Momentum Bikes

Store Name Momentum Bikes

Business Type Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores

NAICS Code  4511

Location  25 W. Main St., Platteville, WI 53818

Nearby Businesses  Momentum Bikes is located at the heart of downtown Platteville.  Nearby businesses include Badger Brothers Coffee, Cold Fusion Restaurant and Bar, Los Amigos Restaurant, Steve’s Pizza Palace.

Owner/Manager  Tim Ingram

Special Store Activities  Wednesday nights after the shop closes, Momentum Bikes hosts “Bike and Brews” around Platteville.  Saturday morning rides include coffee.  The Enduro Series is a monthly mountain biking event in which participates earn points for participating, racing and doing silly things on their bikes. The event ends with a bon-fire.

Year Opened 2000

Website www.momentumbikes.com

Phone (608) 348-6888

E-mail 

Community Profile

Platteville, WI is in the southwest corner of the state, twenty miles northeast of Dubuque, IA and a little less than thirty miles southwest of Dodgeville, WI.  The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has more than 8,500 students on campus.  The resident population within the city of Platteville is 11,224, however the population within ten miles of downtown nearly doubles to 21,714, which includes Cuba City, Dickeyville, Belmont, and Rewey.

Products Sold & Niche Developed

Momentum Bikes carries a wide variety of bicycles and accessories with name brands like Trek and Gary Fisher whether you’re a beginner or a competitive cyclist. They carry a variety of bikes whether you cycle around town, commute to work, mountain bike, trail ride, or tour.  They have the right equipment to make your cycling experience enjoyable. Bikes purchased from Momentum Bikes receive free basic lifetime adjustments.  Everyone is welcome to bring in their bikes for a free examination by a friendly mechanic and usually can have any necessary work done while you wait.

Market Segments Served

The shop serves university students and local community members from Crawford, Grant and Lafayette counties.  UW-Platteville encourages students not to bring cars to campus.  The city has also installed a new bike path making the community even more commuter friendly.  Scenic roads around Platteville and the surrounding area are also excellent for touring the region.

Contributions to the Business Community

Owner Tim Ingram, avid cyclist and bike advocate, returned to Wisconsin in 2000 after operating a bicycling tourism business in Costa Rica.  He discovered that the owner of the local bike shop was interested in selling.  By the fall of 2000 it became Momentum Bikes.  When he first opened, he was doing it all himself with some seasonal help.  He says, “It is really rewarding when a customer returns after they’ve bought their first bike and they are excited about the experience and the impact the activity has had on their health.” The business has grown such that he has been able to hire a store manager within the last year and events hosted by Momentum Bikes has added to the community’s sense of place.

Review by Dayna Sarver, UW-Extension CCED