Sycamore Cycles Expands to Hendersonville
Bicycle mechanic Austin Parsons works on a bicycle at Sycamore Cycles' new Hendersonville location on Third Avenue East.
Leigh Wills
Folks in Henderson County who enjoy hopping on a bike and tackling Western North Carolina's numerous mountain trails or scenic highways have a new place to shop. Sycamore Cycles has opened a second location in Downtown Hendersonville.
Sycamore Cycles will keep its store near the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest and operate its newest location at 146 Third Avenue East, the former Hookah House site. The Hendersonville location is a full-service bike shop offering sales, service and eventually rentals. The store held its grand opening this weekend, and we stopped by to chat with manager Jeff Parker, a bicycle enthusiast who enjoys road cycling.
Parker said the new location gives Sycamore Cycles an opportunity to cater to those who prefer road cycling over mountain biking. The Hendersonville shop, he said, will carry mountain bikes, but more emphasis will be placed on road bikes.
"We felt like there was a good market here for cycling. We knew there were already two existing stores, but we wanted to expand ours because we wanted to tap into the road and cyclocross," Parker said. "The other shop, being at the entrance of Pisgah, they're 90 percent mountain bikes, which makes all the sense in the world. We're still going to sell a lot of mountain bikes, but we wanted to focus more on the road scene, which is what I'm more familiar with."
He mentioned that an Etowah ride that takes place every Tuesday draws nearly 80 people, most of them from Henderson County. "We wanted to tap into that market, and this also helps us expand our inventory," Parker said. "Not only do we have a good variety of the mountain bikes, but we have a good road selection."
Sycamore also carries bikes for cyclocross racing, a popular form of cycling that recently drew hundreds of racers and spectators to a two-day event at Jackson Park. The bikes, Parker said, are very versatile. They look similar to road bikes, but they have mountain bike characteristics. "You can ride it on the roads and also take it on the dirt and trails," he said.
If you're simply looking for a bike to cruise around town on or ride in the mountains for a day, Parker said the downtown location will soon offer rentals. "We do rentals out of the Pisgah Forest store now," he said. "We've only been open a month, so we're still working on getting our rental fleet together. We're excited. We have a great space, and we've gotten tons of compliments on the new building. It's the largest shop in Hendersonville now."
If you're looking to get your Christmas shopping done early for the bicyclist in your life, drop by and talk with Parker or owner Wes Dickson. Their phone number is 828-693-1776; the Web site is www.sycamorecycles.com.
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Reader Comments:
Great service, free coffee, feels good to go into a shop owned and operated by guys that actually ride bikes. The bikes they stock are the best value when you factor in quality/price/durability/comfort etc. Happy to see them in Hendo.
It's nice to see a "bike shop" in Hendersonville that offers an on-hand selection and not just an option to order it.
As a woman and a novice bike rider, I sometimes get nervous going into bike shops to ask a question or buy something. But I always feel so welcome and at home when I go into this store. The guys are friendly and knowledgeable and not the least bit intimidating. Welcome to Hendersonville, guys. I'm glad you're here!