About Our Bike Consultations & Test Rides
Finding a local bike shop you like, trust and can work with is the crucial first step in a successful new bicycle purchase. Bicycles are best sold in a face-to-face transaction with a qualified and engaged salesperson
at a shop that earns your trust.
OK, but why? Fair question:
Bicycles are fundamentally different from any other commonly purchased retail product: unlike jeans, books, pet supplies, or even IKEA furniture, all bicycles require thorough, professional assembly to function properly and safely. We have been putting people on bikes for 30 years, and —regardless of what any manufacturer may tell you, NO BIKE ARRIVES 90% ASSEMBLED.
Selling face-to-face is also the only way we can ensure that we’re doing our job: to make certain that the bicycle you purchase from Cosmic Bikes fits you well, is well suited to your intended use, and that you are familiar with its collection of features and systems.
We are not an anonymous online outfit pulling bikes from a middle-of-nowhere warehouse. We —Justyna and Chris, who run this real brick-and-mortar Chicago neighborhood store— are extremely conscientious, and each have three decades of experience in helping customers find the right bike. We and our staff perform the assembly, fitting, consulting and repair services, to make sure you get the most out of your bike long after you've completed your purchase.
We understand that a specialty bicycle purchase represents a significant investment that is not to be taken frivolously. We promise to work with you before you make a decision to purchase, to ensure that you end up with a solution that fulfills your expectations.
All new bicycles we sell are covered by a comprehensive service and maintenance plan, included in your purchase price:
TEST RIDE & CONSULTATION FEES
What if I just want to browse? I’m not ready to buy.
No problem. You can simply visit us during regular hours and have a look around, or book a Basic Consult/Test Ride appointment. We’ll be happy to answer questions and give you some highlights of the bike or bikes that catch your eye. Should you decide you want to test ride and get more detailed consultation (either right away, or at any point in the future), we can get a bit more formal.
Why should I pay for a test ride?
We give all new customers a free introduction and overview of their desired products. We also offer a free basic consultation and test ride on most of the bikes we carry.
We’ve added a fee for premium personalized consulting & test rides, along with sizing and instruction (if needed). Specialty setups like recumbents & trikes, cargo bikes, folding bikes, and even some standard bikes, may require more time for questions, comparison test rides, sizing and fitting. Our premium service ensures that we give you adequate time and attention.
Need more time? No problem. Additional consultation & test ride time will be billed at at the rate of $150 per hour, in 15-minute increments. You can take all the time you need with your test rides, adjustments and questions, since all consultation fees incurred will be 100% applied to your purchase, so customers who are serious about making a purchase have nothing to lose.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the best use of our time with customers who are committed to making a purchase, and help ensure they are making the right decision before committing to a purchase that may amount to a few thousand dollars.
Fair Competition
We are keenly aware that we’re not the only game in town, and we understand that you may be browsing other local shops before making your purchase decision. We strive to win your business, but we understand there are a number of great local shops that may have products that better meet your needs. This is par for the course.
Unfair Competition
However, we are also keenly aware that there are online distributors (or even manufacturers themselves) who offer to sell products at what seem like more attractive prices, or to sidestep Sales Tax because they’re selling across state lines*. Unfortunately, it is not part of our business model to offer you advice on products you’re thinking of purchasing elsewhere.
If you want to have a local shop that supports the specialty products you like, you need to support your local shop that does that. Consider that when you spend a few thousand dollars on a specialty bike from out of state, the amount you will need to spend to have it serviced locally will far exceed any apparent up-front.savings
If you still plan on making a purchase from a business outside of our local area, and need more advice before making a commitment, here are your options:
Utilize their online resources, videos, support chat or give them a call.
Utilize online enthusiast groups and chats to gather information about you desired product to help you make a decision. This information is likely to be quite subjective.
Visit us, and be upfront about your intent to buy online (or pre-owned, or whatever). We’d be pleased to share our experience and expertise at our regular consulting rate of $150/hour billed in 15 minute increments. It’s a bargain that could save you from buying a $5000 door stop.
*For all the intricacies involving purchasing items “tax-free” across sate lines for use in Illinois, we refer you to the horse’s mouth (Illinois DOR).