By: Blanca Flores

Never take for granted what you are good at, someone out there might need your help. This is the case with Sergio Sanchez, a Little Village resident who decided to use his bicycle repairing skills to benefit his family as well as bicycle owners.
Although he only has four months at his shop on Millard and 30th, Sergio Sanchez has more than four years of experience repairing bicycles. He came to Little Village ten years ago from his native Veracruz, Mexico and tries to help those who need help fixing their bicycles.

When I asked why he became interested in fixing bikes he answered, “I wanted to fix bikes because many get thrown out. People do not know where to go to fix their bike’s when something goes wrong and they stop using them and eventually throw them out. It is more expensive to buy a new bike but when you do not know much about bikes or know of a place where someone can tell you what is wrong with it, many give up.”
Together with his father, uncle and wife, Sergio sells and repairs bicycles at his shop on 3056 S. Millard Avenue. “This is the place where I settled and I like it here,” said Sanchez when asked why he decided to open this shop in the Little Village neighborhood.

He works in a bakery but you can find him in the afternoons and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at his bike shop. While Sergio is at the bakery, his father, uncle and wife help him at the shop. Besides selling bicycles, they also sell vacuums, strollers, car seats for babies, and exercise machines.

During the past four months, Sergio has had people from Berwyn, Cicero and Pilsen visit his shop. The most common problems with the bikes he repairs are with the brakes, inner tubes, or wheels. “If business continues to go well, I have been thinking of possibly relocating, maybe move to Cicero and open a bigger shop there. I still have not looked at spaces or rent but it is something that I would like to do.”

The Sanchez family fixes all types of bicycles and try to be reasonable with the prices. “It all depends on the piece, but we do the best that we can,” said Sanchez when I asked him how long it takes to fix a bike, and added, “The older bikes are the easiest to fix. They’re more practical and the parts can be taken off and put on easier that those of newer bikes. We get all types of bikes, for kids and adults, to ride around or to race. If a bike needs a small repair, my wife usually handles it well by herself, she learned the basics already.”
Think two times before you throw away that bike that does not work. Maybe the Sanchez family can repair it.

ComEd is dedicated to supporting small business entrepreneurs, like Sergio, with the Small Business Energy Savings Program. The program is designed to offer guidance and assistance to small business owners who are looking to increase energy savings and make their business more energy efficient. To find out what ComEd has to offer your business, call today at 855-433-2700.