TALENT, OR (BRAIN)—Like many bicycle retailers, Flywheel Bicycle Solutions will close up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. But when the 6-year-old shop reopens Dec. 3, it will be in a new location that is more than twice its current size.
The 1,500-square-foot space will allow Flywheel to display 20 to 30 bikes, up from the current 10 to 15, and expand its service area to two work stations. “Hopefully we’ll have someone else who can wrench as well,” said owner Ian Bagshaw, who currently runs Flywheel as a one-man show.
Flywheel is the lone bike shop in Talent, Oregon, a town of about 7,000 just south of Medford and north of Ashland, and deals mainly in Felt road and cross-country mountain bikes, with some Redline, Surly and Foes sprinkled into the mix. “I just placed my biggest preseason order ever with Felt” in preparation for the larger store, Bagshaw said.
He’s also looking forward to expanding the basic bike maintenance classes he holds for customers. “I’ve done a few repair classes at my old shop, but due to space you could only have about four people at a time. Now I’ll be able to do eight to 10,” Bagshaw added.
The new shop on Pacific Highway, with its 20-car parking area, will also be more accessible for customers, who until now have had to battle for downtown parking at the smaller location. Inside, the extra space will provide a more relaxing atmosphere, said Bagshaw, who is building a 12-foot-long counter with bar stools in front of his service area where customers will be able to brew their own coffee and, eventually, watch cycling races on an overhead television while their bikes get serviced.
