Just as Belfast embarks on an effort to develop more local cycling infrastructure — in part to help people to leave their gas guzzlers at home — the city’s only bike shop is moving into a new space that served as an auto repair garage for many years.
CG Bikes, which now shares a space with Downshift Coffee at 39 Main St., is in the process of moving into the former Blood’s Garage auto repair building at 34 Northport Ave., which has been vacant for more than a year.
Bike shop owner Chris Gardner hopes the new location will be more accessible to customers and offer more space to expand his inventory, while more broadly helping the city to achieve its goals of environmental sustainability.
“In a way, it symbolizes a transition from one era to the next, even if we’re in the early stages of that,” Gardner said. “It’s a very cute, classic-looking garage. I really wouldn’t change a thing.”
Gardner, who first opened his shop five years ago, hopes to relocate to the former garage sometime this fall. Last week, the city’s planning board approved his plans for the 1,260-square-foot garage. He’ll be leasing the space and plans to add a 384-square-foot storage shed to the property, along with new parking spots, a bike rack and a wash station.
Gardner predicts many current customers will follow him to the new location, while it could attract new ones as well given its location on a bike lane.
“My hope is that being on this main route by Northport Avenue, where everybody travels on their way off of Route 1, makes it easier for people to see us every day,” Gardner said. “I hope that makes it easier for people to choose us as the place where they want to buy their next bike.”
The new building will require some additional retail fixtures, including a counter. The parking area is meant to allow customers to bring their bicycles on a car. An open floor plan will allow for all operations on the same level, and the space will be more visible to cyclists and passersby than the current location.
While CG now offers a range of types of bikes — including electric — Gardner aims to bring in some new brands and place an added focus on e-bikes.
“I think that people look to e-bikes, not only for recreation, but also as a form of sustainable transportation,” Gardner said.
Gardner didn’t seriously consider relocation until a few months ago. When he took notice that Blood’s Garage had closed and was vacant, he made up his mind.
“I just love the location and size of this spot, and in some ways, it felt like it had to be this one,” Gardner said. “It will be sad to not have that synergy [with Downshift Coffee] anymore, but I think their business is going to do great and has only grown over the years, and our business is continuing to do great, so I’m happy for both of us to be able to keep growing a little bit.”
More broadly, Gardner hopes that his business can help convince more people that Belfast is a safe place for cycling.
“I think having a bike shop here will let us do that,” he said. “It also helps me out, because safety, I feel like, is the number one thing that people are looking for; they don’t want to ride bikes if they don’t feel safe. As that improves, our business is only going to do better, but I want to continue to be a good advocate for safer infrastructure here, as well.”
