The Green Mountain Cyclery, an Ephrata bicycle shop, is undergoing a major expansion.
Green Mountain owner Mike Farrington is anxiously awaiting the arrival this week of concrete contractors who will pour the foundation for the expanded store.
Last, week a demolition crew removed one section of the building as the $300,000 project quickly progresses to an expected mid-June completion. The shop, at 285 S. Reading Road, remains open during construction.
“We’re going to be doing some awesomely cool stuff,” Farrington said Saturday. “Our goal is to have the coolist bike shop that you’ve ever been in.”
When the expansion is complete, the shop will have grown from 4,500 square feet to 7,000 square feet. The additional space will allow Green Mountain to have a coffee bar area, a dedicated woman’s area, a dedicated road cycling area and a classroom area. Farrington plans to offer classes for free or at a nominal charge. Subjects will likely include basic repairs and maintenance, nutrition for cycling, an introduction to road racing, and specific clinics for women.
Along with additional display space, the expansion will provide Farrington with increased storage space. That will allow him to purchase bicycles and accessories in higher volumes. He will be able to pass on the savings to customers, he said.
By fall, Farrington is planning to expand the business in other ways. He plans to purchase a 15-passenger van that will allow him to organize trips to races, ride destinations or other events. He also plans to use material left from the construction to build a mountain bike test track behind the store.
And, with the additional space and the coffee bar area, he hopes the store will become a destination for his customers. He hopes his customers will want to come to the shop not only to purchase bikes and other items, but will want to stop there while on rides, or simply to just hang out, he said.
“This is the shop that I’ve always wanted,” said Farrington. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”
