Another Nihao Article on bikes!

Heritage Bike Shop and General Store

            If you are tired of the typical American shopping experience that consists of: drive to the mall, head to the box store, buy a weak latte from the chain café, get lost in the aisles, and spend the afternoon waiting in line for a cashier whose main priority is getting rid of you –then maybe you should explore the laid back “Ma and Pa” small business world of Chicago. Ma and Pa’s champion personal service, high quality goods, and an emphasis on being part of the community. To see these values at work, take a trip to Lincoln Park and visit Heritage Bike Shop and General Store, the paragon of shop-local values.

            Heritage began as an artisanal bicycle manufacturing company three years ago with the goal of providing locally made and affordable transportation. The “Pa” half, Michael Salvatore, learned his trade in New York in 2008 and moved to Chicago with his wife Melissa to start the business. “No two bikes come out the same,” says Alan, company mechanic. The bikes are (full disclosure) far from exquisite trophies. They are heavy, the welds are thick and the paint is plain, but a complete bike starts at around $650, which is not bad for a one-of-a-kind hand-made machine you can ride hard every day.

The do-it-yourself theme goes beyond bicycle fabrication. The owners and staff build all the tables, workbenches and shelves in-shop using recycled wood. Most of the antique decorations come from Michael’s grandfather’s family home a few neighborhoods away.  As Alan says, “Locally hand-crafted is kind of our motto.” Follow him to the back and there is a moodily lit room adorned by rich oak display cases where local crafters display their wares, “t-shirts, clothes, all our stuff is made locally.” “And we give recommendations; we’re very sociable” adds Miles, Alan’s kid protégé, learning the bike mechanic trade like an old fashioned apprentice.

Beyond bikes, Heritage is a full-service coffee shop, with espresso, sandwiches, and free Wi-Fi. The cafe aspect of the shop started as a side project to make the shop more of a figure in the community, but has grown to become the main draw of the store. Bike fixes come with a free cup of coffee and on nice days you can sit on the outdoor patio and watch the bikers ride by.  

Business is good for the Salvatores and getting better. The boutique clothing company Pan-Am commissioned a custom bike for marketing, as did the Microsoft Corporation. The shop has invested in a laser cutter to increase the precision of the bicycle tooling and the general quality has vastly improved from earlier models. Like a young maple, Heritage is the kind of place that a regular visitor to Chicago can watch grow; the kind of place where you can get to know the owners and expect that they will be around for a long time. Think of Heritage Bike Shop and General Store not so much as a retail operation, but more of an institution in the making.

Open daily from 7am to 8pm at 2959 N. Lincoln Avenue. Call 773-245-3005 for more information.