Located a few blocks from what was once the notorious Cabrini Green housing development lies Yojimbo's Garage. The bike shop has been there for 19 years and has witnessed the transformation of the neighborhood with upscale housing, trendy shops and restaurants nearby. Step inside the shop however and you immediately feel that you have walked into the past. Perhaps it's the hardwood floors, or posters of bicycle history in Chicago, but mainly it's the calm and serene presence of founder and owner Marcus Moore. 

Roscoe Village Bikes is located at 2016 Roscoe Avenue in Chicago which is a very appropriate address since the bike shop is celebrating 10 years in operation. First and foremost, it is a local bike shop that serves the needs of bike commuters, recreational riders and families within the Roscoe Village neighborhood. Co-owner and Founder, Lesley Tweedie shared her perspective on starting a business and the changes she has witnessed in bike commuting and operating a retail business over the past decade. 

During college, Lesley was a bike commuter at the University of Oregon in Eugene which had a significant bike presence. After returning to Chicago, she commuted daily from Roscoe Village to Evanston - a good 8 miles one way. The yearning to run her own business must have been strong since she is a 4th generation Chicago entrepreneur. She and her husband, who raced and worked as a mechanic at another local shop at the time, had talked about opening a bike shop for years. 

Shortly after getting married they turned their dream into reality. Lesley recalls working at the Chicago Food Depository at the time and. continued to do so until they got the shop off the ground. Eventually she transitioned to part-time and after a year had segued into a full-time role at the bike shop. Lesley credits their timing with part of the shop's success, noting that gas prices were soaring and there was no bike shop in the immediate area. 

Neutral Cycle was started in 2008 in a run-down garage by founder Tim Chao who was a student at the University of Illinois. Located one-block from campus, the “shop” served students and families in the neighborhood. It was basically a repair shop operating as a home business that would informally teach people about riding.
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Today, Neutral Cycle has two shops and a sister company, Neutral Design Studio. Unlike other bike shops, the team looks at design and biking issues simultaneously to develop innovations and support rapid growth. I met with Tim recently to learn more about their novel approach.​

Earlier this year, I provided an overview of Pedal to the People - the mobile bike shop in Chicago that comes to you to provide repairs and support. Founder Adam Clark is now hoping to expand his operation and is working with Kiva Microfunds to finance that growth.

​You may have heard of Kiva for their work in micro-financing to individuals and entrepreneurs in third-world countries. This story however is an example of using the same approach in the heart of Chicago. 

Situated on the border of Chicago neighborhoods of Ravenswood and Lakeview is Green Machine Cycles. The bike shop opened in September of 2013 and is unique in its support for individuals interested in hauling cargo, bike touring and commuting, and off-road riding. I recently met with the founder, Ezra Hozinsky, to learn more about the shop and his vision. 

The word Ancien is both a tag line and bragging right for a finisher of the Paris-Brest-Paris race, which is the oldest cycling event in the world (since 1891). It's a 1200 kilometer (approximately 750 miles) distance and participants must complete the race within 90 hours. It is held every four years in August (the race is currently going on as this interview is being conducted), drawing 5000 riders from all over the world that are socializing as much as riding hard. Limited to amateur riders, finishers are given the honorary title ancien (male) / ancienne (female). 

The moniker is also the inspiration for the name of a Chicago bike shop on Milwaukee Avenue, Ancien Cycles, started by 2 time finisher and Ancien, Scott McIntosh. I recently met with Scott to understand more about this unique bike shop/cafe/lifestyle business. 

Tell us about the name Heritage Bicycles.
Our owner Michael Salvatore is a fifth-generation Chicagoan. After living in New York and working at the start-up bike store Bowery Lane Bicycles, he moved back to Chicago to raise a family. He wanted to bring back the idea of what he was doing in New York and honor his family heritage here in Chicago. And the types of bikes we make reflect this. We are not making modern, fancy racing bikes. Instead our bikes are inspired by the classic proven models from Schwinn and Raleigh, but with a new, retro approach. 

As I waited on a Thursday morning a steady stream of customers trickled into the shop. Some regulars, others first-time visitors looking for a unique coffee experience. New bikes were interspersed with tables and a counter with delicious-looking pastries. In the rear was the service center in its own room, and out back was a picnic table and chairs underneath a tree canopy. What a unique vibe for a bike shop! As the music played softly in the background, I sat down with store manager Alan Gagne to learn more about Heritage Bicycles.

What services do you provide?
People ask where is the shop? The mobile shop has everything we need to service a bike. If we need something special we can order it. We do fleet repair, especially for people working in buildings in the loop. We come out to people to provide road side assistance such as fixing a flat. We also teach classes. 

Why did you start Pedal to the People?
We are dedicated to the freedom and mobility made accessible by the bicycle. I've had a passion for the bicycle since I was a kid, I wanted to have a deeper connection with the people riding the bikes and why they were