By Joe Butler
Columbia is an amazing place for cyclists. A vast Columbia Trail System, ample bike racks, and the snail’s pace of Broadway traffic make for a very bicycle-friendly city.
In this guide, we’ll go over the top bike shops in downtown CoMO for bike enthusiasts of all kinds. From hardcore endurance cycling to casual bicycle commuting, these shops will cover every biking need.
Pedego Electric Bikes
The e-bike industry is booming, and Pedego Electric Bikes is proof! With over 200 shops worldwide, Pedego Columbia offers premium e-bikes for anyone looking for an electricity-assisted ride.
A quick definition–electric bicycles (or e-bikes) are motorized, battery-powered bikes that assist you in propulsion, meaning that your thighs won’t cramp quite as hard on monster hill climbs. This makes e-biking a viable option for the elderly, or anyone wanting a less strenuous bike ride.
Owned by 25-year-old Mizzou graduate Patrick O’Malley, Pedego Columbia has a variety of luxury e-bikes available for both purchase and rental, the latter being a great option for tourists looking to cruise CoMO in style.
The e-bikes Pedego Columbia offers are Class 2, meaning you can use the throttle to get up to 20 mph without even having to pedal (although pedaling will help extend the e-bike’s range and battery life). Pedego provides a 5-year battery/frame/anti-theft warranty on all purchased e-bikes, and will be upheld at any Pedego location.
Located at 19 South 4th Street Suite 115, this full-service shop will do repair work on a bike you already own as well. In addition, the shop sells bike accessories to compliment your sweet new ride.
Star Trek fans will be delighted to find a cardboard cutout of Pedego spokesman William Shatner in the shop, giving your Pedego purchase the “Captain James T. Kirk” seal of approval.
Walt’s Bike Shop
Serving the CoMO community since 1967, Walt’s Bike Shop is dedicated to introducing people to the outdoor lifestyle.
Located at 1217 Rogers Street in what used to be a grocery store (circa 1994), Walt’s Bike Shop caters to all aspects of cycling. Whether it’s road cycling, mountain biking, or bikepacking, Walt’s has the bike for you. The majority of the shop’s bikes are less than $1000, providing you premium rides without premium prices.
But fear not, spandex-clad super-cyclists–Walt’s also provides professional bikes and accessories for those who love putting in serious mileage at breakneck speeds. If you’re a rider with certain specifications, though, the team at Walt’s can help you assemble a custom bike of your very own.
A full-service shop, Walt’s can work with the bike you already own as well. Tune-ups, part installations, repairs… no issue is too big or small to solve for Walt’s highly-qualified team of sales reps and service techs.
If you purchase a bike at Walt’s, it comes with the lifetime free labor policy. This means as long as you own your Walt’s bike, any labor done on the bike is free. Whether it’s inflating your tires, adjusting your fit, or putting in new parts, the grunt work put in on your bike will set you back a grand total of zero dollars and zero cents.
For those who also want to build muscle, or for those who simply want a form of cross-training, Walt’s offers strength training and cardio equipment as well.
CycleX Bicycles
Founded in 1993 by Tom Brinker and located at 203 North Providence Road Suite 103, CycleX Bicycles is a high-quality choice for cyclists.
Currently owned by Brian Kukla and John Wilkinson, CycleX is a full-service bike shop that’ll provide your bike with repairs, tune-ups and even complete overhauls. If starting from scratch is what you’re looking for, CycleX also offers custom bike and wheel builds, and will take your every need and desire into account as they assemble your dream ride.
Another great service provided by CycleX is their professional bike fitting, which I can personally vouch for. Hoping to make my rides a bit more comfortable, I went in to get my own bike fitted, and walked out with a bike that felt engineered to fit my body. Long rides have felt like a dream ever since.
CycleX also sells cycling accessories and apparel and even provides riders with opportunities for group riding with other cyclists as part of the CycleX Gravel Gang. For fans of geocaching, a fun cache can be found inside the mouth of Cycle-Rex, the metal bike-riding dino found just outside the shop!