A new women-owned cycle shop in downtown Muskegon hopes to offer women cyclists, casual riders, and family groups an easier path to becoming involved in the sport.
CityHub Cyclery, 585 W. Clay Ave., opens March 6 with a varied offering of bikes and gear -- and with an emphasis on casual riding and the types of bikes and apparel appealing to women. The shop also carries racing and road bikes and gear.
But the goal of shop owners Jennifer Wever and Julia Miller is to create an atmosphere where women cyclists of all ages feel comfortable coming to buy a bike, to talk about getting involved in cycling, or to have their bikes repaired.
Both Wever and Miller are avid cyclists -- Wever as a leisure cyclist, and Miller as a competitive racer who has also worked in several local bike shops, including Velo City Cycles and Ada Bike Shop. Miller is a certified bike mechanic through United Bicycle Institute's Professional Bike Repair and Shop Management, and will be working as a bike mechanic alongside Bill Dellinger.
"I've always had an interest in biking and wanting to work in a shop," Miller says. "I worked at
Velo City Cycles,
Breakaway Bicycles, and
Ada Bike Shop, and most of them are about the men (customers). I wanted something more family-friendly, more commuter style, and a more laid back environment."
This summer, the store will offer bike rentals. The Pere Marquette Beach is about 15 minutes away by bike, following the bike path along Muskegon Lake.
Miller and Wever bought the circa 1891 building, which had been vacant for about six years, and preserved the tin ceiling and the original hardwood floors. A second-story living space will be renovated at a later date.
Store hours: Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat. 10 to 5; Sundays during the summer only, hours TBD.
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of CityHub Cyclery
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