With the snow melted and hopefully not returning for six to seven months, many students will be hitting the pavement on bicycles. The cities of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor are renowned for their bike-friendly roads and trails. While one could always visit Walmart for a bike this spring, the conglomerate can never compete with local bike store Ypsilanti Cycle.
The current spot of Ypsilanti Cycle, built in the 1850s at 116 West Michigan Ave. in historic downtown Ypsilanti, was once a dry goods store and even a drugstore. This bicycle shop caters to the area and has customers traveling from all over Michigan and northern Ohio to visit and even has worldwide sales through its Web site.
Ralph Ellis started Ypsilanti Cycle LLC in 1982 on Cross Street before moving to the current location in 1983. He sold the cycle shop on Michigan Avenue in 1997, leasing the storefront to several people. When the last owner was unable to maintain the shop, Ellis decided to return to cycle business in 2008.
Ellis, who will be retiring from teaching computer drafting at Lincoln Park High School this year, is an EMU alumnus. He believes there’s a demand for a bicycle shop in Ypsilanti and he partnered with Paul Neff, a former employee and business owner, to reopen Ypsilanti Cycle.
Ellis began fixing bicycles when he was attending school in East Lansing in 1972. He opened his first store on Cross Street in 1982, and later bought the building on Michigan Avenue for his store.
Though not a family business, Ypsilanti Cycle does have a familial atmosphere with most of the employees, having worked with Ellis in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He says when you work with someone that long it is sort of like family. And like a family, the staff at Ypsilanti Cycle will go out of its way to make sure the customers are happy.
Unlike one of the big superstores that offers a gallon of milk, a clock radio and a mountain bike at the same time, one really receives personalized service at Ypsilanti Cycle.
“We try to find out where they want to ride. Do they want to ride in the dirt, on pavement or go fast for long distance,” Ellis said.
Another major difference at a bike shop from mass merchants is the way the bikes are sold. While walking down the aisle of a superstore, a consumer will see the bikes sold by wheel size (usually 26 inches for adults), instead of by frame size. Most bicycle models have five to seven sizes, something you’ll miss out on at a mass merchant.
The length of your inseam determines the correct frame size, in terms of stand-over height. The reach to the bars is also critical for comfort. However, what is comfortable for one style of rider might not be for another, and the crew at Ypsilanti Cycle will help you find what is right for you.
“There are so many kinds of bikes now. When I got in the business in ’72, basically we’re talking about a 3-speed, 10-speed or a cruiser. Today there’s probably about 40 different classes of bikes,” Ellis explains.
Ellis even assisted President Sue Martin in selecting her bike (a green and white Schwinn Cruiser) last year.
If you are interested in getting a new bike, visit the guys over at Ypsilanti Cycle in their store on Michigan Avenue, call them at (724) 482-7881, or go to www.ypsilanticycle.com.
