Ancien Cycles

If you are looking for coffee without the craziness of Starbucks, take a seat at Ancien. I thought it was a Bike Shop, but I saw the tables and decided to try it out. Good coffee and according to the other reviews, much more.
Don’t be deterred by the Metra. I barely noticed it.

One of my best friends held her 30^th birthday party here. This is a really great event space! They had their own kitchen where they made panninis and other hot food for a party of about 40 – 50 people. They moved their bicycles and some of the other items in their store to accommodate for the party, plus they let us decorate with our own stuff, like photos, a big banner, even some small candles. My friend had purchased the liquor for the party and we made a punch that they allowed people to pour for themselves but they also had their own staff bartending. They were courteous, professional, and genuinely interested in making the party planners and the guests happy. It’s pretty easy to find parking around here and also very easy to find. Not sure how much cost is or how far in advance you have to reserve but it seemed like they were pretty flexible and reasonably priced.

What a great venue!
Introduced as a «Lifestyle» organization, when I saw the Julie Wood (Jazz) Quartet (great!) there on Wednesday. Mixing two of my favorite things: (bicycling & Jazz), as well as some wine, sandwiches all for $ 10
Definitely going back there just to check-​out some of the quality & creatively designed cycles.
Worth checking out!

Great place!!! I was told by another shop that I needed several parts to fix my bike. Luckily for me, this place opened right across the street from me. I went in told them my problem and they where able to fix it for way cheaper and great service.
I highly recommend this place!!!

This is my new go-​to bike store. I went in for some basic service on a bike. I thought the pricing was very reasonable. All 3 employees I interacted with were very pleasant. One guy even offered me a cup of coffee. (I don’t think that was usual. More of a «it’s early on a Sunday, so here ya go».) Normally I think of good shops as stocked to ceiling with bikes and massive walls of disorganized tools for the mechanics. Ancien was much more polished and I actually liked it. Lots of open space, a smaller selection of mostly higher end bikes and accessories. It had a really amazing setup for sizing riders for custom builds. There’s a small café that offers some basic snacks and drinks. There were couches and wraparound bars with stools along the walls. I just moved from Bucktown where I was a big Rapid Transit fan. It’s nice to know I have a quality shop just a couple minutes from my house now. I would certainly recommend stopping in.

Took my bike in for a tune-​up into this nice looking shop/​store, and picked it back up a few days later. The staff is knowledgable yet surprisingly unfriendly.
A smile & greeting typically persuade customers that your business is happy to get new business…
Tried to pick up the bike on a Friday just after 6pm but the place was «closed» although many people were watching TV inside… For a bike shop on presumably one of the busiest bike streets in America, I was very surprised that they close so early on a weeknight.
An accidental overcharge would be no issue — if the cashier had the password to credit it back… This had to be done hours later over the phone

Awesome shop, super friendly staff, great movie night with the Rapha crew! The bike shop has some necessary items for riders and some cool apparel and bikes that are unique and out of the box.

Very clean bike shop. Mechanic was very knowledgable and had my tire fixed within 20 minutes with no appointment on a Saturday. Glad they replaced Upgrade Cycle Works as my nearest bike shop cause this place is literally an upgrade from Upgrade. If I were to have one complaint, it’s due to lack of accessories. But with the internet, that’s not really a problem. Looking forward to the bar side being finished and perhaps buying a new bicycle from here.

The City of Chicago requires licensed pedicabs to get inspected so I took it to Ancien Cycles because of it’s close proximity to my garage. It was my first time at the shop and I must say it is very impressive. They have a ton of products as well as a ton of space. More importantly the service they provided was top-​notch. I’ve heard of other shops charging a ridiculous amount of money to perform this two minute pedicab inspection. The guys at Ancien Cycles was kind enough not to charge me. I’d recommend everyone to go to Ancien Cycles for all of their bicycle (and pedicab) needs!

so so glad that this shop exists right across the street from me. my darling ricky needed a new tire and some tlc and the folks at ancien did a great job! the space is pretty awesome and the staff is amazing!

A great team and a fantastic bike shop. Mike and Scott helped me update my aging single speed with a great looking and comfortable brooks saddle, bar tape and nitto bars.
They let me borrow a great book on Paris-​Brest-​Paris, a ride they introduced to me and got me excited to do through their own enthusiasm. Look forward to having a new bike kitted out by a very experienced bunch!
Can’t wait til the bar and restaurant are open. I will probably end up spending even more time there than I do now.

Quite the bike place. Friendly staff (and even friendly customers have helped me here). I can’t wait until their restaurant opens up — And… its right on Milwaukee, on the most heavily trafficked part of the city.
Get some tunes on the inside & outside of the building guys!

Another great bike shop opens in Chicago. Dropped in at the start of a ride up Milwaukee to window shop. These guys are very friendly and informative. They have unique quality products and can recommend whatever you may need. The associate installed a new seat post on my wife’s bike within 15 minutes and adjusted it so that she could had the perfect fit. These guys are knowledgeable and helpful. Prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the components. They actually intend to build a relationship and not simply sell you something. Good job.

Very impressive bike store right on Milwaukee Ave south of Chicago Ave in West Town. I went during their grand opening for a yoga and wine event. Yes, they had a yoga class going on and free wine afterwards. Really great staff and terrific selection of brands like Opus, Moots, Ritte. The repair guys are total gear heads who have been building and repairing bikes for years. It’s a very passionate staff who are informed not just about bikes but about the whole cycling scene and the vibe of the place makes you just want to hang out, which I suppose is good because apparently they are building a restaurant and bar next door. It’s a very unique cycling store unlike any I’ve been to.

I am very impressed with this bike shop. I own two Storck racing bikes and I’ve been looking for a reliable place to have them serviced. I decided to give Ancien a try because they are located close to where I live and because their mechanics have experience working with Campagnolo systems. Over the last month they have rebuilt two of my Campy shifters, replaced the shifting and brake cables on both bikes, replaced a bottom bracket, and replaced a chain. My bikes are now shifting better than they have ever shifted. The mechanics are obviously skilled and their service rates were very reasonable. I have been into the shop around five times now and they have provided exceptional customer service during every visit. I will be coming to them for all of my service needs in the future. I should also note that one of the best things about this shop is that they are targeting a broad range of clientele from bike novices to bike experts. In my experience most shops that carry high-​end bicycles also carry some introductory models, but when a novice enters one of these shops he is often ignored or treated condescendingly. If what I have witnessed so far is any indication, this will not happen at Ancien. I have seen one of the owners talking to people with little cycling experience (one was someone who had just moved to Chicago and was looking for information on riding a bike in the city and equipment options). His manner was friendly and welcoming and he spent a lot of time explaining the equipment options. He made an effort to find out what sort of riding the individual would be doing without trying to steer him towards the more expensive racing-​oriented options.

I rarely write reviews here but I was compelled to do so in this case, on my 3 visits here the service has been above and beyond what I’ve received at other shops, on my last visit I went for what I thought was a simple front dérailleur adjustment on my Cannondale and the gentleman who took care of me proceeded to also adjust the rear and discovered that I needed the rear dérailleur re-​tapped, he searched around for the tool did the work and also explained everything that was going on with my components which in turned helped me uncover another issue which most likely would have caused further damage. He did all of this with a level of cool, patience, and sophistication that indicates that it’s either his way of being or he truly likes what he’s doing! good sense of humor too! I honestly won’t be buying any bikes here as I like to build my own but for parts, service and experienced advise and tips this is your place! second to none!

Welcome to the neighborhood, Ancien! With the arrival of the warm weather, I brought my bicycle outside the depths of my garage where it had been all winter and realized that I must have left my helmet back at home in Miami. Now I am no professional cyclicst, nor have I ever splurged on bike equipment, but I was interested in a good quality helmet at a decent price. I walked in and was immediately greeted and welcomed into the shop. The guy who helped me out really took the time to explain to me the options they offered and properly fitted me for the helmet. I ended up spending around $ 50 for the helmet, which is definitely more than I’m used to, but is to be expected from a specialty bike shop. Really excellent customer service!

Best location for a bike shop in Chicago? Quite possibly… and I’m not just saying that cause it’s spitting distance from my pad. Milwaukee Ave is the cyclist equivalent to the Kennedy Expressway so if you’re on your way to or from The Loop from Wicker Park or Logan Square Ancien is a great place to stop for a tune up, some air in your tires, or accessories.
They’re also going to be opening a bar and café next door which will be even more of a reason to stop on your commute during the summer. The owners are awesome and super experienced in food and beverage as well as bikes so stay tuned for some great stuff from them in River West.