New Iowa City commuter bike shop to open

Sun April 19 2009
Posted Apr 19, 2009
8,597

Iowa City By Brian Morelli Iowa City Press-Citizen A new Iowa City bike shop geared towards commuting and touring should open in mid-April, the owners said. Steve Goetzelman and Cody Gieselman said they decided to open their own shop called 30th Century Bicycle after several years of volunteering at the Iowa City Bike Library, which fixes and rents used bikes. “The idea for the shop comes from the way we live our lives – car-free,” Gieselman said. The shop will carry new and used bikes, racks, bags, baskets, fenders and other accessories associated with biking for transportation. In addition to a sales floor, they will also have a workshop for repairs and bike service. The shop is located at 310 E. Prentiss St. and the owners said hours will likely be in the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. range, perhaps with Mondays off. Right now the space is under construction. Goetzelman’s and Gieselman’s bikes are propped against the wall, and machinery and sawdust signals that work is in progress. The owners are refitting what looks like an old warehouse into a store front. A loading door for trucks will be replaced with glass so customers can see in the shop, Goetzelman and Gieselman said. The owners hope to keep the shop simple, and to push the mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” “New bikes are good, but if you have something that works but just needs some changes, that’s better,” Gieselman said. Goetzelman and Gieselman both are bike mechanics and plan to fix old bikes or assemble bikes from old parts and sell them at an affordable price. They will also carry used gear. Goetzelman and Gieselman said they hope their shop serves as a missing link for people that rely on their bike to get to work. “Most people that need to ride, it is to get to work,” Gieselman said. “I hope that is the need we can help meet.