The Village Pedaler started in Crystal Lake Illinois in 1976 when Richard Wallace purchased Gambel's Hardware Store. The hardware store was a Schwinn bicycle dealer and a small corner of the store was dedicated to the display and sale of bicycles. That same year, Mr. Wallace closed the hardware store and converted the space into the Village Pedaler Bike Shop. In 1977 he opened a second location on the east side of Saint Charles, Illinois.

In the fall of 1979, Mr. Wallace sold the Crystal Lake location to Jeff Crittenden and his Family. Jeff had been working for Mr. Wallace through his college years. In 1981 the Crittendens purchased the Saint Charles location.

Over the next few years, two more locations were added in Hanover Park and South Elgin. The Saint Charles location was also moved to the west side of town. By the mid-eighties, the Village Pedaler was consistently one of the top Schwinn dealers, holding the title for 13 consecutive years.

The Village Pedaler went on to add other bicycle brands such as Specialized and Giant. Numerous other accessory brands were added to become the multi-brand, full-service bike shop it is today.

Later a new building was constructed and the locations were combined into the current location just off Randall Road in South Elgin, Illinois.

Finally, in 2021 Jimmy Russell and his family purchased the Village Pedaler from Jeff Crittenden. Jimmy worked at the Village Pedaler for almost 2 years and graduated from the prestigious Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs before acquiring the business. Jimmy Russell and his trusted team have a passion for the bike business, the experience, and the industry specific education and training to build on the successful business Richard Wallace and Jeff Crittenden passed along to them.