The Pony Shop has been serving the cycling needs of Chicago's North Shore since 1969. Our staff provides Chicagoland’s cyclists – from mountain bikers and racers to casual riders, families and kids – professional yet friendly service. The Pony Shop’s philosophy is simple: provide the best service by hiring and keeping the best staff around, allowing them to bring in innovative products for our customers to try and purchase. We believe in, ride and use the same products we sell to you.

Our Staff

Lou Kuhn, Owner

Lou grew up in Naperville Illinois. He moved to Evanston from Chicago to manage The Pony Shop in 1995. Lou started hanging around in bicycles stores when he was twelve, and thanks to a couple of very patient young bicycle store owners, learned to work on his own bike and build wheels when he was thirteen. From then on he's always had a job in the bicycle industry, part time during school, and full time since then.

Lou loves the mechanics of cycling. He's always had a knack for working with his hands, and combined with his love of riding, being a bicycle mechanic came very easily to him. He also enjoys continuing his education with cycling.

"Things are always changing and I feel it is very important to continue to learn and improve as a mechanic. I was the first person ever to pass the BSE, bicycle standard of excellence test, which is a way to standardize the level of mechanic a person is. The auto and ski industry have had similar tests for years, and I feel the bike industry will soon follow suit."

As much as Lou loves working with bikes, he has chosen to stay with the retail side of the business, as opposed to taking opportunities to work out on the road with teams, or within larger corporations. Lou loves retail, loves working with customers and really being able to help them enjoy the sport he loves. This enjoyment has kept him at The Pony Shop, and he purchased the store from the origional owner in 2004.

Lou's riding experience includes years of racing mountain bikes, cyclocross (Lou was the 2007 Illinois State Cyclocross Champion in the Masters 30+ category), and on the track. He hasn't quite been tempted to the road racing scene yet, but that might change. He truly loves to race cyclocross and since it takes place in the fall and winter, he has more time to race and not take time away from his customers.

John (aka the Local Trailboss and Service Magician)

I would like to first thank everyone who stood behind me and helped me out after fracturing my pelvis towards the end of the 2007 season:

• Lou Kuhn for making sure that I had a job after the crash
• Nick Martin and Jeremey Peters for swinging by everyday with food and beer, and for not leaving me to die on that bench at Kettle
• Jesse Neuhaus for all the skate videos to keep me occupied and his tall tales about his various women
• Chris Carlson for always being down to chill, Tony Koerner for the rides to work. (Wish I saw you more)
• All my sponsors for sticking with me. Yeti Cycles, SRAM, J.P.S., Pony Shop, W.T.B. Tommys Grill, Chavez#1, Kenda Tires, Bell Helmets, NOW Vitamins

This season has been going pretty well so far. I've already got 30 total rides in as of September 8th, 2008. A few even happened to be out in Durango, Colorado with Jeremey Peters and Worlds Team member Ryder Okumura.

The season hasn't been to kind to some of my riding buddies. I hope for a speedy recovery for Nick Martin who suffered a devastating injury. He managed to pop/separate his shoulder while out riding the Monarch Crest Trail towards the end of Summer. I'm hoping to see him back up and at them before the end of this season.

• Current Crushes: Lindsay Lohan, Niki Guddex, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Obama, Rhiana, Mary Kate Olson, Beyonce, Hayden Paniterre, Ana Davalantes, Ana Faris, Jennie Garth, Charlotte Ronson, Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Diane Sawyer, girls who play instruments
• Favorite People to Ride with: Jeremey Peters, Nick Martin, Ryder Okumura, Jesse Neuhaus, Harlan Thompson
• Favorite Bike: Yeti
• Favorite Color: Yeti Pink
• Least Favorite Bike: Turner Bicycles
• Least Favorite Color: Purple
• Favorite Streets: Damen Ave, Grand Ave, Randolph, Divison St. Fulton Market, Ravenswood
• Least Favorite Streets: Western Ave, Ashland Ave, Warren Blvd. Ridge ave, Granville.
• Least Favorite thing to work on: Anything fix gear, Anything older than 1997, any tandem bicycle. Also bikes with I.G.H. Hubs or Dynamos. Bikes purchased at department stores and also purchased at Working Bikes
• Favorite T.V. Shows: BBC World News, TMZ, Carrier, Prison Break, Globe Trekker, Airwolf, A-Team, Miami Vice, Simply Ming, V the Series, Bears games, Terminator the Sarah Conner Chronicals, Cheers
• Favorite Movies: Red Dawn, Roadhouse, F1irst, Seasons, Full Metal Jacket, Zoolander, Lifeboat, Terminator, The Larry Hoover Story, Scarface, Goodfellas, Casino
• Favorite Restaurants/Dinners: Tommys Grill, LuLu's, Bella Notte, Sultans Market, Chavez#1, and anything that comes off my bbq
• Least Favorite Restaurants: Noodle Garden, La Scarola, Leonas, Pita Petes, the Northside, Nobu.
• Favorite pair of Jeans: Citizens of Humanity or Taverneti/L.A. Denim
• Favorite Bears Quarterback: Kyle Orton
• Least Favorite Bears Quarterback: Rex Grossman
• Favorite Midwest Trails: Anything at Fort Custer minus "The Highway" the majority of Palos. And the Emma Carlin side of Kettle Moraine, Yankee Springs
• Favorite Colorado Trails: Dry Fork to Colorado Trail, Phils World, Hermosa Creek Trail, Test Tracks, Animas Mountain, Molas to Engineer, Horse Gulch, Raiders Ridge
• Favorite Beers: Miller Highlife, Oldstyle, and anything from Ska Brewery in Durango, Colorado. Ranier, 312, Honkers Ale, Goose Island Summertime, Lacrosse Lager
• Least favorite Beer: Budweiser, Guinness,Miller Lite/MGD, Sam Addams, Blue Moon
• Favorite Websites: CNN.com The Superficial.com Craigslist, theroadislife.blogspot.com. Spokejunkies.com liveleak.com youtube.com
• Favorite Musicians: Lil Wayne, Kayne West, G Unit, Nas, Immortal Technique, Wu-Tang Clan, Common, Rhymefest, Foo Fighters, Black Sabbath, Pixies, Rolling Stones, J Dilla
• Least Favorite type of music: Country, Japanese Speed Metal. And, that crap all you kids who live in Wicker Park listen to
• Favorite Neighborhood: The Kinzie
• Least Favorite Neighborhood: Lincoln Park, Wriglyville, Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park Favorite Season: Summer Least Favorite Season: Winter

Also thanks to everyone who voted me Rider of The Year. Your votes mean so much to me and will keep me inspired throughout the rest of the season 2008 season.

And remember its easier to keep up than it is to catch up.