DJ’s Bike Doctor

I went to DJ to replace what appeared to be a wobbling wheel. Upon a 5 second inspection, DJ informed me that my bike had obviously been hit by a vehicle and that the rim was bent. I do not know much about bikes and I am a generally trusting person so I conceded that this must have happened (despite the fact that I keep my bike in my apartment and right next to the building, far from vehicles, next to where I go to school). He then informed me that this would be $ 77 for the rim and $ 12 for installation, as I have a nicer rim. I informed him that this would be fine but that I wanted to keep the rim that I had (okay, maybe I was a bit skeptical). Later that day I went to pick up the bike and called DJ to ask if there was any way he would wait 3 more minutes before closing so that I could pick up my bike as I was almost to his shop. DJ informed me that closing time was 6pm and there were no exceptions.
The next day (today), I went in to pick up my bike. When I arrived, my bike was sitting next to the counter with the tire completely off. He informed me that my tire was so warped that I would need to pay an additional $ 15 for a new tire. I, once again, conceded that this seemed correct. When he went to change the tire, however, I picked up my old rim and began to spin it. Low and behold, the rim was perfectly straight! When I asked DJ about this he immediately claimed that he must have put on the wrong rim. Finally he conceded, after my insistence that this was in fact my rim as it had been sitting next to the bike and he was holding the replacement rim in his hands, that my original rim was not bent. The problem, as I finally had to surmise for him, was likely that the tire itself was so old and warped that it gave the appearance of a bent rim. DJ then apologized and scampered off to replace the tire. At check out, DJ charged me the $ 12 installation fee for the 5 minutes he spent replacing my tire (consequently also the same charge for replacing the wheel — maybe this is a base service fee) and $ 15 for the tire. There was never offer of a discount for almost scamming me out of $ 77 and he never once asked if I would like to install the new tire myself (which, despite me being a novice biker, seems fairly intuitive — I could have insisted but I was still in shock at this man’s gall). DJ only offered a quick apology about not ever checking the rim he had sought to replace.
I do not know if I should feel like I escaped a scamster or if DJ really is an incompetent bike repairman. Regardless, I would not recommend DJ to any person — with the exception of any of my enemies who may be bike enthusiasts. So, I encourage you not to go to DJ and, instead, refer your enemies to him as he will treat them exactly as you would hope.

I’m boycotting this place. Here’s why:
I had a shard of metal stuck in my rear tire. I was getting one flat after another. The owner of DJ’s insisted that I was just catching glass over and over again, despite *replacing my tube four times in 6 weeks.* I kept asking him to look for a shard in my tire, and he kept saying «we looked but we didn’t find anything. Just your own bad luck with all these flats!»
There was a certain sleaziness about how he was treating me. I knew I was being taken advantage of.
So I had a bike-​savvy friend over, who took off the tire — it took him 10 SECONDS to find a big shard of metal sticking into the tire. Within 1 minute, we pulled the shard out with tweezers and my bike was back in business. BUT what’s more, when we took off the tire, we also found that the inner tube from DJ’s was the wrong size!
I feel this guy scammed me. He clearly didn’t even bother to look for the shard, even though I insisted there was something in the tire. Instead, he kept charging me $ 24 every time to change the tube. And didn’t even use the right size tube.
I learned my lesson: forget DJ, go to the Blackstone Experimental Station and get your bike fixed by cute little kids!

decided I wanted to support a locally owned shop so I brought my bike down to get a new (used) seat, which I had asked about previously. I picked the seat out and asked them if they could put it on so I could see how it felt, they said sure but it will be a few minutes. No problem. I noticed they pulled out the entire stem instead of just switching the seats out and I wondered if he marked it. Once it was done, I took it out for a spin. It felt good, but the nose was tilted up so I went back in and said it was tilted up and he said no, it’s level. Now I’m looking at it and it’s definitely not level so finally he says, «So you want me to lower the front?» Yes please. So he leans the bike (Cannondale Road Warrior) up against a cabinet and walks away with the seat. The bike never really was stable and it started to slide down to the floor. He made NO attempt to grab it, which I had to do to keep it from hitting the floor. So finally the seat is adjusted and I go to pay. He had told me the day before that the seat was $ 10 so I pulled out $ 10. He looks at me and says, «It’s $ 5 to install it.» I say, well I wish you had said something before so I could have decided If I wanted to pay $ 5 to install a $ 10 used seat. He just stared blankly at me and said nothing. The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s back to Kozy’s for me where they go above and beyond to satisfy the custome

David is an extremely knowledgable man who cares about his customers and their bikes. He puts time into his craft and it shows. This is what a bike shop should be.

We’ve given this place 4 – 5 tries and every time it was disappointing. They always say 45 minutes, but we’ve come back again and again, one time it ended up taking THREE DAYS for them to get to the bike. Many times they forget what you asked for, and often times I feel no difference after a quick ride. I asked for gear/​brake adjustment, and after a test run the gear is still broken and shifts spontaneously (which lead to me being thrown off the bike), one brake is way too tight, one is way too loose. They seem way understaffed and don’t seem to do high quality work, takes a long time and is not all that cheap (a full check up is $ 75). Will definitely search for other options.

Nice guy, good, timely service, not incredibly overpriced.

Quite expensive relative to Tamago and Blackstone Bikes. However, the service here is dependable – they get things done quickly and efficiently. Not the friendliest staff.

I have always dreaded coming to this place, because the owner/​worker/​guy that’s always there has a bad attitude. I had to go the other day because I had no choice. I needed to borrow a small tool to do a quick 30 second fix on my tire. I was told that due to insurance reasons they don’t loan out tools, and that they could do it for me for a few dollars. This really annoyed me, because I didn’t have my wallet and wasn’t expecting to pay for something so insignificant. It seems like the gentleman who runs the place doesn’t care to build a rapport with people: he could care less whether you give him your business or not. So I chose not to. I instead drove up to Old Town to Village Cycles where they fixed my issue for free. Like I said, it was very minor, but needed a specific tool. Unfortunately, DJs is pretty much the only place left in Hyde Park, but it surprises me that with the bad customer service, this guy is still in business. I did notice that there’s a sign on the window soliciting workers, which just goes to show that people don’t want to work for this guy, or at least that would be my assumption.

DJ’s is superficially kind to beginners like me. My daughter’s bike had a flat tire. They fixed it in 40 minutes which cost me $ 23 (including labor). But they also told me the chain is too rusty and that’s why the chain went off gear. Fortunately, I decided not to replace it.
I showed the bike to my friend who told me the DJ people didn’t fix it right. The chain got stuck (off the gear) because the chain is too loose. My friend made the chain tight by pushing the rear wheel backward, which took only 5 minutes.
I don’t think the DJ was trying to rip me off. But who wants to go to a bike shop where a problem is replaced by another problem?
I saw the staff was very kind to those who seem to know very well about bikes. Maybe it’s their thing – the kind of experience and feeling that can be shared by people with the same interest. And the price is o.k.
If you have a nice and expensive bike, I think DJ is the place you’re looking for. But if you are a newbie like me, you would want to find other means – searching youtube, calling friends, buying a new used one, etc.

DJ is great. He works to get you back riding with exactly what’s needed. He has never tried to up sell me on something extra. I appreciate that and his pricing is so reasonable. I am glad he is there to keep my bike rolling.

I took my bicycle in and had it tuned up in two days. The staff is pleasant, the prices are reasonable, and it’s good to have a bike shop in Hyde Park.

I’ve been in here a few times. It’s not a place to shop for accessories (like locks or other basics) as they have no selection and the staff can provide few details regarding what limited stock is on hand. I’ve had a bike serviced here and the very nice young man who did the work actively harmed the 3-​speed gears, introducing a new problem where there had been none before. On other occasions, I’ve shopped for basics and had, if not quite rude service, at least unhelpful and gruff. If your bike breaks in Hyde Park and you have no other option, well, I guess this is your place. Otherwise, I can’t see a reason to come in.

Recently bought a used bike and needed to get the inner tubing replaced on the front tire. 6:50 $ for the tubing and 10 $ labour which was ok. People who worked there were friendly and they were quick. Took about 20 – 30 minutes since there were other bikes to be worked on. Got a u lock there as well but was rather pricey at 35 $. Could have gotten it elsewhere for cheaper but it was convenient since I was already there. The assistant there even showed me how to best use the u lock and opened the door for me on the way out.

So nice and helpful! I see reviews about the people here being mean or gruff– I can see how some people may think that, but *I* see them as a kindly sort of gruff, kinda like a grandad or something. Anyways very knowledgable. Their policy is that you pay after the bike is fixed, which I think is indicative of their integrity. It reassures me that I won’t be cheated out of my money and makes me feel a lot more comfortable leaving my bike in their hands. It’s also at a convenient location because I can shop for groceries at treasure island when I wait for my repairs. This place is great!

Expensive (compared to other shops), like $ 20 just to change a tube and $ 35 for a new seat mount (not a new seat, just the mount), but the service is legit. The most legitimate bike service in Hyde Park.
Worth the extra $$, especially considering Blackstone is not any cheaper, and the repairs are far inferior.

DJ is a true expert when it comes to bike repairs. He will thoroughly explain to you the mechanics of what went wrong, what are some possible fixes, and basically anything relevant to your situation if you ask.
I went in to get a full tuneup for my trusty steed after the brutal Chicago winter, and not only was the service professional, friendly, and prompt (2 days!), but he also added some grease and slapped on a 30-​day warranty to ensure that there are no malfunctions.
It is well worth the money to get your bike fixed here – anything from (free) air to major surgery, DJ’s your guy.

Let me just start by saying that when I first went to DJ’s I was a huge newbie when it came to bicycle repair. I asked a lot of questions, none of which DJ (or his equally impatient and rude sidekick) seemed happy answering.
I also went in to loosen my back wheel to decrease the tension on my chain and the sidekick tried to charge me $ 20. He wouldn’t lend me any of his tools either. I understand that part, I guess, but the $ 20 for simple labor like that left me feeling frustrated and cheated.
I suppose since they were the only bike shop in Hyde Park they felt like it was OK to be rude, but I’ve discovered others now and haven’t been back since.
I can’t say much about the things they sell because I don’t know much about bikes, but they are not nice at all. And they require a $ 10 minimum to pay with a credit card.
I would recommend making the trip to 61^st and Blackstone to Blackstone Bicycle Works to get your biked fixed or buy new parts. The staff are infinitely kinder/​patient and reasonable when it comes to cost of labor.

I loved this place. I’m literally only giving it 4 stars because it does have a meager inventory. But I still managed to get everything I needed (a basket, kickstand, and air in my tires) and left with my bike within 20 minutes. The guy even taught me how to put air in my tires so I wouldn’t be charged.
The staff was fun, funny, and helpful. Don’t be turned off by a little Southside sass!
Overall, I look forward to returning here for my bike needs!

DJ’s is a bike repair shop. They do good work.
A few other reviews called them no-​nonsense and efficient… I would call them rude and greedy. Before I had learned the art of replacing an innertube, I went in to have my innertube replaced. The owner was curt and my overall interaction with him was as if I was inconveniencing him by visiting his shop.
I ended up leaving my wheel with him and came back the next day to pick it up, at which point they told me I had to pay a storage fee for leaving it overnight… The kids at the counter were just as rude as DJ himself.
Edit: other people I’ve spoken with have similar sentiments. The owner comes off as constantly annoyed and entitled to yet another fee. You can certainly be nickel and dimed out of your budget easily at DJ’s.

Efficient, effective, and no-​nonsense.
Went in with a flat front tire and walked out under ten minutes later with a new tube on the front wheel. Tube cost $ 6.50 and labor cost $ 10. Fast and affordable — all I can ask for, really. Selection of accessories (seats, locks, whatnot) is pretty limited, but I’d probably order those kinds of things on Amazon anyway.