The Pony Shop

The Pony Shop has been in Evanston since 1969, and the brand wall tells you who walks through the door: Santa Cruz, Cervelo, Colnago, Pivot. This is a performance shop that also welcomes commuters, but the focus is serious cycling.

Owner Lou Kuhn keeps year-round mechanics on staff -- not seasonal hires -- and they'll even build up a Canyon ordered online, which says something about priorities over brand loyalty. An independent shop that's survived 55 years by being good at what it does, not by chasing trends.