Awards & Testimonials
Awards
Picked Best Bike Shop by both the AR Democrat-Gazette and the AR Times over the last 11 years, we want to extend our gratitude to our loyal customers and staff for making this possible. We have been picked as one of Top 100 bike shops in the US by our industry the last two years, and enjoy great relationships with our many suppliers.
Testimonials
"I just wanted to send a quick note to the cycling community about the great service I received from Chainwheel and Cannondale. I took my bike in for routine maintenance and Bill at Chainwheel found a crack in my frame. Long story short I now have a new 2011 high mod frame and matching fork replacing my 2008 frame that I did not even know was cracked. after 3 years of hard riding I have a new bike for almost no cost to me. I read some horror stories on the net about bike companies not standing behind their products, particularly concerning cracked frames. Replacing Hi mod with low mod, not replacing forks etc. Nothing could be further from the truth in my case. We have a great cycling community here in Arkansas, made possible by great bikes companies and bike shops." - Darin H
"I purchased my 2011 Trek 7.2FX a couple of months ago from you guys. I had the choice to shop at a few other places and chose your shop based on your service. Your people are great, fun, educated and knowledgable folks that made making my purchase so much easier." - Patrick B."I have been remiss in not sending you this note sooner. As you may recall, you took time to do a technical fit for me on my road and TT bike. After being fit several times over my 20 year racing career I still did not have the fit that I felt gave me the ability to fully utilize my muscle groups properly. In fact, I have been fit by Dr. Pruitt in Boulder, Co., John Cobb, and a plethora of other specialists in bike fit. None of them seem to put me in a position to work all of my muscles efficiently. Currently, I race the category 3 and Masters categories in crits, TT’s and road races.
"When I started riding my new time trial bike, I was amazed how fast I could go. The only problem was that I could not stay in the aerodynamic position for more than 5 minutes. My back would start to hurt, my butt would hurt, my arms would hurt. So----the bike was useful for a short 100 yard time trial--not a very common event.
Multiple triathletes in the area suggested a deluxe fitting with Pat Barron at Chainwheel. I figured if these triathletes could stay in the aeroposition for over 100 miles, there must be something to it.
"I originally heard of the Retul Bike Fitting system from friends and fellow riders who had been fitted at Chainwheel and who reported very positive results with respect to an improvement in riding comfort and power output performance. As a cyclist keen on obtaining any improvement possible, the possibility of an increase of power with some modifications to bike fit was an attractive enticement.
"Pat Barron and Retul helped me enjoy riding again. My left hand -- and, strangely, only my left hand -- would go numb during rides. I tried a myriad of gloves, bar wrap, riding positions, core strengthening exercises, seat position tweaks, even doctor visits trying to alleviate the problem. Over a few Retul sessions with Pat we found a position that worked. I now ride with no wrist numbness whatsoever -- and am turning in my best times ever.
"My Retul session was very beneficial. Pat's attention to the details of my bike fit along with the software tool made the session highly professional. I left the session with an extra level of confidence in my bike knowing that my setup was right, which has translated into improvements out on the road. - Chuck C.
"I have completed four Ironman triathlons WITHOUT a proper bike fitting! So when Retul became available at Chainwheel, I was excited! My first goal was to alleviate and hopefully eliminate shoulder, neck, knee and hamstring pain when training for my 2010 Ironman! The bike fitting service is not only for endurance athletes, but also for ANYBODY who rides a bike!! why we be uncomfortable when you ride? My second goal was to be faster! and my last goal was to achieve a powerful yet aero position. Comfort, speed, power and aerodynamics are interrelated when riding long and achieving that perfect balance is unique to the individual rider. Chainwheel's bike fit personnel understood my goals and worked with me patiently. Now when I ride "Lucky" (my tri bike), I feel like we are one machine out on the roads!! So no matter if you are brand new owner of a bike or a seasoned athlete, a professional bike fit is just gonna feel SO MUCH BETTER! Looking for optimal speed this next season? get the bike fit!." - Marianne P.
"I am so excited! My average power was 204 compared to 194 before. It is so much more comfortable- no pain at all- that I don't get fatigued as easily either. My subsequent intervals are stronger as well because I am not mentally exhausted from thinking about how much pain I am in! David W is very grateful too. He said that the 80 mile ride on Saturday was the first long ride on my tt bike that I had not complained!" - Jo S..
"I have been extremely happy with my Retul session. To say the session was thorough would be an understatement. This fit is all about the details, and for me that was important. As a taller rider, finding a bike that fits, and getting "fit" for a bike are two distinctly different challenges. I wanted to learn as much as I could about where my optimal riding position should be, and address some leg issues as well. Pat went over everything and took time to answer all of my questions. My adjustments were minor but they made a huge difference in my overall comfort level. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get the most out of their riding position on the bike." - Jeff H.
"On a flat 70.3 course, I didn't have a bit of problem staying aero the whole time ( ok, ok, so maybe you (Pat) were right and there's really not supposed to be all this neck pain!). It was my fastest 56 miler yet, with a headwind over 3/4 of the time. Retul was a great investment. New fit is great! I really appreciate all you've done with this. Sometime I will be looking to schedule a fit on my road bike as well." - Heather B.
"I'm a data geek -- there, I said it. That's partly due to my fascination with all the little details, but it's mostly about me being a big guy in a sport dominated by feather weights: If I can find an advantage I'll take it. Since I don't get to train as often as I'd like, it's important for me to squeeze the most out of every minute I have on the bike. That's exactly what your Retul fitting has helped me to do. Somehow, you've managed to put me in a position that's both more aggressive and more comfortable, and that bodes well for the coming season. You've also improved my flying left knee and eliminated the knee discomfort I was getting from hard interval training. My knees thank you daily."
