The owner and staff are very good people to deal with. I've bought bikes and apparel here and have never wanted for help when wandering around and asking questions. I've sent friends here and they have bought bikes. Once you are on their mailing list you get these email coupons which are actually good for useful items and will save some $$$$ - not always the case with other coupons I get.
Liberal test rides offered; they will even deliver a bike to your house. Knowledgeable staff. Not the cheapest prices for sure but they will entertain negotiations.
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Mill Race Cyclery is a clean, organized, quiet shop, with lots of attractive, shiny bikes and what would seem to be an ideal atmosphere for selecting a bicycle.
But it wasn't. This store is big on flash and low on substance.
The salesman finally wandered over to us, asked us if he could help. We told him we were looking for a bike for my wife. He responded by pointing at the rack of bikes in front of us, "here are your comfort bikes", and then waving his hand toward the opposing wall, "and there are the hybrids." Then he wandered away, while we floundered with trying to figure out the style and size of the bike. Why is this bike $700 and the one next to it $350? Who knows.
So we resorted to picking out bikes based on whether they looked nice. Color was an important criterion. With little else to go on, our search petered out. Finally, I tracked down the salesman elsewhere in the store, and asked him to please come help us. He did...minimally. It was like pulling teeth to get any helpful advice. We simply didn't know that much and weren't sure what we wanted or needed. Unfortunately, we were on our own, since the salesman was completely uninterested in actually helping us. We decided to leave the store, since they didn't seem to want our business.
I wouldn't trust the bikes from this store. If they put as much effort into the assembling as they do into customer service, it would fall apart the first time you ride it.
So go across the street to Geneva Cycle Shop (see http://www.chicagobikeshops.info/shopDetails.php?id=128 for reviews). There you'll find someone who wants to get you the right bike at the best price possible.
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