Last week, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition set out to visit every local bike shop across the state of Iowa. They succeeded with staff, board members, and coalition members stopping by more than eighty bike shops from Council Bluffs to Davenport.

Executive Director Luke Hoffman said, "We were genuinely excited to tour the state, hear from local bike shop owners, and meet with a number of highly engaged bike teams as well.” As the Coalition members made their visits, they were joined by local bike teams who came to learn more about the coalition’s policy priorities.

Hoffman recounted some memorable stops, saying, “We loved talking to the Quad Cities Bike Club in the Davenport area when we stopped by Jeff & Sparky's. Barb, one of the shop owners, shared the story of starting her small business on a leap of faith, love of cycling, and belief in building community. The shop has now been in business for 57 years! It was amazing to see more than thirty cyclists ready and waiting to celebrate this community when we arrived.”

Bike shop owners at multiple stops expressed their gratitude for the visits and recounted the reasons they entered the business. Hoffman noted, “Albrechts Cycle Shop is celebrating their 100 year anniversary next year. Think about that. We need to lift up these stories of how bike shops build community.” Many shop owners also want to see more road safety policies put in place, such as hands free driving laws and other initiatives that make cycling safer and more accessible for all.

Hoffman said of the reception from local cyclists, shops, and community leaders who joined the week’s events, “We were humbled by the level of engagement and excitement for the Iowa Bicycle Coalition's ‘Support Your Local Bike Shop Week.’ We were able to meet even more local cyclists and grow our movement to increase access to cycling in Iowa. We encourage everyone to join us on Saturday January 27th at the Iowa Events Center for our signature annual events: the Iowa Bike Expo and Route Announcement Party we host in conjunction with RAGBRAI.”

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition is a statewide nonprofit organization in Iowa that promotes safe and accessible bicycling in Iowa through education, events, better policy, and growing a community of supporters. Our vision is that bicycling in Iowa is safe, enjoyable, and accessible for all. You can learn more at www.Iowabicyclecoalition.org.

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A list of all the Bike Shops in Iowa can be found on the main Menu of BIKEIOWA.

Remember - Always SHOP LOCAL when you can!