Ground Floor: Cedar Rapids business partners share cycling passion

CEDAR RAPIDS — Four friends who share a love of cycling have opened a business to spread the love to others.

'We met cycling,' Logan Orcutt said of his business partners, Chad McNamara, Thaddeus Walters and Andy Brimeyer. 'It's a passion we've shared for several years now.'

The four biking buddies dreamed up the idea of a neighborhood bike shop while on a cycling tour in Montana. Back home in Cedar Rapids last summer, they found the perfect spot to make their dream a reality.

'We found the space and it catapulted the whole project,' Orcutt said. 'The place hadn't been touched since the flood, but the storefront immediately had its charm. Everything just clicked.'

The space, in the NewBo neighborhood, once was home to a meat market. With a location just off the Cedar River Trail, it was particularly well-suited for new life as a community bike shop.

After renovations to the building were complete, Orcutt and his partners launched Goldfinch Cyclery with a soft opening on Nov. 29. The new business is a full-service bicycle shop offering repair and tune-up services, bike sales, and seasonal cycling accessories and apparel.

Orcutt said opening a bike shop during a time when many people had their bikes stored for winter was intentional.

'We wanted to figure out our processes and get our feet under us before the inevitable happens in the spring,' he said. 'It was really good starting out this way.'

With warmer weather coming, the co-owners anticipate busy days ahead. To ease into the biking season, they are offering a 15 percent discount on all bike tune-ups for the month of March.

'We are providing an incentive for people to get in here before the big rush begins,' Orcutt said.

Future plans for the business include a service stand out front for quick adjustments, bike storage, and organized rides.

Orcutt said the transition from biking buddies to business partners has gone smoothly for the four co-owners.

'We learned a lot about each other on the road — how to work together and how to communicate with one another — and that translated well to a professional environment,' he said. 'We each have our own roles and we stick to them, yet we can offer feedback and suggestions to one another without anyone taking it personally. None of us have owned a business before, but the learning curve has been a lot easier with a team.'

Goldfinch Cyclery will celebrate its grand opening over the weekend of March 26 and 27.

At a Glance

Owners: Logan Orcutt, Chad McNamara, Thaddeus Walters, Andy Brimeyer

Business: Goldfinch Cyclery

Address: 1120 Second Street SE, Cedar Rapids

Phone: (319) 775-0203

Website: http://goldfinchcyclery.com

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