This story first appeared in the Gazette’s inaugural Cycling Guide, an annual special section aimed at telling the stories of the businesses, people and local efforts that have made The Corridor a cycling destination.

Dan Nidey opened World of Bikes as a small service shop on Capitol Street. Fifty years later, it’s an Iowa City staple that continues to move forward.

World of Bikes marked 50 years in business last year after opening in the fall of 1974. Cycling opened a world of opportunities for Nidey, taking him around the country and beyond.

“I had been a student at the University of Iowa for several years, just stumbling along not really too involved in being a student,” Nidey said.

Nidey had worked at other cycling shops in Iowa City before purchasing a few tools and a small amount of inventory from a store that was closing to start his own business.

The earliest iteration of World of Bikes was based in a small garage with Nidey providing repair services to local cyclers. Less than two years later, Nidey moved the shop to its current location at 723 S. Gilbert St., though it still shared the building early on. He remained focused on service, but he ultimately wanted to sell inventory.