Cycle City Opens in River Market

By Kevin Collison

Cycle City has opened at 201 Main St. in the River Market and owner Joe Fox is envisioning a deal you’ll like at the microbrewery next door while waiting for your bike to be serviced.

“I’m working on free drink tokens with River Bluff,” he said. “If you’re getting a bike prepped you can use it to go there for a beer.”

That’s the kind of neighborhood spirit Fox wants to bring to the River Market. He’s refined that attitude after operating the original City Cycle in Parkville the past 18 years.

“I like the River Market because of our possibility of having a very successful shop in downtown Kansas City,” he said. “I love the neighborhood feel, particularly on Second Street, with the apartments and condos.

“There’s a lot of riders and trails right in front of the shop, the traffic here is phenomenal. We want to be a neighborhood shop in a new neighborhood.”

Cycle City sells four bicycle brands and all the gear and accessories cyclists want.

Cycle City is a full service bicycle shop with four mechanics on staff that can handle repairs and tune-ups, while selling accessories, clothing and nutritious snacks. It sells bikes made by Specialized, Cannondale, Salsa and Santa Cruz.

“There’s definitely a hole in the downtown, North Town and River Market are for bicycle parts and service, and our plan is to capitalize on it,” Fox said.

Hours are expected to be Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

In addition to the anticipated beer token for riders waiting for their bikes, Fox said he’d like to do other cooperative ventures with River Bluff, which shares space with Cycle City in the historic Water Building.

“We’d like to do group rides with them from here,” he said.