Among other services BFF also offers professional bike fitting services. To make an appointment just click on the button below
Gillian came from a career in finance and accounting- commuting by bicycle for most of it! After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes she took to endurance sports and has ironman triathlons, ultra-distance races, marathons and ultra running all under her belt. Gillian also donates her free time as a certified USA triathlon coach to other athletes for the Team to End AIDS program and for Diabetes Training Camp Foundation and is on the board for National Bike Dealers Association (NBDA). https://youtu.be/2qiqtOPWtnk
Angela Chan has more than ten years of experience as a mechanic and shop manager which is the role she is filling for us here. We love how kind and patient she is with customers and her talent for bike builds from the paint job up! She loves to fit a casual bike tour in when she can and she’s also an artist and worked for a year on an outsider art project in Georgia.
Evan joined us earlier this year and already knows more about our bikes than our owner. He is also a kickass graphic designer in case you hadn’t noticed an uptick in our social media content. He also loves to race bikes and is a member of our sponsored racing team XXX Racing.
Lisa has been the light in the store for the last year. Retired and having fun Lisa loves talking about her bikes and why she likes to ride them.
Scott has been a mechanic for ten years. In addition to working on bikes he also has been involved with teaching the trade! When not at BFF you can find Scott around the city on architectural tours. In addition to all that Scott has a passion for architectural photography and has won several awards.
Hayes came to us from Divvy and has not stopped since. You will see Hayes helping out at our group rides (indoor and outdoor) and our Bicycle Anatomy class with Angela. Besides being a kick ass mechanic Hayes’ other jobs include dog walking, line cook, bar tender and most importantly of all is a talented musician. Hayes can be seen playing in his band Sweet Thorns around town.
Hann has been a mechanic for several years and has been a great fit for us at BFF since June 2026.
BFF Bikes was founded by two women, Vanessa and Annie who recognized the need for a strong supportive and encouraging environment for female cyclists regardless of ability. BFF was created to encourage more women to join the cycling movement that our city, state and country is embracing. While remaining a women-focused bike shop, their reputation for being friendly and approachable contributed to its success.
In the fall of 2020, Gillian took the helm as owner of BFF. Gillian has a passion for all things bike whether it be racing, touring, commuting, leisure, hauling groceries, dirt, road...you get the point. “In addition to providing top notch repair service, it is our mission to make sure customers (whether 2 or 102) walk away with the right bike for them.” — Gillian Forsyth, Owner
BFF strives to be the kindest and most approachable shop in Chicago. We really really love bikes, and we know you will too.
Founders of BFF Bikes, Vanessa & Annie
