Stir crazy customers put pressure on bike shop

As he deals with the coronavirus pandemic, Wayne Mikes has two big concerns for his Palatine bicycle business.

Actually three concerns. Maybe four.

The first is the same concern that everyone has: keeping his shop clean for the safety of his customers and eight employees. The second is something he doesn't have much control over.

“People are stir crazy,” he said. “They can't stay home forever. Their sanity level is taxed.”

Wayne owns Mikes Bikes, where he has already seen a rush of customers eager to get their bicycles ready for sanity-stabilizing trips around the block.

Indeed his shop is busy with employees filling tires with air, oiling chains and tightening spokes. He tells of a woman dragging two broken 20-inch kids bikes with her antsy sons into the store.

“She said she needed them fixed so she can get the kids outside because they were making her crazy in the house,” he said.

The trade tariffs with China caused his third concern: a breakdown in the supply chain to get the bike parts he needs has collided with the steady stream of customers bringing their bicycles in for repairs and tuneups.

“The backlog for fixing bikes has been huge,” he said. “There will be a lot of shortages in the next month or so,” he said.

Wayne took over the business his father started 61 years ago and he will sell Mikes Bikes to his son Matthew later this summer.

But they have been so busy they haven't yet signed the papers to make it official.

• Do you know of a suburban small business with a compelling story to tell about working through the pandemic? Send photo director Jeff Knox a detailed email with LIFE'S WORK in the subject line at jknox@dailyherald.com, and we'll consider it.