Bicyclists looking for a way to make their ride stand out from the rest have local options.

North Central Cyclery, 534 E. Lincoln Highway, Blue Moon Bikes, 211 W. State St., Sycamore, and the roving Mobile Bike Command (based in DeKalb) provide great opportunities for anything from customization to simple tune-ups to offering a bit of cycling history.

North Central Cyclery offers full tune-ups and overhauls and will repair any make and model you can get to the shop. They also sell stock bikes and custom builds outfitted with new parts.

They deal largely in the following brands: Trek, Orbea, Gary Fisher and Surly, which range from sleek road models to rugged mountain varieties.

“We’ve got a basement full of parts here. We can order just about any part anyone wants, as well,” said Jay Barre, an employee at North Central. “Most of the time, we’re doing tune-ups and refurbishes, such as removing the rust from old bikes.”

The Mobile Bike Command is the cyclist’s version of a house-call doctor. Call owner Steve Munton, and he will come to you with tools and parts.

“We do tune-ups, fix flats, safety checks; we’ll assemble a bike you already bought, anything a bike shop can do,” Munton said. “We do mostly repair work; we’ll make sure everything’s adjusted just right for you.”

The wooden floors of Blue Moon Bikes are stocked with Schwinn, Haro and Diamondback bicycles, some built for speed, some for comfort and some for two people.

Many folks come in to buy the newer, sleeker models and to outfit them with computer systems and lights - their most popular accessory.

But Blue Moon is not just a shop. While it does have a full range of parts complete with mirrors, faux mufflers and low-rider chrome, it’s also a museum.

“I’ve been collecting these vintage bikes for about 12 years now,” said Rod Griffis, owner of Blue Moon, about his Schwinn Sting-Rays. “I’ve done quite a bit of buying in that time.”

The two top floors of Blue Moon make up a vintage bicycle museum. The star attraction is the amassing of hundreds of Schwinn Sting-Rays hailing from 1963-83.

Rows of primary-colored frames, sparkling banana seats and chopper-esque chrome handlebars line the floors.

These approximately 350 collectible rides are strictly part of Griffis’ collection.

“For a while, I think buying bikes was about all I did,” Griffis said. “But it really makes up the four rows of fun we’ve got here.”

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