about us
The Bicycle Hub is a family-run, independently owned bicycle sales and service shop located in small-town Northern Illinois. We are a certified, full-service shop focused on integrity, professionalism, and fun! We love helping families and individuals get out on their bicycles to stay active, make memories, and find adventure.
Being an independent shop means we don’t have to push you towards a purchase just to meet a quota. We partner with brands that will best serve our customers, and don’t have any sales requirements placed upon us. We love being able to help you find the ride that meets your needs!
Your experience at our shop is our top priority, and we strive for quality and excellence in every single repair. Our trustworthy mechanics take pride in getting the job done right, and getting you back out riding!
We are convinced the Midwest has more natural beauty than meets the eye, and we want to help you get out and explore it!
We are your local bike shop.
Richard has had a passion for bicycles since he learned how to ride one at 2 years old. Growing up on a farm in nearby Ridott, IL, he spent much of his childhood building dirt jumps beside the shed and riding with his friends. As a young adult, he attended the United Bicycle Institute and worked as a bicycle mechanic in Rockford. Rich took over The Bicycle Hub in 2021, after its previous owner passed away. He enjoys all aspects of running the shop: sales conversations, working on repairs, crunching the numbers, and meeting with the community. Now a dad of 5, he is ecstatic about running a small family business and sharing his passion with his own kids and families in the community.
Who We Are
Richard Backeberg
Certified Bicycle Mechanic, UBI 2010
Sarah has fond memories of bicycle rides on gravel roads beside cornfields and country cemeteries as a young adult. Now a mother of 5, her work at the shop is mostly behind-the-scenes. Sarah helps with organization and the tech side of things and is excited to make your shop experience personal and seamless both online and in the store.
sarah Backeberg
The storefront is currently located in the old train depot building of the Interurban Railroad that ran from Rockford to Freeport in the early 1900s. This electric rail system enjoyed major popularity until the rise of the automobile in the 1920s. The Pecatonica Depot is one of the last remaining stations still standing from this rail system.
The Pecatonica Prairie Trail closely follows the route that this rail system ran along, passing right before the current storefront. In restoring this building and converting it to a retail space, we have sought to honor the history that is here. We hope our shop serves the community and the rail-to-trail biking system in a way that aligns with the history of the train depot and rail line that ran through Pecatonica so many years ago!
Our Location
