EVANSTON, ILL., (January 29, 2011) — With the cycling movement sweeping the nation, and two-wheeled transport becoming a favorite way to get around, the Evanston and surrounding communities have another option for where to take their bikes to get flats fixed, a much-needed tune-up, or a bright new light. Bucephalus Bikes, located at 1532 Crain, on the southeast corner of Crain and Florence in Evanston, offers a selection of restored bikes, cycling accessories, and friendly service for bikes of every vintage, model and condition.
In its new space since October of 2010, Bucephalus Bikes will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, February 12, 8AM to 6PM with discounts and drawings for prizes to welcome new and existing customers.
Owned and operated by two architects and cycling aficionados, Bucephalus Bikes aims to service a clientele of cyclists from the beginner to the enthusiast. “We promote ridership and want to provide friendly service and selection to everyone who rides a bike — no matter how frequently, or which bike,” said co-owner Alex Añón. “This is a great option for everyone, whether they’re on a high-end road bike, or a garage sale special. Cycling is inclusive and we hope to provide an experience that isn’t intimidating, but inviting.”
An Evanston resident and life-long cyclist since his boyhood in Uruguay, Añón, his wife and four sons use bicycles as their primary mode of transport and they have been living car-free for the past 13 years. Añón and business partner, Ryan Pavlik, first opened the shop in a small garage space on Greenleaf, but were soon in need of larger space to meet demand. They eventually found their new location, and with two in-house architects at the helm, quickly retrofitted the space to meet their needs, customizing the off-the-beaten-path, but easily-identified shop entrance with two orange bicycle wheels flanking the doorway.
Bucephalus Bikes will offer bike sales and service including safety and maintenance tune-ups, overhauls, custom wheel building, frame swaps, conversions, and custom bike building. “We’ll also put on training wheels, or fit bikes for kids that are moving up a size.”
“We think that Bucephalus will appeal to cyclists of all types,” said co-owner Ryan Pavlik, who began working on bikes beginning with his first 1982 Schwinn Thrasher, and never stopped. Pavlik, walks the talk, or rides the ride, and commutes to Evanston each day from his home in the South Loop of Chicago… year-round.
The shop’s name and logo muse, Bucephalus, literally translated from Ancient Greek, means “ox head” and was the name of Alexander the Great’s horse, which, according to legend was exceptionally loyal. In the 1930’s, Fred Birchmore, a cycling enthusiast from Athens, Georgia, traveled around the world on his “two-wheeled companion” he named Bucephalus. Now 99-years-old, Birchmore recently answered a letter from Añón, saying that he no longer rides since “traffic is bad,” but has many happy memories, and that the original Bucephalus bicycle is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian.
For more information about Bucephalus Bikes, a list of services and pricing, or to join a mailing list for upcoming events and specials, please visit on the web at www.bucephalusbikes.com, or www.oxbikes.com, or [email protected] or call (847) 864-0924.
