For this week's edition of Why Cycle Wednesday, we visit the bike shops of beautiful Louisville, KY - (almost) all of them(!)
I mentioned in my last post that I visited "Luavull" (the correct pronunciation) over the weekend. I grew up there but we moved when I was 10 yrs old. It's also where I learned to ride a bike. Of course, way back then I knew nothing of racing, team kit, etc. Actually, we did do a fair bit of racing - as much as you can do on a super cool second-hand yellow Schwinn Stingray (with "suspension" fork!). I also, of course, didn't get to go much further than my neighborhood. So I don't remember visiting any bike shops when I lived there.
But I made up for that this past weekend . . .
My first stop took me, appropriately enough, to Dixie Cyclery - the Schwinn dealer in the Shively section of town, not too far north of where I grew up in Valley Station. It looks like it's been there a long time and was probably there when I lived there. Unfortunately, despite (or perhaps because) it was a beautiful sunny Saturday, it was closed. A peek through the windows revealed a typical recreational-level bike shop. Lots of cruisers, some mountain bikes, LOTS of kids bikes. Nary a road bike in sight.
This was more what I'm used to. Bicycle Sport is what most of us are familar with in a bike shop. Full complement of road bikes and accessories, but also a nice selection of the new Electra bikes - including the VERY cool Amsterdam. I've only seen these bikes in the magazines, so it was great to see one in the, er, flesh. They're even cooler in person. I may become a regular bike commuter after all (though hauling its 30 pounds 40 miles each way isn't too appealing).
Another Schwinn dealer - this one much nicer (in the much nicer St. Matthews section of town) and also open, an added bonus. St. Matthews Schwinn was a larger, better appointed version of Dixie Cyclery, offering much more of the same type of stock - including a few road bikes and many more accessories, tailored mostly toward the cruiser/commuter set. Also like Dixie Cyclery, St. Matthews Schwinn has no website.
I first heard of the Cycler's Cafe when I saw it under the heading of "Bike-Friendly Hangouts" on the Bike Louisville website. I decided right then and there that this was a *Must See* - and the timing this day worked out perfectly. I pulled in right at lunch time.
As you can see from the pics, Cycler's Cafe is - as you might have guessed - a combination bike shop/lunch place. There's a generous front porch with tables for outdoor eating, and a number of tables and a counter inside the shop. Where else can you have a nice lunch while surrounded by so much bike goodness? Of course I *HAD* to get a T-Shirt, but there was only one left - long sleeve. But it happened to be my size (ok, a little small, but it was the last one) so I got it. Along with a couple of water bottles (also with the Cycler's Cafe logo - they're getting LOTS of free advertising in Southern New England now) and a pair of cute socks for Mrs. Suitcase.
It ended up being an expensive lunch, but totally worth it - if only to watch the various roadies/commuters/cruisers coming in to get water & supplies. All in all, a very cool shop, no, luncheonette, no, bike shop, . . . you get the idea.
Apres lunch, I visited "Louisville's Smallest Bike Shop" - On Your Left Cycles. True to its moniker, it was, in fact, the smallest bikeshop I visited. But what it lacked in square footage and product, it made up in friendliness and conversation. The owner(?) and I were around the same age and talked a bit about how the city's changed over the years - including reminiscing about the famous 1974 tornado (one of my earliest memories growing up). That was thirty four years ago(!)
All of a sudden, I felt old.
Fortunately, and ironically, an old-fashioned bike shop made me feel better. Bardstown Road Bicycles (true to old-fashionedness, no website) is a VERY nicely done shop in a restored old store building. There's a high-wheeler out front and antique bikes inside. Of course, it's a modern full-line shop as well.
This is a c. 1930 Pierce Model 11 Arch Truss bike. Note the arch below the top tube. It sold for the whopping sum of $12.50 when new.
This beauty is an 1898(!) Remington Women's Model 48. Yes, Remington - the gun maker - along with many other manufacturers of the time, jumped into the bicycle craze. Note the interesting chain guard and rear fender/netting to keep your dress out of the rear wheel. It has wood rims mounted with 28 x 1.5" single tube tires.
And it's "Direct Drive" - no coasting, no brakes. Granny rode a fixie! (and, apparently, she was rich - this bike sold for $50.00 in 1898!)
My final stop was the edgy - yet friendly - Bike Couriers Bike Shop. Right in the downtown area, it stocks a great variety of road bikes and cruisers and have been doing a brisk business between the high gas prices and the city's commitment to bicycle transportation.
You can see the evidence here - they have a cool practice of giving every bike purchaser an opportunity to "sign the wall." Click on the image for a larger, readable version. You'll see they've sold a LOT of bikes in '08 alone. Can't do anything but bode well for cycling's future in Louisville.
And here's the bridge to that future - an old railroad bridge across the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana. Plans are for this to be an integral part of the "Louisville Loop" system of dedicated bike/pedestrian paths. As you can see, it's a bridge to nowhere - literally - for now. But soon there will be a spiral path that'll bring folks from bridge level to ground level - where there is already a beautiful riverside park.
The future looks bright indeed. Unfortunately, one of my big regrets of the trip is that I didn't have my bike with me. I guess I'll have to be sure to visit again - in the meantime, I'll savor the possibilty that I'll be able to ride in Luavull sometime soon.
