NOBLE SQUARE — Chicago has plenty of bike shops but none for the BMX community.
That will change in mid-August with the opening of Let's Roast Cycles, a new sales and repair shop headed up by Bob Delaat, 27, and Logan Beyhl, 26, two dirt bikers.
Perhaps the opposite of the city bike share program's comfy Divvy cruisers, which are designed for commuting, BMX bikes sit low to the ground and are designed for stunts on dirt jumps and off-road motorcross rides.
In addition to selling and repairing BMX bikes out of the 1,600-square-foot storefront, Let's Roast will be stocked with brands like Fairdale, a commuter cycle popular with BMX riders who need a bike for easy riding on city streets, Behyl said.
"We will be BMX focused, but we are also able to repair all types of bikes," Behyl said.
A Ukrainian Village resident, Behyl said he and Delatt selected Milwaukee Avenue for their shop because of the number of cyclists using the street.
"There's over 1,000 bikes during rush hour here, it seemed like a great spot, plus we're next to a great cafe," Beyhl said, referring to neighbor Lovely Bake Shop at 1130 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Beyhl said all bikes in the shop will cost $1,000 or less, with popular BMX brands including Sunday, Animal, and Odyssey starting at around $275.
After living in Austin, Texas where he was working for manufacturer Sunday Bikes in their warranty and repair department, Beyhl moved back to Chicago in April to launch the shop with partner Delaat, who is a pro BMX biker and a member of Sunday Bike's pro trail team.
The men met while working at Ray's MTB mountain bike park in Cleveland, Ohio and also volunteer at "The Garden," a dirt jump park at 3400 N. Rockwell St. in Roscoe Village's Clark Park.
The name Let's Roast pays homage to a defunct magazine he and Delaat used to publish for the BMX community, Behyl said.
Let's Roast Cycles, 1116 N. Milwaukee Ave. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday- Sunday. No phone yet, but follow the shop on its Facebook page or Twitter, @LetsRoastCycles.
