosing the root cause and correcting it. They worked quickly, displayed very good depth of knowledge, and attention to detail. I will endeavor to support this shop with future business.
The pricing for replacement parts seemed reasonable and they had free installation.

The level of service, knowledge and time they spend to not only take care of issues but also educate you as a customer is amazing. Highly recommend this shop and all of the staff. They remember you so you’re not just another sale. Awesome quality! Top notch shop. Competitive pricing and price match. You can tell they’re passionate about what they do.

I located this gem of a bike shop late in the year. It’s a large shop for Chicago standards. I purchased a high-​end road bike from these guys and it was a great experience. The service is amazing. I’m a picky guy when it comes to my biking equipment, and I never felt like I was wearing out my welcome. The manager was great about returning emails, even out of store hours.
The real story here is that I bought my expensive bike at Roll and then decided to have a professional fit at another shop. I don’t believe the folks at Roll would try and convince anyone that they specialize in road bike fittings. They do have a nice system that will get you in the ballpark in most cases, but they don’t spend 2 hours with you doing a fit, and they didn’t advertize that to me.
My bike came in and I took it out once. It didn’t feel right to me and we actually cut down the integrated seat post too low. When I went to my fitting, the advice I got was to upsize the frame to a bigger size and start over. I was nervous about bringing this up to the manager at Roll, but it was a non-​issue. After reviewing my fitting into and running some calculations, he agreed that to get the dimension I needed we would have to order a new frame. He had a new one to me within a few weeks, without complaint, and they swapped out my upgraded components immediately.
I was expecting a little push-​back since I did buy the bike and I did feel okay about it when I left the shop. They were great about it.
This is a great bike shop with a great staff that truly cares about putting you on the right bike. I’m glad I spent my money with these guys.

Proud to call Roll my local bike shop. Knowledgeable guys, friendly, always willing to share mechanical tips (although I should probably apologize for having my nose in every adjustment… «What’s that? Why are you doing that? Where does that go? How does this work?»).
I ordered a Nature Boy Disc through Roll that wasn’t in stock and it came faster than I thought possible — Scot even came in early the next day to assemble the bike. Eric and Scot both walked me through a disc brake 101 session because I am, admittedly, clueless and they let me know that Roll offers free disc adjustments for the life of the bike. Right on!
Stop by with any questions or issues with your ride and they’ll be happy to help. And when you’ve decided to abide by Rule #12 (citing the correct number of bikes to own as n+1 where n is the number of bikes currently owned), Roll is the place to go.

I contacted roll for a time for our group, SoleTri Sisters to come in to take advantage of their bike fit service. Ryan was courteous and very professional. He suggested the Pint and Bike Fit, when the staff stays after hours and does individual assessment for each person. Plus there’s beer! Ryan, Michael and Scott did all of our assessments, even for those who didn’t have a bike yet. They answered all of our questions and made the event lots of fun!
They are extremely knowledgeable and never did we feel like we were getting the sales pitch simply because the assessment was free. Oh, I need to mention the assessment… Wow…the accuracy of roll’s bike fit technology was fascinating! Several members are already feeling better on their rides. If you haven’t stopped in, you are definitely missing out on a better ride!

Excellent shop. I’ve been in a few times for various things and I’ve never felt like I was getting a sales pitch or bad information. Everyone I’ve met there is super friendly and knowledgeable. Sometimes you walk into bike shops and immediately feel like if you aren’t a pro cyclist that you don’t belong but that isn’t the vibe here at all. Location is a little bit of a hike for me but it’s well worth the extra miles. Plus they are a fan of Giant which is a brand I personally love. This is a shop I would definitely go back to when I need help and recommend to friends.

I always feel a bit like I’m cheating on my regular bike show (Roscoe Village FTW) when I stop somewhere new, but damn it, all these shops are so wonderful! I need to have a preferred shop in every neighborhood I bike through, right?
I stopped in here this afternoon with my faithful commuter in pretty rough shape (bad tire, screwed up brakes etc). I ridiculously requested that my bike be band-​aided together um… right now please because I have to ride it places. Rather than rolling their eyes and telling me to get real, the awesome guys grabbed my bike and got it rolling such that it won’t kill me for another week or so. The guy fixing my bike (somehow didn’t get his name!) was very informative, and one of his coworkers showed me a bunch of awesome road bikes while I was waiting. I’m going back for a complete tune up next week, and I anticipate that will go swimmingly as well.
Prices on accessories and labor are quite reasonable, and the guys are friendly, funny, and insanely fast. Couldn’t ask for more in a bike shop. When it comes time for me to upgrade and get a leaner, meaner bike, I will definitely be very, very torn between buying here and buying at RVB. Maybe I’ll have to buy two bikes…

I hadn’t been on a bike in six years after an accident, but I figured it was time to get back in the saddle. In choosing a bike shop to work with I was intrigued by the custom fix technology roll: on offered since I have a herniated disc to take into consideration. I worked with Ryan and the experience was like sliding down a rainbow into a basket of kittens. He was patient, non judgemental, informative, accommodating, and straightforward. We easily picked out a bike and I had him do all the custom adjustments, enabling me to ride pain free (thank Zeus almighty!). I’ve been recommending roll: on and Ryan to my friends, family, strangers, basically anyone who will listen to me blather.

This has become our new neighborhood bike shop. The entire staff is attentive and knowledgable and have always gone above and beyond with customer service.
I knew I was going to be in the market for a TT/​triathlon bike this spring. I had talked to Joe earlier this year and he said even if they didn’t currently carry the model I was looking for, he would do his best to find it for me. Sure enough, he kept his word and I picked up a brand new Felt B14 this week.
Come in, check them out. Talk to Michael and Joe. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks again guys!

I’ve «roll“ed by this shop countless times, as it’s on my route to work, and always thought about coming in, if nothing else than to check out their sweet selection of fixed wheel road bikes in the window (which they offer financing on… so tempting).
Two days ago, I stopped in because a tire-​killing pothole just north of Sheffield on Clybourn in the right hand bike lane assassinated my front tube in the middle of a driving snow. I limped my bike along to Roll and explained the situation. The mechanic (Joe) took care of the repair quickly and cheaply ($ 10.54 for tube and labor) and I was on my way.
This would’ve been 5 star service by itself, but the NEXT day, my tire went flat again. I called the shop and they told me to bring it in and they’d fix it, no charge. I dropped it off, and the tech found a tiny sliver of metal that I had biked over at some point, had been rattling around in the rim or tire, and had, in the course of changing the original flat, wiggled loose and flattened my new tire. I will definitely be taking my business here again in the future.

Solid bike shop. Service is as GOOD as it gets!
Several months back, I made the decision to purchase a road bike with the hope of picking up a new hobby. I’d searched high and low for the top bike shops in the city. None of which left me feeling 100% satisfied — until now. Why, WHY… Does Google not feature this shop in their listings?!
The past couple months have been spent building my endurance on distance rides. On my last ride, I hit a deep groove and immediately knew it was only a matter of time before my tires began losing pressure. I ran straight to Sports Aurthority for the standard foot pump, patch kit, etc. Seemed simple enough in my quick tutorial, until I returned home and tried it myself. Instead of adding pressure, I’d lost all air on both my front and back. Seriously?! Desperate for a Sunday ride, my sister and I packed up my front tire and foot pump and headed to our neighborhood bike shop we’ve passed too many times.
Joe was attentive from the moment I entered the store. He provided a detailed explaination of different types of valves and what mine speceficially requires. He even went above and beyond and provided a step-​by-​step tutorial for a flat/​tube replacement. Joe is patient and explained things to me in a very clear way, even though I am new to this bike culture.
When the day comes for you to fix your bike, this is the place to go!

This place is tops! I’ve been biking Chicago for the past 5 years, commuting year round for 2 of those years. Within the past year I’ve experienced enough knee pain to cause me to seriously re-​evaluate if I’m meant to be a bicycle rider after all. After online research had proved fruitless in making accurate adjustments, I was planning on forking over some dough to have a professional fitting to find the problem.
Thankfully I read about roll: first. They offer complimentary fittings to everyone, regardless if you’re riding one of their bikes or your own that you’ve owned for 6 years like me. I booked an appointment, but was still skeptical of the «free» service. I expected that they might take a look at my bike, laugh, and say that my knee problems would be solved if I considered riding a $ 4,500 bike that they just happened to have in my size and in stock with easy terms of financing that I’m automatically approved for.
Boy was I wrong!!! I went in for my appointment on Friday afternoon and met with Joe. He had me wear a silver suit and stand in front of their body scanning machine. Then my body appeared on the computer screen, crunched some numbers and spit out data for measuring my fit based on my riding preferences (leisurely, competitive, distance, etc.).
Then I rolled my bike over to the computers and Joe himself got to work making measurements and adjustments for me. It turns out that I have been riding with my saddle 2 inches too high and 2 inches too far back! I have been biking like I’m reclining in a lay-​z-​boy. No wonder my knees hurt.
Joe had me take my whip for a ride around the block to test it out. Needless to say, it felt very strange, and almost like I was riding my son’s tiny bike. But the difference was tremendous. I finally felt strength in the right places of my legs (rather than knees), and felt like the bike was more responsive that I ever knew it would be.
We went back inside and that was it. Joe said goodbye and good riding. Nothing was suggested, sold or even mentioned for purchase. I will certainly be back, and will be looking for my next bikes and gear from these guys.
Thank you roll: Chicago for revolutionizing my riding and giving my commute back to me!

I’ve used Unilocal for couple years now but this is the first time I have ever written a review. But I hope you’ll still find this helpful!
I just came back from this shop to get my flat tire fixed. roll: not only had a very clean storeroom and awesome bike selection but most importantly their staffs were amazing.
This is what happend: I was lazily sitting on my couch all day until my roommate came back home and said my front tire was busted. No way, I just got my tires pumped four days ago when I went to another bike shop to get new chains and oiled. I ran downstairs to find my tire really was sadly flatten.
Okay, Sunday at 4pm, commuting to work at 7am tomorrow for the first time. What do. I decided to check out roll: since it was the next bike place I wanted to check out after my first one four days ago. They were opened till 5pm. I took the brown line to Armitage and walked around Webster street for awhile only to find Unilocal’s map wasn’t accurate. This day happend to be the Sheffield Garden Walk & Music Festival so the really friendly people at the info desk not only gave me the right direction but called roll: that I will be in soon. By then it was 4:50pm.
I ran as fast as I could with my busted bike but the door was closed when I got to roll:. When I was about to give up and walk away, one of the staffs opened the door and asked if I was the person who called. My face perked up instantly and she gladly took my bike in. Joe checked me out and let me walked around the store while I waited Laurie (if I heard it right) fixed my bike. I felt really guilty being there after their business hours but Joe said «We’re here to help!» I felt really welcomed. After gladly paying (around $ 11) I was returned with my buffed up bike tire all cleaned up.
They had a good selection of accessories and bike apparels so I’ll definitely be back to check it out again!

Thank you for the excellent customer service. They cleaned and greased up my road bike for FREE, and did not try to pressure me into buying anything. I returned and bought a folding bike.

Excellent bike shop with friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable staff. Purchased a helmet, lights, cup-​holder, and basket for my cruiser :) Great selection, bright open floorplan, would definitely recommend!

Great new shop with a completely different vibe than any other bike shop I’ve visited in Chicagoland.
It’s clean, bright, and welcoming with none of the condescending or indifferent attitude you find in some of the speciality bike shops. The staff is knowledgable and friendly and don’t discriminate between hardcore cyclists and people looking for a new beach cruiser. Anyone will feel comfortable as a customer there.
They’ve got a nice level of inventory and a terrific FREE fitting system that allows you to not only fit the bike but do so based on the type of riding you do.
All in all a great new approach to cycle shops. Check them out!