Welcoming Tacoma Bike
Today is about cycling. But, by shear coincidence, we happened into the yet-to-be-opened Tacoma Bike on Puyallup Avenue. The space used to house Corp Logo Ware and will be a beautiful retail space. Tall ceilings with exposed beams. A view of the city. Frontage on a busy road full of those morning commuters.
Owner Mike Brown said that he’s opening the shop after a long career in the wholesale bike industry. Tacoma Bike will carry several name brand product lines as well as rent bicycles for those folks visiting our fair city.
They’re painting the walls now. He hopes to be open by “early December”.
We look forward to seeing the finished shop. Welcome to the neighborhood!
Filed under: biking-tacoma
18 comments
M morgan October 17, 2008
Awesome to finally see some retail over there!
T Tacoma (A)roma October 17, 2008
Yay! I just hope this will be a good alternative to the snobby bike shops in town (Old Town, Rainier Cycle Sports etc)
D Douglas Tooley October 17, 2008
FWIW, it looks the Dome District may well become a destination for outdoor sports retail – perhaps a touch like Greenlake in Seattle.
A Andrew October 18, 2008
This will be a great addition to the neighborhood! I am also glad to see they have a rental component. I think that will do really well by the hour/day in that location if they market it right due to their close proximity to Amtrak, Grehound, and regional buses.
B Bryan October 18, 2008
I looked all over town for a bike to rent last summer when a relative was here – nothing. I’ll know where to go now!
J John October 18, 2008
sooper cool!
R rick October 19, 2008
Good luck to Tacoma Bike… @2 I’ve found the Old Town gang to be quite knowledgable and helpful over the five years I’ve shopped there… and the four bikes I’ve purchased and have had serviced by them. Perhaps you caught someone on a bad day. Or, perhaps you’re one of THOSE customers.
C Christine October 19, 2008
Old Town rocks! The staff has always been helpful and friendly. I don’t know what happened the day Tacoma (A)roma was there.
T Tacoma (A)roma October 19, 2008
Let me clarify. At both Old Town AND Rainier Cycle Sports there has always been 1 person who is courteous. But overall the shops here only appreciate your business if you have a ton of money and don’t like working on your own bicycle.
@Rick: You’ve purchased 4 bicycles at Old Town? Wow. How many are carbon fiber? Do any of them pedal for you?
T Thorax O'Tool October 20, 2008
If the new place has bikes for under $150, I’ll go by and maybe give them some of my business.
Personally, I like Old Town Bike. I’ve been in several times and have been treated well.
But I’ve never bought anything from them just because they’re just too expensive for your average bike shopper in T-town.
…especially in a recession.
R rick October 20, 2008
@9… Well, clearly you ARE one of THOSE customers.
Ohhh, you’re talking about their customers. Funny thing. That’s how the whole bike shop dynamic works. See, the bike shop sells stuff. Bikes, for example. And they also sell services. Bike services, to be clear. Next, their customers pay for said goods and/or service(s). And, alas, a local business is sustained. Now, if you’re just hangin’ around not buying anything, I’m not sure how much courtesy and service you require. If you’re looking for a shoulder rub or, you know… to accompany that $3 tube you’re gonna buy, you may want to try a different neighborhood. Ponders Corner might have a bike shop… let us know!
R rick October 20, 2008
I meant to include my bicycle inventory for T (A): One road bike, one commuter bike, and one mountain bike (which replaced a five year old mountain bike). I’m pretty sure they all have some amount of carbon fiber. None of them pedal for me. All of them cost more than $150.
Thank you for reading exit133.
K Kristin October 20, 2008
I do not have a ton of money and never pretended to. Every weekend I vist Old Town bike (because I love cycling). I drop in to see like-minded folks who are friendly and who chat about cycling with me. The staff/owners/managers always indulge me in my questions (and fantasies of buying speed), which include: Are your Zipp wheels or Mavik wheels on sale yet? (they never go on sale – anywhere – its a joke we like to play with eachother) When do the Cervelos arrive? I can get Cervelos on the internet for 15% off – they reply “we will match any price.” Cool. Plus they usually throw in labor for regular customers for free on items purchased from their shop: i.e. putting your bike together, putting training wheels on your daughter’s first bike, etc.
I purchased my one and only road bike from Old Town. Have no complaints. Bring it in for service every year. And they support me in my passion – while entertaining my questions of items way out of my league financially.
Admit it, cycling has gone over the top in product and financials, they know it, I know it, you know it. Its an evolution and huge market now. My assurance is that its the Engine that makes it rock :)
I am also aware of the MANY times Old Town Bicycle came to the call of local requests for auction items for non-profits as well as educational classes for sports groups.
I have to stand up for Old Town Bicycle. A great mom and pop shop with outstanding customer service, competitive prices, and product availability (if its not in the store, they will order it at the best price you can find, anywhere).
Does not get much better than that. :)
T Thorax O'Tool October 20, 2008
“All of them cost more than $150.“
$150 still buys quite a bit of groceries.
T TLT October 20, 2008
On the Old Town discussion… They are cool in general, but can sometimes have a nickel and dime mentality… Example: I purchased a Mountain Bike from them a couple years back and it cost over 10X $150, which was a fair market value… I also frequently stop in for tubes, cleats, bar tape, general parts and accessories… I went in one day to buy a tool to remove the Bottom Bracket from an old school BMX frame set. They did not have a tool to sell me but the dude (same dude I see every time) said “I’ll get it for ya”… What he meant to say was “I’ll take it out, it will take 5 seconds, and $12 of you $”… I guess I’m being cheap, or felt like I was a returning customer and was going to be given some kind of break… Not so… Anyway, I still take my business to Old Town.. But I feel that the guys at Bike Tech on South Tacoma near 56th, Eric at Retro Cycle works in Spanaway, or any of a number of different stores between Tacoma and Seattle do a much better job of creating a relationship with their customers… Which is a selling point for consumers like myself…
T Tacoma (A)roma October 20, 2008
Condescend
1. to behave as if one is conscious of descending from a superior position, rank, or dignity.
2. to stoop or deign to do something: “He would not condescend to misrepresent the facts.”
S Steven October 20, 2008
Okay, I have to chime in here. I don’t think there is a lot of money to be make owning a bike shop. This is true for most “hard” goods like tools, bikes, skis. The whole retail dynamic is different that soft goods, i.e. clothes. The profit margins a very small. Folks will come in to look and try out what you have in stock, and then buy in on the Internet.
Where they make their money is in accessories and services. So it makes sense that they are going to nickle and dime you on these things.
Lastly, bike shops don’t like to carry “cheep” bikes. They end up competing with Shucks and Wallmart and they loose. Plus, they are a pain to service. A tune up will cost more than the bike is worth.
Keep the rubber side down.
Steven
T Thorax O'Tool October 21, 2008
But yet the majority of potential customers can’t afford beyond the “cheep” bike.
I’m willing to say they could massively increase their customer base if they had a model or two in stock that don’t require a job at Microsoft to afford.