TUCSON, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Transit Cycles, slated to open at the end of January, will be the first shop in Tucson to focus solely on transportation cycling. Owner Duncan Benning, a 19-year veteran of the bike industry, has wanted to open a shop since he was in high school.
“I’ve worked in bike shops in Tucson for years,” said Benning. “And my idea of what kind of shop I wanted to open has changed over time. There is a growing commuter market here, and I want to help cyclists who are riding bikes to get from point A to point B.”
Besides working in retail, Benning also worked for Genuine Innovations and helped open two Trek concept stores in Tucson.
Transit Cycles will carry Linus, Xtracycle, Velo Orange and Surly, and will be the first retailer to sell custom bikes from Heritage Bicycles outside of the company’s proprietary stores in Chicago.
“The owner of Heritage and his wife were in Tucson looking for a cargo bike to rent. I happened to see it on Facebook and ended up loaning him mine,” said Benning. “Things just evolved from there, and Heritage is a really good fit for the shop.”
The 500-square-foot store is the only bike shop on Tucson’s west side. Benning said that many people in the city ride out of necessity for economic reasons. “People in the neighborhood are excited to have a shop nearby, making it easier to maintain the bike they use for transportation,” he said.
Benning will handle both sales and service as the store’s sole employee. A grand-opening celebration will be held sometime this spring.
