If you like cycling and you like coffee, you'll think this is a great idea for a bike shop - and you'll wish someone would do it in your town.
From the Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call
The Lehigh Valley has all kinds of bicyclists, from serious speedsuit-wearing types to slow-riding weekend cruisers. And the region is lousy with coffee lovers - specifically, people looking for ritzy high-end brews.
But somehow, nobody ever thought about merging the two common interests into one business; at least not until this week, when South Mountain Cycles and Coffee Bar opened at 303 Main St., lower level, Emmaus.
For the java addicts, South Mountain Cycles sells organic coffee, tea and coffee drinks such as espresso. All coffee is fair trade, which basically means its growers have not been exploited.
For the riders in the crowd, South Mountain Cycles features a bike repair area in the center of the store, in full view of customers, offering same-day and while-you-wait repairs.
The store also sells new bikes, parts and accessories. Oh, yes, and the TV plays cycling shows and videos, so bikers can watch Lance Armstrong tear through the French countryside while they get their machines worked on.
Of course, the two groups - coffee drinkers and cyclists - aren't mutually exclusive. Owner Mark Bowman, a competitive cyclist, said he often stops at coffee shops during his own rides. The Uptown coffee shop in Kutztown is an especially popular destination among local riders, he added.
"We thought, It's a good fit. Almost every cyclist drinks coffee," Bowman said.
The idea of a bike-shop-cum-coffee-haven makes sense on a bottom-line level as well, according to Bowman.
Most stand-alone bike shops grind to a standstill in the winter, because nobody's out riding. Bowman believes the coffee shop will generate money to support the store during the off-season.
