UPTOWN — For fair-weather cyclists short on space, Uptown Bikes has a new winter storage solution.
Maria Barnes, owner of the shop at 4653 N. Broadway, said she was inspired to offer the option after the vicious winter last year.
"We were inspired by last year’s Polar Vortex — the cold and snow, but also the ice. There were very icy conditions," said Barnes, 48. “So we thought this year we’d give people the option that if they wanted to store their bikes at a shop, and then tack on some maintenance to that if they wanted to, they could.”
For $10, the shop will give bikes a minor workup: wipe them down, lubricate the machinery and fill the tires with air.
Then for $15 per month they'll hang it from a rack on the basement ceiling until owners are ready to hop back on once the snow and ice clears.
This year's dry, warm winter has gotten the program's inaugural year off to a slow start.
“We haven’t had anybody store them yet,” said Barnes. “But we don’t mind that — we want to see people riding.”
Nora Gallagher, 36, the shop’s other full-time winter employee, partially attributes the slow business to a heartier breed of a cyclist that has developed over the last 10 years.
“People are riding more and more and that’s great, but there needs to be some education with that," Gallagher said. "These people are just like anybody else, this is how they get around, they’ve learned to love it, and we want to be a resource for that — ultimately we want people to really enjoy it.”
Bikes left outside during the winter take a beating. Brakes will stop functioning, gears won't shift, pedals won’t want to turn and the entire chain, gear and cable apparatus can seize up entirely, Gallagher said.
“You’d be surprised how quickly things can go if your bike sits in the snow and salt."
Bikes in the Uptown shop's care over the winter will be returned road-ready, even if they came in a little worse for wear.
“It’s indoors, in our basement, just like we store all our new bikes, same conditions," Gallagher said. "When you’re ready to pick it up, you’re ready to go.”
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