Ground Floor: Trail’s End a new bike and triathlon shop owned by daughter and retiree

The road that led Bob Wolff to Trail's End was paved with a series of serendipitous events.

The first occurred after Wolff retired from a long career at Rockwell Collins and realized he wasn't ready to sit around all day.

'My daughter is an avid cyclist, and one day she mentioned that her ideal job would be to own a bike shop,” Wolff recalled. 'I thought about it and, a couple of days later, asked her if she was serious.”

It turns out that Jessica Skeie was serious. Skeie, a biomedical research scientist at the University of Iowa, has completed a number of endurance events and had noted a lack of local retail options for triathletes. The father and daughter decided to go into business together to fill that niche.

A second moment of serendipity occurred when Wolff reached out to Kirkwood's Small Business Development Center for help in developing a business plan. He was paired with a mentor who turned out to be a cyclist and triathlete himself.

With the assistance of his mentor and SCORE, a volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to educating entrepreneurs, Wolff put together a detailed plan for a bike and triathlon shop that would fill a void in the local market.

'Without them, we couldn't have gotten off the ground,” Wolff said.

A third fortunate coincidence occurred when Wolff and Skeie were searching for a location for their shop, which they already had named 'Trail's End.” A couple of potential locations had fallen through when a space across from Iowa River Power Company in Coralville became available. It just happened to be at the intersection of two bike trails.

'Looking back, this would have been our number one choice all along,” Wolff said.

Wolff and Skeie opened Trail's End in January. The shop offers triathlon, cyclo-cross and mountain bikes, swim gear, apparel, and personal care products for endurance athletes, with a special focus on gear designed for females.

'We have the most complete women's triathlon apparel in the local area,” Wolff said.

Trail's End also provides bike fitting and repair services. Skeie is certified in dynamic bike fitting and Wolff is a trained bike mechanic. The shop employs a former RAGBRAI route mechanic who has 25 years' experience working on bicycles.

With its location on the Coralville trail system, Trail's End serves as a destination for bikers. According to Wolff, it is the only bike shop in the state that serves beer and wine. A comfortable lounge area with free Wi-Fi provides a spot for customers to relax, enjoy a beverage, and connect with others who share their passion for cycling.

Through the winter, the shop will offer safety training events, workshops for endurance athletes, and other special events to further build a community of cyclists.

Although Wolff noted a few speed bumps along the way - such as setting up the store's inventory control system - he said the first year of business at Trail's End has been a fun adventure.

'It's almost spooky how well things fell into place.”

' 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

At a Glance

' Owners: Bob Wolff and Jessica Skeie

' Business: Trail's End Bike and Triathlon

' Address: 498 First Avenue, Coralville

' Telephone: (319) 339-4768

' Website: www.trailsendbikeandtri.com