Downers Grove native opens bike shop in downtown

Andrew Almazan is an avid cyclist, and now he has a business to share that love with the town he calls home.

RTT Cycle Shop, 5116B Main St., Downers Grove, sells bicycles and accessories and performs maintenance on bikes.

The store will have a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9, although it’s already open for business.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a bike shop,” said Almazan, who has lived in Downers Grove for 30 years.

RTT stands for Race Time Transport, the name of Almazan’s other business of transporting bicycles for competitive events around the country.

Almazan has worked in the bicycle industry for 10 years. He started looking for a space for his shop six months ago and was drawn to the downtown Downers Grove location. Although the shop has a Main Street address, the storefront is on the other side of the building, facing the Downers Grove Public Library parking lot.

Almazan said the store’s location allows customers to ride or drive up to the front of the shop to bring in their bikes for service.

“Accessibility is the biggest reason I wanted that location,” he said. “There was an opportunity to get an actual Main Street building, but you would have to circle around to find a parking spot.”

Almazan said he has been riding bikes with friends around Downers Grove since he was young. While it was his main means of transportation as a kid, now he does it for fun.

“Just being out riding a bike is relaxing,” he said. “You kind of forget about everything. You focus on riding.”

As a longtime cyclist in town, he felt the downtown area needed a bike shop.

Bill Chalberg, president of the Downers Grove Bicycle Club, said it's good to have a new bike shop in the downtown.

“The club welcomes the shop with open arms,” he said.

Almazan wants to be known as a community shop. His family and friends helped him open the business.

He said some customers at bike shops can be intimidated by employees who know more about bikes, so he tries not to talk down to anyone.

“I want to make sure everyone can come and leave with a positive vibe,” he said.

With spring on the horizon, Almazan said it’s important to make sure a bicycle is in good working order, just as with any other vehicle, before taking it out for a spin.

“If you don’t have a good working bike, you’re not going to enjoy bike riding,” he said.

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Club collecting used bikes for charity

The Downers Grove Bicycle Club will host a bike drive on behalf of Working Bicycles during its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. April 12 at Emmett’s Ale House, 5200 Main St.

Working Bicycles collects used bicycles and sends them to countries in Africa and Central America, where they are rebuilt and given to people who need them for transportation.

Downers Grove Bicycle Club president Bill Chalberg said it doesn’t matter what condition the donated bicycle is in because parts can be used to build bicycles.

“If it has no pedals, no tires, no seat, it’s not a problem,” he said.

He said some of the people who will use the rebuilt bicycles are nurses who will be able to see more patients in a day with the vehicle.

“The bicycle in Africa can be a very useful tool and make [residents] more productive,” he said.

For more information on the club, visit www.downersgrovebicycleclub.org