Ground Floor: Veteran bike shop owner opens new store in Marion

MARION — Jeff Patterson didn't need to reinvent the wheel when he opened his new bicycle shop in Marion.

'This is bike shop number three for me,' Patterson said of Cranky's Uptown Bicycles, which opened May 2. 'It's the latest and possibly the last.'

Patterson opened his first bike shop in Iowa City in 1994 after graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in business. By then, biking had become a habit for him because it was the easiest way to get to campus from his apartment in Coralville.

'I didn't think I'd own a bike shop,' he said. 'But after I was out of school for a while I realized I didn't want to wear a suit and tie every day.'

Patterson sold his Iowa City shop in 2000 after his wife took a job in Albuquerque, N.M. There, he managed different bike shops.

When his wife's career took them to Rapid City, S.D., Patterson was ready to own a store again. He opened his second bicycle shop, which he called Cranky Jeff's Bike Shop, a reference to the crank on a bike.

Patterson had five successful years at the Rapid City store before his wife took a job at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. He sold the store to a customer and tried to be retired for 14 months. But retirement didn't suit him, he said.

'We were out for Valentine's Day dinner this year and my wife asked if I was bored,' he said. 'I said, 'what would make you think that?''

After that conversation, Patterson began looking for a location for a new bike shop.

'I looked at a map of other bike shops and saw growth potential in Marion,' he said. 'I knew I could do exactly what I did in Rapid City if I could find the right spot.'

On Leap Day, he saw a 'for rent' sign on a Marion storefront that reminded him of his old shop. He signed a lease a few days later.

'I wanted something with character — neat old floors and display windows,' he said. 'It gives me the opportunity to be creative with the space and make it fun and quirky.'

Patterson pulled out his notes from six years ago. Knowing what sort of products he wanted to carry and how the store would be laid out, he set about re-establishing the contacts he made during his 20 years in the bicycle industry.

'It was 60 days from idea to operation,' he said.

Cranky's Uptown Bicycles offers new bikes, bicycle parts and accessories, and a full-service repair shop. Most offerings are priced in the low- to midrange, Patterson said.

'What's really different about my store is that I only choose small to mid-size bike companies to work with,' he said. 'That allows me to cherry pick lines and order small batches at a time. I have the freedom to pick and choose what I want and what I know works.

'You can get a nice bike shop-quality bicycle without spending a lot of money.'

AT A GLANCE

Owner: Jeff Patterson

Business: Cranky's Uptown Bicycles

Where: 1170 Seventh Ave., Marion

Phone: (319) 200-4351

Facebook: www.facebook.com/crankysuptown

Know a company or manager who has been in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor'? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com