Marking another milestone in its six years of business, Mike’s Bikes STL in the Central West End neighborhood has doubled its footprint with a major expansion. Owners Matt McRedmond and Eric Schilling took over the space above the current location in September and renovated the former hair salon over the winter.
The new real estate allows for the display of more styles and sizes of bikes, apparel and accessories and also includes a new area for bike fittings/service and a private office. “This past year we ran out of room and the top [floor] opened up,” said Schilling. “We had to take it, ready or not!”
Mike’s Bikes STL has a history of growth spurts. It began in 2012 with a basement bike-repair shop and modest, 500-square-foot showroom. In 2014, the business expanded into the old St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department bike facility, which, coincidentally, was located at the back of the same building.
With the addition of the second-story space, the shop’s aesthetic is a confluence of city styles — exposed wood rafters and cement floors downstairs and big windows and checkerboard tile up top. But it works.
“We like the city atmosphere and have tried to keep as much as we can of the building intact. Frosted glass panels and LCD screens wasn’t what we wanted,” said McRedmond. “We want to get people on bikes and make them feel confident. There are a lot of shops where you can buy expensive tri bikes, but we wanted to focus on the everyday biker.”
Whether renting a ride to cruise nearby Forest Park or investing in a quality road or mountain bike, Mike’s Bikes STL can set you up with brands like Bianchi, Fuji, Kestrel, Breezer, SE, Surly and more. In addition, the shop offers full maintenance and repair services and provides outlets for fun with weekly shop rides (see page 42 for details), brewery rides and annual events like the City Wide Ride and Tour De Taco — the latter attracting 180 people last year.
“Tour De Taco is the greatest taco ride on two wheels. We get folks from college students to riders in their 70s. Everyone makes a new friend they might not have met otherwise,” said McRedmond. “We want people to explore our neighborhood and small businesses by bike, because we really love it here.”
To learn more, stop by Mike’s Bikes STL on North Euclid Avenue or visit mikesbikesstl.com.
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