Barnard’s Schwinn

I really enjoyed my experience with Bernard’s Schwinn. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. I’m very happy with my purchase and I love my new bike!

They are wonderful. The knowledgeable staff made buying my bike downright fun. They set me up with bike registration and all of the accessories I wanted, and explained that they would do three free maintenance services. And THEN when I had a health problem that made the purchase problematic for me, they were totally supportive. This is a truly great shop.

Excellent customer service! Went to buy a trailer hitch bike rack. The person working here was very helpful, even went with me to my car to make sure it fit my vehicle and showed me how it worked. I will be back for another bike carrier for our other vehicle

I can’t say enough good things about this bike shop. When I walked through the door, my first encounter was with one of the owners, Jeff. He knew what I was looking for before I did! By patiently listening to everything I wanted in a bike, he helped me decide on one that feels like it was custom-​made for me. Everyone in the shop was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. When I left with my new bike, they all made me feel like I was leaving the showroom with a new car :) Oh, and I got my complimentary birthday bell, too.

The people that work at this place are amazing. I bought my bike from George who was very knowledgeable about all the bikes and helped me pick out the perfect bike. I initially went in to just to get some info about prices, I felt no pressure to buy anything and they even encouraged me to go home and sleep on it before making a big purchase. I called the next day and they had several bikes ready for me to test ride when I got off work. You also get 3 free tune ups with your new bike and free air whenever you bike over. George helped me load my bike into my car and gave me some tips on how to take care of it. I am so happy with my bike and overall a fantastic experience, will definitely be back!
TIP: Although they are happy to stay open late, I know the employees definitely appreciate when you let them know when you are coming back and what bikes you want to test ride so they can get them ready for you before you arrive.

Great group of guys! Dealt with my multiple trips and questions to find the right pannier for my budget and needs. Appreciate the candid humor! Support local shops.

Thank you Barnard Schwinn for hanging
in there all these years providing great bikes, accessories and excellent service. These guys know their bikes and are eager to help you get the best out of your bike. They have provided my family with many bikes and friendly service for years.

I had a great experience with Jeff today. I haven’t owned a bike in 20 years, and I feel like Jeff helped me pick out the bike I’ve been missing for all those years.
We showed up about ten minutes before they closed, on a Sunday afternoon no less (sorry!) because I just wanted to show my husband what I’d looked at on a previous visit. Jeff was not concerned about time and talked me through all the questions I had.
After a lovely test ride, I decided I had to have the bike. Both my husband and I managed to forget our wallets (really?) and Jeff kindly and patiently waited another 20 minutes after closing time for us to fetch our wallet from home (just a few blocks, thankfully).
All in all, a great experience. I look forward to supporting my local bike shop again in the future.

We’ve bought 3 bikes for the family here over the last few years and the 4^th is coming this week.
Came here to try to support a locally-​owned business and have stayed for the customer service and selection, especially for cruisers, BMX, mountain bikes.
The place is packed to the gills with bikes and they order every week to keep things fresh. We have purchased a Schwinn mountain bike, an Electra Townie cruiser a Free Agent Maverick (bmx) and an Electra Hawaii (kids cruiser). We have are not road bike people, we are regular bike people who want to ride comfortably and reliably around town together, so we have no comment on Barnard’s road bike cred…
I do like all the really interesting old bikes they have on display, with the old chain locks hanging just so…
As for family bike-​buying experience, it has been consistently excellent. Four different salespeople have helped us, and all had the right temperment and approach to help us make decisions when we’ve walked in there not knowing at all what we wanted to get. And when we wanted something they didn’t have on the floor, they’ve ordered it and called us when it’s in. Or, they suggested OTHER SHOPS to us to find a bike that was discontinued (we did find the bike where they pointed us, but came back and chose Barnard’s option in the end).
Particularly, I have to commend the sales people on their ability to deal with kids’ decision-​making, which is tricky, to say the least. They also do a good job of talking to kids about basic bike stuff — kickstands, braking, proper helmet position, etc.

Decided I wanted a bike to get some exercise and for riding around the Village. Not knowing what I wanted I went over to Barnards Schwinn to see what my options are. It is unbelievable all the bikes and price ranges, I had no idea. Ed showed me different brands, we discussed what I wanted to use the bike for, etc. He told me to think about it, come back and I could take a bike out for a spin to see what I felt was right for me. No pushing of any particular brand, they sell many more brands than Schwinn. They offer good warranty, tune ups etc. He spent a lot of time with me and I appreciated that. Once I make my mind up I will definitely go back and take one for a spin. I haven’t been on a bike in probably 30 years so I’m hoping it will be in an enclosed area LOL
The one thing I do know is I want a beach cruiser — love the looks, now do I want with multiple speeds, single speed, chrome fenders, bell, streamers, etc.
I did stop at another local bike shop to see what they offered and the Electra Townie was the main bike pushed at me because they didn’t have any other cruiser type of bikes. I was looking at a green Townie (for the color) and someone came running over and said it was sold and put a tag on it. Oh well whatever, when my decision is made I will definitely purchase from Barnard’s.

This is everything a bike shop should be. Large selection of bikes and every type of accessory imaginable. Need a bell? If you can’t find one here then it’s probably not in production. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the shag carpet will make you smile.

My sister and I came in to look at unicycles and Jeff and Greg were friendly, super helpful and took the time to educate and inform us about those cycles as well as some others we had our eyes on. They have a wide variety of bikes and accessories packed into the shop — and do what they do with a smile. Recommended!

This bike shop is wonderful. Some places try to charge for unnecessary work or items. Not Barnard’s. I have gone in several times with minor problems, and they explained to me how to fix the problems myself instead of charging me to do it. I have learned so much about how to care for my bike just in the short time that I’ve been going there. When I do have to buy something or get work done, they have reasonable prices and do quick, professional work. It seems clear that they value customer loyalty over trying to gouge people. There are many bike shops in the Oak Park area, but in my opinion, this is the best, and I am happy to drive nearly the entire length of the village (and past the other shops) to give them my business.

My husband and I were specifically looking for a refurbished vintage commuter bike and found many choices at this phenomenal bike shop! There is nothing this bike shop does’t have! The entire staff was helpful and incredibly gracious. I will highly recommend this professional shop to all of my friends.

This bike shop was pretty cool. Very nice selection here, on the pricey side, but the quality is great. The two guys that work there are pretty easy going and extremely helpful.

This shop is the real deal. I lived in Oak Park for a decade and this shop is worth the drive from anywhere in the Chicagoland area for top notch service and a wealth of experience and bicycle knowledge rare to find. Beautiful Custom built bicycles and vintage collectable bikes and everything in-​between. More accessories than you can believe. Ton’s of goodies packed into this shop make for a bike lovers dream come true. In case you couldn’t tell, I love this place! I check out bike shops where ever I travel and though Ive been in hundreds of shops, Barnard’s is one of the very coolest shops I have ever been in. Seriously, check it out if you haven’t been there yet. It’s a treasure. They don’t make them like this any more!

The owner Jeff is awesome! We were looking for a trailer for our 11 yr old son whom has special needs. After much shopping around we thought we would never be able to take our son bike riding with us.
Jeff was very knowledgable and found exactly what would work for us without the crazy expensive price tag.
This place will definitely be our family bike home!

I was shopping for my first real bike since my grade school Kmart special Huffy bike. I knew I wanted to go a local shop for a variety of reasons: I know they will assemble a good product (as opposed to minimum wage high school kids), back up what they sell, and to support the little guy!
Barnard’s has been in Oak Park for over 100 years. I’m pretty sure the orange shag carpet inside has been around for 60 years. Man is it sweet. Jeff and Greg are like the Mario and Luigi of bicycles. One even looks like Mario, the other doesn’t look like Luigi though.
Well anyways to the purchase. Jeff and Greg made it painlessly. They didn’t pressure me into getting the latest road bike with a carbon frame and fork and matching wheels. Greg listened to my needs and was able to recommend a perfect Schwinn for me. We a free tune up in 3 months and a free tune up in 2013 and 2014 it was a sweet deal! They even installed some cool water bottle cages while we did the paperwork. I live in Forest Park and they even registered my bike with the city.
About a week after I bought the bike I accidentally let it take a fall while it was resting against a wall. I bent the derailer hanger causing a gear to skip. I took it over to them and they fixed it really quick free of charge. I offered to pay but they refused saying «This is why you buy from Barnard’s!»

A bike store for normal folks. I’m not a super biker. I’m never wearing spandex, i just want to get some groceries or go to the park. The people here didn’t try to get me into the cult, they just fixed my bike. They have all the knowledge and skill and no attitude.

These guys are pretty good at what they do, as they’ve been in the area for decades and decades.
Went here recently for parts, a new 6-​gear freewheel. Yup. I bought a new one instead of converting my mint 30-​year-​old bike into a fixie.
These guys know old bicycles, plus all the latest in bike technology. It’ll probabaly take you a good hour just to browse the store and all the bikes, both new and vintage, on display.
They carry the newest Schwinn models produced in Waterford, WI, including Schwinn’s proven racing designs that originate from four decades ago.
You don’t have to have hot tunes playing and lots of funky décor to sell me a bike. This is the real deal.
Barnard’s Schwinn is right at Oak Park’s northeast corner that juts into Chicago. It’s a bit of a walk from the Austin Green line, but the 72 North ave CTA bus brings you to its door, and it’s close to the Galewood Metra.