







UPDATE: Bike shop now open. Cosmic Bikes will hold an open house at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 15. 4641 N. Milwaukee Ave., across from Wilson Park.

by BRIAN NADIG

A 3,700-square-foot bike shop will open this spring in a vacant storefront in the Jefferson Park commercial district.

Cosmic Bikes will operate in a storefront underneath Chris’ Billiards, 4641 N. Milwaukee Ave. The last tenant in the storefront was a Halloween costume store, which was open seasonally and which closed several years ago.

"We hope to open by the end of April because the season already is under way," Justyna Frank said. Frank owns the store with Chris Stodder.

The two previously owned a bike shop in Wicker Park, but it closed after about 20 years in business. When the shop opened in 1994, there was not a lot of nearby competition, but an increasing number of bike stores have since opened around Downtown Chicago, Frank said.

Reasonable rents and proximity to her Northwest Side home made Jefferson Park an attractive location for the new store, Frank said. "This space is extremely affordable," she said. "We could never afford a space this size where we came from. Everyone has been very welcoming."

Plans call for the store to offer bike repair and assembly services and to sell a variety of bicycles, including racing, children’s and cargo. Recumbent bikes and folding bikes also will be available, Frank said.

Frank said they also are considering selling of scooters and renting bicycles, possibly next year. "It’s going to be one day at a time," she said.